NBA Draft 2025: Top Picks and Projected Contracts for Cooper Flagg & More 🏀

Duke’s freshman phenom went No. 1 and can earn nearly $14 million next season—not including endorsements. It could be the beginning of a billion-dollar career for the 18-year-old.<br /><br />If there was any doubt that Cooper Flagg would be the first player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, it was dispelled within minutes of the event kicking off.<br /><br />Shortly after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the 18-year-old star from Newport, Maine, as the Dallas Mavericks’ selection at No. 1 overall, Flagg walked across the stage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, exuding a quiet confidence that suggested he was right where he belonged. After all, Flagg has had scouts hyperventilating over his seemingly limitless talent for years—all through high school and across his lone season at Duke University, where he won the Naismith National Player of the Year Award as a freshman and led the Blue Devils to an ACC championship and a Final Four berth.<br /><br />Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirnbaum/2025/06/25/nba-draft-2025-projected-contracts-for-cooper-flagg-and-other-first-round-picks/<br /><br />Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:<br /><br />https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript<br /><br />Stay Connected<br />Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com<br />Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes<br />More From Forbes: http://forbes.com<br /><br />Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.