Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks. Getty Images What once looked like a clear-cut race has turned into a late-season scramble, with the NBA Rookie of the Year award still very much up for grabs as we head into the final days of the season.
We know it’s a Duke star who will walk away with the hardware, but which one is anyone’s guess.
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg regained the lead over former roommate and Hornets forward Kon Knueppel on the odds board as of Tuesday morning. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick went from +200 at BetMGM last week to -200, while Knueppel’s odds dropped from -275 to +155.
Rookies Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have separated themselves from the rest of this year’s class. NBAE via Getty Images Flagg entered the race as just the third player since 2007 to be the odds-on favorite for Rookie of the Year — Kevin Durant and Victor Wembanyama were the others — but was surpassed by Knueppel in late February after he broke the rookie record for 3-pointers made in a single season.
Knueppel now leads the entire NBA in made 3s with 265 entering Tuesday’s games and will cross into the top 25 for most 3s made in a single NBA season if he reaches 270.
He also ranks second among rookies in points per game, averaging 18.7 points for a Hornets team that will be in the play-in tournament in the East and could likely make the playoffs if they continue to play at their current level.
The one rookie averaging more points per game this season is Flagg.
Flagg is averaging 21.1 points on the season and is coming off a 45-point outing against LeBron James and the Lakers that followed up a career-high 51-point game against the Magic, only the ninth rookie to score 50 in an NBA game.
Flagg had two other 40-point games this season, including 49 against his college teammate and main Rookie of the Year competition.
Games missed don’t disqualify players the way they do for other awards with the 65-game threshold, but it could play a factor here.
Flagg was sidelined for eight games, which coincided with Kneuppel’s ascent and the Hornets’ surge in the standings. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have four of their 17 games since Flagg returned to the floor.
Kon Knueppel has shocked the league with his immediate sharp shooting. NBAE via Getty Images ESPN’s most recent straw poll had Knueppel in the lead with 80 first-place votes to 20 for Flagg, but that was before Flagg’s 96-point explosion over two games.
Where this race ends is anyone’s guess, but we can expect more fireworks to come from these two standout rookies in the final stretch.
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
