Cooper Flagg leads NBA All-Rookie First Team alongside former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel and VJ Edgecombe

It’s nary concealed that Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks’ No. 1 wide prime who won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, was a portion of the league’s All-Rookie first-team that came retired connected Wednesday night.

But different bright, young stars of the NBA were named alongside him.

Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel, Flagg’s Duke Blue Devils teammate successful assemblage and runner-up to the Rookie of the Year Award, arsenic good arsenic Philadelphia 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe were besides named unanimous All-Rookie First Team members alongside Flagg pursuing elector tallies.

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Dallas Mavericks guardant Cooper Flagg dribbles during the 2nd fractional of an NBA crippled against the Los Angeles Lakers successful Dallas connected April 5, 2026. (LM Otero/AP)

Rounding retired the archetypal squad were San Antonio Spurs defender Dylan Harper and Memphis Grizzlies defender Cedric Coward. All 5 players received votes for this year’s Rookie of the Year Award.

There were 100 ballots tallied for the teams, and Harper was 7 votes shy of different unanimous selection. He had 7 second-team votes, portion Coward had 29 first-team votes and 67 second-team votes for a full of 125 points.

COOPER FLAGG WINS NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AFTER KON KNUEPPEL'S PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT STRUGGLES SWAYED VOTERS

Flagg narrowly bushed retired Knueppel, who went 3 picks to the Hornets aft his Duke teammate, earning 56 first-place votes compared to Knueppel’s 44 successful that tally. Philadelphia 76ers defender VJ Edgecombe finished successful 3rd spot with 96 points (93 third-place votes), portion San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper and Memphis Grizzlies' Cedric Coward besides got third-place votes.

Flagg is the second-youngest subordinate to ever triumph the award, arsenic the 19-year-old was lone down Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.

For astir of the season, it appeared Knueppel was going to triumph the award, but aggregate voters came retired publically and said Knueppel’s Play-In Tournament struggles factored into them changing their minds for Flagg.

Knueppel had conscionable six points connected 2-of-12 shooting successful 34 minutes during the Hornets’ electrical 127-126 overtime triumph implicit the Miami Heat astatine the commencement of the tournament. Then, successful the 121-90 nonaccomplishment to the Orlando Magic, helium changeable 3 of 11 for 11 points (4 of 5 from the free-throw enactment arsenic well), and helium posted a minus-26 portion connected the court.

Dallas Mavericks guardant Cooper Flagg watches from the seat during the 2nd 4th against the Orlando Magic astatine the American Airlines Center successful Dallas, Texas, connected April 3, 2026. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)

Flagg noted being keen connected what Knueppel was doing during the year, showing emotion to his chap rookie.

"I spot the games every night. I tin cheque the container scores," helium said astir watching Knueppel’s stat lines closely, per ESPN. "I deliberation besides I was watching Kon conscionable due to the fact that that’s 1 of my brothers.

"We had specified a bully connection, and we’re gonna beryllium determination for each different for the remainder of our lives. I was watching him arsenic a fan, arsenic well, but determination was evidently that contention astatine the aforesaid time."

Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per crippled this twelvemonth for the Mavericks. Those numbers had him among immoderate NBA greats, arsenic Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic were the lone rookies earlier Flagg to mean astatine slightest 20 points, six rebounds and 4 assists since the NBA-ABA merger, ESPN pointed out. Flagg besides led each rookies successful scoring this season.

As for Knueppel, helium dropped 18.5 points per crippled with 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists, but portion Flagg had him bushed successful those categories, helium reset the rookie 3-pointers made grounds with 273. That fig besides led the NBA this season. Knueppel was besides a cardinal portion successful the Hornets getting into the Play-In Tournament to statesman with, finishing 44-38 earlier being eliminated by the Magic.

But neither of them are inactive successful the NBA Playoffs, arsenic Harper has excelled alongside his Spurs teammates, astir notably Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year 2 seasons ago, and Stephon Castle, the Rookie of the Year during the 2024-25 campaign.

San Antonio Spurs combo defender Dylan Harper shoots a 3-pointer implicit Portland Trail Blazers PG Jrue Holiday astatine Moda Center. (Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images)

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Edgecombe besides played a captious relation successful the 76ers toppling the Boston Celtics successful a first-round shocker, coming backmost from a 3-1 shortage to triumph the bid successful Game 7. Unfortunately for Edgecombe and his teammates, the New York Knicks swept them successful the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The All-Rookie second-team consists of New Orleans Pelicans’ Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, Sacramento Kings’ Maxime Raynaud, Utah Jazz’s Ace Bailey and Toronto Raptors’ Collin Murray-Boyles.

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