Duke's Cooper Flagg Poised as Top Pick in 2025 NBA Draft: Jazz, Wizards, and Hornets Eye Lottery Win

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, set for May 12, will determine the order of the first 14 picks, with the draft scheduled for June 25–26. Cooper Flagg, a Duke freshman, is the top prospect. The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets, each with fewer than 20 wins last season, have a 14% chance of securing the No. 1 pick. These teams are in long-term rebuilds and hope to draft Flagg, seen as a complete prospect. The lottery uses a weighted system to discourage tanking, giving the worst teams the best odds of a top pick.

Cooper Flagg: A Complete Prospect

Cooper Flagg, an 18-year-old 6-foot-9 guard-forward from Duke, has been the consensus top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class since his high school days. In his lone season with the Blue Devils, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field, 38.5% from three, and 84% from the free-throw line. His versatility, basketball IQ, and two-way impact helped lead Duke to an ACC regular-season and tournament title, as well as a Final Four appearance.

Flagg’s performance in the NCAA Tournament further solidified his status. He posted 30 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in a regional semifinal win over Arizona, followed by 27 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in a narrow Final Four loss to Houston. His ability to impact the game in multiple ways—scoring, facilitating, defending—has made him the most coveted player in the 2025 draft class.

Utah Jazz: A Rebuild in Search of a Cornerstone

The Utah Jazz finished the 2024–25 season with a league-worst 17–65 record, giving them the highest odds (14%) of winning the draft lottery. Since trading away Donovan Mitchell in 2022, the Jazz have struggled to find a new identity. Attempts to build around Lauri Markkanen have not yielded the desired results, and the team has lacked a true franchise centerpiece.

Landing the No. 1 pick would give Utah a chance to reset its rebuild around Flagg, whose all-around game and leadership qualities could provide the foundation the franchise has been missing. According to USA TODAY Sports, this would be “a rebuilding opportunity like no other” for the Jazz, who have not made the playoffs since 2022.

Washington Wizards: Desperate for a Franchise Star

The Washington Wizards, who finished 18–64, are also in dire need of a transformational player. The franchise has not held the No. 1 overall pick since 2010, when it selected John Wall. Since then, Washington has endured a series of underwhelming seasons, including a particularly brutal 2024–25 campaign.

The Wizards’ front office has expressed interest in moving up in the draft if they fall outside the top three, underscoring the importance of landing a player like Flagg. As reported by The Athletic, Washington’s leadership views Flagg and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper as the only true franchise-level prospects in this class. If the Wizards secure a top-two pick, they are expected to prioritize long-term upside over positional fit, a strategy that aligns with Flagg’s profile as a do-it-all forward.

Charlotte Hornets: Searching for Stability

The Charlotte Hornets, who ended the season at 19–63, are another team hoping to strike gold in the lottery. Despite having young talent in LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams, the Hornets have failed to make the playoffs since 2016 and currently hold the NBA’s longest active postseason drought.

Injuries and off-court issues have derailed Charlotte’s progress in recent years. LaMelo Ball has played in just 105 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons due to ankle injuries, while Miles Bridges missed the entire 2022–23 season. The team’s new ownership group, which took over from Michael Jordan, has committed to a long-term rebuild and invested $245 million in Spectrum Center renovations. With a 14% chance at the top pick, the Hornets are hoping Flagg can be the player to finally stabilize the franchise.

The NBA Draft Lottery Process

The NBA Draft Lottery determines the order of the first 14 picks in the draft and is weighted to give teams with the worst records the best odds. The three teams with the worst records—the Jazz, Wizards, and Hornets—each have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick. The lottery will be held on May 12 in Chicago, just ahead of the NBA Draft Combine, where teams will get a closer look at Flagg and other top prospects.

The lottery uses a system of 14 ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14, drawn in combinations to determine the top four picks. The remaining picks are assigned in reverse order of regular-season record. This system is designed to discourage tanking while still giving struggling teams a chance to improve through the draft.

Other Teams in the Mix

While the Jazz, Wizards, and Hornets are the most likely destinations for Flagg, other lottery teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Orleans Pelicans are also in need of young talent. However, their odds of landing the top pick are significantly lower.

The Portland Trail Blazers (3.7% chance) and Dallas Mavericks (1.8%) are also in the lottery, though their current rosters suggest they are less likely to be in full rebuild mode. According to Yahoo Sports, oddsmakers believe Flagg’s addition would not drastically alter the title odds for these teams, indicating that his most immediate impact would be felt on a team starting from the ground up.

Draft Combine and Next Steps

The NBA Draft Combine, scheduled for next week in Chicago, will give teams a chance to evaluate Flagg and other prospects in person. While Flagg’s status as the top pick appears secure, the combine will be crucial for teams evaluating the rest of the draft class.

The 2025 NBA Draft will take place over two days, June 25–26. Until then, the fate of several franchises hangs in the balance, with the lottery set to determine who will have the opportunity to select Cooper Flagg—a player many believe could be the cornerstone of a new era.