Duke’s alma mater is so rich in the NBA that it breeds the best of the best. Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson? No one is better when they’re in form. And now, there’s a new addition to the ranks of those potential Hall of Famers. A week away from the 2025 draft, we’ve already been introduced to Cooper Flagg. Now, as it turns out, he has a legendary Hall of Famer in the form of Grant Hill, who shares parallels with the new sensation on the block.

And that could see the HOF-er having a say in his career decisions, with Hill emerging as a mentor for Flagg leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft.

Hill’s a legendary two-way player. That ability throughout the court got him seven-time All-Star appearances. The way Flagg’s going, there’s no way he gets any less than that, right? And Hill was just a Top-3 draft pick in 1994, not a projected No. 1 like the fresh Blue Devil. That, combined with Flagg’s 19.2/7.5/4.2 stats as a freshman, has him already destined for greatness, just like his mentor. And the similarities are so uncanny that former Duke legends like Jim Boeheim see them too.

“He is the best all-around player that I’ve seen since Grant Hill. Grant Hill is the only guy that blocked shots, played defense, made shots, rebounded and passed, and he won a couple of national championships,” said Boeheim. And those similarities have led to Hill reaching out to the young Blue Devil.

It’s so scary that Grant Hill understands Cooper Flagg’s situation off the court too. Hill understands the pressures and pitfalls of entering the NBA too early, or staying in college too long, struggles similar to what Flagg is facing now. Cooper’s skill potential knows no bounds, but he’ll be expected to follow in Hill’s footsteps rather than that of Zion Williamson. So when Hill came calling, Flagg accepted the helping hand in full stride.

That mentorship will pay dividends for the Duke graduate. With the Mavs winning their 1.8% chance of getting the No. 1 pick in the draft, his future seems written. But the Mavs’ own Luka Doncic howler proves nothing is guaranteed in the NBA. And recently, the Celtics have entered the conversation in blitzing fashion.

Cooper Flagg to the Celtics is a big possibility

The Greens have a lot to think of for the next season. Jayson Tatum out for the foreseeable future isn’t a reality the champions will accept anytime soon. And the 4-2 semis loss to the Knicks have only made things worse. 

Well, the Celtics have a salary bill touching the half-billion mark for next season. And a new owner like William Chisholm would be looking to offload players without hesitation. NBA insider Kevin O’Connor spoke on a possibility where Jaylen Brown might go the other way if Mavs happen to pick Flagg. “Boston calls [Dallas GM] Nico [Harrison] and they offer Jaylen Brown. And how many first-round picks is it gonna take? I just wonder if Dallas and their entire decision-making unit would listen,” said O’Connor to Yahoo.

This makes a lot of sense. Jaylen Brown will not be short of GMs running after his signature. How would that help the Celtics, though? Obviously, Cooper is a much cheaper dent in the pocket than Brown. Unless he’s offered a five-year deal worth just over $285 million, like what Brown is on.

Grant Hill didn’t play for the Celtics in his illustrious career. Neither did he play for the Mavs. But if the hottest commodity were to go to either team, Hill would be the first to pick Boston as the ideal destination. But Nico Harrison is a tough operator. Even if the deal could happen, Cooper Flagg himself will find out at the same time as us. Just ask Luka Doncic.