Former Maverick Says Cooper Flagg Isn’t Even Close to NBA Rookie of the Year

The Dallas Mavericks have a special rookie on their hands, as Cooper Flagg has had a historic season, averaging 21.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.6 APG, coming off a game where he had 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Despite those numbers, he's in a heated contest for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award because of another historic first season by a former Duke player: Kon Knueppel. Flagg is leading the Mavs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, but Knueppel is leading the NBA in three-pointers made. Some will argue that Knueppel has had a much bigger impact on winning, but that has never really mattered to the Rookie of the Year vote.

Flagg is the better player and has had the better statistical season, but that doesn't seem to matter to some voters and media personalities. Former Maverick Chandler Parsons thinks Knueppel has a much better argument for Rookie of the Year.

"Cooper Flagg is the best player in this draft... but if I had a Rookie of the Year vote, it's Kon Knueppel's, and I don't think it's close," Parsons said.

"Cooper Flagg is the best player in this draft... but if I had a Rookie of the Year vote, it's Kon Knueppel's and I don't think it's close." 👀

Chandler Parsons doesn't think Flagg's hot-streak is enough to win him ROTY 🏆@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/Af7nTxGBfz
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 8, 2026

Chandler Parsons isn't well-liked by Mavs fans to begin with, but this won't help his case. His tenure in Dallas was marred by injury, as most of his career was, but his media takes never seem to align with what Mavericks fans believe. This is nothing new.

A Rookie of the Year Update With One Game Remaining

The Dallas Mavericks have just one game remaining: a home matchup against the also tanking Chicago Bulls on Sunday. That game will matter a lot for where the Mavericks end up in the draft lottery odds, but it could also make an impact on Rookie of the Year.

Flagg has taken over as the favorite again on FanDuel Sportsbook, sitting at -180, but Knueppel isn't far behind at +140. They're the only two players left that one could bet on, as VJ Edgecombe has finally dropped off the odds list.

Knueppel's final game will be on Sunday against the New York Knicks, a game that matters for a lot of reasons. The Hornets are in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers and one ahead of the Miami Heat. That could have major Play-In Tournament implications. The Knicks are locked into the third seed, so they may try to rest starters in order to avoid injuries heading into the postseason.

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