Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Once Again Named Rookies Of Month
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and Hornets wing Kon Knueppel have once again been named the Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in January, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Flagg and Knueppel, who were Duke teammates last season, have monopolized the award this season, gaining those monthly honors three consecutive times. No one else has won it this season, as the months of October and November were combined.
Flagg, the top overall pick, averaged 20.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last month. He capped off the month with a 49-point eruption against Charlotte and 34 points against Houston.
Knueppel averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night in January. He scored a season-high 34 points in the same game Flagg scored 49.
Ace Bailey (Jazz), Cedric Coward (Grizzlies), Caleb Love (Trail Blazers) and Derik Queen (Pelicans) were the other Western Conference nominees. Egor Demin (Nets), VJ Edgecombe (Sixers), Tre Johnson (Wizards) and Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors) were also nominated in the East.
New York Notes: Knicks’ Mentality, Bitadze, Towns, Demin
The Knicks are embracing a “bunker mentality” as the trade deadline approaches, head coach Mike Brown said on Friday. New York has been mentioned prominently as a possible destination for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“We understand that we have no control over the noise out there, so we have to have a bunker mentality. Not just at the trade deadline but all the time because there is a lot of noise out there,” Brown said, per Ian Begley of SNY. “We’re all human and you try not to listen to it – you just try to stay together. You keep moving forward, trying to get better as the days go along and I think that’s what this group is trying to do.”
We have more on the New York teams:
- Goga Bitadze could be a potential trade target for the Knicks as a backup big, according to Begley. Bitadze has fallen out of the Magic‘s rotation and New York had strong interest in him last offseason, Begley notes. Second-year Pelicans center Yves Missi has also been rumored as a target for the Knicks.
- Karl-Anthony Towns , one of the players who might be on the move if the Knicks make a blockbuster trade, has done his best to block out the noise. He has pulled down 20-plus rebounds in back-to-back games. The Knicks blew out Portland for their fifth straight victory. “To me, that’s what great players do,” Brown said. “They impact the game in a lot of different ways and for him to have 22 against Toronto, and 20 tonight, double-double, it was huge. Six of those were offensive rebounds and we beat them 20-9 (on the offensive glass) and they’re a very, very good offensive rebounding team.” Jalen Brunson appreciates KAT’s hard work. “The rebounding, what he’s been doing these past couple of games has been great,” he said, per Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “We need that from him, that’s what he brings to the table. Offensively, when the ball’s not going in as much as it should be, he finds a way to impact the game. I think that’s really important for us. Big-time performance for him.”
- The Nets went with a very young lineup on Friday in Utah and it paid off. Egor Demin, who attended BYU, recorded 25 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double, as the Nets snapped a seven-game losing streak by defeating the Jazz. “It means a lot,” Demin said in an on-court interview, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “It’s the first second game of a back-to-back we’ve won, the first [win] without Mike. He’s a big, big, big part of our team, but we’ve got to be able to function without him, too. So that win means a lot, especially for me being back home I can say so. It’s pretty fun.” Fellow rookies Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf were also in the starting five.
Flagg, Knueppel, Edgecombe Among Rising Stars Participants
The 2026 Rising Stars event will feature 11 sophomores, 10 rookies and seven G League representatives, the NBA announced in a press release. The mini-tournament will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on February 13.
Here’s the full list of participants:
Rookies
- Cedric Coward, Grizzlies
- Dylan Harper, Spurs
- Egor Dёmin, Nets
- Tre Johnson, Wizards
- VJ Edgecombe, Sixers
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets
- Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors
- Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
- Derik Queen, Pelicans
Sophomores
- Matas Buzelis, Bulls
- Alex Sarr, Wizards
- Stephon Castle, Spurs
Reed Sheppard, Rockets- Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers
- Cam Spencer, Grizzlies
- Kyshawn George, Wizards
- Jaylon Tyson, Cavaliers
- Ajay Mitchell, Thunder
- Kel’el Ware, Heat
- Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies
G League
- Sean East II, Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz‘s affiliate)
- Alijah Martin, Raptors 905
- Ron Harper Jr., Maine Celtics
- Tristen Newton, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets‘ affiliate)
- David Jones Garcia, Austin Spurs
- Yang Hansen, Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers‘ affiliate)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, San Diego Clippers
All 10 of the rookies — headlined by No. 1 overall pick Flagg, No. 3 Edgecombe, and No. 4 Knuppel — were lottery selections in last year’s draft, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). By contrast, only five of the sophomores were lottery picks, with three being first-rounders outside of the lottery and three picked in the second round.
NBA assistant coaches selected the 21 rookies and sophomores, according to the release, and those players will be drafted onto three different seven-player teams on Tuesday at 6:00 pm CT on Peacock. Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will draft and be the “honorary coaches” of the three squads, while Austin Rivers will be the honorary coach for the G League representatives.
