Cooper Flagg Named NBA Rookie Of The Year
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has been named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for the 2025/26 season, the league announced today (Twitter link).
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft and the youngest player in the league, Flagg led all qualified rookies with 21.0 points per game while also contributing 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.5 minutes per night across 70 contests (all starts). According to the NBA (Twitter link), Flagg and Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan are the only rookies since 1973 to lead their respective teams in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
Flagg is the third player in Mavericks history to be named Rookie of the Year, joining Luka Doncic (2019) and his current head coach Jason Kidd (1995), per the team (Twitter link). Flagg, Jordan, and Doncic are the only three players in the past 45 years to average at least 20 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game as rookies.
Flagg narrowly beat out his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting after leading the NBA in total three-pointers (273). The Hornets swingman, drafted fourth overall last June, trailed Flagg in points (18.5), rebounds (5.3), and assists (3.4) per game, but scored his points more efficiently, shooting 47.5% from the floor, 42.5% on three-pointers, and 86.3% from the free throw line. Flagg’s shooting line was .468/.295/.827.
There was a sense that Knueppel’s historic shooting numbers and the Hornets’ relative team success might give him the edge. Charlotte finished 18 games ahead of Dallas in the NBA’s regular season standings, while Knueppel became the first rookie to ever lead the league in three-pointers.
However, Flagg was rewarded for his all-around contributions and the way he handled becoming the focal point of the Mavs’ offense with Anthony Davis traded and Kyrie Irving sidelined, gaining the upper hand with a strong finish to the season. From March 21 onward, Flagg averaged 25.5 PPG on 46.1% shooting and had separate games of 51 and 45 points, while Knueppel averaged 14.1 PPG on 39.1% shooting.
Flagg received 56 of 100 potential first-place votes and 412 total voting points, with Knueppel earning the other 44 first-place votes and 386 points (Twitter link). Since the current Rookie of the Year voting format was implemented in 2002/03, only the 15-point gap in ’21/22 – when Scottie Barnes edged out Evan Mobley – was smaller than this year’s 26-point margin.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe was nearly the unanimous third-place pick, receiving 93 third-place votes to go along with a single second-place vote. Spurs guard Dylan Harper (five third-place votes) and Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (one third-place vote) were the only other players to appear on at least one Rookie of the Year ballot.
Which Potential 2026 RFAs Will Actually Receive Qualifying Offers?
Within our list of 2026 free agents, there are currently 17 players in the "restricted free agents" section. However, not all of these players will actually become restricted free agents this offseason.
In order to make those players restricted free agents, their teams must issue them a qualifying offer, which is essentially a one-year contract offer that gives the club the right of first refusal in the event the player wants to sign with another team.
In some cases, that qualifying offer is a mere formality. There was a never a scenario in which the Bulls wouldn't extend a QO to Josh Giddey last offseason, for instance. But if the player's club decides not to issue that QO, he becomes an unrestricted free agent, able to freely sign anywhere.
Even if a team wants to retain a certain free agent, it might not make sense to tender him a qualifying offer if the club isn't comfortable with the idea of him actually accepting that offer due to the cost of the QO or the team's overall cap situation.
Last summer, Brooklyn opted not to issue a QO worth approximately $8.35MM to Ziaire Williams, even though the team hoped to retain him. The Nets were able to eventually re-sign Williams to a two-year, $12.5MM deal that put them in a better position to maximize their cap room.
Of course, in other cases, a team that doesn't issue a qualifying offer to its potential restricted free agent is simply fine with the idea of losing that player. The Trail Blazers passed on a QO for Jabari Walker last offseason, then watched him sign with Philadelphia as an unrestricted free agent.
In total, 10 of 18 players on standard contracts (ie. non two-way deals) who were eligible to receive qualifying offers last June got them from their respective teams. A similar process could play out this time around.
Here's an early look at which potential restricted free agents are good bets to get their qualifying offers and which ones might end up as unrestricted FAs:
Rondo, Hetzel, Ham Interview For Pelicans’ Coaching Job
5:44 pm: Ham also interviewed for the head coaching position last week, Rod Walker writes for NOLA.com.
