There's no doubt that Duke basketball freshman sensation Cooper Flagg will be the first overall pick in this summer's 2025 NBA Draft. The only unknown is which team will have the rights to draft him.
The Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Utah Jazz have the best odds to land the first overall pick at 14%. However, there's a jumble of teams behind that can sneakily move up and take the first pick via the lottery.
But, one insider has an intriguing pick for which NBA team he thinks is the best fit for Flagg. CBS Sports insider Kyle Boone spoke on the CBS Sports show "HQ Spotlight" recently about the NBA franchise he wants to see the 18-year old superstar with the most.
"I would pick the Philadelphia 76ers..and it's because of several reasons," Boone said. "One among them being I think the 76ers have one of the most exciting young cores in the NBA. They've got Jared McCain who was fantastic before injury last season. Tyrese Maxey is on that roster. Quentin Grimes, who they picked up last season in a midseason trade, has been fantastic and, I think it'd be a nice turn in 'The Process,' right. Like, Joel Embiid has been injured several seasons in a row. I don't know exactly where that goes but I do think the young core that's established in Philadelphia could really, really benefit from a player like Flagg."
The 76ers were maybe the most disappointing team in the NBA last season. After signing Paul George to a max contract last offseason, Philadelphia was viewed as a perennial NBA Championship contender. But, things didn't go to plan.
Injuries to Embiid and George completely derailed the regular season for Philly as the franchise finished with a 24-58 record, the fifth-worst in the NBA.
Putting Flagg on this team would be one of the most interesting scenarios, as the Sixers aren't in a rebuild and could potentially be ready to win next season. Despite George and Embiid getting older and potentially never reaching the value of their contracts, there's still a chance they come back next season and are dominant once again.
And on top of that, the Sixers have several young guys who have showed lots of promise early. McCain, a former Duke Blue Devil, was looking like the best rookie in the class last season before suffering a season-ending meniscus tear. Maxey is one of the best young guards in the NBA, and guys like Grimes and Adem Bona showed flashes as potential impact guys in the future.
The Sixers have a 10.5% chance to land the first overall pick, and if they do and land Flagg, it would be really difficult to not see the Sixers as at least a deep playoff contender next year.