After a season to remember, Cooper Flagg has a decision to make. The Newport native took over the college basketball scene in his debut season at Duke, winning the Wooden and Naismith Awards as the player of the year, and leading Duke to the Final Four. Now, the 18-year-old Flagg will decide whether to return to Duke for his sophomore season, or declare for the NBA draft to start his professional career. Flagg, the consensus pick to be the top overall selection in the draft, talked to reporters this month about the NBA career awaiting him when he does decide to move on. “That’s a dream of mine, to play in the NBA,” Flagg said, according to NJ.com. “I would feel completely blessed and honored to play for any team.” The speculation since the start of the season has been that Flagg would declare for the NBA after just one year of college. His trainer and coach, Matt MacKenzie, said he believes Flagg will go pro, but said that Flagg hasn’t yet made up his mind. “The decision’s going to be something that he needs to own, and something he’s comfortable with,” MacKenzie said. “But I think that he will most likely decide to enter the NBA draft. “There are different things he needs to weigh from a business standpoint before making a decision, and I know he’ll do that. He’ll sit down with his parents and his agent and our entire close circle, and put all the options on the table and make a decision that he’s comfortable with, that he can own, and one that he knows is responsible for him moving forward.” Speaking on Wednesday, MacKenzie said that announcement will be made “within the next week or so.” “Cooper just wants to take a little bit of time to decompress and get through the initial disappointment of how their season ended, and really be able to take a step away and enjoy some time off away from the court,” he said. “After that reflection, he’s very likely to make a decision and announce what that next step will be.” Speaking on ESPN’s SportsCenter Friday night, Flagg said he’s not rushing the decision. “Now, it’s time for me to reflect,” he said. “Take a couple of days, take a week, take a month, whatever it is for me to talk to my parents, talk to the coaches and really decide what’s best for me.” Even if the decision is to declare, MacKenzie said Flagg’s stint at Duke hasn’t made the choice an easy one. Flagg has repeatedly spoken about how much he’s enjoyed his time at one of college basketball’s premier programs. “It just comes down to the incredible experience he’s had at Duke,” MacKenzie said. “I think coming into college, the plan has always been for him to be a one-and-done if everything worked out the way it should. But he’s just had a remarkable experience at Duke, he’s loved every moment of wearing a Blue Devil uniform and playing for coach (Jon) Scheyer and his staff, and bonding with the teammates that he had.” It’s hard to turn down status as the draft’s top pick, however, and Scheyer indicated as much when he was asked about Flagg returning on the Dan Patrick Show before the Final Four. “I can dream about that. I think that’s all it is, in this case. I think it’s a dream,” Scheyer said. “I think he’s got to take the next dream in his life and be the top pick in the NBA draft and start his professional career.” Andy Bedard, Flagg’s AAU coach at Maine United, said he’s spoken with his former player since the Final Four loss to Houston but their conversations haven’t been about his future. “My conversations with him (are) basically how much I love him and how proud I am of him and how every single person in Maine feels for (him), and what he’s done for the state,” Bedard said. “It’s insurmountable. You can’t quantify what he’s done.” It is rare for an 18 year old to enter the NBA draft, but not unprecedented. NBA rules — which have changed over the last 15 years — stipulate that players must be 19 years old during the draft’s calendar year and at least a year removed from high school graduation. Flagg would become the second Maine native to be selected in the NBA draft. Jeff Turner, who was born in Bangor but attended high school in Florida, was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 1984. He played 10 seasons in the league. Staying at Duke would allow Flagg to pursue a national championship, and his return would make the Blue Devils immediate favorites to win it all next year. It would, however, carry risks. Flagg’s draft stock is as high as it can get right now, and with a new group of incoming freshmen, Flagg could see competition to be the No. 1 pick. There is also the injury factor. Flagg had a scare during the ACC tournament when he rolled his ankle badly enough to miss the last two games, but he recovered in time to thrive in the NCAA tournament. A more serious injury could jeopardize his chances at being taken first overall, and having his best earning potential. Here are a few things to know about what’s ahead for Flagg: KEY DATES LOOM The deadline for eligible players to declare for the NBA draft is April 26th at 11:59 p.m. Players who declare are allowed to withdraw and remain eligible for college until June 15. The draft lottery, which reveals the order for the draft, is May 12. The draft will be in Brooklyn on June 25 and 26. WHO WILL HAVE THE FIRST PICK? The 14 teams that miss the NBA playoffs will have a chance at the No. 1 selection in the May 12 lottery. The team missing the playoffs with the best record will only have a 0.5% chance at the top pick, with the odds increasing up to the three worst records in the league, each of whom has a 14% chance of being selected. After Friday, the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards had the worst records in the league at 17-64, while the Charlotte Hornets were just ahead of them at 19-62. Those three teams will each have a 14% chance of picking first. The fourth slot, New Orleans at 21-60, will have a 12.5% chance, and the fifth, the Philadelphia 76ers at 24-57, will have a 10% chance. WHAT ABOUT THAT NBA CONTRACT? Much of the contract parameters for first overall picks are determined by league rules. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement sets contracts for first-round selections at four years, with the first two years guaranteed and the last three years being team options. As for the money, the NBA sets a rookie wage scale each year, which is a percentage of the salary cap. Teams are allowed to give their rookies as little as 80% or as much as 120% of that figure. The average annual value of the deal increases by a specific percentage across the four years. Last year’s first overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, got roughly $57 million over four years from Atlanta, with $25.7 million guaranteed. The previous No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama, went to San Antonio and got $55.2 million over the four years with $24.9 million guaranteed.