Cooper Flagg urged to stay at Duke and avoid ‘purgatory’ with one NBA franchise by ex-star Quentin Richardson
Presumptive top NBA pick Cooper Flagg has been urged to avoid the ‘purgatory’ of one franchise by former star Quentin Richardson.
The Duke forward is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in June amid a dominant freshman season for the Blue Devils.
But if the Wizards – the holder’s of a league-worst 13-49 record – win the NBA Draft lottery and the right to select Flagg, Richardson thinks the Maine native should stay in school.
‘If I’m Cooper Flagg, I’m not sure I want to go to the Washington Wizards,’ Richardson said Saturday on ESPN’s College GameDay. ‘That’s waiting on him, and that’s purgatory.’
Richardson added that the NIL market in college sports would ensure that Flagg is still paid handsomely – his current NIL value is put at $4.8million by On3.com – and suggested that returning to Duke for a second year could be the right decision in lieu of heading to DC.
‘With the landscape what it is now and the money he can make, knowing that I’m looking at going to Washington? Obviously, I would have to consult with my family and my team and check all of those things out, but I’m not sure that would be the worst thing for him,’ said Richardson, who played 13 years in the NBA.
Cooper Flagg has been dominating for Duke this year and is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick
Marcus Smart and the Wizards have a league-worst 12-50 record with 20 games left
Quentin Richardson (left) has urged Flagg to avoid the Wizards if they win the lottery
While it’s been widely expected that Flagg would be a one-and-done player, Richardson’s comments come after Flagg himself teased the possibility of returning.
‘S***, I want to come back next year,’ he told The Athletic for a piece published last month.
While the Wizards will have a good chance to land the No. 1 overall pick and Flagg, they’re not the runaway favorites for the Duke star.
The NBA’s lottery rules give the three worst teams each a 14 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick, while the fourth-worst team has a 12.5 percent chance, and the fifth- and sixth-worst teams have just below a 10 percent chance respectively.
Currently, Washington, Utah and Charlotte are slated to have the best lottery odds.
The Wizards will miss the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, and last won a playoff series eight years ago, following the 2016-17 season.
Furthermore, the Wizards have the league’s fourth-lowest total attendance this season, with the Hornets dead last.
Flagg once again flashed his ability to a national audience on Saturday night, tallying 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists for No. 2 Duke in a win over UNC.
