Cooper Flagg was named the NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday, edging out fellow finalist and former Duke standout Kon Knueppel in one of the closest races in recent league history. This marks the first time two players from the same college program finished first and second in the voting.
Cooper Flagg faces tight battle with Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year
The top overall pick in last year’s draft joined the Dallas Mavericks with sky-high expectations and delivered in a big way during an impressive rookie season. Flagg quickly emerged as the team’s top performer, posting averages of 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. He shot 46.8% from the field while adding solid playmaking and defensive versatility that helped anchor the Mavericks.
The battle came down to Flagg and Knueppel for much of the season, with Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe rounding out the finalists. Flagg earned 56 of 100 first-place votes, while Knueppel picked up the remaining 44. The narrow margin— just 12 more first-place votes and 26 total points—made it the second-closest Rookie of the Year finish since the current voting system began in 2002-03. Only Scottie Barnes’ edge over Evan Mobley in 2021-22 was tighter.
At just a hair older than LeBron James was when he won the award, Flagg becomes the second-youngest player ever to take home the honor.
Victor Wembanyama is presented his Rookie of the Year Trophy with presser after.
Knueppel, selected fourth overall by the Charlotte Hornets, put together a stellar campaign of his own. The sharpshooter averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while knocking down 42.5% of his 7.9 three-point attempts per game. He led the entire NBA with 273 made threes and played a key role in the Hornets’ turnaround from 19-63 to 44-38, pushing them into the play-in tournament.
While Knueppel’s shooting efficiency and winning impact stood out, voters ultimately rewarded Flagg’s well-rounded game and overall dominance.
Flagg becomes the third Maverick to win Rookie of the Year, following in the footsteps of Jason Kidd (1995, co-winner with Grant Hill) and Luka Dončić (2019). With a new young cornerstone in place, Dallas hopes Flagg can help steer the franchise back toward title contention.