ESPN Just Confirmed What Mavericks Fans Already Knew About Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg remains the top prospect in a potentially deeper 2026 NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo. Flagg reclassified to Duke in 2024 with an eye toward a 2025 top-pick path, and Woo still places him at the pinnacle for both the 2025 and 2026 cycles. Remarkably, Flagg earned Rookie of the Year honors while leading his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, a feat matched only by Michael Jordan in the last half-century. He shot 29.5% from three as a rookie, a growth area analysts expect him to continue developing. The piece notes Flagg’s rare two-way impact and how his trajectory could influence projections for future drafts.