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The NBA season is right around the corner and, similar to two seasons ago when multiple teams had their sights on landing Victor Wembanyama, the 2025 NBA Draft will bring out similar tanking tendencies for a handful of teams. Projected at the top of this draft are Duke forward Cooper Flagg and Rutgers wing Ace Bailey — the top two recruits coming out of high school. Both could end up being cornerstone players for rebuilding franchises.
Flagg, 17, was invited to Team USA’s training camp as part of the Select Team and held his own against some of the best talent in the NBA and future Hall of Famers. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Maine — who just signed a multi-year shoe deal with New Balance — is favored to go No. 1 in next year’s draft with his elite rim protection and defensive versatility as well as his point-forward instincts and ability to stretch the floor.
Bailey, who just turned 18, is a pure scorer and has superstar potential with his length at 6-9 and shot creation from all over the court. He has looked fantastic in summer workouts heading into the season, showcasing his athleticism with impressive dunks.
Rounding out the top five draft prospects heading into this season are French guard Nolan Traore, Baylor shooting guard VJ Edgecombe and Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper. For the teams that miss out on Flagg and Bailey, these three players are excellent consolation prizes.
Yahoo Sports takes a look at six NBA teams that could lose a lot of games this upcoming season but come out winners on draft night next June.
Cooper Flagg turned heads during Team USA’s training camp in July. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Wizards have a young roster that includes Bilal Coulibaly (the No. 7 pick in 2023), Alex Sarr (No. 2 pick, 2024) and Bub Carrington (No. 14 pick, 2024). Carrington was one of the biggest surprises of Summer League, flirting with a triple-double in his first game, and he’ll likely get plenty of reps and touches offensively during his rookie year. Sarr, the 7-1 center, had a less-than-stellar Summer League showing, going 0-for-15 from the field in one game and struggling offensively…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-tank-watch-6-teams-lining-up-for-cooper-flagg-and-ace-bailey-in-the-2025-draft-161238610.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-08-28 16:12:38
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