DALLAS — Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey named Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg the NBA’s best 19-year-old.
Flagg beat Cameron Boozer of the Memphis Grizzlies, Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jazz and AJ Dybantsa of the Washington Wizards.
Boozer, Peterson and Dybantsa are rookies, while Flagg will be a second-year player next season.
“If we were going with season age, Cooper Flagg would be among the 20-year-olds, but he doesn’t hit that mark until December. That means he’ll play a significant chunk of his second season as a teenager. And though the incoming rookie class includes several potential superstars (like the contenders listed below), Flagg’s year of experience will give him a meaningful cushion between himself and the rest of the 19-year-olds. His developmental arrow is already darn-near vertical,” Bailey wrote.
Flagg Had A Great Rookie Season
The Mavericks won only 26 games last season, but Flagg had a terrific rookie campaign. The Duke product played in 70 games and averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field, 29.5% from beyond the arc and 82.7% from the free-throw line.
Flagg recorded 13 double-doubles and won the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award. His best game was against the Orlando Magic on April 3. Flagg put up 51 points in 33 minutes, becoming the first teenager and the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game.
“It’s always fun getting into that type of mode when the basket feels big and your teammates are looking out for you, helping you out,” Flagg said after the Mavericks lost to the Magic. “But I love to win. That was my main focus, so it’s hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we’re down 20, down 10, down 15 for the majority of the game.”
Mavericks Will Be Better Next Season
Dallas won’t compete for the NBA championship next season, but they will win more than 26 games.
After all, Kyrie Irving will return to the lineup after missing last season while recovering from his ACL tear.
Several contenders are interested in trading for Irving, but the Mavericks have made it known to interested teams that they intend to keep Irving next to Flagg, sources told Dallas Sports Journal.
Irving and Flagg have a strong relationship, sources said. Flagg received consistent, valuable mentorship from Irving last season even though Kyrie didn’t play, sources said.
The Mavericks added nine new players to the roster this offseason. They acquired Santi Aldama from the Grizzlies, Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks and Marcus Sasser from the Detroit Pistons; got Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio de Larrea, Tobi Lawal and Vsevolod Ishchenko in the 2026 draft; signed Jett Howard and Tarik Biberovic in free agency.
Dallas also re-signed Moussa Cisse and parted ways with Klay Thompson, who was bought out and quickly signed with the Miami Heat.
