Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was voted as the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2025-26 season on Monday, April 27, 2026.
Flagg finished ahead of the Charlotte Hornets' Kon Knueppel in a close race for the award.
Flagg led the Mavericks in scoring with 21 points per game. He scored a career-high 51 points on April 3 against the Orlando Magic.
He became the youngest player in the league's history to score 50+ in a game at 19 years, 103 days old.
Flagg was the first overall selection by the Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft. He ranked 24th in points per game across the league.
He had to show versatility early in the season, playing point guard before eventually moving to forward after Anthony Davis was traded.
Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.Cleveland Brows player Myles Garrett riles up the crowd during the first half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.A fan waves a towel during the second half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.Fans arrive to watch warmups before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.1 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyMoondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.1 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyMoondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.2 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyA member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.3 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyCleveland Brows player Myles Garrett riles up the crowd during the first half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.4 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyA fan waves a towel during the second half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.5 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyFans arrive to watch warmups before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.Cooper Flagg statsFlagg finished out the regular season averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 70 games played. He shot 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from the 3-point line.
Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Clutch Player of the Year: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
NBA Sportsmanship Award: Derrick White, Boston Celtics
Most Improved Player: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg wins 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year