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Cooper Flagg's Stunning Duke NIL Earnings Revealed

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated May 31, 2025 4:09 PM ET

During his lone season with the Duke Blue Devils, former No. 1 overall recruit Cooper Flagg lived up to the billing as the next great American prospect.

Although he and the Blue Devils fell in the Final Four to the eventual runner-up Houston Cougars, Flagg led Duke in all five major statistical categories en route to a 35-4 record. In addition to being named ACC Player of the Year, Flagg also became the ninth Duke player to be named Naismith Men's College Player of the Year.

Aside from prospering on the court, many fans likely assumed that Flagg was compensated quite well off of it, thanks to his NIL earning potential. Although it's not always an exact number, his NIL Valuation according to On3 was a staggering $4.8 million. A mark that only trailed Texas quarterback and nephew of Peyton Manning, Arch Manning.

However, as revealed during an interview with Bob Costas by insider and author Howard Bryant, Flagg's earnings were significantly higher than the estimated numbers.

After initially asking Costas how much money he thought Flagg brought in during his lone season in Durham, Bryant answered his own question with a jaw-dropping figure. As a result of Flagg inking monster deals with New Balance and Fanatics, he was bringing in at least $28 million on the year.

"He had a $13 million deal with New Balance and then $15 million with Fanatics," Bryant said.

A staggering mark, considering an April report revealed that at least eight teams in college basketball will spend over $10 million on their entire roster for next season.

While around $30 million is chump change by any means, Flagg's earnings will more than double following next month's NBA Draft. Flagg has been projected to be the top pick for over a year, and now that the Dallas Mavericks have the pick, the safest assumption in the world is that he will be heading to the Lone Star State. According to Spotrac, the No. 1 pick is set to sign a four-year deal worth nearly $63 million.

Turns out being a generational basketball prospect pays quite well, who knew?

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

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