2x NBA champ continues beef with Utah raising concern over Cooper Flagg's landing spot
The upcoming NBA Draft is believed to be the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.
Before the 2024-25 NBA season even tipped off, Flagg was already generating headlines for his play on the Team USA Select Team prior to the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Since then, while Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey have both generated tons of buzz, the expectation is that whichever NBA team lands the No. 1 pick will draft Flagg.
The way former two-time NBA champion Vernon Maxwell sees things, however, if the Utah Jazz wind up with the No. 1 overall pick, they should pass on Cooper Flagg and draft a different player.
Maxwell has been a vocal critic of Utah's ever since his playing days, when he allegedly experienced racism at the hands of Utah fans during the height of his and Houston's rivalry with the Karl Malone-John Stockton Jazz.
During an interview with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson this week, Maxwell spoke about the situation, saying that Utah notoriously drafts white players:
“When’s the last time Utah drafted a Black player? Do that! They always send the white boys over there.”
Throughout the team's history, the Utah Jazz have never had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, a unique distinction held by only eight other teams.
Looking at the Utah Jazz' chances of landing the No. 1 pick, as well as other prospects the team could select if they pass on Cooper Flagg
With the 2024-25 season over for Utah, the team's focus is now on the NBA Draft, and building for the future.
According to Tankathon, the Utah Jazz, the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets all have the best odds to land the No. 1 pick in the draft, with a 14.0% chance, thanks to their abysmal records this season.
Additionally, all three teams have 52.1% chances of landing inside the top four.
While it's hard to imagine a scenario where a team has a chance to draft Cooper Flagg and chooses not to, if Utah does pass on the Duke standout, there are several other notable names the team could look to draft.
Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper for example, both referenced before, are two players to keep an eye on.
In the case of Harper, the Rutgers guard could be a nice addition to the team's backcourt unit, however, with Collin Sexton, Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier all on the roster, the team could look toward Bailey, who would be able to step in at the shooting guard or small forward position.
While all signs point to Cooper Flagg going No. 1, if Utah winds up drafting in the 2-5 range, things could get interesting.