Is Cooper Flagg Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Mavs vs. Nets)

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg has not played since before the All-Star break, and he's now set to miss a fourth game in a row on Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

Flagg is dealing with a midfoot sprain in his left foot, and it appears he could miss time in the coming weeks. According to NBA injury analyst Jeff Stotts, the average time missed with the injury is about 8.5 games or around 20 days. Flagg could end up missing fewer games since he did have the injury before the All-Star break.

Cooper Flagg Injury Update: There is lots of variability for midfoot sprains as the diagnosis can refer to multiple areas of the foot & involve various ligaments, including the complex Lisfranc injury. Average time lost for nondescript midfoot sprains is ~8.5 games (~20.2 days).
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) February 12, 2026

Dallas is out of the playoff mix in the Western Conference, as it's 6.5 games out of the No. 10 seed and appears to be fine with losing games to earn a better draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Dallas is just 1-9 in its last 10 games, and the team is 3-4 in the seven games that Flagg has missed in the 2025-26 campaign.

Flagg, who is the favorite for the league's Rookie of the Year award, is losing ground in that market to his former college teammate Kon Knueppel. Since the All-Star break, Flagg has fallen from -650 to -450 to win the award, a pretty significant drop since he's only missed three games.

Still, Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from 3 across 49 games.

Even with the star forward out, Dallas is favored in Tuesday night's game in Brooklyn. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Mavericks set as 1.5-point favorites and at -122 on the moneyline.

Dallas snapped a long losing streak on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers, but it is just 6-19 on the road this season.

Flagg's next chance to play will come on Thursday, Feb. 26 against the struggling Sacramento Kings.

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