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Dwight Howard Urges Cooper Flagg to Return to Duke Amid $28 Million News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeremy Beren | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 2:34 PM ET

In the name, image and likeness (NIL) age, it pays to play college basketball. In Cooper Flagg's case, it pays around $28 million.

According to veteran sports reporter Howard Bryant , Flagg's solitary season with the Duke Blue Devils was very lucrative thanks to NIL deals with major brands like Fanatics and New Balance. Flagg's NIL agreement with New Balance netted him $13 million, the Fanatics sponsorship $15 million; both deals are set to follow Flagg to the NBA later this year.

On June 25, Flagg is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Mavericks to tip off the 2025 NBA draft. But Dwight Howard, himself a former top overall pick, said Flagg should reverse course while he still can.

Cooper Flagg of @DukeMBB has made $28 million in NIL deals with New Balance and Fanatics, per Howard Bryant:https://t.co/jBAM3r5djq
— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) June 2, 2025

Speaking on the "Nightcap" podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, Howard made the stunning claim that Flagg should return to Duke. His reasoning? With NBA contracts getting larger and the salary cap continuing to rise, Flagg could be a billionaire by the time he is 23.

"If he stays two more years and wins at least one championship at Duke, he's gonna get at least $100 million off college," Howard explained. "Then, when he goes to the league, the salary cap is gonna be higher for rookies. He's gonna make $500 million. ... He's gonna be a billionaire before he finishes his rookie contract."

Howard, soon to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract when the Orlando Magic took him at the top of the 2004 NBA draft. More than 20 years later, Flagg is expected to sign a four-year, $62.7 million contract with the Mavericks if Dallas selects him in a few weeks.

Faced with the prospect of making millions right away or waiting another 24 months to do so, Flagg certainly has been advised to take the money the Mavericks are going to offer.

That said, with the NBA's collective bargaining agreement set to be renegotiated in the coming years, Howard has presented an intriguing argument for future rookies to ponder.

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

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