12:34 pm: Hetzel has also been interviewed for the Pelicans’ head coaching job, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.
11:00 am: Rajon Rondo is among the candidates the Pelicans are considering as they look for their next head coach, with league sources telling Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that he has already interviewed for the position.
The former All-Star guard was hired in 2024 as a special assistant on Doc Rivers’ staff in Milwaukee. Fischer and Stein note that he first expressed interest in coaching when he was with Boston early in his career, and Brad Stevens brought Rondo into some staff meetings while he was recovering from a torn ACL. Rondo spent 16 seasons in the NBA before his career ended in 2022.
Fischer and Stein hear that the Pelicans have reached out to several candidates, including Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, Bucks associate head coach Darvin Ham and Nets assistant Steve Hetzel. Ham has also been mentioned as a potential replacement for the Magic if they decide to fire Jamahl Mosley.
In addition, the Pelicans have requested permission to interview Pistons assistant Jarrett Jack, according to Fischer and Stein’s sources. Jack played in New Orleans for three seasons of his career and moved on to coaching after his retirement in 2021. He spent two years on the staff in Phoenix before being hired by Detroit.
James Borrego, who took over as the Pelicans’ interim coach when Willie Green was fired in mid-November, remains “very much under consideration” to get the job on a permanent basis, sources tell Fischer and Stein. Borrego, who joined the organization as associate head coach in 2024, guided the team to a 24-46 record after replacing Green.
Federal Prosecutors To Bring Bribery Charges Against Terry Rozier
Before being waived by the Heat earlier this month, veteran guard Terry Rozier spent most of the 2025/26 season on leave after being one of several individuals connected with the NBA arrested in October in relation to a federal gambling probe.
It now appears his efforts to clear his name and return to the NBA will face another hurdle, as The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov reports that federal prosecutors intend to bring new charges against the former Heat guard, alleging that he solicited and accepted a bribe. This could create a superseding indictment that adds the two new federal charges – sports bribery and honest services fraud – to the two he is already facing, as Vorkunov explains.
Prosecutors claim that the NBA and the Hornets, with whom Rozier played during the time period in question, are victims of the guard, who “deprived” them of his “honest services,” Vorkunov adds (Twitter link). A grand jury will hear the new charges, which were revealed on Monday before a federal judge.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, who wants the court to dismiss the case, said that he was informed of those new charges just two hours prior to Monday’s hearing, Vorkunov writes.
Word broke back in January 2025 that federal prosecutors in New York were investigating Rozier as part of a probe into illegal sports betting. Investigators were specifically looking at a game that took place on March 23, 2023.
Ahead of that game, one bettor reportedly placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes on the “unders” on Rozier-related prop bets at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, raising alarms about potential suspicious activity. At the same time, there was a rush on multiple sportsbooks in New Orleans of under bets on Rozier props. Sportsbooks and the NBA were alerted, and some books stopped taking bets related to Rozier’s performance that day.
After recording five points, four rebounds and two assists in 9:34 of action in the first quarter, Rozier exited the game during a timeout and didn’t return, citing a foot issue. All 30 of those “under” prop bets won as a result of the abbreviated outing, and Rozier didn’t play the final eight games of the 2022/23 season due to the injury.
NBA Announces Initial Early Entrant List For 2026 Draft
The NBA has officially released the initial list of early entrants for the 2026 draft, announcing in a press release (Twitter link) that 71 players have filed as early entry candidates. Of those prospects, 60 are from colleges and 11 had been playing for teams internationally.
While that early entrant total exceeds the number of players who will be selected in this year’s draft (60), it’s down significantly from the figures we’ve seen in recent years. In fact, it’s the lowest since 2003, per Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). A record 353 early entrants initially declared for the draft in 2021, but that number dropped to 283 in 2022, 242 in 2023, 201 in 2024, and 109 a year ago.
