NBA scouts are paying close attention to his growth, and many believe he will be a future No. 1 pick in the draft, possibly in either 2025 or 2026.
Sixteen-year-old basketball phenom Cooper Flagg is the next big prospect coming to the NBA if league scouts and draft analysts are to be believed.
Word of just how good the 6-foot-8 teenager is trickled out of star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum‘s basketball camp.
Former Celtics center (and current Boston broadcaster) Brian Scalabrine shared via Heavy’s Sean Deveney that Flagg, while at Tatum’s camp, beat Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal one-on-one.
“I heard a rumor that my boy Cooper Flagg was at Jayson Tatum’s camp, and he was busting Brad Beal 1-on-1, and Brad Beal got mad at him. Started cussing him out,” White Mamba said. “This dude is a major trash-talker.”
“The rumor is that Brad Beal and him were squaring off 1-on-1 and Brad Beal was taking it lightly,” he added. “It’s a high school kid. Then Cooper started giving it to him. And I guess the rumor is, Cooper started talking trash and Bradley Beal got mad. Really mad.”
Flagg has been impressive of late, dominating the 16-year-old group at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in Atlanta, averaging 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 6.9 blocked shots per game.
NBA scouts are paying close attention to his growth, and many believe he will be a No. 1 pick in the draft, possibly 2025 or 2026.
The 16-year-old forward, who plays for Montverde Academy and has not yet committed to any plans for after high school, is widely considered one of the best defensive prospects in recent memory. As we wrote last year, Flagg has a name worth knowing if you follow hoops.
The prospect recently attended the inaugural Jayson Tatum’s Elite Camp in St. Louis. According to Scalabrine, the high schooler was matched up against three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal.
Here is more from Scalabrine from Tuesday’s Starting Lineup show on NBA Radio (via Heavy.com):
“I heard a rumor that my boy Cooper Flagg was at Jayson Tatum’s camp and he was busting Brad Beal 1-on-1, and Brad Beal got mad at him. Started cussing him out,” Scalabrine said. “This dude is a major trash-talker. … So I guess the rumor is that Brad Beal and him were squaring off 1-on-1 and Brad Beal was taking it lightly. It’s a high school kid. Then Cooper started giving it to him. And I guess the rumor is, Cooper started talking trash and Bradley Beal got mad. Really mad.”
Of course, we have to consider the source of this rumor. Scalabrine may want to push an agenda that Flagg can compete with anyone on the planet, even an elite scorer like Beal.
WARNING: The following video contains language not suitable for work.
But watch any highlight of Flagg and you may start to believe that he is a fearless player who isn’t afraid of the biggest moments.
Flagg, who recently had his first unofficial visit to Duke, recently dominated at Nike EYBL Peach Jam in Augusta. Across seven games he averaged 25.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 6.9 blocks.
He is likely a candidate to hear his name at No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Hopefully by the time he is a rookie, he and Beal have resolved their potential differences.
Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer faced off at Nike Peach Jam for a battle of the top two 2025 prospects, with Flagg getting the upper hand.
Scouts from a dozen NBA teams packed the Riverview Park Activities Center on Wednesday as the top two prospects in the class of 2025, Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg, faced off in the Nike Peach Jam.
Boozer is the No. 1 recruit in the class, but Flagg has been fighting to get the better of him and leapfrog the Columbus (Miami, Fla.) power forward in the rankings. Flagg took home MVP honors in a head-to-head matchup last week at the NBPA Top 100 Camp.
Flagg, a power forward at Montverde Academy (Fla.), looked to bounce back offensively after scoring just seven points on Monday afternoon — a game he impacted on the defensive end more than the offensive, recording 10 blocks.
Boozer, who helped his team win the Peach Jam title last year alongside his twin brother Cayden Boozer, recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in the Peach Jam opener.
Flagg and his own twin brother, Ace, led Maine United to the win over the Boozers’ Nightrydas on Tuesday with a margin of 73-65. Cooper had 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks, while Ace had 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Cameron had 22 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, while Cayden, a four-star point guard, recorded 11 points and five assists.
See some highlights from the performances below. The two main attractions scored from all three levels and put their defense on display in the post:
Scouts from the Thunder, Bulls, Bucks, Kings, Overtime Elite, Nets, Knicks, Timberwolves, Spurs, Clippers, Magic, Suns, Hornets (basically every NBA team) here for Cooper Flagg vs. Cam Boozer. pic.twitter.com/378O73bLl8
Despite the 2023 NBA draft wrapping up less than two weeks ago, it’s never too early for teams to start scouting the upcoming draft classes.
