New Cooper Flagg Rumors on How Mavs Rookie Is Viewed in NBA and Where He'll Rank Among Top Stars

2026 NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg is already being projected as a future superstar in the league.

Following Flagg's stellar first season with the Dallas Mavericks after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, ESPN's Jeremy Woo explained that the 19-year-old has already shown the potential to become one of the top players in the NBA.

"It can't be stressed enough how far ahead of schedule Flagg showed to be on the offensive end this season -- a development many around the NBA feel gives him a chance to develop into being one of the league's best players," Woo reported.

In his first year in the NBA, Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists, leading all rookies in scoring. He edged out former Duke teammate and Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year honors in a tightly contested race.

Despite Flagg's individual excellence, the Mavs went 26-56 this season and will be in the NBA draft lottery for the second straight year. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his mock draft that they would select Arizona shooting guard Brayden Burries with the No. 9 pick. Woo, who projected Dallas to use the No. 8 pick to select Louisville point guard Mikel Brown Jr., noted that new team president Masai Ujiri's top priority will be to surround Flagg with the right pieces.

"What kind of timetable Ujiri opts for in building around Flagg, who is still just 19 years old, stands as the biggest question hanging over Dallas' offseason," Woo explained. "Kyrie Irving will return next season (ACL), and the Mavericks have the talent to surpass this season's 26 wins. But they are also likely multiple moves from being a playoff team, and any future contending chance aligning with Flagg's prime."