Sat Mar 22 01:50:00 UTC 2025: **Duke Star Cooper Flagg Expected to Forgo Return, Enter 2025 NBA Draft**
DURHAM, NC – Despite expressing a desire to return to Duke University for another season, highly touted freshman Cooper Flagg is widely expected to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, foregoing a potential second year of college basketball. Sources within the NBA claim that the financial implications are simply too significant to ignore.
Flagg, a projected number one overall pick, stands to earn an estimated $75 million or more over his NBA career by entering the draft next year. This figure encompasses his rookie contract, potential extensions, and lucrative endorsement deals that would be delayed by another year of college. The potential for a significant injury during his sophomore season also poses a considerable risk to his future earnings.
While Flagg’s current NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals are estimated at around $4.8 million – the highest in college basketball – this pales in comparison to the projected $13.6 million rookie-year salary alone that awaits him as the top draft pick. His total rookie contract would likely exceed $57 million, with future contracts potentially reaching hundreds of millions of dollars based on performance. Experts warn that delaying his professional career even by one year could cost him tens of millions of dollars in the long run.
Although Flagg has publicly entertained the idea of returning to Duke, the consensus is that the financial incentives and the risk of injury make a return to college an unlikely scenario. While the 18-year-old star undoubtedly enjoys his college experience, the overwhelming financial benefits of entering the NBA draft next year are considered insurmountable. The NBA is practically unanimous in predicting Flagg’s decision to forgo his sophomore season at Duke and begin his professional career.
First Piper 