The NFL Draft took place just two months ago, and now the NBA Draft is set to get underway. Any draft is a major milestone for rising stars in their respective sports. The NFL Draft delivered a huge surprise when the Cleveland Browns traded the No. 2 overall pick to the Jaguars for Travis Hunter.
In the NBA, Cooper Flagg is projected to be the first overall pick by the Mavericks. If selected, Flagg will become the second-youngest No. 1 pick in NBA history—behind one of the greatest players of all time, LeBron James. Despite widespread speculation, Flagg revealed that Dallas hasn’t given him any confirmation yet.
“I haven’t had that conversation at all,” Flagg said. “I’m just going through this process like everybody else. I did my workout, so I’m just going to see what happens tomorrow night.”
Flagg is on track to earn approximately $930 million by the time he’s barely in his 30s. Meanwhile, Travis Hunter just secured a record-breaking deal of his own.
“According to ESPN, the deal includes a $30.57 million signing bonus paid entirely upfront, making Hunter the first non-quarterback and non-No. 1 overall pick to get the entirety of the signing bonus upfront,” USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff wrote.
The two young stars have recently drawn comparisons from CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin, especially for their elite two-way talent.
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“Flagg is considered a potentially generational type of two-way prospect. He's been ticketed as a future No. 1 pick for several years due to the seeming likelihood that he becomes an elite player on both sides of the ball,” Dubin wrote. “Hunter, like Flagg, was the consensus No. 1 prospect in his recruiting class due to his special two-way talent. He was considered a future top pick from the moment he stepped on campus, lived up to the lofty expectations placed upon him, won the Heisman Trophy and eventually was selected No. 2 overall.”
There’s no doubt that both Hunter and Flagg are destined for greatness at the professional level. What’s remarkable is how parallel their paths have been so far—two elite, two-way players dominating college sports and now preparing to do the same on the biggest stages in their respective leagues.