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Cooper Flagg's Longtime Coach Sheds Light on NBA Draft Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Dougherty | Last updated Apr 12, 2025 10:39 PM ET

Cooper Flagg has yet to make a decision on whether to enter the NBA draft or return to Duke for another season, but a source close to the college basketball star believes he knows what's coming next.

Flagg has until April 26 to decide whether he will be headed to the NBA -- where he is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft -- or return to avenge the heartbreak of Duke's Final Four loss.

Speaking to the Portland Press Herald, Flagg's longtime trainer and personal coach said he believes the Duke big man is taking his time to ponder the options.

“There are different things he needs to weigh from a business standpoint before making a decision, and I know he’ll do that," said coach Matt Mackenzie. "He’ll sit down with his parents and his agent and our entire close circle, and put all the options on the table and make a decision that he’s comfortable with, that he can own, and one that he knows is responsible for him moving forward.”

Flagg has been close to Mackenzie for the better part of a decade, first working with the personal trainer and coach when he was in seventh grade. The pair remained close as Flagg went to Duke, earning the John R. Wooden Award as the nation's top college basketball player.

Mackenzie said it will be up to Flagg to make the final decision, but he believes the call of the NBA will be too strong to resist.

“The decision’s going to be something that he needs to own, and something he’s comfortable with,” MacKenzie said. “But I think that he will most likely decide to enter the NBA draft."

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

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