Name Image Likeness

Duke Commit Cooper Flagg Signs With CAA 

The Naismith High School Player of the Year has chosen CAA for his NIL representation

Noah Henderson

Dec 1, 2022; Montverde, Florida, USA; Montverde Academy forward Cooper Flagg (32) shoots past IMG
Dec 1, 2022; Montverde, Florida, USA; Montverde Academy forward Cooper Flagg (32) shoots past IMG / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Cooper Flagg, the projected number-one pick in the 2025 NBA draft, announced yesterday that he will work with Creative Artists Agency for NIL representation. The 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year will highlight an incredible Duke recruiting class that features four five-star commits. With the praise around Flagg's game from basketball experts, he will likely be a one-and-done, opting for the NBA draft next summer. CAA is one of the preeminent sports agencies in the world; its basketball roster includes many of the NBA’s most prominent athletes: Tyrese Haliburton, Paul George, Jalen Brunson, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, and more. 

While CAA’s reputation in the NBA speaks for itself, the company is also well-versed in the NIL space. The Los Angeles-based agency has previously worked with high-level collegiate prospects, including Bryce Young (the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft) and fellow Duke star Paolo Banchero (the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft).

While athletes of this caliber certainly make good money through NIL endorsement deals, many speculate that building relationships with sure-fire college athletes before their highly lucrative professional careers is more valuable than NIL commission. The conversion of NIL athletes to professional representation is not always linear; while Bryce Young remains with CAA, Paolo Banchero opted to join former NBA veteran Mike Miller’s LIFT agency for representation in his professional career. 

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Noah Henderson
NOAH HENDERSON

Professor Noah Henderson teaches in the sport management department at Loyola University Chicago. Outside the classroom, he advises companies, schools, and collectives on Name, Image, and Likeness best practices. His academic research focuses on the intersection of law, economics, and social consequences regarding college athletics, NIL, and sports gambling. Before teaching, Prof. Henderson was part of a team that amended Illinois NIL legislation and managed NIL collectives at the nation’s most prominent athletic institutions while working for industry leader Student Athlete NIL. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Economics from Saint Joseph’s University, where he was a four-year letter winner on the golf team. Prof. Henderson is a native of San Diego, California, and a former golf CIF state champion with Torrey Pines High School. Outside of athletics, he enjoys playing guitar, hanging out with dogs, and eating California burritos. You can follow him on Twitter: @NoahImgLikeness.