With his first NBA season in the books, Cooper Flagg provided plenty of evidence for why he’ll be among the future stars in the league, as he achieved many top-tier performances for the Dallas Mavericks.
Several of his rookie-season bests came earlier this month. He dropped 51 points on the Orlando Magic, and then followed it up with a near 45-point triple-double to defeat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Flagg had two other games where he scored 40-plus points, and with that, the 19-year-old recorded four games of 40 points or more. He surpassed LeBron, who previously had three 40-plus-point games, and now that his first season is over, Flagg has matched an achievement that another of the game’s all-time greats had.
In his rookie season, he joined basketball legend Michael Jordan as the only players to have led their teams in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals since the 1973-74 season. That’s an impressive feat and shows just how much of their team’s weight Flagg and MJ shouldered as rookies.
Flagg’s rookie season, at 19, included totals of 1,473 points, 466 rebounds, 316 assists, and 84 steals. MJ’s rookie season, at 21, featured 2,313 points, 534 rebounds, 481 assists, and 196 steals.
Dallas finished at 26-56, and that wasn’t something Flagg experienced much before. He enjoyed success with his previous basketball teams, including the Duke Blue Devils, who nearly reached the championship game in the 2025 NCAA tournament.
Flagg’s rookie season ended on a sour note, as the team ruled him out during his final game after suffering an injury. He limped off the court, which raised concerns among fans, but further evaluation revealed a left ankle sprain.
He’ll now have an offseason to recover from any injuries, reflect on his rookie season, and work on any areas he or his advisors think he needs to improve. Meanwhile, expect the Mavericks to add more young talent to their roster as they build around Flagg.
A Tankathon mock draft projects that Dallas will get the No. 8 pick in June, and could opt for a guard like Arizona’s Brayden Burries. A recent USA Today mock projected that they could add wing player Keaton Wagler from Illinois.
No matter who they bring in, the objective is clearly to improve this lineup so their young cornerstone, Cooper Flagg, and his teammates can start winning more games in the NBA.