NBA Executives Tab Duke Blue Devil Cooper Flagg As No. 1 Pick in 2025 NBA Draft

Cooper Flagg is held in high regard entering the 2025 NBA Draft and according to ESPN league executives believe the Duke Blue Devil will be the top pick in this coming draft.

Apr 2, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East forward Cooper Flagg (32) controls the ball as McDonald's All American West guard Valdez Edgecombe Jr (7) defends during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

It is never too early to try to predict the future. With the 2024 NBA Draft and Summer League behind us, the eyes of the draft world are upon the 2025 class ahead of the college basketball season. On Wednesday, ESPN released a survey of opinions of league executives to a variety of questions around both the 2024 NBA Draft and 2025 class.

One of the topics voted on by NBA officials was who the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will be. Right now, the odds say it will be Duke Blue Devil freshman Cooper Flagg. Entering his first year in college, many are pegging Flagg as closer to a LeBron James, Zion Williams, level of prospect for a franchise to luck into in the NBA Draft lottery than a run of the mil top choice.

According to the survey, league executives agree with this sentiment as of now with Flagg capturing 16 of the 20 votes.

Though, the Rutgers freshmen duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey garnered two votes each with Baylor first-year forward V.J. Edgecombe having one vote thrown his way.

Despite a more talented 2025 class than its 2024 counterpart, only four players were tossed around as potential top picks - ultimately, as the process plays out many expect this class to quickly turn into a one horse race at the top with Flagg cruising into the No. 1 spot.

Still, though, this is a good year for tanking clubs that are doing star-searching in the NBA Draft. It will be interesting to see how the mock drafts and projections come together throughout the life cycle of this class.

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