Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks was named the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 70 games. For his second season, DraftKings has him at +8000 for Most Improved Player and +6000 for Clutch Player of the Year, as ESPN listed the 2026-27 markets on September 25, 2026.
Flagg’s rookie season
| Stat | 2025-26 |
|---|---|
| Games | 70 |
| Minutes per game | 33.5 |
| Points per game | 21.0 |
| Rebounds per game | 6.7 |
| Assists per game | 4.5 |
| Steals per game | 1.2 |
| Blocks per game | 0.9 |
| Field goal percentage | 46.8% |
| Three-point percentage | 29.5% |
He scored 1,473 points in all. NBA.com reported that he was the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals, and that his 51 points against Orlando made him the first teenager to score 50 in an NBA game. He had set the teenage record of 49 earlier in the season, against Charlotte.
The Rookie of the Year vote
Flagg beat his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets by 26 points, with Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe the third finalist. The award was announced on April 27, 2026, and 100 voters ranked three rookies each, at five points for first, three for second and one for third.
The team results went the other way. Charlotte finished 44-38 and ninth in the East, a play-in spot, and Dallas finished 26-56, 12th in the West. Knueppel led the league in threes, according to NBA.com, and the two were first and second in rookie scoring.
Cooper Flagg odds for 2026-27
ESPN’s 2026-27 futures feed has no MVP market. These are the markets where Flagg or Dallas is priced:
| Market | Price | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Clutch Player of the Year (Flagg) | +6000 | 1.6% |
| Most Improved Player (Flagg) | +8000 | 1.2% |
| Defensive Player of the Year (Flagg) | +25000 | 0.4% |
| NBA Cup, West Group A (Dallas) | +800 | 11.1% |
| Southwest Division (Dallas) | +7500 | 1.3% |
| Western Conference (Dallas) | +8000 | 1.2% |
| NBA title (Dallas) | +18000 | 0.6% |
A futures bet is worth making only when you rate the chance higher than the price does. The team prices reflect a 26-win season: the book gives Dallas about one chance in 80 to win the West.
What comes next
Dallas opens the regular season at Houston on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, after four preseason games starting October 9. Our Mavericks team page follows the season, and every game is on our NBA predictions hub.
The new rookie class is on our Rookie of the Year odds and NBA Draft odds pages, the group stage is on our NBA Cup odds page, and our sportsbook reviews show where to compare prices.