Cooper Flagg was a can’t-miss prospect during his time at Duke University, and he was apparently compensated more than accordingly.
The forward phenom Flagg earned a staggering money of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) money in his one year in college at Duke, sports journalist Howard Bryant revealed during a recent sitdown interview with Bob Costas. Bryant shared that Flagg had two NIL deals worth a combined $28 million, resulting in audible gasps from the crowd in attendance.
“He had a $13 million deal with New Balance and then $15 million with Fanatics,” said Bryant, per Brad Crawford of CBS Sports.
Mind you, Flagg’s NIL deals with New Balance and Fanatics were the only ones that Bryant mentioned. The 18-year-old Flagg also had known deals with other companies such as Gatorade and Cort Furniture, so his total earnings were definitely more than $28 million (assuming that Bryant’s numbers are accurate).
Flagg, the 2025 National College Player of the Year, is (along with Victor Wembanyama) one of the most hyped prospects of the last 20 years. Plus unlike Wembanyama, Flagg played college basketball in the United States for a top blue-blood school in Duke. That created a very rare confluence of factors which turned Flagg into an absolute marketing monster.
But that number of (at least) $28 million is still jaw-dropping, especially since Flagg will “only” make an estimated $13.8 million in NBA salary next season (per the rookie scale for the presumptive No. 1 overall pick). On top of that, Flagg is still somehow continuing to grow, so NBA opponents will have to deal with a complete behemoth next season (likely on the Dallas Mavericks, who hold the top overall draft pick).
