2025 NBA Mock Draft Way Too Early: Duke’s Cooper Flagg Bucks the Grain, Takes No. 1 Pick Over Rutgers’ Ace Bailey

A French player has been selected No. 1 in each of the last two NBA drafts: first Victor Wembanyama in 2023, then Zaccharie Risacher in 2024. This streak should end next year because, barring any surprises, the first player selected in the 2025 NBA draft will be Duke’s projected star Cooper Flagg.

He is american.

It is awesome.

He’s been an undeniable star at the high school level (and on the local circuit) for years, so much so that I truly believe all 30 NBA franchises would take the 6-foot-1 forward first overall if next year’s draft were held now. Could things change by next June? Yes, and they often do. But Flagg is such a complete, high-level prospect that it’s hard to imagine anyone replacing him at the top of the draft boards, especially if he’s so great at Duke that he keeps the Blue Devils near the top of the national rankings all season. For what it’s worth, they’re currently ninth in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 preseason college basketball rankings.

As you’ve probably heard, tanking isn’t as effective a strategy as it once was in the NBA, with lottery odds now flattened; even if you have the best chance of getting the No. 1 pick, you don’t have a good chance of getting the No. 1 pick. With that in mind, #TankForFlagg should be a popular hashtag next NBA season. The Brooklyn Nets are already moving in this direction. Expect more franchises to follow suit in due course.

(NOTE: Team needs were not taken into account when developing this lottery projection, as it is impossible to know who will pick where at this time next year. In other words, consider this a big picture rather than a mock draft. The lottery order was set by last season’s lottery odds and should not be taken as a prediction of how the 2024-25 NBA season will play out.)