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For over a year now, Cooper Flagg has been considered the consensus number one prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg was the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class before reclassifying to 2024, where he maintained that status. He hasn’t done anything to diminish that stock in college, either.
Flagg is averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists for Duke in his true frehsman season and the Blue Devils sit third in the most-recent AP Top 25. But despite all that, Flagg recently told The Athletic that he hopes to return to school next year for a second run with the Blue Devils.
“S—, I want to come back next year,” Flagg said. “…I always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship. That sort of thing is what I dreamed about.”
Cooper Flagg Would Be Delaying A Massive Payday If He Spurns NBA For Duke
Surely Flagg isn’t actually going to return to Duke, right? After all, the NBA rookie scale dictates that he’d make $11,521,600 in his first season should he be drafted No. 1 overall in this summer’s draft. But even more so, staying in school would mean pushing back a second contract that could be worth nearly $400 million.
Colin Salao of Front Office Sports notes that Flagg would be eligible for a rookie max extension worth $398.5 million over five years in 2029 should he head to the NBA next season. Of course, that money would still be there in 2030 is Flagg lives us to the hype. But it’s obvious no guarantee and an extra year of college ball would, at very least, delay that type of payout.
Dating back to 2019, the last three No. 1 overall picks to be eligible for a max contract extension (Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham) have each signed one with the team that drafted them. Meanwhile, 2022 and 2023 No. 1 picks Paolo Banchero and Victor Wembanyama look well on their way to doing the same.
So while it’s entirely possible Flagg does shock the world and remain at Duke, it would be a pretty stunning decision, and one with absolutely massive financial implications.