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Dallas Mavericks first-round pick Cooper Flagg was named the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year, and the vote was ultimately extremely close.
Flagg narrowly beat out Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter Kon Knueppel, his fellow Duke Blue Devils star who went three picks later than Flagg in last year’s draft, earning 56 first-place votes to Knueppel’s 44. Thus, Flagg finished with 412 total voting points to Knueppel’s 386.
Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe finished in third place with 96 points (93 third-place votes), while Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs and Cedric Coward of the Memphis Grizzlies also received third-place votes.
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Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg controls the ball in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Dallas, Texas on March 30, 2026. (Gareth Patterson/AP Photo)
Flagg became the second youngest player to win the award, as the 19-year-old was only behind LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
For most of the season, it looked like Knueppel was going to win the award, but several voters came out publicly and said that Knueppel’s struggles in the Play-In Tournament factored into their change of heart for Flagg.
MAVERICKS’ COOPER FLAGG ADMITS ROOKIES SEASON WAS ‘MENTALLY EXHAUSTING’ AMID TEAM’S STRUGGLES
Knueppel had just six points on 2-of-12 shooting in 34 minutes in the Hornets’ electric 127-126 overtime victory over the Miami Heat early in the tournament. Then, in the 121-90 loss to the Orlando Magic, he shot 3 of 11 for 11 points (4 of 5 from the free throw line as well) and was minus-26 from the field.
Flagg noted he was interested in what Knueppel was doing during the year, showing his fellow rookie some love.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg watches from the bench during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on April 3, 2026. (Jérôme Miron/Imagn Images)
“I see the games every night. I can check the scores,” he said of closely observing Knueppel’s stat lines, according to ESPN. “I also think I was looking up to Kon just because he’s one of my brothers.
“We had a really good connection and we’ll be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching it as a fan as well, but obviously there was that competition at the same time.”
Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this year for the Mavericks. These numbers placed him among some NBA greats, as Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic were the only rookies. Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic were the only rookies before Flagg to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists since the NBA-ABA merger, ESPN noted. Flagg also led all rookies in scoring this season.
As for Knueppel, he gave up 18.5 points per game to go with 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists, but while Flagg had him beat in those categories, he reset the rookie 3-point record with 273. That number also led the NBA this season. Knueppel also played a key role in the Hornets’ entry into the Play-In tournament, finishing 44-38 before being eliminated by the Magic.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg dribbles during the second half of an NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Dallas on April 5, 2026. (LM Otero/AP)
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Flagg and the Mavs did not fare very well this season, finishing 26-56, although he led the team in scoring, rebounds and assists this season. Despite the losses, Flagg continued to show that age didn’t matter, becoming the youngest player to have games with 35, 40, 45 and 50 points.
