The Athletic ranked Cooper Flagg ahead of Jayson Tatum on list of decade’s top NBA prospects

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Duke player Cooper Flaggas was regarded by The Athletic as the second-best NBA prospect of the last ten years, only surpassed by 7-foot-4 French sensation Victor Wembanyama.

Draft analyst Sam Vecenie’s evaluations of the players at the time of the draft served as the basis for the list’s criteria. The criterion did not include how the players performed in the NBA. Other than Flagg, the only other collegiate player to reach the list was Dylan Harper, a guard for Rutgers.

Flagg defeated a number of NBA players, including as Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, and Ja Morant.

Vecenie called the Maine native a highly-skilled mismatch nightmare and praised Flagg for his competitiveness and diverse skill set.

Vecenie noted, “He plays hard all the time and is relentless in his aggression on both ends.” In addition to being aggressive and brave, he infuses his teammates with vigor. He amplifies those around him, making him the easiest person to believe in being a successful basketball player.

If all goes well with his development, Flagg possesses the best combo of an insanely high ceiling and a ridiculously high floor outside of Wembanyama. He has the potential to emerge as the NBA’s next top wing.

Tatum came in at number twelve on the list. The first overall choice in Tatum’s draft, Markelle Fultz, came in sixth.

“The Boston Celtics had Tatum at the top of their board, traded out of the No. 1 pick with the 76ers down to No. 3 and still got their guy,” Vecenie wrote, while almost every other team had Fultz as the top prospect. What has transpired since then? Tatum has established himself as one of the greatest Celtics in the legendary team’s history, was the best player on a championship team, and was selected to the All-NBA team five times.

With the exception of 2024 top choice Zaccharie Risacher, nine of the previous ten No. 1 overall selections made the list. According to reports, the Dallas Mavericks intend to choose Flagg with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft next week.

Additionally, The Athletic conducted a confidential NBA Draft series in which scouts, coaches, and executives anonymously shared their thoughts on a number of collegiate prospects.

According to an unidentified NBA official, Flagg’s game didn’t seem to have any significant flaws.

“I think he’s going to be pretty damn good,” the executive said, adding that he might not be an all-universe scorer. He will play some important games with you. You don’t really need to wait for him, in my opinion. Despite his youth, he’s ready to go on opening day if you turn the crank in the back. Consider how prepared he is, how successful he was, how wonderful his year was, and how young he is. He too is going to recover.

To obtain an earlier chance at the NBA, 18-year-old Flagg reclassified. As a rookie, he averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, helped Duke to the Final Four, and was named the 2025 Naismith National Player of the Year. His 19th birthday isn’t until December.

Boston.com’s Khari Thompson reports on professional sports. Khari worked as a college football reporter for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, prior to joining the team in 2022.