What Factors Complicate Cooper Flagg to Spurs?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Lance Roberson | Last updated Feb 24, 2025 6:45 PM ET

Before the San Antonio Spurs shut down Victor Wembanayama for the 2024-25 season due to a blood clot, they were NBA Play-In Tournament hopefuls. Even without Wembanyama's health scare, the Spurs likely won't make the playoffs. However, even if San Antonio doesn't clinch a 2025 postseason berth, statistics reveal a roadblock for its potential in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

Duke is a hotbed for NBA talent every season. However, for the first time since Zion Williamson, the storied college basketball program has a prospect worthy of tanking. Flagg, a Newport, Maine, native, has a strong interest in the Boston Celtics.

Although the Spurs don't have the number of NBA championships as the Celtics, the franchise exudes the no-nonsense, team-over-individual prestige of the greed-donning organization.

Despite the parallels between the Spurs and Flagg's favorite NBA team, math complicates chemistry.

The Spurs currently have a three percent of landing the no. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While Flagg isn't the unanimous prospect projected to go No. 1, the Spurs could luck out and grab him at second or third overall if other teams overthink the process.

With 27 games left in the season, the Spurs have the seventh-hardest schedule remaining in the 2024-25 campaign.

However, for as tough as the games could become, the Spurs have All-Star talent to combat opponents.

The De'Aaron Fox trade becomes the Spurs' saving grave for possibly clawing and fighting for the last Play-In Tournament slot. San Antonio has three fewer losses than the Sacramento Kings. A run for the 10th seed is plausible.

Even if the Spurs don't make the playoffs, the teams below them are significantly worse. Despite the bottom three NBA teams receiving diminished chances of obtaining the No. 1 pick, the team missing Wembanyama is now too talented to compete with the Washington Wizards or the Utah Jazz.

Although missing out on Flagg could sting, the new-look Spurs at least have the star guard they needed to help push their team to the next level.

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

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