That’s exactly what the Oklahoma City Thunder did on Wednesday when Yahoo Sports draft expert Krysten Peek reported they — along with several other teams — were in attendance for this year’s Peach Jam tournament. The tournament consists of several of the top high school prospects on 84 high school teams.
Scouts from the Thunder, Bulls, Bucks, Kings, Overtime Elite, Nets, Knicks, Timberwolves, Spurs, Clippers, Magic, Suns, Hornets (basically every NBA team) here for Cooper Flagg vs. Cam Boozer. pic.twitter.com/378O73bLl8
The headliners were Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer, arguably the two top prospects in the 2025 high school class — unless they reclassify for 2024. Both players have offers from Duke and will likely be draft eligible in the 2027 NBA draft class.
Boozer is the son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, who played for 15 years from 2002 to 2017.
Who knows where the Thunder will be by then, but considering their future draft capital for the remainder of the decade, they’ll likely get a shot to draft either one if the time comes.
Michigan State basketball is in pursuit of one of the top prospects in the 2025 class
Michigan State basketball is in pursuit of one of the top prospects in the 2025 class.
The Spartans reportedly made contact with five-star power forward Copper Flagg on the opening day of the direct contact period for the 2025 class. At midnight on June 15, college coaches are officially able to directly contact high school prospects in the 2025 class.
According to 24 / 7 High School Hoops, Michigan State, Providence, Arkansas, Duke, Villanova, UCF, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia, UConn, Arizona, BYU, Auburn, Bryant and Siena all contacted Flagg on Thursday. He also olds offers from a number of these schools, but Michigan State has yet to extend him a scholarship offer.
Flagg ranks as the No. 2 power forward and No. 2 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2025 class. He’s also the No. 2 player from the state of Florida.
2025 5⭐️ Cooper Flagg has heard from these schools since the direct contact period began, per source:
Providence Arkansas Duke Villanova UCF Kansas Michigan State Kentucky Michigan West Virginia UConn Arizona BYU Auburn Bryant Siena
— 24/7 High School Hoops (@247HSHoops) June 16, 2023
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.
The Montverde Academy (Fla.) standout is lighting up the stat book!
A triple-double on Saturday. A 45-point outing on Sunday. All in a (long) weekend’s work for incoming Cooper Flagg, whose sophomore year of high school is barely behind him.
Flagg, ranked as the No. 2 player in the class of 2025 on the 247Sports Composite Rankings, is churning out masterful performances at the Memphis Session of the Nike EYBL this weekend. On Saturday, according to SportsCenter NEXT, he posted 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists for Maine United. He also had four blocks, according to Overtime. Watch him weave through traffic, finish hard at the rim and make a good pass in transition below in SportsCenter’s highlight footage.
Listed as 6-foot-8 and 195 pounds, Flagg attends Montverde Academy (Fla.) Last season as a sophomore, he posted averages of 9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.2 blocks, according to MaxPreps. As a junior, he should be an even more prominent face of the perennial championship contender.
After Cooper Flagg put up 52 points, Sam Vecenie tweeted that the 5-star sophomore will be “bored by high school basketball” by the time he’s a senior.
Cooper Flagg has still yet to finish his sophomore year of high school, but he’s looking more and more like a star-in-the-making each time he steps on the basketball court.
In his EYBL debut last week, Flagg went off for a remarkable 52 points and 12 rebounds. In the highlight reel posted to YouTube by SLAM, Flagg showed a variety of skills on both sides of the ball: He showed some polish in his post moves; he stroked 3s, including one in which he created space and shot with a hand in his face; he was a ball handler at times, both at the top of the key and on the fast break, showing an ability to read the court well. On defense, he had multiple blocks in the paint.
Flagg, listed at 6-foot-8 and 195 pounds, attends Montverde Academy. In about 20 minutes per game as a sophomore, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.2 blocks, according to MaxPreps. The Eagles consistently have stacked rosters, and Flagg’s role should continue to grow as he gets older and more experienced.
His play has earned high praise from prospect analysts. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic tweeted that Flagg is “one of the more complete prospects” Vecenie has seen for a player of Flagg’s age, and that the sophomore will “be bored by high school basketball” before he graduates.