The four actual head coaches will be assistants from the All-Star game coaching staffs.
Six of the seven players representing the G League are actually on NBA contracts: Yang (No. 16) and Niederhauser (No. 30) were 2025 first-round picks, while Martin, Harper, Newton and Garcia are on two-way deals with their respective clubs. East, who played in Canada and Romania last season, is the lone player on an actual G League contract after Utah waived him in the fall.
Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, is the younger brother of Ron Harper Jr. Both players are the sons of longtime NBA guard Ron Harper, who won five championships with the Bulls and Lakers.
As for the tournament itself, the four teams will face off in a single-elimination semifinal, with the two winners competing in the final. The semifinal is first to 40 points, whereas the final will be first to 25.
And-Ones: Bediako, All-Stars, Rookies, Team-Friendly Deals
Charles Bediako‘s bid to rejoin Alabama’s men’s basketball team more than two years after he was on a two-way contract with an NBA team could have major ramifications, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who notes that NBA clubs will likely be keeping a close eye on the case.
As we outlined on Wednesday, Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to rejoin the Crimson Tide for the rest of the 2025/26 season after spending two years with Alabama from 2021-23. Since going undrafted in 2023, the big man has signed three Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams, including one that the Spurs converted into a two-way deal in the fall of ’23.
Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction.
If Bediako ultimately prevails in his bid for NCAA eligibility, it may necessitate adjustments to the NBA’s draft eligibility rules, Vecenie notes, since there would be nothing stopping players from declaring for the draft after their freshman seasons, then returning to college as NBA free agents if they go undrafted. In that scenario, a player who has a breakout sophomore year could theoretically leave his college program to sign with an NBA team halfway through a season.
Vecenie suggests that the NBA might have to create a new rule stating that an undrafted player who returns to college would reenter the draft pool for the following year. He also wonders if the changing nature of NCAA eligibility rules could result in NBA teams essentially treating college programs like a form of minor leagues — for instance, could the Lakers draft a player and then have him play at a nearby school like UCLA or USC for developmental purposes before he signs an NBA contract?
We have more from around the basketball world:
- A panel of NBA reporters and analysts from ESPN considered whether there are any obvious snubs among this season’s All-Star starters and explored which players deserve to be selected as reserves, while a group of reporters at The Athletic conducted a similar exercise. The general consensus was that there were no egregious mistakes among the first 10 All-Star choices, though Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell would have been worthy starters.
- Arguing that Kon Knueppel has been underappreciated so far this season, ESPN’s Zach Kram places the Hornets wing atop his latest rookie rankings, ahead of Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg at No. 2. Wizards guard Tre Johnson (eighth) and Nets guard Egor Demin (10th) are new additions to Kram’s top 10 since his previous update.
- Which contracts are the NBA’s most team-friendly? Ruling out maximum-salary deals and rookie deals for recently drafted players, Keith Smith of Spotrac shares his top-25 list, headlined by Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN has handed out midseason grades for all 30 NBA teams, with four clubs earning an A: the Celtics, Pistons, Suns, and Spurs.
Atlantic Notes: Shead, Nets Streak, Traore, Shamet
The Raptors‘ Jamal Shead has emerged as one of the top backup point guards in the league and he could be deserving of even more playing time, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Shead finished with 15 points and a career-best 13 assists in a loss to the Clippers on Friday.
“He’s amazing, he wants everyone to succeed,” fellow guard Gradey Dick said. “And he has our backs. He has my back and I have his. And I feel like when you have a point guard like that, it’s super motivational … and I feel like what people don’t talk about enough is just the selflessness. He wants everyone to win. I had just missed a shot right there and he’s one of the first guys to come up and say, ‘Stay right there. The way they’re playing their defense, you’re going to be open for another one,’ and that was one of the next plays.”
Shead is also a bargain. The club holds a $2,296,271 option on his contract for next season, which will undoubtedly be exercised.
Here’s more on the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets snapped a five-game losing streak on Friday but it didn’t come easy. They blew a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead before a late Michael Porter Jr. basket put away the Bulls. “The lesson is that there’s no safe lead in the NBA. Teams will always punch back,” coach Jordi Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Give them credit. But at the end of the day, responding is important because when things go against you and then the other team takes the lead, it may seem like a big mountain in front of you. And the guys kept composure, scored when we needed to. Mike with a big bucket and then the stop.”
