After an extremely tight race, Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg has been named the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year, the league announced on Monday.
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the 2025-26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year.
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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
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 27, 2026
Flagg takes home the award after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 games for the Mavericks. He quickly became the Mavericks’ best player this season and had some show-stopping performances down the stretch.
In fact, he joined Michael Jordan as the only other rookie ever to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals since steals were first recorded in 1973-74.
He is also the second-youngest player ever to take home the ROTY, only trailing LeBron James.
Flagg received 56 out of 100 first-place votes, narrowly beating out his former Duke teammate and Charlotte Hornets star Kon Knueppel, who received the other 44 votes.
Knueppel broke the rookie record in threes while leading the league in long-range makes and helping the Hornets put together a surprising season.
“I was watching Kon just because that’s one of my brothers,” Flagg said on NBC after winning the award. “We have that connection and we’re always going to be there for each other. I was watching him as a fan as well, but there’s also going to be that competition at the same time.”
The gap between the two is the second-closest ROTY gap under the current voting format. The race between Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes in 2021-22 is the only race that was closer.
Dallas Mavericks fans have gone through a lot over the last few years, but Flagg is their major bright spot who’s now secured his first entry into his NBA trophy case.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
