Cooper Flagg’s ESPN ranking is impressive, but he’s destined for much more

Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks was ranked No. 23 in ESPN's latest NBA player rankings following his debut campaign in the league. Flagg secured the Rookie of the Year award after contending with Kon Knueppel, despite experiencing an early-season adjustment period while playing out of position.

During his first season, Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. Ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, the Mavericks are set to welcome back Kyrie Irving, who missed the entire 2025-26 season recovering from an ACL tear suffered on March 3, 2025.