The 2025 NBA Draft lottery is less than a week away, and this will be a big moment for a few teams around the league, particularly the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets, who each have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.
While nothing is official, all signs point to the first overall pick being Duke wing Cooper Flagg, who officially declared for this year’s draft last month (h/t Bleacher Report). In his freshman year at Duke, the Maine native averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals in 37 games. Flagg is just 18 years old and has the potential to be a star in the NBA.
Ahead of next week’s draft lottery, a new report surfaced that could have an impact on not just the draft but also the long-term landscape of the NBA.One of the lottery teams this year is the Brooklyn Nets, who finished the regular season with a 26-56 record and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. With a 9% chance, the Nets have the sixth-highest odds to secure the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
Amid the news of Flagg officially entering the draft, a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Woo revealed what the Nets are predicted to do in the immediate future.”The buzz from rival teams has been the Nets aren’t planning for a true long-haul tank, even after reacquiring their own picks last summer,” Woo said. “The Nets have the most salary-cap space in the league this offseason, but with a top-heavy 2026 draft on the horizon and a roster in need of major modifications in order to compete for a playoff spot, patience is still a virtue here.”
Just a couple of seasons ago, the Nets were a championship favorite thanks to their trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. While it will not be easy, the Nets have seemingly decided not to enter a longterm tank.
This decision is somewhat unexpected when considering where the Nets are at in their current timeline, but Woo added the Nets currently lack a “centerpiece-caliber player” and “can afford to wait until the right star becomes available to shift gears.”
Brooklyn would have to get lucky for that player to be Flagg, but amid the news of his draft declaration, the Nets are predicted to have an eye for their next big star.
