Duke’s Cooper Flagg has taken college basketball by storm by delivering one of the most dominant freshman seasons in NCAA history. With his stellar performances leading Duke to a likely No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, Flagg is the overwhelming favorite to be selected first overall in the upcoming NBA Draft. While the NBA world is buzzing over which team will land him, the Utah Jazz are hoping that history is finally on their side.
In their 51 seasons as a franchise, the Jazz have never secured the No. 1 overall pick. They’ve built competitive teams, made deep playoff runs, and even reached the NBA Finals, but they’ve never had the fortune of landing the top selection in the draft. Could 2025 be the year that changes?
The Utah Jazz has NEVER had a No. 1 overall pick in their 51 seasons as a team 🤯
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) March 11, 2025
Will history repeat itself this draft or will the Utah Jazz finally get the top pick and win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/GNyQdnBsyT
As of now, Utah sits at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 15-50 record, trailing only the Washington Wizards (13-51) in the league-wide standings. The Charlotte Hornets (16-48) are also in contention for one of the top lottery spots.
If Utah finishes with the second-worst record, they would have a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick. However, the lottery has produced surprises before, and even the worst team has no guarantee of winning the top pick. If Utah secures the first pick, Flagg would be the obvious choice.
Landing the first overall pick would be a game-changer for Utah, as Flagg appears to be a franchise-altering prospect. His defensive versatility, scoring ability, and high basketball IQ make him an ideal centerpiece for a rebuilding team. The Jazz already have promising young talent, but adding Flagg could accelerate their path back to contention.
DeMarcus Cousins Believes Utah Jazz Is The Best Fit For Cooper Flagg
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins has a bold suggestion for Cooper Flagg. During his appearance on Run It Back on FanDuel TV, Cousins suggested that Flagg would either benefit from returning to Duke for another season or joining the Jazz if they win the lottery.
“If I’m Cooper Flagg, I’m going back to Duke or going to the Jazz. Pelicans, you’ll get lost in the sauce with the Saints. Wizards, they don’t care. Hornets, we just finished a whole 30-minute segment on them. Utah, you’ll be a hero; you’ll fit right in. I’m seeing the Jazz,” Cousins said.
That said, not every consensus No. 1 pick lives up to the hype. History is filled with top picks who failed to become superstars. The Jazz must prepare for all scenarios. If the lottery finally swings in their favor, they might just land the franchise player they’ve been waiting for.
