If you’ve spent any time following basketball over the last year, you already know the name. Cooper Flagg. He is the 6-foot-9 kid from Newport, Maine, who basically took over the sport before he was old enough to buy a lottery ticket. Now that he’s officially the No. 1 overall pick for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft, looking back at the Cooper Flagg draft profile feels like reading a blueprint for a future Hall of Famer. Honestly, it’s rare to see this much consensus. Usually, scouts love to nitpick. They’ll find a hitch in a jumper or worry about "positional tweener" status. With Flagg? The "concerns" were mostly things like "he gets too frustrated when he misses."
That’s a good problem to have.
The Duke dominance and the numbers that don't lie
People thought the hype might cool off once he hit the ACC. It didn't. If anything, it got weirder. Flagg didn't just play well for Duke; he led them in basically every category that matters. We're talking points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He became the first player in Division I history to hit a stat line of 675 points, 250 rebounds, 150 assists, 50 steals, and 40 blocks in a single season.
He's a stat-sheet stuffer.
But stats are kinda boring without context. The context here is a 17-year-old (he didn't turn 18 until late December 2024) walking into Cameron Indoor and looking like the best player on the floor from day one. His 42-point explosion against Notre Dame in January 2025? That broke the Duke and ACC freshman scoring records. He only needed 14 shots to do it. Think about that for a second. Most college stars need 25 shots to sniff 40 points. Flagg did it with efficiency that felt almost robotic.
Why scouts stopped looking for flaws
The Cooper Flagg draft profile is anchored by one word: motor. You hear it constantly in basketball circles, but for Flagg, it’s different. He plays like he’s trying to win a championship in the second quarter of a November game against Wofford. It’s relentless.
- Defensive Versatility: He can switch onto a point guard and then immediately rotate to pin a center's layup against the glass.
- The "Stocks" Factor: His combination of steals and blocks (stocks) is elite. He averaged nearly 3 per game at Duke.
- Offensive Growth: Early on, people wondered if he could create his own shot. By the end of the year, he was hitting step-back threes and operating as a point-forward.
Breaking down the "Unicorn" label
Is he actually a unicorn? The term is overused. Victor Wembanyama is a unicorn. Flagg is more like a hybrid of every elite forward we’ve seen in the last decade. Some scouts compare his defensive ceiling to Andrei Kirilenko—a guy who just disrupted everything—mixed with the offensive fluidity of a Jayson Tatum.
He’s 6'9" with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He’s not thin, but he isn’t a bruiser yet. At the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, he measured in at 221 pounds. That’s plenty of frame to add muscle without losing the "twitch" that makes him so dangerous in transition.
The Maine connection and the "Mama I Made It" moment
There’s a groundedness to Flagg that teams love. Maybe it's the Maine roots. He grew up in a town of 3,000 people. His mom, Kelly, played at the University of Maine and is basically his primary advisor. When he signed that massive $28 million NIL portfolio—including $13 million from New Balance and $15 million from Fanatics—he didn't go out and buy a fleet of supercars. Instead, he partnered with Chime to do a series about financial literacy.
He’s serious. Like, scary serious.
What the Dallas Mavericks are actually getting
The Mavs winning the lottery (and subsequently picking him) changed the trajectory of the Western Conference. Putting Flagg next to established stars creates a nightmare for opposing coaches. In the NBA, Flagg will likely start as a secondary or tertiary playmaker. He doesn't need the ball to dominate. That's the secret sauce. He can impact a game by just being the best help-defender on the court and cutting to the rim.
🔗 Read more: The Starting Lineup Milwaukee Brewers Are Banking On for 2026
His shooting has also made a massive leap. He finished his Duke career shooting 38.5% from deep. If that translates to the NBA line, he's unguardable. You can’t sag off him, but if you press up, he’s athletic enough to blow by you and finish with a dunk that ends up on SportsCenter.
Are there any real weaknesses?
If we’re being honest, he still settles for mid-range jumpers too often. Sometimes he’ll get a mismatch against a smaller guard and instead of taking them to the block, he’ll settle for a fadeaway. It’s pretty, but it’s not always the best shot. Also, his handle can get a bit "loose" when he’s pressured by elite perimeter defenders. He’s more of a 1-to-3 dribble attacker right now rather than a guy who’s going to break you down with a crossover for 10 seconds.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you are tracking Flagg's rookie season or looking to understand his long-term value, keep these specific markers in mind:
- Watch the "Help" Defense: Don't just watch his man. Watch how Flagg anticipates passes two steps ahead. His "stocks" (steals + blocks) will likely be among the highest for a rookie forward in history.
- Monitor the 3-Point Volume: If he’s taking 4+ threes a game and hitting at a 35% clip, his All-Star trajectory moves up by two years.
- Look at the Free Throw Rate: Flagg is elite at drawing contact. He shot 84% from the line at Duke. If he gets to the line 6+ times a game in the NBA, he’ll be a 20 PPG scorer as a teenager.
- Positional Flexibility: See how often the Mavs use him as a small-ball center. His ability to protect the rim while being able to switch onto guards is his most valuable trait in a playoff setting.
Cooper Flagg isn't just a prospect; he's a shift in how we view the forward position. He brings the intensity of a role player with the talent of a superstar. That combination is why he sat at the top of every Cooper Flagg draft profile for two years without ever losing his spot.