Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg is viewed as the top contender to take home Rookie of the Year honors for the 2025-26 season.
In a survey of 20 NBA executives and scouts conducted by ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, Flagg received 17 votes to win Rookie of the Year. San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper earned two votes.
The results don’t come as a major surprise, as the Mavericks selected Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft following an impressive freshman season at Duke.
The 18-year-old showcased his all-around impact with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game on 48.1/38.5/84.0 shooting splits across 37 appearances.
While Flagg scored a mere 10 points on 5-of-21 shooting in his Summer League debut with Dallas, he displayed his potential in his second appearance by racking up 31 points and four rebounds.
Even if he isn’t able to match the scoring totals of rookies such as Ace Bailey of the Utah Jazz or Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson, there’s belief that his overall impact on a Mavericks squad with postseason aspirations is enough to warrant the award.
“I assume someone like Bailey or Johnson may outscore Cooper as a rookie, but Cooper will make more meaningful contributions that push Dallas into play-in range,” an Eastern Conference executive told Woo.
Expectations are also high for Harper, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 draft.
He averaged 19.4 points per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc during his freshman campaign at Rutgers. Harper should also immediately see playing time as part of a Spurs young core that includes Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.
Flagg is perceived as the favorite to secure some hardware following his rookie season, though.