“Cooper Flagg & Ace Bailey would be a nice rookie duo”: College hoops fans predict Spurs landing spot for top prospects after All-Star's season ends

The San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox is announced to be out for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season with a broken left pinkie finger. This puts the No. 12 seed of the Western Conference without the one-time All-Star and the reigning ROTY in Victor Wembanyama, who was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis on Feb. 20.

With the star players out, many Spurs fans consider this season lost and there is hope that both stars will perform well next season. At the same time, it looks like they may just be backed up by incoming top prospects from college basketball with Duke's Cooper Flagg and Rutgers' Ace Bailey being the top choices.

The two one-and-done freshmen are considered the top-ranking prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft, with many even deeming Flagg the consensus No. 1 pick. San Antonio is expected to fall further in its record, given that its two established standouts are out, meaning that its possibility of selecting high in the draft just increased.

Fans on X reacted to San Antonio's alleged tanking and the possibility of building a great team next year.

"Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey will be a nice rookie duo. Thanks Atlanta!," one fan claimed.

"The tank for Flagg is real lol," another user said.

"If these dudes get Cooper Flagg, the NBA will have its new dynasty," another pointed out.

"Just entered the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes," a user replied.

Meanwhile, some fans are not too keen on the Gregg Popovich-coached team getting another highly touted player from the draft.

"That’s tough. Imma be sick if the Spurs get Flagg though," a Miami fan wrote.

"They tanking for wheelchair Flagg," another user wrote, referring to the freshman injuring his ankle during Thursday's ACC Tournament game.

"Popovich, you're not getting Flagg buddy," a user posted.

For now, Flagg is ramping up for the 2025 ACC tournament semifinal against the UNC Tar Heels on Friday, March 14, while Bailey just wrapped an individually remarkable stint for the Scarlet Knights.

Cooper Flagg is named as the ACC Player of the Year as a freshman

Earlier on Tuesday, March 11, Cooper Flagg made history by becoming just the fourth-ever player from his program to win the ACC Player of the Year Award as a freshman. He joins the likes of NBA All-Star Zion Williamson, Memphis Grizzlies' Marvin Bagley III, and former NBA center Jahlil Okafor to clinch the distinction in their first year of college hoops.

Flagg is averaging a team-high 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest.