Before he even steps on the court for Duke as a freshman, Cooper Flagg is cashing in on what promises to be a lucrative basketball career.
Flagg, projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has signed a multi-year shoe deal with New Balance, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The agreement will include one NIL year while Flagg is in college before compensating him for multiple seasons to begin his NBA career, according to Boardroom.
New Balance has a home tie to Flagg, who grew up in Newport, Maine, before moving to Montverde, Florida, to play for Montverde Academy. The shoe company has a manufacturing factory in Skowhegan, Maine, 25 miles away from Flagg’s childhood home.
“I grew up wearing New Balance, and I appreciate their authentic connection to my community,” said Flagg said in a statement, via Boardroom. “The focus and growth of the brand in basketball and our shared values and history drew me in.”
Flagg, 17, explained to Wojnarowski that his mother went to New Balance tent sales for back-to-school shopping when he was growing up, establishing roots that no other brand could with him.
WIth New Balance, Flagg joins a roster of basketball talent that includes Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray and Cameron Brink. The company also has deals with tennis star Coco Gauff and track and field athlete Quincy Wilson.
As a senior, the 6-foot-9 Flagg averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 steals and 3.7 blocks for a Montverde Academy team that went 34–0 and won a national title. He was awarded Gatorade National Player of the Year, Mr. Basketball USA and Naismith Prep Player of the Year honors.
Suns’ Kevin Durant on Duke’s Cooper Flagg at USA Basketball camp: “He looks like a hell of a player. … He’s 17 years old coming in here playing like a vet almost. No emotion. Just going out there and doing his job. That’s a good sign.” pic.twitter.com/IupKki3c8T
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 9, 2024
Before his senior year, Flagg reclassified from the 2025 class to 2024, making him eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft because he will turn 18 years old as a freshman. He committed to Duke last October, after also being recruited intensely by UConn, Kansas and Kentucky.
Flagg impressed observers during Team USA’s pre-Olympic training camp in Las Vegas with his play for the Select Team during scrimmages. He was the only college player — and teenager — invited to join the Select Team, building anticipation for his freshman season at Duke and his NBA future.