The NCAA’s NIL policy, which allows college athletes to be paid based on their name, image, and likeness, has been a major factor in that downward trend — fewer prospects feel the need to go pro as soon as possible when they’re earning big money at the college level.
The huge dip in the past two years can also be attributed in large part to the fact that nearly all college seniors are now automatically draft-eligible. In recent years, most fourth-year seniors faced an “early entrant” decision because they were granted an extra year of NCAA eligibility due to COVID-19 and didn’t have the 2020/21 season count toward their typical limit.
This year’s total of 71 early entrants figures to decline even further by May 27 and again by June 13, the two deadlines for players to withdraw their names from the draft pool. The former date is for college players who wish to retain their NCAA eligibility, while the latter is for international prospects. The leftover early entrants after June 13 will join the college seniors with no remaining eligibility and other automatically eligible players in this year’s draft pool.
Our tracker of early entrants for the 2026 draft is fully up to date and can be found right here.
Here are the changes we made to our tracker today:
Newly added players
College players:
These players either didn’t publicly announce that they were entering the draft or we simply missed it when they did.
- Alijah Arenas, G, USC (freshman)
- Jacob Cofie, F, USC (sophomore)
- Cruz Davis, G, Hofstra (junior)
- Kennard Davis, G/F, BYU (junior)
- Gabe Dynes, C, USC (junior)
- Eian Elmer, F, Miami (OH) (junior)
- Colby Garland, G, San Jose State (junior)
- Isiah Harwell, G, Houston (freshman)
- Louis Hutchinson, G/F, Alabama (junior)
- Paulius Murauskas, F, Saint Mary’s (junior)
- Sebastian Rancik, F, Colorado (sophomore)
- Andrej Stojakovic, G/F, Illinois (junior)
International players:
These players weren’t previously mentioned on our list of international early entrants. The country listed here indicates where they last played, not necessarily where they were born.
- Francesco Ferrari, F, Italy (born (2005)
- Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada, G, France (born 2006)
Players removed
Despite reports or announcements that the players below would declare for the draft, they didn’t show up on the NBA’s official list.
That could mean a number of things — they may have decided against entering the draft; they may have entered the draft, then withdrawn; they may have had no NCAA eligibility remaining, making them automatically draft-eligible; they may have incorrectly filed their paperwork; or the NBA may have accidentally omitted some names.
Because they’re absent from the league’s official list, we’ve removed the following names from our own early entrant list.
Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools. Their 2025/26 school is listed here.
- Dai Dai Ames, G, California (junior)
- Terrence Brown, G, Utah (junior)
- John Mobley Jr., G, Ohio State (sophomore)
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 4/27/2026
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 3:00 pm Central time (4:00 pm Eastern).
Heat President Pat Riley Has No Plans To Step Down
A defiant Heat president Pat Riley says he isn’t going anywhere. Riley declared early in his annual postseason press conference, which lasted 67 minutes, that he has no plans to step down, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports (Twitter link).
“I’m not going to retire. I’m not going to resign,” the 81-year-old Riley said. “I’m not going to step aside. … I have the same attitude as I had in that press conference on the Imagination, period. I want another parade down Biscayne Boulevard. It may come. It may not.”
Riley joined the organization in 1995 as head coach and president. He stepped down from his coaching duties in 2008.
“I love what I’m doing. I love the people I am working with. I love competition,” he said. “I love this franchise. Don’t think I haven’t thought about [retiring]. I’m at 81 years old. I’m aging up. Micky or Nick [Arison] will decide whether I age out.”
Riley addressed a wide range of topics during his lengthy presser. Here are some of the highlights, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:
- Riley continues to refuse to pursue a tanking strategy or major rebuild despite the Heat’s mediocre results in recent years. “It’s simply the same thing we did the last three seasons,” he said. “We tried, more than you even know, to get better. We’re at a period right now where you don’t make radical changes right now. We’re not going to tank and do that insanity. I will quit if I get ordered to go down that road.”
