Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was named Rookie of the Year on Monday.
Flagg beat out former Duke teammate and current Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter Kon Knueppel and Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe.
Knueppel finished 12 first-place votes shy of Flagg but was picked in the top three on all 100 ballots. Although Edgecombe received just one second-place vote, he was by far the most popular pick for third.
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the 2025-26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 27, 2026
The 26-point gap between the top two finishers is the second smallest since the current voting format began in 2002-03, behind only a 15-point gap in 2021-22.
Complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LFW4a0m6g5
Flagg led all first-year players in points (21) and assists per game (4.5) and was second in rebounds (6.7) across 70 appearances.
The 19-year-old became the second-youngest player in league history - behind LeBron James - to score 1,000 points. He's also the first rookie since Allen Iverson in 1996-97 to record back-to-back 40-point performances and the first teenager in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game.
Cooper Flagg put on a show his entire rookie year 🎥 pic.twitter.com/ngjms2OwvG
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 27, 2026
Flagg is the third player in franchise history to earn Rookie of the Year honors since the award's inception in 1952-53, joining Jason Kidd (1994-95) and Luka Doncic (2018-19).
