archiveNBA rookies

DALLAS — Most nights at American Airlines Center, before the arena fills and the lights come up, two players share the floor during pregame warmups without much fanfare. One is 19 years old and averaging 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 65 games as the centerpiece of a...

MILWAUKEE — A shorthanded Dallas Mavericks team was handed another defeat on Tuesday night, falling 123-99 to the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. The loss dropped Dallas to 24-52 on the season and extended a brutal stretch defined as much by the injury report as the scoreboard. The Mavericks arrived...

Jason Kidd has spent decades around the NBA’s elite, first as a Hall of Fame point guard and now as a coach entrusted with shaping the next generation. After Thursday night at American Airlines Center, he spoke with the certainty of someone who believes he is watching the early foundation...

History arrived early and lingered late at American Airlines Center, unfolding in layers that connected the Dallas Mavericks’ past to their future. Before tipoff, the franchise honored Mark Aguirre, retiring his jersey as the fifth number to reach the rafters. By night’s end, Cooper Flagg had authored a performance that...

History arrived early and lingered late Thursday night at American Airlines Center, unfolding in layers that stretched from the rafters to the final possession. The Dallas Mavericks honored franchise cornerstone Mark Aguirre with the retirement of his jersey, then watched rookie Cooper Flagg deliver one of the most statistically significant...

Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki offered a clear and measured assessment of Cooper Flagg this week, pushing back on concerns about the rookie’s perimeter shooting while emphasizing the broader arc of his development with the Dallas Mavericks. Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is averaging...

The NBA has undergone multiple stylistic evolutions over the past three decades, from the bruising physicality of the 1990s to the pace-and-space revolution that now defines the modern game. Even against that backdrop, the transformation unfolding in Dallas stands out for its speed and significance. In the wake of Luka...

Age has rarely been the most relevant number attached to Cooper Flagg this season, but it changed Sunday all the same. The Dallas Mavericks rookie turned 19 having already navigated physical matchups, defensive game plans, and late-game responsibility in a way few teenagers ever have. What defines Flagg’s opening months...

What transpired Monday night at the Delta Center was one of those games Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will remember for the rest of his NBA career — even if the result is not one he will celebrate. Flagg delivered a historic performance, scoring a career-high 42 points in a...

VJ Edgecombe doesn’t carry himself like your typical 19-year-old rookie. Maybe that’s because before hearing his name called on draft night, the Philadelphia 76ers’ No. 3 overall pick got a dose of perspective from one of the NBA’s most respected veterans. In the days before the 2025 NBA Draft, four-time...