- Riley says he’ll be aggressive in trying to upgrade the roster this offseason using his available assets. Among the biggest are a $16MM trade exception from the Duncan Robinson deal and the $15.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. “I’m encouraged where we are with the flexibility and the players that are out there that we know are available that we can pursue,” he said.
- Discussing Bam Adebayo, Riley said his star center “deserves more help” and that he’s off limits in trade discussions: “I want to build this around Bam.”
- Riley hinted that it’s not likely Tyler Herro will get an extension this offseason, telling reporters that he would speak to Herro’s agent but, “We have to show a level of discipline in extending guys out.” Two of his top forwards, Andrew Wiggins ($30MM player option) and Norman Powell (free agent) have told him they want to return.
- Herro will undergo a minor procedure on his foot this week, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Riley expects the guard to be back on the court in July, Chiang adds in another tweet.
- Along with an elite scorer, Riley wants to improve the team’s overall length: “We will address that.” However, Riley doesn’t want to compromise the team’s cap situation with a risky trade or signing. “I’m not going to make a stupid move that’s going to saddle us for years to come and will have to pay to get out from under.”
- Riley wasn’t happy that the Heat only received a second-round pick from the Hornets as compensation for not getting full disclosure in the Terry Rozier trade, Zachary Weinberger of ClutchPoints tweets. “I didn’t negotiate that deal. The NBA did. But my point is, is that was handled pretty much by the league,” Riley said. “… [The Rozier situation] was not a very good situation. There’s no doubt.”
Anthony Edwards Considered ‘Week To Week’ After MRI
Anthony Edwards‘ left knee injury is considered a week-to-week issue, according to a press release from the Timberwolves (Twitter link via Chris Hine of The Star Tribune). An MRI conducted at the Mayo Clinic revealed a left knee hyperextension injury and bone bruise.
The team’s announcement represents confirmation of an ESPN report that stated Edwards would be sidelined multiple weeks. Minnesota leads its first-round series against the Nuggets, 3-1.
The Timberwolves’ superstar guard sustained the injury late in the second quarter of Game 4 (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). Edwards jumped to contest a layup by Cameron Johnson, and Johnson’s forward momentum caused Edwards to move backward in the air. Edwards landed awkwardly and his left knee buckled. He immediately grabbed at his knee on the ground.
Edwards entered the playoffs dealing with a nagging right knee injury, which caused him to miss extended time at the end of the regular season. He averaged 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 blocks through four playoff games, but struggled with efficiency, posting a shooting slash line of .358/.258/.857.
Minnesota’s other starting guard, Donte DiVincenzo, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon early in the first quarter of Saturday’s win. Without DiVincenzo and Edwards, the Timberwolves will have to rely on breakout star Ayo Dosunmu along with Mike Conley, Bones Hyland and Terrence Shannon Jr. for the remainder of its first-round series vs. Denver.
If the Wolves advance, Edwards figures to push hard to try to return at some point in the second round, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Pistons Notes: Duren, Cunningham, Game 4, Magic Johnson, Huerter
All-Star center Jalen Duren, a restricted free agent after the season, is taking a lot of heat for his playoff performances against the Magic. He’s averaging 9.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.7 turnovers per game as the Pistons head into Game 4 down 2-1 in the series. Duren has been badly outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. and was even benched for a stretch during the second half of Game 3.
However, the team remains highly supportive of Duren and expects him to bounce back.
“These last three games haven’t went the way he wants, or we might want for him,” Cade Cunningham said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “But I, and the whole team, have no doubt that he’s going to figure it out. He knows he’s going to figure it out. So I’m excited for next game for him to plant his foot into this series.”
Positive reinforcement is the right approach, according to forward Ausar Thompson.
“Just be there for him, you know?” Thompson said. “Encourage him, feed him the ball and give him some space to work. I just want him to keep being aggressive, that’s it. We’re good, we’re not worried about him.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Cunningham is averaging a whopping 6.3 turnovers per game in the series, including nine in Game 3 — equaling his assist total. Cunningham knows he has to cut down on the mistakes to prevent the Eastern Conference’s top seed from getting bounced in the first round, Coty Davis of the Detroit News writes. “It’s a possession game in the playoffs, and a lot of this falls on my shoulders where I have to be better,” Cunningham said. “I have to make sure I am doing a good job of getting the ball out to my guys to make sure they can make plays. We have had too many empty possessions where we are giving the ball back to them. Again, that’s on me.”
