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This year’s NBA Draft brought in a generational talent who’s considered the best prospect since LeBron James in 7-foot-4 “Alien” Victor Wembanyama with some even considering him the best in NBA History, including myself. Wembanyama went No.1 to the San Antonio Spurs as the most surefire No.1 pick since James back in 2003 to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers as the kid from Akron exceeded all the hype and expectations throughout his iconic career.
With Wembanyama set to enter the NBA and debut this fall, and the 2024 & 2025 Draft Classes seeming to lack a franchise-altering talent, who’s the next generational talent on the come up? Well, ladies and gentlemen, with all that being said… Meet Cooper Flagg: The “Menace from Maine” Coming to the NBA in 2026.
Flagg is a kid smalltown kid from Newport, Maine who is a profoundly unique and special prospect from most of my time watching prospects, as he stands at 6-foot-8, 200 lbs with long arms, is a fluid explosive athlete, and has a tremendous basketball IQ that’s more advanced than others his age.
He had a dominant high school freshman campaign at Nokomis Regional High School that resulted in him winning the Maine Gatorade National Player of the Year after averaging 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds,6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game, straight staggering numbers from an NBA player let alone a high school freshman.
Flagg helped lead Nokomis to the Class A State Championship where he scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds en route to a 43-27 win over Falmouth High School in the state final.
In the summer of 2022, Flagg separated himself even more from his peers as a player with his performance at the U-17 FIBA Basketball World Cup where he averaged 9.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, and 2.4 steals, displaying defensive tenacity and versatility by ripping the ball out players hands like they stole his lunch money, swatting shots like he’s a big man to go along with his fluid athleticism and high feel for the game offensively helped elevate his status as a prospect to another level after that tournament.
Flagg scored 10 points with 17 rebounds, eight steals, and four blocked shots in a 79–67 win over Spain in the final. He was named to the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the Cup.
After initially being ranked the third-best prospect in the Class of 2025 behind Koa Peat and Cameron Boozer, Flagg rose to No.2 at the conclusion of the World Cup behind Boozer due to his two-way brilliance.
Flagg would then transfer to the prestigious Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida to help better prepare him for his future in college and ultimately the NBA. Montverde has produced a plethora of NBA players through the years from top NBA Draft picks such as Ben Simmons, Cade Cunningham, and Scottie Barnes to name a few.
During the legendary Hoophall Classic, where many former NBA stars have played, Flagg recorded 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals in Montverde’s 85-63 victory over La Lumiere Academy.
At the end of his sophomore year, Flagg was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Prep Player of the Year.
This summer Flagg has seemed to take his game to an even higher level on the Nike EYBL 16U circuit, averaging an otherwordly 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 4.5 blocks per contest through 17 games.
In Memphis Flagg continues to light up the competition… Here are some of his stats:
27 points, 17 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals against Indy Heat
45 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals against Team United
12 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists, and 12 blocks against Team Durant
25 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals against Phenom University
That’s not even including his best performance ever, and the Nike EYBL 16U single-game record when he scored 52 points on 16-of-18 from the field (89%), 4-of-5 from three (80%), and 16-of-20 from the free throw line (80%).
Those are NBA superstar numbers from a 16-year-old who makes the competition on the circuit look pedestrian compared to him.
Flagg is currently ranked No.2 in the ESPN 60 Class of 2025 rankings and No.1 on Rivals 150. His main competition for No.1 is Cameron Boozer (son of Carlos Boozer) who’s a supreme talent in his own right.
In the end, the 2026 NBA Draft is looking like the next promising class with a talent like Flagg as one of the headlines of a strong class. He’s the best prospect to ever come out of Maine and many have him as the baddest white boy since Larry Bird … Talk about a lofty comparison to one of the 10 greatest to ever touch a basketball, Larry Legend himself.
So let me know what you guys think: Is Cooper Flagg the next generational NBA talent coming to the NBA? Or do you believe it’s someone else? If he keeps developing his game and stays focused, there’s no telling how good he can be.
Is Cooper Flagg the Next Generational talent coming to the NBA?
Yes
Need to see more
It's someone else