LeBron James believes Cooper Flagg has advantages he did not

Cooper Flagg's decision to reclassify makes him a year younger than his fellow lottery-bound players in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Flagg will be 18 years and 186 days old on draft night, likely making him the second-youngest No. 1 pick in history, behind LeBron James (18 years, 178 days old) in 2003, per ESPN Research.

While James can relate to the Duke phenom, he believes Flagg is in a better position than he was, considering that he will likely be heading to a contender like the Dallas Mavericks. 

"He has the benefit, unlike myself, of joining a team that's established," James said on his "Mind the Game" podcast. "He's going to be playing with Hall of Fame guys —Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and a Hall of Fame coach, Jason Kidd. They can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be."

James believes Flagg will benefit enormously from the "leadership, presence and basketball IQ" of his accomplished teammates.

"I think he's going to be amazing," James added, while praising Flagg's overall skill set and intangibles. He further noted that many No. 1 picks in recent years "learned bad habits" by playing in losing situations. 

James was drafted by a Cavaliers team that won 17 games the year before, and didn't sniff the playoffs through his first two seasons. The Mavericks, despite Kyrie Irving's injury, are expected to contend for a playoff spot and possibly even a championship next season. 

Flagg's situation can be likened to the 1979 NBA Draft when the Lakers drafted Magic Johnson No. 1 overall, or the 1980 NBA Draft when the Celtics selected Kevin McHale with the third overall pick. Both would play key roles in helping their teams win the championship as rookies.

With Irving expected to return from his ACL injury by January, the Mavericks could be a true force to contend with next season. A starting unit of Irving, Thompson, Flagg, Davis and Dereck Lively II, with PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Max Christie off the bench, means they have one of the deepest and talented rosters in the league. 

Flagg could realistically play into June as a rookie.