Why the Brooklyn Nets Are Best Suited for Cooper Flagg

The direction of the Brooklyn Nets' rebuild will be drastically altered with the coming of the NBA Draft Lottery. Just eight days away, the Nets have a slim chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick with a 9% chance.

Brooklyn is sixth in odds, but doesn't sit far off from landing the top spot compared to the rest of the lottery teams. The consensus prize for getting No. 1 is Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, who just wrapped an incredible freshman season that saw him lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

There are five other teams with better odds to land Flagg, but the Nets have the best case to be the right fit for the 18-year-old. Brooklyn has the chance to be one of the most talked-about teams in the NBA if it lands one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory.

The Nets are searching for a franchise player after selling their stars a few seasons back, allocating a war chest of draft picks. They have prolific scorer Cam Thomas, but his one-dimensional style of play and impending free agency are a concern.

Brooklyn would be getting a multi-dimensional star in Flagg, with an ability to impact any group on any part of the floor. Flagg would come into a situation with some young players to supplement the Nets, but he'd ultimately be the clear best player with all eyes on him.

You can't talk about Brooklyn being the right destination without mentioning the big market. New York City would embrace Flagg, not just because of the location, but also its proximity to the New York Knicks. Flagg to the Nets would reignite this cross-town rivalry, with the narrative being the young, up-and-coming franchise going against the popular heavyweight in the Knicks.

Most of the other teams in the lottery already have a star in place that Flagg would team up with, rather than take over the franchise. This would not be the case for Brooklyn. The Nets would immediately make Flagg their golden child in a big market, with the opportunity to build even more of a young core with their cap space and haul of draft picks.