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NBA Players Rave About Cooper Flagg As Duke Recruit Dazzles vs. Team USA

Tom Dierberger

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Cooper Flagg's stock has only grown this week since he took the floor with a herd of future Hall of Famers as a member of the 2024 USA Basketball select team.

Flagg, expected to be the top pick of the 2025 NBA draft who will play at Duke next season, turned heads during the select team's scrimmage against Team USA on Monday. So much so that one NBA coach has crowned him as the best player on the select team.

That's high praise, considering there are 12 current NBA players on the select team, including Orlando Magic star Jalen Suggs, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard and Sacramento Kings sharpshooter Keegan Murray.

“Coop was playing out of his mind,” Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., also a member of the select team, said Monday [h/t The Athletic].

“He showed no fear,” Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren said. “He came and worked hard every day. You would think he’s already here, you know what I mean?”

Flagg, a 6'9" small forward out of Maine, is the No. 1 nationally ranked recruit in the United States. He flashed his elite potential in one sequence during the scrimmage against Team USA, knocking down a three-pointer over Anthony Davis and putting back a missed triple from Murray for an and-one opportunity.

The 2025 NBA draft is less than a year away. Is it too early for teams to start tanking for the top pick?

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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