Jazz Receive Worrying Statement From Top Draft Prospect

While navigating through the first half of this season for the Utah Jazz, things have been brutal in their pursuit to maximize their lottery odds and chances at a top pick for this coming draft.

The team has rattled off an ugly 13-41 record to land at the depths of the Western Conference, all in an effort to secure the best odds at this offseason's number one pick. It's a grueling process in the business of tanking, but a frequent one among the NBA's bottom feeders.

The projected number-one pick for this year's draft has remained consistent throughout. Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has made waves across the NBA world as the next big prospect as a 6-foot-9 potential two-way star at the next level.

For NBA teams like the Jazz at the bottom of the standings, he's the main prize.

However, Flagg made an intriguing, and somewhat alarming comment for teams at the top of this year's draft during a recent interview with The Athletic discussing his Duke experience and future NBA plans, where he seemingly enjoys the Blue Devil lifestyle enough to stick around another year.

"Sh—, I want to come back next year," said Flagg.

For the Jazz and other teams with lowly records surrounding them, that's not the best thing to hear from this year's top-rated prospect.

Flagg has been dominant in his freshman campaign with Duke, averaging 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on 48.3% shooting from the field. The Blue Devils have emerged as one of the best squads in college basketball, amassing a 21-3 record through the season so far.

COOPER FLAGG JUST WENT COAST-TO-COAST AND POSTERIZED THE DEFENDER 😱🔥

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Z5jcZ756ew
— ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2025

And through the stellar play on the court, Flagg has enjoyed it all, with his eyes set on getting to the top of the mountain with a national championship.

“I always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship," Flagg said in his interview. "That sort of thing is what I dreamed about.”

And so far, Duke is right in the thick of it to be among the nation's top title contenders, largely thanks to Flagg's impressive showing in just his first year.

Could there be more than just one year in store for Flagg at the college level? That remains to be seen, and perhaps the young star is keeping the door cracked for it more than fans would expect. However, the Jazz likely have a clear preference for what could transpire, and it doesn't involve another year of school.

Time will tell how the cards fall for the top prospect in the nation, but the situation is definitely one to monitor as NBA draft season creeps up.

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