Cooper Flagg Wins NBA Rookie Of The Year, Joins Jason Kidd And Luka Dončić In Dallas Mavericks History

DALLAS — Cooper Flagg has been named the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year, the league announced Monday night, capping a debut season that placed the Dallas Mavericks forward alongside some of the most accomplished first-year players in NBA history.

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, beat out Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets and VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers for the award. Flagg captured 56 first-place votes and 44 second-place votes for 412 total points, edging Knueppel (44 first-place, 55 second-place, 386 points). Edgecombe finished third with 96 points, followed by Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs (5 points) and Cedric Coward of the Memphis Grizzlies (1 point).

The 19-year-old from Newport, Maine averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 33.5 minutes per game across 70 games (all starts) for a Mavericks team that finished 26-56 and well outside the play-in picture.

“This is a truly great honor,” Flagg said. “I’m grateful to receive this award and thankful to everyone in the Dallas Mavericks organization who believed in me from day one. None of this happens without my teammates, coaches and the people around me pushing me every day. I came here to compete and help this team win. This is just one step forward in what we’re building.” 

Cooper Flagg Becomes Third Mavericks Player to Win Rookie of the Year

Flagg becomes the third Mavericks player to claim the honor, joining head coach Jason Kidd, who shared the award in 1994-95, and Luka Dončić, who won it in 2018-19. At 19 years, 112 days old when the regular season ended, Flagg also slots in as the second-youngest player ever to win the award. Only LeBron James, who was 19 years, 106 days old at the close of the 2003-04 season, finished younger.

The race tightened considerably in the season’s final weeks. Knueppel, who set the NBA rookie record for 3-pointers made in a season with 273, mounted a serious challenge after Charlotte secured a postseason spot. Sporting News and the most recent Rookie Ladder both leaned toward Knueppel before Flagg surged late.

The two were teammates at Duke a year ago, and that history shaped how Flagg followed Knueppel’s first NBA season. Asked Monday if he tracked Knueppel through the year, Flagg said yes.

“I see the games every night, check box scores, stay on Instagram,” Flagg told NBC Sports. “I was watching him because that’s one of my brothers. We have such a good connection and will be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching as a fan, but there’s also that competition at the same time.”

Cooper Flagg’s Historic Statistical Footprint

Flagg’s debut placed him in rarefied company. He became the third rookie in the last 45 years to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists for a full season, joining Michael Jordan and Dončić. He also led the Mavericks in total points (1,473), rebounds (466), assists (316), and steals (84), finishing as the only player in the entire NBA to lead his team in all four categories. He joined Jordan as the only rookies in league history to do so.

Among his 2025 draft classmates, no first-year player matched his statistical breadth either. Flagg was the only rookie from the class to crack the top five in five separate per-game categories: first in scoring, second in assists, second in steals, fourth in rebounding, and fifth in blocks. He also ranked second among rookies in minutes, ninth in field-goal percentage at 46.8%, and ninth in free-throw percentage at 82.7%.

The case for the award arguably crystallized after the All-Star break. Flagg averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks following the break, finishing as the only player across the entire NBA to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block over that span.

His scoring volume scaled with his role. He led all rookies in 25-point games (21), 30-point efforts (11), 35-point outings (6), 40-point performances (4), 45-point games (3), and 50-point outings (1). He also paced first-year players in 20-5-5 games (17), 25-5-5 efforts (12), 30-5-5 games (6), 35-5-5 outings (3), and 40-5-5 performances (2).

Cooper Flagg Reflects on a Whirlwind Rookie Year

Flagg’s path to the award didn’t unfold the way he had pictured. The Mavericks’ offseason shake-ups handed him a leading role almost immediately, and he leaned into the deep end.

“You talk about pressure, this season was a lot different than what I expected and how it turned out,” Flagg told NBC Sports. “Dealing with that on the fly, adjusting, and getting thrown into the fire right away helped me long-term. It helped me get comfortable and grow my game. I improved in a lot of areas throughout the year, and that’s something I’ll look back on as helping me along the way.”

Asked about his welcome-to-the-league moment, Flagg pointed straight back to opening night, when Dallas faced the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama on October 22.

“He was dunking everything, hitting step-back threes,” Flagg said. “It was definitely one of those moments.”

By the end of the year, that initial uneasiness was gone.

“Early on, I didn’t feel extremely comfortable. I was challenged and put into a different position right away,” Flagg said. “But as the season went on, I became comfortable in all areas, defensively, offensively, just playing my game and doing what I do. That came a long way.”

Flagg credited Kidd for accelerating that adjustment.

“First of all, he’s the ultimate player’s coach,” Flagg said. “He was there for me from day one, and we built a relationship early. He knows the game at an extremely high level. He reads it at an incredible pace. Being able to learn from him, pick his brain, and have him put me in the right spots helped me understand the game really quickly.”

Signature Moments Defined Cooper Flagg’s Debut Season

Flagg saved his most memorable performances for the season’s stretch run. On April 3, he poured in 51 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against the Orlando Magic, shooting 19-of-30 from the field, 6-of-9 from 3-point range, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. Two nights later, he followed it up with 45 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Earlier in the year, Flagg dropped 49 points on the Hornets at American Airlines Center on January 29, in a head-to-head matchup with Knueppel that became one of the defining games of the rookie race. Flagg averaged roughly 29 points per game over the final month of the season.

He also collected a series of youngest-player benchmarks along the way. On November 28 against the Lakers, he became the youngest player in NBA history to record 10 assists in a game, eclipsing LeBron James. The following night, he became the youngest to score 35 or more points in a 114-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Up Next

The Mavericks now turn their attention to the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery, where Dallas holds the eight-best odds for the No. 1 overall pick, giving them a chance at landing another high-end prospect to pair alongside Flagg in what scouts have described as a deep 2026 draft class.

For Flagg, the offseason focus turns to expanding his on-ball repertoire.

“You’re always working on everything, but I want to continue getting comfortable off the dribble, getting to my spots, and building from there,” Flagg told NBC Sports. “There will be growth all around, shooting, ball handling, but that’s the main focus.”

More Cooper Flagg & Mavericks Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal

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• ‘He Will Be Unstoppable’: Cooper Flagg’s Three-Point Statement Gives Blueprint For NBA Dominance
• ‘They’re Very Similar’: Jason Kidd Breaks Down The LeBron James Parallels For Cooper Flagg