Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) walks off the court after losing to the Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg Lands Major Compliment From Philadelphia 76ers Star

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 4:48 PM ET

When it comes to the 2025 NBA Draft, Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George tends to discuss Ace Bailey more than any other prospect. Considering the mutual respect and the comparisons between the two players, it doesn’t come as a shock that George praises the Rutgers star more than most.

Make no mistake about it, though, the upcoming draft is still recognized as the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. After starring at Duke for the past season, Flagg’s stock continued to soar. When the Dallas Mavericks go on the board for the No. 1 overall pick later this month, Flagg’s name is expected to get called.

In George’s eyes, there’s a good reason for that.

“I like Cooper Flagg. I think he’s going to be an All-Star,” George said on a recent episode of ‘Podcast P.’ “When it’s all said and done, I think he’s going to go down as one of the best players our league has seen.”

Cooper Flagg & Ace Bailey are as special as it gets

PG: “I think Cooper’s gonna go down as one of the best players our league has seen.”

Melo: “I f***ing love Ace … he’s relentless.”@Pick6 pic.twitter.com/1ns1HVmCve
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 28, 2025

That’s exactly what a franchise wants to see out of its No. 1 pick. For the second time in three years, the NBA’s tank watch was renamed after a player who was clearly coming in as the top pick. While there was some uncertainty in last year’s draft, the 2023 player pool was undoubtedly headlined by Victor Wembanyama. So far, Wemby has lived up to the hype.

The Mavericks hope and expect that Flagg will do the same.

George’s team came up just two spots short of being in the range to take Flagg. After entering the NBA Draft lottery with the fifth-highest odds of gaining the top pick, the Sixers ended up with the third-overall selection. They didn’t win the sweepstakes, but they ended up in a great spot.

While there are several options on the table for the Sixers, Ace Bailey seems to be the popular pick at the moment. For Paul George, that’s a good situation since he remains impressed with the incoming rookie.