Duke freshman Cooper Flagg expected to go No. 1 overall in 2025 NBA Draft

The GIST: The NBA Finals just wrapped, but the offseason machine never sleeps — just ask the ever-growing list of traded players who’ve swapped threads in the last few days. And that’s not the only hoopla to keep an eye on: The 79th NBA Entry Draft begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET. It’s time to capture the flag(g).

⚙️ How it works: Fifty-nine players (instead of the usual 60) will hear their names called over the next two days, with the top 14 selections determined during May’s ping pong ball-powered Draft Lottery. The odds (1.8%) were not in the Dallas Mavericks’ favor, but the beleaguered squad was handed a lifeline and will be on the clock first. Ready the chime.

😈 Duke superstar Cooper Flagg is anticipated No. 1 pick: The Blue Devils freshman is one of the best prospects in recent years — and for good reason. Flagg led a top-seeded Duke program in every major statistical category this season and is expected to make an immediate impact in the pros at just 18 years old. No wonder squads were tanking to try and get him.

👀 Storyline to watch: Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper is a near-lock to be taken by the San Antonio Spurs at No. 2 — the real question is how far his college teammate, Ace Bailey, will fall. A projected top-three pick, Bailey refused pre-draft workouts — an odd choice, but one that could see him taken by his preferred team, the Washington Wizards, at No. 6. Consider the tea spilled.