- The pressure is on the Pistons to win on Monday and even the series. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff expects his team to wrest control back from the Magic. “It’s one game at a time, and that’s what playoff series are. You can’t hang on to it. We come down here, we win on Monday — we take home court advantage back,” Bickerstaff said, per Davis. “Our guys have been consistent all year, and we’ve been able to move on to the next. So, I trust our guys. We’ll be ready to go.”
- Magic Johnson, a Michigan native, wrote on Twitter the Pistons must regain their identity or risk an embarrassing playoff outcome. “The Detroit Pistons better get their swagger back on the defensive end or else they are going to lose this series against the Orlando Magic,” he said.
- Reserve guard Kevin Huerter participated in Monday morning’s shootaround but remains listed as questionable for Game 4, Davis tweets. He’s dealing with left hip soreness.
Amick’s Latest: Lottery Reform, Mosley, Lakers, Wolves, More
A “heavy frontrunner” has emerged as the NBA considers its options to reduce tanking, league and team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
In March, the league presented three separate lottery reform concepts to its governors to address the problem. It appears option No. 1, which expands the draft lottery to 18 teams from the current 14, has received the best reception, according to Amick. The proposal would give each of the bottom 10 teams an 8% chance of landing the top overall pick, and the remaining 20% would be distributed among the other eight. It’s a significant change from the current system, which provides the three worst teams with a 14% chance at the No. 1 selection, with the odds steadily declining for the rest.
Several general managers that Amick contacted point out that option No. 1 could result in new problems that should be addressed before a vote is taken. There could be an outcry if one of the four lottery teams that reaches the playoffs winds up winning the top overall selection. Although the odds of that happening are slim, the huge jumps taken by Atlanta, Dallas and other teams in the last two lotteries show that it’s possible.
The next step in the process will take place on Tuesday with a league-wide meeting of GMs on Zoom. Draft reform won’t be the only topic of discussion, but it will be the main issue, Amick adds. He hears that commissioner Adam Silver is taking a “collaborative approach,” welcoming extensive feedback, with the league’s competition committee taking the lead and representatives from the players union also involved.
A vote on reform is expected at the next Board of Governors meeting in May, and at least 23 of the 30 teams must approve the proposal for it to be adopted. Silver stated in February that he hopes to have a new system in place by next season.
There’s more from Amick:
- Orlando’s playoff success may be complicating a few expected coaching moves. Amick notes that rumors about Jamahl Mosley being on the hot seat have been circulating since October, and they intensified when the Magic lost their final regular season game and their first play-in contest. Former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and Bucks associate head coach Darvin Ham were seen as potential replacements, and Mosley was viewed as a possible candidate for the Pelicans. However, Orlando holds a 2-1 lead in its series with top-seeded Detroit, and Amick believes Mosley is worthy of a “second look” from Magic officials if he can get the team to at least the second round.
- Amick addresses a few other coaching situations, including Tiago Splitter‘s unique position with the Trail Blazers and Mike Brown‘s Finals-or-bust mandate with the Knicks. Amick also believes pressure has increased on the Sixers’ Nick Nurse and the Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson following Sunday’s playoff losses.
- The Lakers and Timberwolves have experienced terrible injury luck, with L.A. losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves before its series started and Minnesota seeing Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards both suffer significant injuries in Saturday’s game. Amick praises the foresight of the Lakers’ Rob Pelinka and the Wolves’ Tim Connelly for adding depth that gives their teams a chance to survive those losses. Pelinka signed Marcus Smart last summer following a buyout with Washington, then acquired Luke Kennard from Atlanta in February. Connelly made possibly the best deal at this year’s deadline, getting Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago in exchange for two little-used players and a package of second-round picks.