NBA
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd compared Cooper Flagg to another Duke star and NBA Hall of Famer
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated4 hours ago on June 20, 2025
In less than a week, the 2025 NBA draft will be at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Dallas Mavericks were extremely fortunate to land the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft.Â
They’re expected to draft consensus #1 overall pick Cooper Flagg out of Duke. Ahead of the draft, Flagg only worked out for one team, the Mavericks. Dallas will add the 2025 Nasmith Men’s College Player of the Year. During Flagg’s recent visit with the Mavs, head coach Jason Kidd was wowed. He told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that Flagg reminded him of another former Duke star and NBA Hall of Famer. Seven-time all-star Grant Hill.
Jason Kidd compared Cooper Flagg to Hall of Famer Grant Hill
Tim MacMahon on Cooper Flagg and his visit with the Dallas Mavericks:
“I’m told Jason Kidd sees shades of another Duke guy in Cooper Flagg, a guy who J-Kidd shared the Rookie of the Year Award with, Grant Hill… Cooper Flagg is really gonna have a chance, especially early in the… pic.twitter.com/5IxykmYo7J
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) June 20, 2025
With the third pick in the 1994 NBA draft, the Pistons selected Grant Hill out of Duke. When Hill entered the league, he quickly became a household name. He was an all-star in six of his first seven seasons. Over the first six years of his career, Hill averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Among players six-foot-eight or taller, Hill is one of 20 players to average 6.0 assists or more per game. Additionally, he’s one of seven who have done it four times in their career.
Recently, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd compared Duke’s Cooper Flagg to Grant Hill. The Mavs have the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft and will select Flagg next Wednesday. This week, Dallas had Cooper Flagg in for a workout. Kidd told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he sees shades of another former Duke star. He was referring to Grant Hill.
During his lone season at Duke, Cooper Flagg was a sensational two-way player. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. If his game translates quickly to the NBA, Copper Flagg could have a similar start to his career as Grant Hill. Flagg is a talented SF who can do a bit of everything. Dallas will be without PG Kyrie Irving to begin the season.
Cooper Flagg could be asked to facilitate early on and play a point-forward role. The 18-year-old is comfortable handling the ball. That’s a bonus for head coach Jason Kidd. Not every rookie SF can come in and handle play-making duties. Comparing Cooper Flagg to Grant Hill was high praise from Jason Kidd. There’s no question he expects dominance early from Flagg in the 2025-26 season.
