Inside The Jazz

Jazz Top Draft Prospect Cooper Flagg Suffers Scary Injury

One of the Utah Jazz's top draft targets has gone down with an injury.
Jared Koch|
Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) is injured in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) is injured in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In this story:

Utah Jazz

Duke forward Cooper Flagg, a major Utah Jazz draft target for this offseason, found himself banged up in the ACC Tournament.

While coming down for a rebound in Duke's quarter-final matchup against Georgia Tech, Flagg slipped when landing to the floor, going down with a rough-looking ankle injury.

Flagg would end up not returning to the game following the injury, leaving to the locker room being rolled in a wheelchair, adding to the anxiety of what his status ahead may hold.

Duke did manage to edge out a victory thanks to a dominating second-half effort with a final score of 78-70, advancing them forward in the ACC Tournament to face the winner of North Carolina vs. Wake Forest. However, the questions on what's to come for Flagg's availability will inevitably loom in the background.

Flagg has widely been regarded as the number-one prospect in this year's draft class, and any type of absence would be significant for Duke's success. It's hard to see him out of the fold for the rest of the season, but with NBA dreams likely coming to form in the coming months, the Blue Devil will be heeding caution to not jeopardize any of his future.

For the Jazz, his acquisition would be a major get for their future aspirations –– giving them a cornerstone to build around in their rebuild process moving forward as a star impact player on both ends of the floor. It'll take some luck to be on their side once this offseason's lottery rolls around, but if fortune is in their favor to secure his services, their long-aspired star cornerstone will finally be in the building.

During his 31 games this season, Flagg has averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.2 rebounds in just over 30 minutes a night.

As Duke will be set for a quick turnaround in the ACC Tournament, expect an update about Flagg's status to come sooner rather than later.

Follow Utah Jazz On SI on Facebook and Twitter/X and Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live streams!

Recommended Articles

Published
Jared Koch
JARED KOCH

Jared Koch is the deputy editor of Utah Jazz On SI. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, contributing to Denver Broncos On SI, Indianapolis Colts On SI, and Sacramento Kings On SI. He has covered multiple NBA and NFL events on site, and his works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, and Yahoo.

Share on XFollow jjaredkoch
Home/News