Cooper Flagg, 2025 NBA Draft class might not be as great as you think

Expectations have been building for quite some time over the 2025 NBA Draft class that features Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 overall pick who torched Team USA in a scrimmage last summer .

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic's college basketball and NBA draft analyst, hasn't bought a ticket on the hype train. He thinks it's time to apply the brakes.

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In his 2025 NBA Mock Draft published on Thursday, Vecenie preached "a bit of caution" over projections that the class will produce "multiple All-Stars." He acknowledged that "real questions" are emerging around Flagg and three other top prospects — Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper and V.J. Edgecombe — as future franchise cornerstones.

"I wouldn’t get hyperbolic and say this is a superclass," Vecenie wrote. "I would say it looks like a fairly average draft class."

That said, NBA teams figure to position themselves to have the best chance at drafting Flagg, an explosive 6-foot-9 wing who can score from all three levels. In other words, franchises in need of a future star will definitely be tanking this season to increase their lottery odds at winning the No. 1 overall pick.

Flagg might not be a prospect at the level of Victor Wembanyama, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year with the San Antonio Spurs, but the Maine native will certainly be marketable. The 17-year-old already has a shoe deal with New Balance .

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This article was originally published on thebiglead.com as Cooper Flagg, 2025 NBA Draft class might not be as great as you think .