How The 10 Most Notable One-And-Done Duke Players Fared In The NBA

On Monday night, Duke star Cooper Flagg played what will also certainly be his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, as it’s hard to imagine the presumptive top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is going to stick around for a second season in Durham.

Most NBA fans would tell you the league’s One-And-Done Era began when it updated its rules to prevent players from making the leap directly out of high school in 2005, which essentially required them to play at least one season in the NCAA if they didn’t opt to join a pro team before being eligible for the draft.

However, there were a number of one-and-done players prior to that point—including Corey Maggette, who became the first person to leave Duke for the NBA after their freshman campaign when he declared for the draft in 1999.

Cooper Flagg will presumably be the 27th Blue Devil to go that route, so let’s take a look at some of the other notable names who chose the same path and see how it ended up working out for them.

Zion Williamson

We’ll kick things off with the most recent one-and-done and the guy who is arguably the most highly-touted freshman to ever play at Duke.

Zion Williamson was widely regarded as a generational talent when he arrived in Durham, and he managed to live up to the hype during his lone season there.

The Pelicans selected the big man with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and while he’s shown plenty of flashes of brilliance during a career that’s currently in its fifth season, it’s been hampered by injuries and a ton of focus on the weight and fitness issues many fans think have held him back from reaching his true potential.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving averaged 17.5 points per game during a freshman season where he only played 11 games due to an injury that kept him sidelined for the bulk of it before returning for the NCAA Tournament (a run that ended in the Sweet 16).

The guard was selected by the Cavaliers with the top overall pick in 2011 and didn’t have much trouble adjusting to the next level while winning Rookie of the Year.

The nine-time All-Star won a championship with Cleveland alongside LeBron James in 2016 and is still one of the best players in the NBA after 15 seasons—although his most recent one came to an unfortunate end due to an ACL tear.

Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero played at Duke during Mike Krzyzewski’s final season as head coach, and he averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds while playing an instrumental role in a postseason run that ended with the team losing in the Final Four.

He also won Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Magic with the first pick in 2022 and is a major reason Orlando staged a fairly drastic turnaround last season while transforming into one of the more promising teams in the league thanks to the youth on their current roster.

Brandon Ingram

The Blue Devils underachieved a bit during Brandon Ingram’s only season at Duke, but he was still a very solid player who averaged 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and a couple of assists per game.

The Lakers got him with the second overall pick in 2016, and he spent three seasons in Los Angeles before really coming into his own with the Pelicans.

Ingram averaged at least 20 PPG during his five-and-a-half seasons in New Orleans before he was shipped off to the Raptors at the trade deadline this year.

Marvin Bagley III

As was the case with Zion, Marvin Bagley III was named both the best rookie and player in the ACC during his only year at Duke after averaging a double-double with 20 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

Bagley got his bag when the Kings drafted him with the second pick in 2018, but they shipped him off to the Pistons in 2022 in the wake of a contract dispute.

His NBA career has been a disappointment compared to most of the other guys on this list (it’s worth noting he’s dealt with plenty of injuries) as he’s now played for four different teams in seven seasons after being traded to the Grizzlies at the deadline this year.

Jayson Tatum

It was clear Jayson Tatum had what it took to play in the NBA based on how he looked at Duke while averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists before his time with the Blue Devils came to an end with a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Celtics had the top overall pick in 2017 but traded down to select Tatum with the third—which turned out to be a pretty good call when you consider they got a six-time All-Star who led them to a national championship last season.

Jabari Parker

Jabari Parker was the best player at Duke during a freshman year where he averaged 19.1 points and 8.7 rebounds, but the season came to an ignominious end when the No. 3 Blue Devils lost to No. 14 Mercer in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Bucks got him with the second pick in 2014, and he spent four years in Milwaukee before entering his Journeyman Era by playing for five different teams in four seasons starting in 2018.

Parker played his last NBA game with the Celtics midway through the 2021-22 season and has been playing in Spain for FC Barcelona since signing with them in 2023.

RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett was the top recruit in the country when he committed to Duke and averaged 22.4 points for the Blue Devils before his college career came to an end when the top-seeded squad fell to Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

Barret was subsequently scooped up by the Knicks with the third pick in 2019 and immediately emerged as a valuable contributor.

The Toronto native headed back to the city where he was born when he was traded to the Raptors midway through the 2023-24 season and has only continued to improve while averaging more than 21 points per game since arriving.

Jahlil Okafor

Jahlil Okafor is the first man on this list to win a national championship at Duke, as he averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds during a season that ended with the Blue Devils beating Wisconsin in the title game.

The 76ers grabbed him with the third pick in 2015, and while he had 17.5 PPG during his rookie year, it was largely downhill from there.

Okafor subsequently had stints with the Nets, Pelicans, and Pistons before being resigned to international play, and while the Pacers gave him another shot with a 10-day contract this season, the writing is on the wall for a man whose NBA career is likely coming to an end.

Luol Deng

This one is a bit of a throwback, as Deng became the second one-and-done player at Duke when he declared for the draft after averaging 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds during a freshman season that ended with the team losing in the Final Four.

He landed on the Bulls after being drafted with the seventh pick in 2004 to kick off a lengthy career that saw him play for five different teams over the course of 15 seasons while earning a couple of All-Star nods and finishing with an average of 14.8 points and 6.1 rebounds.