The Cooper Flagg 'tank' already underway for some NBA teams

Don't be surprised if NBA teams mysteriously shut down their best players after the All-Star break next year. Many of those teams are expected to tank their seasons with hopes of landing Duke prodigy Cooper Flagg , the consensus No. 1 overall pick in 2025 and most-hyped prospect since Victor Wembanyama.

Some have seemingly fired up their "tanks" even before the season to enter the Flagg sweepstakes. Look no further than the Nets, who traded their best player, Mikal Bridges, for draft compensation, and the Hawks, who signaled their intention to start anew by trading Dejounte Murray.

Similarly, the Bulls let go of Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan with zero hesitation, and the Blazers — loaded with draft assets and cap space — stood pat and did nothing this offseason. The latter can also be said about the Jazz, another team that made minimal effort to upgrade the roster for next season.

While the strategy of tanking a season for a teenager is always risky ( the Sixers' Process flopped), a player of Flagg's caliber could be worth it.

Over the weekend, Flagg turned heads with his performance in Team USA's training camp for the Paris Olympics, proving why he's a special prospect. As seen below, Flagg held his own against the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards.

Flagg became the first collegiate player in over a decade (since Marcus Smart in 2013) to participate in a Team USA select camp. The 17-year-old wasn't expecting the honor.

"I was pretty surprised just because it's not like a normal thing," Flagg told ESPN after scrimmaging against veteran stars. "So I was definitely really honored and just excited that I had this opportunity.If you think about it, you're able to learn from ... if you look at their team, it's nobody better. So it's just being come out here and learn, this is a great experience and I'm really just humbled and I'm really grateful and blessed that I was selected."

The Duke freshman is a 6-foot-9 forward with the ability to impact both ends of the floor. After leading Florida's Montverde Academy to a 30-0 record and a national title, Flagg put up mind-blowing numbers in the 2023 Nike EYBL League, averaging 26.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 4.7 assists.

Simply put, teams who plan to "tank" for Flagg next year can't be blamed.