Cooper Flagg’s future is still cloudy after the NBA Draft Lottery.
The former Blue Devil watched the Dallas Mavericks, who had a 1.8-percent chance of winning the lottery entering the night, land the No. 1 overall pick as all eyes turn the presumptive No. 1 pick.
Dallas landed the No. 1 pick over the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Charlotte Hornets – all of which were in the final four contenders for the top selection.
🚨 NBA DRAFT LOTTERY ORDER 🚨 pic.twitter.com/nq0XpM5OI9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 12, 2024
However, reports surfaced from ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday morning that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antenkoumpo could request a trade this offseason and whichever team won the lottery could be in a great position to strike a deal for the former NBA Most Valuable Player.
Since Cooper Flagg made the decision to reclassify in high school, he was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft and nothing about his freshman season at Duke changed that assumption, if only strengthen it.
Flagg was also joined by Duke teammates Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach – both projected lottery picks – at the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago as the top players in the draft arrive in Chicago for the NBA Draft Combine.
The Dallas Mavericks and general manager Nico Harrison have been heavily scrutinized since the NBA trading deadline after trading NBA superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
Harrison was not only publicly criticized but berated in his own arena by Mavericks fans. Now, he sits in the driver’s seat to make the next move for the organization in an attempt to return to the NBA Finals.
Duke has seen four of its players be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft and Flagg should add to that total next month.
The NBA Draft will take place on Wednesday, June 25 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.