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

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. Normally, it is the race for playoff spots. But this season, it’s the Capture the Flagg race. Teams have been preparing for the upcoming draft by putting themselves in the best possible position to draft 18-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg.

On Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas’ 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 front court.

“For his success, probably Hornets,” Arenas 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 make a fair amount of 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.

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.