Report: NBA Observers Monitoring 'Race to the Bottom' amid Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes

NBA teams not expecting to contend for a title could see a last-place finish, and better odds of drafting Duke star Cooper Flagg, as the best end to the 2024-25 season.

Flagg is part of a deep draft that could lead NBA teams on a "race to the bottom" this spring, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

NBA insiders are keeping an eye on this race to see "how it will inform what teams do over the next couple of months," according to Bontemps.

Earning the worst record in the NBA isn't enough to guarantee a shot at the No. 1 pick, as demonstrated by the Detroit Pistons last season. The last-place Pistons got the No. 5 selection, while the play-in candidate Atlanta Hawks nabbed the No. 1 pick.

Gathering more first-round picks will still improve teams' chances of picking players like Rutgers' Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, BYU's Egor Demin and Baylor's VJ Edgecombe this spring.

Bontemps mentioned the Brooklyn Nets, who traded Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for three second-round picks earlier this month, as a team to watch on the trade market.

Rival teams believe the 12-18 Nets will make further trades ahead of the deadline "in an effort to secure as many ping-pong balls as possible," according to Bontemps.

The Nets are reportedly seeking "at least one first-rounder" alongside second-round capital or a prospect in exchange for Cam Johnson, per ClutchPoints' Anthony Irwin.

Brooklyn is also rumored to be seeking a trade for Dorian Finney-Smith after shopping the forward last season.

The Nets likely won't be the only projected lottery team to position themselves as sellers ahead of the deadline. The 5-23 Washington Wizards are reportedly considering veterans like Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valančiūnas ahead of the deadline.

These potential deals will be complicated by the new trade restrictions implemented as part of the second luxury tax apron this season. Jake Fischer recently reported for The Stein Line that the apron will "impact several oft-mentioned trade candidates" including Johnson and Kuzma this winter.