Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday, April 27.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft edged out his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets in a close vote, earning 56 first-place votes to Knueppel’s 44 from a panel of 100 global media members. Flagg, who turned 19 during the season, becomes the third Maverick to win the award, joining Jason Kidd in 1995 and Luka Dončić in 2019. He is also the second-youngest Rookie of the Year in NBA history behind only LeBron James.
In 70 games—all starts—Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. He led the Mavericks in total points, rebounds, assists and steals, matching a feat accomplished by only Michael Jordan as a rookie since steals became an official stat in 1973-74. Flagg also posted multiple historic performances, including a 51-point game that set a record for the youngest player to reach that mark.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has been named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, earning the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy. pic.twitter.com/FmgY6vTLjx
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 27, 2026
Selected straight out of Duke, Flagg quickly developed into Dallas’ best player and helped the Mavericks improve after a challenging previous season. His all-around impact made him the clear choice in what was one of the closest Rookie of the Year races in recent years.
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Selected straight out of Duke, Flagg quickly developed into Dallas’ best player and helped the Mavericks improve after a challenging previous season.
Selected straight out of Duke, Flagg quickly developed into Dallas’ best player and helped the Mavericks improve after a challenging previous season.
