It’s transfer portal season for the Duke Blue Devils, and it’s also time for them to try to close the deal with five-star recruit Nate Ament. However, there’s one lingering question Duke fans are eager to have answered: Will Cooper Flagg enter the NBA Draft, where he’s widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by Utah?
This wouldn’t be such a pressing issue if Flagg hadn’t publicly expressed interest in returning to Durham for another year. Thanks to NIL opportunities, that possibility remains on the table.
“The millions Flagg has earned in NIL money, according to the NBA executives we spoke with, might cause a hint of contemplation that most would not have expected upon him enrolling at Duke, which also says quite a bit about how much the college basketball landscape has evolved,” Jonathan Givony said.
Flagg has been as dominant as any freshman to ever play a season of collegiate basketball, even surpassing the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Zion Williamson. Should he return for another year, he could cement himself as the greatest college player in NCAA history.
On Friday night, Flagg appeared on ESPN, where he spoke about his future plans and the next step toward the NBA Draft.
“I think evaluating, reflecting, it was an incredible year. I met a lot of incredible people, made a ton of great relationships. I think now it is time for me to reflect. Take a couple of days, take a week, take a month—whatever is for me. Talk to my parents, talk to the coaches, just really decide what’s best for me,” Flagg said.
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If it were up to Jon Scheyer, Flagg would be headed to the draft in June. But ultimately, that decision rests with Flagg. He doesn’t have much time left to decide, as the deadline is April 26.
