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Mike Krzyzewski debates whether Cooper Flagg should return to Duke: ‘There’s a lot of factors’

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•about 20 hours•

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Cooper Flagg
© Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

One of the frontrunners for National Player of the Year, Cooper Flagg continues to cement himself as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. But some wondered if he could capitalize on his NIL opportunities and run it back for another year at Duke – and Mike Krzyzewski weighed in on that idea.

The thought of Flagg coming back for another year picked up steam when he told The Athletic, “I want to come back next year,” while talking about how much fun he’s having during his freshman year. That led to a discussion about how feasible a return could be while comparing the salary for the top pick in the draft and what Flagg can earn through NIL.

Krzyzewski noted the amount of factors in play, but also cited the need for Flagg to be “smart” by evaluating his future. If he plays his cards right, Flagg could set himself up for “generational wealth,” Krzyzewski said.

“There’s a lot of factors in there,” Krzyzewski said on his SiriusXM College Sports Radio show. “But in Cooper’s case, one, he should do whatever he wants. My thing is, just be smart. Be smart for you. You only get to do this once, and you’re only going to get to do it for a certain amount of time. Really, you’re talking about generational wealth – really good generational wealth, if you do it the right way.”

Flagg is putting together a dominant freshman season at Duke after arriving as the crown jewel of the 2024 recruiting class. With two games to go in the season, he leads the Blue Devils in every statistical category – averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks.

He’s also one of the faces of college basketball. Cooper Flagg currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of 4.8 million, which ranks No. 1 in the men’s college basketball NIL rankings. It’s also No. 2 in the On3 NIL 100 – the first of its kind and de facto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation – trailing only Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

Flagg’s growing NIL portfolio includes notable deals with Gatorade, New Balance and The NIL Store as the NCAA Tournament approaches. He is repped by CAA.

Still, all signs point toward Flagg heading to the next level after this season. If he goes No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft, as many project, he’s in line for a strong payday. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, signed a four-year contract worth $57 million with the Atlanta Hawks.

Of course, there’s also potential for a lucrative contract extension like Cade Cunningham signed with the Detroit Pistons. He signed a five-year, $224 million contract after his fourth season in the league.