A day ahead of 2025 NBA draft, basketball insider makes a bold prediction about Cooper Flagg

With just one day to go until the 2025 NBA draft, top prospect Cooper Flagg is already generating Hall of Fame talk. Flagg, who is widely expected to be picked first, has earned praise from fans and analysts alike, but one basketball insider has a mixed opinion.

Speaking on "The Gary Parrish Show," the CBS Sports analyst shared a bold prediction about Flagg’s future.

“If Cooper Flagg doesn't have serious injury issues throughout his career, he will be a Hall of Fame basketball player,” Parrish said. “Something short of an MVP, but something worthy of Hall of Fame credentials by the time he calls it a career. Yes, I would predict that.”

Parrish admitted that predicting MVPs is tricky, referencing players like Victor Wembanyama and rising stars still to come.

“I just think, like, I mean, like Victor Wembanyama is going to exist for a long time," Parrish added. "You've got DePanza coming in behind him. I just think, like, that's such a hard thing. But keep in mind, I could be wrong. I promise you, you go back to whatever draft Shea Gildress Alexander was coming out of, I would have never told you I thought he was going to be an MVP.

“He's an MVP and a scoring champ and a world champ and the whole deal. So I leave open the possibility for anything, but I would go under 0.5 MVPs, but Hall of Fame career.”

Flagg’s lone season at Duke made it easy to see why expectations are so high. The 6-foot-9 forward showed elite defensive instincts, great basketball IQ, and a motor that rarely stops. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Coach K names Cooper Flagg as Duke's best freshman talent

Despite coaching the Blue Devils from 1980 to 2022, with several NBA stars passing through him, Coach K has made a bold claim. He claimed Flagg is the best freshman to have played for Duke.

"Cooper, in his freshman year, is definitely the best freshman that has ever played," Coach K said in his appearance on Sirius XM Radio College Sports. "I think he's going to win some — or all — of the Player of the Year awards."

The most notable name omitted was former Duke guard Kyrie Irving, who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks and is set to become teammates with Flagg.