DeMarcus Cousins Wants Cooper Flagg To Land With Jazz
Mar 5, 2025, 2:00 PM
Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Count former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins among those who hope to see Cooper Flagg land with the Utah Jazz in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Flagg is projected to be the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and is expected to be the type of generational talent that a franchise can build around for years to come.
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Cousins Hopes Cooper Flagg Lands With Jazz
In an appearance on “Run It Back,” Cousins said the Jazz were Flagg’s best option among the teams located at the top of the lottery.
As of March 5, the Jazz, the Washington Wizards, and the Charlotte Hornets all have a 14 percent chance of landing the number one overall pick in the draft lottery, while the New Orleans Pelicans have a 10.5 percent chance.
“If I’m Cooper Flagg — Jazz,” Cousins said. “I’m going to go back to Duke, or the Jazz brother.”
“If I’m Cooper Flagg, I’m going back to Duke or to the Jazz. Pelicans, you’ll get lost in the sauce with the Saints. Wizards, they don’t care. Hornets, we just finished a 30 minute segment on them. In Utah, you’ll be a hero.”@BoogieCousins on Flagg’s potential landing spots 😂 pic.twitter.com/alaDt9lGLt
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 27, 2025
The NBA Draft lottery will be held on May 12 in Chicago, but potential draftees can withdraw their names from the draft in mid-June if they choose to return to college.
Flagg has made no indication that he would be unwilling to play for any NBA franchise, but Cousins hopes to see him land with Utah.
“Pelicans you’ll get lost in the sauce with the [New Orleans] Saints, Wizards, they don’t care, Hornets, we just finished a whole 30-minute segment on them,” Cousins said. “Listen, Utah, you’ll be a hero, you’ll fit right in, I’m seeing the Jazz.”
The Jazz have never won the top overall pick in the draft lottery.
Cousins was the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. The center was selected to four All-Star teams in his 11-year NBA career.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