- Fernandez made an interesting personnel decision on Friday, riding Nolan Traore instead of lottery pick Egor Demin at the point during crunch time, Lewis notes. Traore finished with seven assists. “I’m very happy with both. I’m very happy with how they play, how selfless they play, their intentions,” Fernandez said. “That’s how you learn and get better. I know (Demin’s) not happy if I take him out of the game. That’s what I hope. And then from there, I know he can bring that level of physicality to guard, to switch, to guard bigger guys, to get into the paint. And then everything else that his superpowers are shooting the ball and finding the 3-point line. I know that that’s there.”
- Landry Shamet returned from a 25-game absence and scored six points in 16 minutes for the Knicks in their loss to the Warriors on Thursday night. Shamet, who is on a one-year, minimum salary contract, was sidelined with a shoulder injury. “He worked his tail off. Landry, he’s a worker, man,” Knicks coach Mike Brown told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “He was getting after it. It means a lot for him to play. He was in a great rhythm before he (got hurt). He’s been out a while. It’s going to take some time for him to get back. But it’s exciting for him to be back and we’re going to be patient with him while he’s fighting to get back to where he was.”
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named December’s Rookies Of The Month
For a second consecutive month, former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter link).
Flagg, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, averaged 23.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 35.5 minutes per game in 13 outings this past month for the Mavericks, making 51.6% of his shots from the floor and 80.8% from the free throw line.
While Dallas still hasn’t looked like a playoff team – the Mavs went 6-7 in December – Flagg is showing why he was the consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft class and is considered one of the best rookies to enter the NBA in the past decade. He’s the NBA’s youngest player, having turned 19 on December 21.
Although Flagg has taken over as the betting favorite in the Rookie of the Year race, that’s through no fault of Knueppel, who showed no signs of slowing down after his hot start to the season. In 12 games in December, the Hornets sharpshooter averaged 20.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 4.2 APG, with an outstanding .500/.462/.903 shooting line.
Only Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry have made more three-pointers so far this season than Knueppel, who knocked down 4.0 per game in December and now has 117 on the season.
Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward, Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard, Pelicans big man Derik Queen, and Kings center Maxime Raynaud were also nominated for the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, while Nets guard Egor Demin, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Wizards guard Tre Johnson were nominated in the East (Twitter link).
Nets Notes: Thomas, Winning Streak, Bench, Demin
Nets guard Cam Thomas admitted a couple days ago that there would likely be an adjustment period when he returned to action on Saturday, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After a terrible 0-7 start to the season with Thomas in the lineup, Brooklyn had been playing better in the 24-year-old’s absence, going 9-12 over the past several weeks, including the November 5 win over Indiana in which Thomas was limited to just six minutes after straining his left hamstring.
“Every team adjusts when a certain player goes out,” said Thomas. “We’ll figure it out. Just go out there and play ball. It’s not rocket science. We just go out there, figure out who’s out there together and figure out how to play amongst each other.
“It’s been a while. … Obviously, it’s going to be a learning curve for a few games, but we’ll figure it out quick. We’re pros, we’ll figure it out. So, just going to make it back on the court and play, figure it out and just try to keep stacking wins.”
However, Thomas showed zero signs of rust — or trouble fitting in — as he lit up the Timberwolves for 30 points in 20 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s win at Minnesota, Lewis writes in another story. The impending free agent shot 9-of-15 from the floor and was 9-for-9 at three throw line while chipping in four assists (against zero turnovers) and three rebounds.
Thomas, who was a game-high plus-27, said he was happy to be playing again and to help the team get a win, Lewis notes. Head coach Jordi Fernandez praised Thomas’ performance.
“[I liked] his mindset. He let the game come to him. He assisted, zero turnovers being a simple play every time. And I’m pretty sure the potential assists were high because he made the right play over and over and over,” Fernandez said. “Sometimes you cannot control if those are going to be assists, but you just play the right way. And going to the free throw line, and as efficient as it was, it was just really impressive.
“We have to be careful with the amount of minutes we play him. And knowing that he had a short amount of minutes and using them efficiently, efficiently for the team. He just played, once again, the right play every time: whether it was to score against the line or pass waters. So, very clean game, very connected to his teammates, talking to them, telling them what to do. That’s it.”
We have more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets have now won a season-high three straight games and seven of their past 10 after picking up a road victory against a Minnesota team that had gone 10-3 in its last 13 contests, according to Lewis. The Nets surprisingly have the league’s top-ranked defense in December, Lewis notes. “When you’ve got Mike [Michael Porter Jr.] playing the level he’s playing out right now, throwing a Cam Thomas in the fold, and you have us defending the way that we are, we’re extremely [tough],” Nic Claxton said. “We’re going to be an extremely tough team to beat every night. We’re gonna compete, because those are two extremely gifted scores. And we’ve got shooters around. We’ve got me, Day’Ron [Sharpe] at the rim. So we’ve got a lot of different options, a lot to build off of.”
