As the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg is clearly expected to be in the running for Rookie of the Year honors in 2025-26.
Oddsmakers are convinced the 6-foot-9 former Duke phenom is the heavy favorite to earn that distinction, too.
Per FanDuel Sportsbook, Flagg has been given -180 odds of being named the next Rookie of the Year. The No. 2 pick out of Rutgers, San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, has seen his odds dip to just the fifth-best among rookies (+1400) amid backcourt rotational uncertainty.
Instead, Washington Wizards shooting guard Tre Johnson (+950), the No. 6 pick in the draft out of Texas, has been given the second-best odds to earn the Rookie of the Year award. No. 5 pick Ace Bailey of the Utah Jazz (+1000) and No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers (+1100) have both also been given better odds than Harper.
Flagg had an uneven Summer League debut during an 87-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas Thursday.
In 31:43 of action, the 18-year-old scored just 10 points on 5-of-21 shooting from the field, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists, swiped three steals and blocked a shot.
Another Mavericks rookie, two-way signing Ryan Nembhard out of Gonzaga, paced Dallas in scoring, with 21 points on an efficient 8-of-14 shooting line from the floor and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe. Nembhard, younger brother of Indiana Pacers starter Andrew, also passed for five assists, pulled down two rebounds and swiped a steal.