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Cooper Flagg Didn’t Hesitate When Naming His NBA Comparison

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 5:20 PM ET

Former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg is expected to be selected No. 1 overall in Wednesday’s 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.

In his lone season at Duke, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. But their national championship dreams fell to Houston in the semifinal.

Ahead of the draft, Flagg joined House of Highlights for a one-on-one interview. When asked which NBA player he would compare himself to, the Maine native quickly named Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

"I like to think that I can play like Kawhi," Flagg said. "You know, just such a good two-way talent. I don't know if I actually do or not, but I think my friends would say someone like that as well."

Cooper Flagg says his NBA player comparison is Kawhi pic.twitter.com/TSb9xQ5NCm
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) June 24, 2025

Leonard joined the NBA in 2011, selected No. 15 overall by the San Antonio Spurs. He spent seven seasons there, winning one championship, before being traded to the Toronto Raptors. In one season in Canada, Leonard brought the Raptors their first-ever championship before signing with the Clippers in 2019.

Like Flagg mentioned, Leonard has become one of the better two-way players in the game. He is averaging 20.1 points on 49.9% shooting for his career and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors twice.

Barring a last-minute draft decision from Dallas, Flagg is set to join a Mavericks team with championship aspirations heading into the 2025–26 season.

He’ll be added to a veteran-filled roster that includes Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson. Irving, however, suffered a torn ACL during the regular season, which could sideline him for a significant portion of 2025–26.

Along with Flagg, Duke has numerous other players expecting to be selected on Wednesday or Thursday. Fellow Blue Devils Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach are expected to join Flagg as a lottery pick.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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