Mavericks star Cooper Flagg named NBA Rookie of the Year over Kon Knueppel in historic race

Cooper Flagg was named NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday over fellow finalist and former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, making the first time players from the same college team finished first and second in voting.

Flagg joined the Dallas Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA Draft with enormous expectations that he largely met during a standout rookie campaign.

Flagg developed into the Mavericks’ best player and finished the season with averages of 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from the 3-point line. He beat out Knueppel in what was largely seen as a two-man race for the award down the stretch of the regular season.

Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe was a finalist for the award alongside Flagg and Knueppel.

Flagg is the second-youngest player in league history to claim the Rookie of the Year award, behind only LeBron James. His race with Kneuppel was the second-closest finish since the current voting format started during the 2022-23 campaign. Flagg earned 12 more first-place votes than Knueppel did, and only beat him by 26 total points.

Knueppel, the No. 4 pick in the draft by the Charlotte Hornets, exceeded expectations as one of the league’s most efficient shooters during his own standout rookie campaign. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field and 42.5% on 7.9 3-point attempts per game.

Knueppel’s 273 made 3s were the most in the NBA. His development helped the Hornets improve from 19-63 in 2024-25 to 44-38 in 2025-26. Charlotte was one of the league’s hottest teams in the NBA after the All-Star break and ultimately made the play-in before losing to the Orlando Magic with a playoff spot on the line.

While Knueppel’s efficiency and impact on winning were notable, voters ultimately recognized Flagg’s all-around performance in awarding him Rookie of the Year.