When Cooper Flagg began rewriting rookie record books by becoming the only teenager in NBA history to average over 30 points over three consecutive games and also producing the highest score ever in a single game by a teenager when he dropped 49 points (against the Charlotte Hornets ), it initially appeared inevitable that he would run away with the ROY award.
However, the narrative surrounding the race has shifted significantly in recent weeks.
The momentum now seems to be with Flagg's Duke teammate Kon Knueppel , so much so that veteran ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has openly declared the Hornets rookie as the likely winner of the prestigious award.
Playing for an injury-riddled Dallas Mavericks , Flagg has been the lone bright spot for his team throughout the 2025-26 season. The 19-year-old forward is averaging 20.4 points per game and has already established himself as one of the most reliable scorers in clutch time, all while adjusting to an unfamiliar point guard position.
However, the Mavs' struggle as a team appears to have weakened his ROY candidacy.
With Dallas now likely to miss even featuring in the Play-In Tournament, the lack of team success has inevitably hurt Flagg's case. Compounding matters further, the No. 1 pick has also been sidelined for almost an entire month due to a foot injury, which has dragged all the media attention away from him.
Meanwhile, Knueeppel is quietly assembling a remarkable campaign that few analysts predicted before the season began. The Hornets guard is averaging 19.2 (second-best on the team) on 43.6 percent shooting from the three-point line.
More notably, Knueppel's offensive production has helped the Hornets reign as the fourth-best offensive team in the league and is now just three wins shy of chasing down the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
During the most recent episode of "First Take," Stephen A. praised Knueppel for bringing the Hornets back into existence after a long time.
Interestingly, the 58-year-old analyst picked Kon as his 2026 ROY favorite because he has made the most impact on his team, as well as producing breathtaking numbers, while flirting with a 50/40/90 split, unlike any other rookie season in recent years.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing from this kid. I really can't. This brother is a walking bucket. Giannis has already praised his basketball IQ, Draymond has already compared his shooting to Klay Thompson. Well, Cooper's special, it ain't his fault, but the Dallas Mavericks are 21-40 and he's missed the last 10 games…"
" Kon Knueppel has helped the Charlotte Hornets be a game above .500. They are the NBA-best 16-3 since January 22nd. This dude has only missed one game, " Smith said. " Kon Knueppel would be my Rookie of the Year. "
There are, of course, other rookies who remain part of the conversation. Philadelphia 76ers ' VJ Edgecombe has recently strengthened his own case following the All-Star break as he has rediscovered his shooting rhythm, knocking down 18 three-pointers at an impressive 43.9 percent clip over the 76ers' last six games while also leading all rookies in minutes played this season.
But given how Kon has consistently been available for the Hornets and has led from the front alongside Brandon Miller , it's hard to look elsewhere in the ROY race now and Stephen A.'s admission only confirms it.
Related: Why Kon Knueppel will be the Rookie of the Year over Cooper Flagg
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
