Cooper Flagg just gave NBA teams a heart attack by talking about next year's plans

Rebuilding in the NBA is never fun for fans. Having to watch teams lose night in and night out, often in uncompetitive fashion, is brutal, especially when the NBA season lasts 82 games. With that being said, though, there's a reason some teams don't put their best foot forward when it comes to winning.

That reason has everything to do with the NBA Draft. Earning a high draft pick and drafting one of the best young players in the country is the easiest way to expedite a rebuild. This rings especially true in the 2024-25 campaign when the NBA Draft is as loaded as it has been in quite some time. Cooper Flagg is front and center in that regard.

Simply put, Flagg is one of the best prospects we've seen in recent memory. He is averaging 19.8 points on 48.3/37.0/81.4 percent splits for the Duke Blue Devils while chipping in 7.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 24 games played. Not only is Flagg a dominant all-around offensive force, but he has averaged 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Yeah, he's one of the best defenders in the country as well, and is doing all of this as a player who just turned 18.

With that in mind, it isn't hard to see why Flagg has as much hype as he does. He has the potential to be a bona fide superstar and the best player on a championship team. He's the clear 1.01 in the 2025 NBA Draft - well, if he wants to declare for the draft.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Flagg said — in reference to the relative peace he's been experiencing in Durham — that, "I want to come back next year." Boy, wouldn't that be something?

Cooper Flagg said the last thing NBA teams want to hear, but there's nothing to worry about

Flagg returning to college for another year would be the worst-case scenario for rebuilding teams. Sure, guys like Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper can be really good NBA players, but nobody has Flagg's ceiling. An NBA team winning the draft lottery only to see Flagg return to Duke would be heartbreaking.

With that being said, though, as much fun as Flagg has been having at Duke, the chances of him returning for another year (assuming things continue to go smoothly for him) are just about zero. Right now, he's the undisputed No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, even in a loaded class. His stock literally cannot get any higher than it is right now. Returning to Duke for another year might be fun, but it also might lead to his stock decreasing ever so slightly. His ultimate goal is to do damage at the NBA level, at the end of the day.

It's honestly refreshing to see such a young player have this kind of loyalty, especially in an era where we see NBA players get fed up and want out of their current situations so frequently. Flagg would certainly love to stay at Duke, but a chance at NBA stardom will be too good for him to pass on.