Cooper Flagg is an American basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks and the most celebrated American prospect of his generation. From a town of a few thousand people in Maine, he ruled high-school basketball at Montverde Academy, swept college basketball’s national player of the year awards in one season at Duke, and was chosen first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft at eighteen.
| Full Name | Cooper Flagg |
| Born | 21 December 2006, Newport, Maine, USA |
| Age | 19 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Basketball player (forward) |
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Team | Dallas Mavericks (NBA) |
| Known For | 2025 NBA Draft number one pick, Naismith and Wooden Awards at Duke |
Early Life: The Maine Event
Cooper Flagg was born in Newport, Maine, a town of roughly 3,000 people, into a basketball family: his mother, Kelly, played at the University of Maine, and his father, Ralph, played junior-college ball. With his twin brother, Ace, and older brother Hunter, Cooper grew up in gyms. He led Nokomis Regional High School to a Maine state championship as a freshman — already a national name — before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, the country’s premier basketball factory.
Montverde and the Hype Machine
At Montverde, Flagg won national championships and every major high-school honour, including Gatorade National Player of the Year, while reclassifying to enter college a year early. His legend grew in the summer of 2024, when, still seventeen, he was invited to train with the USA Olympic team as part of the Select Team — and held his own against LeBron James and Kevin Durant, with clips of him scoring over NBA stars going viral. He arrived at Duke as the most anticipated freshman since Zion Williamson.
Flagg’s international résumé predates college: he led the United States to gold at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Spain and was named to the tournament’s All-Star Five at just fifteen. USA Basketball kept him in its pipeline through the junior national team programme, and it was his composure against grown professionals at the 2024 Olympic training camp — including a stretch of three straight baskets over NBA defenders in one scrimmage sequence — that convinced many scouts he was a generational prospect rather than a hype product.
One Season at Duke
Flagg’s single college season met the hype. Leading Duke in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks, he averaged about 19 points a game, won ACC Player and Rookie of the Year, and swept the major national honours — the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award, the latter making him its youngest-ever winner. Duke reached the Final Four before a heartbreaking semi-final loss to Houston, and Flagg declared for the draft as the consensus number one prospect.
Number One Pick: Dallas Mavericks
On 25 June 2025 the Dallas Mavericks selected Flagg first overall, making him the second-youngest number one pick in NBA history after LeBron James. His rookie-scale contract was reported at roughly $62.7 million over four years. A 31-point explosion in his second Summer League game offered an early glimpse of the two-way game — rim protection, playmaking and scoring — that made him the draft’s unanimous prize.
Cooper Flagg Net Worth
Flagg’s wealth is a landmark of the NIL era: before playing an NBA minute, his college endorsement portfolio — including New Balance, a Maine-rooted company that signed him before his Duke debut — was valued by On3 at an estimated $28 million, among the richest NIL valuations ever recorded. Combined with his NBA contract, published net-worth estimates now cluster in the $25–30 million range; all are estimates based on public reporting, not official figures.
Personal Life
Flagg remains proudly tied to Maine: his draft-night celebration honoured his home state, and his twin brother Ace committed to play at the University of Maine. Known for an understated personality that contrasts with his fame, he has described his parents — both former players who coached him growing up — as his toughest critics and biggest influences.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Cooper Flagg?
He was born on 21 December 2006, making him 19 in 2026 — he was 18 when drafted first overall.
Where is Cooper Flagg from?
Newport, Maine. He is the most famous basketball player ever produced by the state.
Which team drafted Cooper Flagg?
The Dallas Mavericks, with the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.
What is Cooper Flagg’s net worth?
Estimates cluster around $25–30 million, driven by his NBA contract and a reported $28 million NIL valuation at Duke — all unofficial estimates.
Related Biographies
JuJu Watkins, Shedeur Sanders and Alexandra Eala — more in our Athletes collection.
Sources
Net worth and salary figures are estimates based on publicly available sources and may change over time.
