Cooper Flagg Injured, Latest Updates on Mavs Star's Ankle Amid NBA Rookie of the Year Race

Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg's rookie season came to an end as he exited Sunday night's game against the Chicago Bulls after suffering a sprained ankle, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

He exited after recording 10 points and four rebounds in 10 minutes of action in the first half.

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, has been exceptional in his first NBA campaign with 21.2 points (46.8 percent from the field), 6.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game entering Sunday's action. He had a tremendous four-game stretch from Jan. 29-Feb. 5 with 37.8 PPG and 9.3 RPG.

When asked after the game what his reaction would be if he doesn't win the Rookie of the Year award, he let it be known that he'd be "disappointed":

The 19-year-old unfortunately missed eight games from Feb. 12-March 3 with a left midfoot sprain suffered during his team's 120-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 10. He returned on March 5 at the Orlando Magic.

He entered the NBA with tremendous hype after a fantastic season at Duke. Flagg entered college as the No. 1 recruit in the high school class of 2024, and he dominated for the Blue Devils as evidenced by his multiple national college player of the year awards while earning consensus first-team All-American honors.

Now he's excelling in the NBA, where he's well on his way to becoming a bona fide superstar for dominating the league for many years.