After the most hyped player of a generation, Victor Wembanyama, was selected No. 1 and showed a glimpse of what he could be for the San Antonio Spurs, the short attention span sports news cycle quickly turned to: Who is the next Wembanyama?
There isn’t one. However, the guy turning heads as the next franchise cornerstone player is a 16-year-old out of Maine, Cooper Flagg. The 6'8" forward was a standout at Peach Jam — the amateur national championship that is part of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) — where he averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 6.9 blocks a game against the best youth players in the nation. He is an elite defender, is incredibly mobile, and shows a fast-growing offensive game. Scouts and coaches tell reporters they love his aggressive attitude. Flagg is considered the best prospect right now, regardless of age.
2 minutes of Cooper Flagg being absolutely unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/2qm1zN9l1X
— Overtime (@overtime) July 10, 2023
Flagg just reclassified for the class of 2024 heading into college, which would make him eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft class, where he is considered a very possible No. 1 pick.
Cooper Flagg just announced he's reclassified from 2025 to 2024, making him NBA draft eligible in 2025. He just narrowly made the cut age-wise with his late December birthday, and looks like a strong candidate to be the No. 1 pick in that class. https://t.co/4XWGuYQoeP
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) August 11, 2023
Flag was born on Dec. 21, which sucks as a kid because he gets the combined birthday and Christmas gifts from some relatives, but is good for reclassifying for the 2024 class because he was born in 2006.
He has a lot of standing college scholarship offers, with Duke considered the frontrunner but UConn and others in the mix, according to reports, and that recruitment is about to step up.
After that Flagg likely would one-and-done enter the 2025 NBA Draft. There he and the also much heralded Cameron Boozer — son of 12-year NBA veteran Carlos Boozer — would be elite prospects vying to be the No. 1 pick.
Suddenly 2025 lottery picks look a lot more valuable.
