Dallas Mavericks first-year star Cooper Flagg has long been projected to be the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, but that’s no longer the case.
FanDuel Sportsbook now lists Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel with the best odds to be named Rookie of the Year at +110, jumping ahead of Flagg (+120). The full top six is as follows:
The No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft, Knueppel has been one of the lone bright spots this year for the 4-13 Hornets. The sharpshooting guard has started 16 out of 17 games and leads all rookies with an average of 19.4 points per game while also adding 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He’s shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from three-point range and 90.0 percent from the free throw line.
While Knueppel has ascended, Flagg has struggled to carry the weight of a depleted Mavs team that lost star big man Anthony Davis to a calf injury after just five games. The 18-year-old has shown flashes of superstar potential, but they have been somewhat infrequent as he’s averaged 15.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals. He had just 12 points in Monday night’s 106-102 loss to the Miami Heat, which dropped Dallas’ record to 5-14.
There’s still a lot of time left before the Rookie of the Year race is decided, and there are multiple players who could make a case for themselves like New Orleans Pelicans big man Derik Queen and Philadelphia 76ers wing VJ Edgecombe.
However, Knueppel appears to be in the driver’s seat for now, while Flagg is now chasing the top spot.
