Best NBA Landing Spots for Duke’s Cooper Flagg

Three of the best realistic landing spots for star Cooper Flagg.

Mar 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Regardless of his ankle injury suffered in the ACC Tournament, Cooper Flagg is slated to be the top pick at the 2025 NBA Draft. 

The still-18-year-old has been a dominant two-way force in his sole collegiate season, and offers one of the better prospects at 6-foot-9 in the last few years, cementing himself with those like Zion Williamson, Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama.

Realistically, there’s only 14 teams that will have a chance at landing Flagg in the draft lottery. And plenty less when you consider the actual chance each team has at coming away with the No. 1 pick.

Here are three of the better landing spots for the Duke superstar, within reason:

Washington Wizards

After offloading win now assets seasons ago, the Washington Wizards have been rebuilding for two years now under their new regime. They’re drafted the likes of Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington in the lottery, all versatile players with positional size.

Flagg would fit into those ranks well, offering another big body that can handle the ball, defend multiple positions and put the ball through the hoop. 

The Wizards are one of the youngest rebuilds in the league, but Flagg would immediately raise both the floor and ceiling of the team.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz weren’t expected to be the league’s worst team entering the season, but they have the worst record, as it stands now. 

Flagg would be the best and most exciting prospect added to the Jazz in decades. He isn’t yet a perfect fit due to the abundance of win-now forwards on the roster, but that could be shored up quite easily on Utah’s end in the coming years.

This ranks as one of the better landing spots for Flagg due to pure development, though, as a former All-Star in Markkanen and longtime elite scorer Collins could help the soon-to-be rookie get his NBA sea legs.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are the freshest rebuild in the league, not yet owning a single draft pick under new management. It’s not yet known what their plan will be – though it seems they’re heading for a half-rebuild, of sorts — but Flagg would be a massive boost, regardless.

With Brooklyn, Flagg would likely have an essential blank slate, being the very first pick of what could be a promising roster in a few years. 

With the Nets, Flagg would have a long offensive leash, one of a few questions in his game being just what his ceiling as a scorer is.

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