Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel named to NBA All-Rookie first team for 2025-26 season
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It’s no secret that NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick of the Dallas Mavericks, was a part of the league’s All-Rookie first team on Wednesday night.
However, other bright, young stars of the NBA were also named alongside him.
Flagg’s college teammate with the Duke Blue Devils and Rookie of the Year Award runner-up Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets and VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers were also unanimously named All-Rookie First Team members along with Flagg following the voter count.
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Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg dribbles during the second half of an NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, 2026 in Dallas. (LM Otero/AP)
Rounding out the first team were San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Memphis Grizzlies guard Cedric Coward. All five players received votes for this year’s Rookie of the Year Award.
100 votes were counted for the teams, and Harper was seven votes away from another unanimous choice. He received seven second-team votes, while Coward received 29 first-team votes and 67 second-team votes for a total of 125 points.
AFTER KON KNUEPPEL’S FIGHT WHICH IMPRESSED VOTERS IN THE PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT, COOPER FLAGG WON NBA Rookie of the Year
Flagg narrowly defeated Knueppel, who followed his Duke teammate to the Hornets with three picks, receiving 56 first-place votes compared to Knueppel’s 44 in that count. Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe took third place with 96 points (93 third-place votes), while Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs and Cedric Coward of the Memphis Grizzlies also took third place.
Flagg became the second-youngest player to win the award, as the 19-year-old was just behind LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
For much of the season, it looked like Knueppel would win the award, but numerous voters publicly said Knueppel’s Play-In Tournament struggles had influenced them to change their minds for Flagg.
At the beginning of the tournament, in the match where the Hornets beat the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime, Knueppel could only score six points by shooting 2/12 in 34 minutes. Then, in a 121-90 loss to the Orlando Magic, he scored 11 points on 3/11 shooting (also 4/5 from the free throw line) and recorded minus-26 points while on the court.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg watches from the bench during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on April 3, 2026. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
Flagg said he was interested in what Knueppel did throughout the year and showed love for his fellow rookie.
“I watch the games every night. I can check the scores,” he said, according to ESPN, noting that he watches Knueppel’s stat lines closely. “I guess I was only watching Kon because he was one of my brothers.
“We had such a good bond and we’ll be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching it as a fan too, but there was obviously rivalry as well.”
Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for the Mavericks this year. ESPN noted that before Flagg, the only rookies since the NBA-ABA merger to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists were Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic, making him among the best in the NBA. Flagg also led all rookies in scoring this season.
Knueppel, on the other hand, played with 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, but Flagg beat him in these categories and broke the rookie 3-point record with 273. That number led the NBA this season as well. Knueppel also played a key role in the Hornets entering the Play-In Tournament, finishing with a 44-38 record before being eliminated by the Magic.
But neither is still in the NBA Playoffs; Because Harper has thrived alongside his Spurs teammates (most notably Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, and Stephon Castle, the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year).
San Antonio Spurs combo guard Dylan Harper hit a 3-pointer over Portland Trail Blazers PG Jrue Holiday at Moda Center. (Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images)
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Edgecombe also played a vital role in the 76ers’ shocking first-round upset of the Boston Celtics, coming from 3-1 down to win the series in Game 7. Unfortunately for Edgecombe and his teammates, the New York Knicks defeated them in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The rookies’ second team consists of Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears of the New Orleans Pelicans, Maxime Raynaud of the Sacramento Kings, Ace Bailey of the Utah Jazz and Collin Murray-Boyles of the Toronto Raptors.
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