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Gilbert Arenas Names Team He Believes Is Best for Cooper Flagg Among Those Vying for 1st Pick in 2025 NBA Draft

Sameen Nawathe
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Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) after the 2025 ACC Conference Championship game at Spectrum Center.

With the NBA regular season nearing its end, people are excited to see what position teams will be getting for the most important race this season. No, it’s not the race for playoff spots; it’s the Capture the Flagg competition. Lottery teams have been preparing for the upcoming draft by putting themselves in the best possible position to draft 18-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg.

While everyone wants to draft the Duke star, Gilbert Arenas spoke about which team would be the best fit for the Duke star. On Gil’s Arena, his co-host asked him which lottery team would be best for Flagg between the Hornets, Jazz, and Wizards.

Gil picked the Hornets. His reasoning was pretty simple. As a rookie with high expectations on him, Flagg would thrive in Charlotte, mainly because they already have an established structure. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have already established themselves as young stars, and according to Arenas, Flagg would slot in perfectly in their frontcourt.

“For his success, probably Hornets,” he said. “Because you have a point guard, a shooting guard, you don’t have to be great at the beginning.”

A starting five of Ball, Miller, Flagg, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams would be in strong contention for the playoffs, Arenas believes.

His words, again, make sense. Being in a team with two other future stars will not only show us glimpses of Flagg’s game from early, but also allow him to thrive on offense. With Melo and Miller as two solid scorers in their own right, Flagg will not be under pressure from Day 1 to carry his team. Instead, he will have the benefit of receiving relatively weaker defensive coverages, which in turn will allow him to boost his confidence early with some big performances.

But while it’s all well and good to sit here and discuss which team suits the Maine Event the best, there have recently been doubts if the Duke star will be a true one-and-done player in college.

Cooper Flagg seemingly wants to ‘run it back’

When the season started, Cooper Flagg declaring for the draft seemed all but guaranteed. As it progressed, however, the Duke forward has shared his doubts of leaving college after one year. A few weeks ago, he toyed with the idea of returning to Duke for a second year, which would put a serious dent in the plans of the tanking teams.

Analysts claimed that the Duke forward could threaten to return to college to ensure the Wizards would draft him, but he has not made any statement regarding that as of yet.

While he’s currently out injured and preparing for March Madness, he knows he has a huge decision waiting for him come April. Should he declare for the draft, we might see a Duke talent that hasn’t been seen since the likes of Zion Williamson.

About the author

Sameen Nawathe

Sameen Nawathe

Sameen Nawathe is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Drawing from his extensive background in editing his university publications, Sameen brings a distinguished level of professionalism and editorial acumen to his position. With over a decade of practical sporting knowledge, he adeptly curates a spectrum of content, ranging from foundational sports highlights to insightful analysis of potential NBA trades. Sameen's passion for basketball ignited with LeBron James, whom he credits for sparking his love for the game. He fondly reminisces about James' 2018 season, which he often describes as "the best display of pure hoops we've ever seen". When he's not immersed in the world of writing or playing basketball, Sameen can be found enjoying Taylor Swift's music or passionately supporting Manchester United during soccer matches.

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