National Player of the Year and Duke freshman standout Cooper Flagg is taking a brief pause before making what many expect to be a formality — declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Flagg told The Athletic‘s Jovan Buha that he’s using the time after Duke’s Final Four loss to regroup before starting offseason preparation.
“I’ll just take some time from (the loss), regroup myself, whatever it is,” Flagg said. “I’m gonna get back into training here pretty soon. And just start to gear up again with the offseason.”
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The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game in a dominant freshman campaign. He led the Blue Devils to the Final Four before they fell to Houston, wrapping up one of the most decorated first-year seasons in recent college basketball history.
Flagg has until April 26 to officially declare for the NBA Draft, with May 29 as the NCAA’s final withdrawal deadline for underclassmen. While he hasn’t yet made an announcement, the expectation remains that Flagg will enter the draft and be the likely No. 1 overall pick.
In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report‘s Jonathan Wasserman projected Flagg to go first overall, citing his maturity, all-around skill set, and two-way impact. “Aside from exceeding expectations this year with his evolving creation and shotmaking, Flagg greatly impacted games with his passing and defensive playmaking as well,” Wasserman wrote.
Flagg finished the season leading the nation in box plus-minus — an advanced metric measuring all-around on-court impact — at just 17 years old.
The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets currently hold the best odds (14.0 percent) to win the No. 1 overall pick in the May 12 NBA Draft Lottery. Whichever franchise lands the top selection will likely be adding Flagg to its core.
For now, the Maine native will finish his academic year at Duke before shifting his offseason training to Los Angeles. The countdown to his decision — and his NBA future — is officially underway.
