Paul Pierce suggests 1 scenario where Cooper Flagg might team up with Chet Holmgren; Kevin Garnett disagrees

Cooper Flagg is yet to make his official college debut but has already drawn attention to his NBA future. The No. 1 recruit is expected to be a one-and-done prospect and could declare for the league after his freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils.

During Friday's episode of "Ticket & the Truth" with former NBA players Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the discussion was about each team's prospects in the new 2024-25 season. When talking about Portland, Paul Pierce first suggested that the Portland Trail Blazers could bring in Cooper Flagg to start building their roster with a young core.

At the same time, Pierce suggested that the Duke rookie could also end up in Oklahoma.

"You know what's so crazy, OKC could end up with Cooper Flagg too," Pierce said (From 32:32). "You know why? 'Cause they get this year, they get the Clippers pick and if the Clippers ain't no good this year."

However, Kevin Garnett immediately disagreed with this. He claimed that Piecer was too quick to judge the Clippers:

"I'm talking about the now, we not in the crystal ball. ... They got some ball players. Put some respect on our name over here and respect what we doing straight up. You know (coach Tyronn) Lue ain't going out like that, bro."

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Cooper Flagg is focused on one goal, amid mounting expectations

Not just players, but NBA executives are also paying close attention to Cooper Flagg's freshman season at Duke and his transition into the league. In an interview with ESPN last week, an anonymous executive revealed that the forward was the perfect fit for the NBA.

"He's a basketball savant who is a step ahead of every play, which is what our game is built around with the tempo the NBA is played at," the executive said. "It will be interesting to see how much casual fans and media will be able to appreciate that, though.

"He's a throwback, a little like Tim Duncan with the way he goes about his business. I see some Kevin Garnett there also in terms of the passing, the defensive impact, and the competitiveness, but with less bravado.

Despite the outside noise and heavy expectations, Cooper Flagg is focused on just one thing right now:

"Expectations and all that is great," Flagg said (via ESPN). "Outside of this team, they can say whatever. That doesn't faze me, it doesn't affect me, it doesn't change the way I want to play because people think I should be dominating the game.

"I don't really care. It's going to come down to what I need to do or what my role shapes into."

Flagg will make his official college debut on Monday against Maine.