Not sure what the answer is for Cooper Flagg yet, but he is undeniably going to be bored by high school basketball by the time he is a senior. One of the more complete prospects I’ve seen at his age. https://t.co/5O8SSL7cO4
Based on just this EYBL game alone, it looks like that could be the case. Very few athletes at the high school level will be able to challenge him.
247Sports reports that eight schools have offered the 2025 star, including Duke, Iowa, Michigan and UCLA.
Read more at USA TODAY, where reporter Bryan Kalbrosky wrote a more in-depth piece about Flagg in July with some quotes from recruiting experts — including a line in that Flagg might be the best player in college basketball.
Last season, before transferring to Montverde, Flagg became the first freshman named Gatorade Maine Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Earlier this summer, the 6-foot-8 forward helped Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup. They won each game by an average of 40 points.
Flagg averaged 9.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while in Spain. But when adjusting for playing time, per Cerbero Sports, the numbers are just absurd. He somehow recorded 20.4 rebounds, 5.8 blocks, and 5.0 steals per 40 minutes during the tournament.
The more advanced numbers on Synergy, meanwhile, are comparably hilarious. According to the data, when Flagg was the nearest defender on jump shots, opponents were just 2-for-19 (10.5 percent) from the field. When he defended his man in isolation, he forced turnovers more often than he allowed a score.
When you watch footage of him representing his country, Flagg looks two years older than everyone, not the other way around. Jonathan Givony shared a detailed scouting report on his game (via ESPN):
“Besides playing with an insatiable energy level, Flagg displays uncanny basketball instincts with the spatial awareness, processing speed and timing he shows rotating for blocks, staying in front of guards on switches, and always being the first off the ground for loose balls. Considering the level of competition he had played up to this point, several NBA executives in attendance said they were shocked by Flagg’s temperament, knowledge of the game and ability to make an impact without needing a single play called for him, something that bodes incredibly well for his long-term outlook.”
Then, earlier this week, while playing for his AAU squad on the Nike EYBL Flagg followed up that impressive performance by potentially recording a quadruple-double … with blocks and steals.
I looked at each team in the league and assigned them a grade based on how they performed this offseason. Let’s start from the top!
“GRADE FOR ATLANTA HAWKS: A
I’m a fan of Atlanta’s offseason, especially because they added Dejounte Murray without giving up any of their core assets.
The former San Antonio guard is a lengthy, defense-first All-Star who made significant improvements as an on-ball scorer and playmaker last season. The Hawks desperately needed the help he will bring on defense, but I also like that it can allow Trae Young to show more of what he can do playing off the ball.”
You can check out my full list, to see how I graded your favorite team, by clicking here.
Shootaround
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
— James Harden said he “wasn’t right” last season. That’s music to the ears of Sixers bettors
Class of 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg received an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa and head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] aren’t wasting any time letting class of 2025 small forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] know how much they like his game. The Hawkeyes offered the 6-foot-8, 195 pound wing from Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine.
It’s obviously very early in the 2025 cycle and Flagg just finished up his freshman season. As a result, there aren’t really any player recruiting rankings to look at yet. Still, the Iowa offer and recent interest from Michigan and UCLA shows the power-five ability coaching staffs feel Flagg possesses.
247Sports national basketball recruiting analyst Dushawn London wrote a get-to-know piece on Flagg back in January.
Class of 2025 forward Cooper Flagg has emerged as a player to keep on the radar. Flagg plays his high school ball at Nokomis Regional School in Newport Maine. At 6-foot-7 Flagg brings a lot of versatility and length on both sides of the ball and is already off to a hot start to his high school career.
“The biggest takeaway so far is playing against the better people in the area,” he said. “Going through middle school there wasn’t really much competition but now it’s the maximum competition around the area.” – London, 247Sports.
London noted that Flagg will also play AAU for Maine United. After the Hawkeyes offered, UCLA extended an offer to Flagg two days later. According to 247Sports, Flagg also holds offers from Bryant and Albany.
Iowa men’s basketball is set to look different in the 2022-23 season. That’s guaranteed after the departures of standout sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] to the 2022 NBA draft and longtime sharpshooter [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag].
Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery will also be looking to replace transfer portal defections in guard Austin Ash, guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele. The Hawkeyes signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star Brewster Academy point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] and three-star Abraham Lincoln High School shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag].
Projecting forward, Iowa has a commitment from four-star, class of 2023 power forward [autotag]Owen Freeman[/autotag] of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in Bradley, Ill.
