Wizards Potential Top Pick Hints at College Return

The Washington Wizards could have their draft plans foiled by the potential No. 1 overall pick.

Jan 25, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) handles the ball against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards, or whichever team has the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will likely select Duke forward Cooper Flagg.

Flagg, 18, is having a great season at Duke, averaging just under 20 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils. He's having a great year to give himself the best chance at being the No. 1 overall pick, but he's also enjoying the experience enough to want to stay at Duke.

In an interview with The Athletic's Brendan Marks and Brendan Quinn, Flagg admits that he would be open to returning to Duke for his sophomore season.

“I want to come back next year," Flagg says.

Flagg may be enjoying his time at Duke, but that doesn't mean he should turn down the chance of being the No. 1 overall pick this year. Though a return would mean playing with Cayden and Cameron Boozer, two of the top prospects in the high school class of 2025, Flagg has the chance to be a major star in the NBA.

The Wizards have been the league's worst team, and are satisfied with it, because they know they have the possibility of taking Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick.

Flagg is one of the best prospects to come out of the draft in recent years, likely just under Victor Wembanyama in terms of top selections, giving him a true chance to be a franchise cornerstone for whoever drafts him.

Should that team be the Wizards, they will have a direction worth going in for the first time since John Wall was the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, and one could argue that the ceiling would be even higher with Flagg as the one leading the ship in the nation's capital.

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