The NBA Draft has concluded, and several new names are set to make their debut when the season begins. However, one name stirring controversy is Ace Bailey, whose representatives are reportedly making it difficult for the No. 5 pick to even suit up in the NBA.
“Leading up to the NBA draft, Ace Bailey's representatives informed a team drafting inside the top five they didn't want that team to select the Rutgers wing, and that he wouldn't report if they did, sources told ESPN,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps reported.
One player who will definitely be taking the court is the No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg. In his lone season at Duke, Flagg made a significant impact, emerging as a leading contributor throughout the year. His play has already earned praise from NBA legend LeBron James.
“I personally think that he wants to be great. He had a h**l of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump," James said.
ESPN analyst Bob Myers also believes Flagg is poised to do something special in his rookie year. In fact, Myers went as far as to say Flagg might have a greater impact on winning than former No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama.
“The unique thing about Cooper Flagg, Malika, is he impacts winning," Myers said. "More so than a lot of players. I'm gonna say something that might be controversial: Victor Wembanyama got a lot of attention being the No. 1 pick. I could see Cooper Flagg impacting winning more than Victor did in his rookie year.”
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Flagg looks like a future NBA star, and Myers is clearly all in on him. With Flagg expected to help lead the Mavericks to the playoffs and possibly make a deep run at the NBA Finals, being compared so favorably to one of the most hyped No. 1 picks in recent memory is high praise.