Mavs' Cooper Flagg Earns Elite Spot in NBA Draft Ranking

Cooper Flagg’s place in NBA Draft history is already secure, and he has yet to play his second NBA season.

In a recent ranking from Bleacher Report that evaluated the top 25 NBA Draft prospects of the past decade, Flagg landed at No. 2 overall, trailing only generational French phenom Victor Wembanyama. The rankings were based on how players were viewed before entering the NBA, factoring in production, physical tools, age, upside, and overall expectations as prospects.

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"During Cooper Flagg's senior year at Montverde, he cemented himself as the best American prospect since Anthony Davis," Jonathan Wasserman writes. "His game and role gradually evolved from elite glue guy or jack-of-all-trades into a No. 1 option with budding shot-creation, shot-making and playmaking skill. Flagg went on to win National Player of the Year at Duke after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 boards, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 38.5 percent from three. Few prospects in recent memory have checked this many boxes."

For Mavericks fans, the ranking serves as another reminder of just how fortunate the franchise was to land the former Duke star with the No. 1 overall pick. While Dallas has been home to several franchise-changing talents over the years, Flagg arrived with a level of hype rarely seen in modern basketball.

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At Duke, Flagg showcased the complete package scouts dream about. He combined elite defensive instincts with impressive playmaking ability, scoring versatility, and a relentless competitive streak. His ability to impact games on both ends of the floor made him one of the safest and most exciting prospects to enter the league in years.

And to add to that, Dallas landed him after having just a 1.8 percent chance to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The only player ranked ahead of Flagg was Wembanyama, whose unprecedented combination of size, skill, and defensive potential made him one of the most highly regarded prospects in basketball history. But that still puts Flagg in elite company and ahead of some of the best young stars ever.

The Mavericks didn’t just draft a talented young player, they landed one of the most highly regarded prospects basketball has seen in the modern era.