Jaime Jaquez Jr. shies away from comparing Cooper Flagg to Wemby and LeBron, still praises 'incredible talent'

USA basketball has discovered another gem in 17-year-old Cooper Flagg, who is eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft. While he has already shown elite potential, Miami Heat small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. believes Flagg needs to prove his talent on the big stage.

TMZ Sports caught up with Jaquez at an airport to discuss Cooper Flagg as a draft prospect.

Jaquez acknowledged Flagg’s incredible skill and talent, expressing his hope to see him excel on the court.

“I mean, we'll see. There's probably one way to find out: he's got to go and play,” Jaquez said. “Man, he's an incredible talent, an incredible player, great person. So who knows, man, we'll see.”

When asked if Flagg could join the ranks of LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama in terms of star power right after being drafted, he replied:

“I mean, those are great. Yeah, like I said, only time will tell. I wish him the best. We'll see when it's all said and done.”

Will Cooper Flagg be the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft?

Flagg is widely considered the top candidate for the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which is still 10 months away, following his stellar performance in the Nike EYBL 16U league, where he averaged 26.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 4.7 assists per game.

He led Montverde Academy to a 30-0 record and a national championship and was invited to practice with Team USA ahead of the Paris Olympics.

During a practice session, Flagg went viral after showcasing his skills against All-NBA defenders.

He drilled a 3-pointer over defensive stalwart Anthony Davis, followed by a putback plus an and-one over Bam Adebayo, another defensive ace. He also made another 3-pointer against Davis and connected on a short turnaround jumper over Jrue Holiday, yet another top defender.

In an interview with USA Today discussing his impressive performance in the practice session, Cooper Flagg expressed confidence in his skills when competing against well-known stars.

"I'm confident in my ability and my skill. So at the end of the day, I'm confident in who I am and what I can do, so I'm just coming out to play basketball," Flagg said. "I'm just blessed to have this opportunity and to be here. So just knowing I get to go and compete, I kind of had no worries."

ESPN ranks Flagg as the No. 1 high school prospect in its 2024 rankings, mainly due to his abilities on both ends of the floor.

At 6-foot-9, he has great athleticism, elite scoring abilities, a reliable jump shot and good defensive mechanics.

Cooper Flagg chose to reclassify and skip his final year of high school, planning to play his freshman year at Duke, where he is expected to be a one-and-done player.