Dallas Mavericks guard Cooper Flagg won the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year award in one of the closest votes in recent memory, defeating his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets with 56 first-place votes to Knueppel’s 44.
Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, delivered an exceptional rookie season. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field, according to NBA.com. The voting totals reflected how competitive the race was: Flagg accumulated 412 total points to Knueppel’s 386 points.
Knueppel, the No. 4 pick in last year’s draft, had an impressive campaign of his own, which is why the race remained so contested. The two players’ friendship and shared Duke background added another layer to the competitive dynamic of the award.
Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg wins 2025-26 NBA award in tight race
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Sources
- NBA.com — Confirmed Flagg’s award win, stats (21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.2 SPG), and shooting percentage
- ESPN — Reported the voting breakdown (56 first-place votes for Flagg, 44 for Knueppel)
- CBS Sports — Confirmed the tight race with the 56-44 first-place vote split
- Yahoo Sports — Provided total voting points (412 for Flagg, 386 for Knueppel)
