Flagg edges Knueppel in closest NBA Rookie of the Year vote ever

Cooper Flagg wins 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year by 26 points over teammate Kon Knueppel in the closest race since 2002.

Tightest ROY race in decades Cooper Flagg claimed Rookie of the Year honors on Monday, defeating his Duke roommate Kon Knueppel in a razor-thin vote. Flagg, the top overall pick in the previous year's draft, delivered averages of 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Dallas Mavericks. Only four rookies in the last five decades have matched those per-game figures since the NBA-ABA merger. Flagg led all first-year players in scoring, placed second in assists and third in rebounds among qualifying rookies. ## Knueppel shines despite loss Kon Knueppel, selected fourth overall, posted 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while breaking the rookie record with 273 made three-pointers. He played a key role in Charlotte’s midseason surge, helping the Hornets improve by 25 wins to finish 44-38 before falling short in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. ## Narrowest margin in voting history Flagg secured 56 first-place votes out of 100 for a total of 412 points, while Knueppel earned 44 first-place votes and 386 total points. The 26-point difference between the top two finishers ranks as the second-closest outcome in Rookie of the Year voting since the current system began in 2002-03. Only the 2021-22 race between Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley had a smaller gap. ## Rookie of the Year voting breakdown The voting results showed Flagg leading Knueppel by a mere 26 points, the second smallest margin since 2002-03. The full voting tally is as follows: | Player | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Cooper Flagg | 56 | 44 | 0 | 412 | | Kon Knueppel | 44 | 55 | 1 | 386 | | V. J. Edgecombe | 0 | 1 | 93 | 96 | | Dylan Harper | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | | Cedric Coward | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ## Mavericks struggle without playoff push Despite Flagg’s historic rookie season, the Mavericks finished with a disappointing 26-56 record. He became just the second rookie ever to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals, matching Michael Jordan’s feat. Flagg was the only player in the league to lead his team in all four statistical categories this season. ## Unprecedented teenage achievements Flagg turned 19 on December 21 and delivered a season for the record books. He became the youngest player ever to record games of 35, 40, 45 and 50 points, as well as the youngest to tally at least 10 assists in a contest. The 6-foot-9 guard, who debuted as a point guard without prior experience at the position, also owns three of the four 45-point games ever posted by a teenager. ## Historic scoring duels and milestones Flagg set the single-game scoring record for a teenager with 49 points on January 29 against the Hornets in a high-scoring matchup where Knueppel responded with a season-high 34 points. Just weeks later, Flagg surpassed his own mark by dropping 51 points in an April 3 loss to Orlando. He also recorded six games with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists—more than the rest of the rookie class combined.