- While Thomas was the top performer, Brooklyn’s bench also received solid contributions from first-round picks Nolan Traore, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf as well as fifth-year center Sharpe in outscoring Minnesota’s second unit 62-33, as C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News relays.
- Fernandez has been pleased with the lottery pick Egor Demin‘s progress so far this season, but he’s constantly pushing the 19-year-old to keep improving, per Holmes. “I think he’s more comfortable,” Fernandez said. “I think he always played like he belongs, and that’s been great. I remember since that preseason game in Toronto. He played and showed right away why we were so high on him and how he handled himself. It’s not just about the shot making but also seeing the floor and his ability to get deflections and rebounds and all those things. We’ve seen how much better he’s gotten from Day 1… We still want to see more and better. And that goes not just for him, but everybody else on the roster.”
Nets Notes: Porter, Trade Possibilities, Demin, Traore
Michael Porter Jr. might be too good to keep on the roster if the Nets intend to tank, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Porter, who has been an offensive force since he was acquired in an offseason trade with Denver, poured in 28 points in Tuesday’s win at Philadelphia.
It was the latest in a string of impressive performances by Porter, but it’s not what Brooklyn needs if it intends to maximize the value of its first-round pick as owner Joe Tsai suggested early in the season. Sources told Lewis that philosophy hasn’t changed, so Porter may have to be dealt or shut down at some point.
Porter has a long medical history that includes herniated discs, three back surgeries, a damaged peroneal nerve and “foot drop,” which requires him to wear a brace while playing. He’s under contract for one more season at $40.8MM, and Lewis suggests he might have more value to a contender than he would as a long-term piece for the Nets to build around.
Lewis cites the Pistons and Bucks as potential trade partners. Detroit can offer a first-round pick, Tobias Harris‘ $26.6MM expiring contract and another piece such as Caris LeVert, Ron Holland or Jaden Ivey, while Milwaukee could trade its first-rounder in 2031 or 2032, along with Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis.
A source tells Lewis that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is determined to turn around the season after a slow start and is “not interested in rebuilding in any form or fashion.” Lewis proposes a deal sending Porter and Cam Thomas to L.A. in exchange for an unprotected 2032 first-rounder, John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Rookie guard Egor Demin continues to respond well to challenges from coach Jordi Fernandez, Lewis states in a separate story. Demin turned in one of his best games with 20 points, five assists and two rebounds in Tuesday’s win, and he ranks second among rookies by hitting at least four three-pointers in six games, answering pre-draft concerns about his outside shot. “Egor is a kid that cares so much about doing the right thing the whole time. Obviously it stands out, his size for his position and ability to shoot the ball and share the ball,” Fernandez said. “He does a great job finding the three-point line for his teammates and shooting the three himself, but he’s done a much better job being aggressive getting into the paint. When he’s finished aggressive at the rim, he’s done a great job.”
- In another piece, Lewis examines how the Nets were able to turn around a defense that was headed toward being the worst in NBA history.
- Nolan Traore may get more NBA opportunities after scoring eight points in Sunday’s win over Toronto, per Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. The Nets have brought the 19-year-old French point guard along slowly, playing him mostly in the G League so far. “He did a great job overall. (It) looked like all the minutes he’s played (on) Long Island right now are paying off,” Fernandez said. “And now he came here with a lot of confidence, and this is what it’s all about. Minutes are the best coach to develop you. And he took advantage of those minutes (on) Long Island, and now he’s taking advantage of his minutes here, and he was a big part of us winning this game.”
Nets Notes: 45-Point Win, Hetzel, Demin, Powell, Porter, Rookies
The Nets didn’t look anything like a tanking team in Sunday’s 127-82 win over Milwaukee, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 45-point margin tied the record for the largest victory in franchise history, and it provided the first career win for assistant Steve Hetzel, who was filling in because head coach Jordi Fernandez was ill.
“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Just watching how well we played as a team. Normally, (Michael Porter Jr.) has been carrying us offensively, and then you see how spread out the points are. … I don’t think anybody that stepped on the court played poorly,” Hetzel said. “It was a great feeling.”
It was the fourth win in six games for Brooklyn, which has recovered from an 0-7 start to move to within three games of a play-in spot. Four of the team’s five first-round picks played significant roles in the game, and Milwaukee was held scoreless for the final 7:04.
“You hold any team to no points for six minutes, that’s elite,” Noah Clowney said. “This is the NBA. You don’t do that often to anybody. … That’s probably the best form of hoops when everybody eats and everybody’s playing well, everybody’s making shots. It’s just a good camaraderie.”
- Rookies Egor Demin and Drake Powell both responded with quality performances after being criticized by Fernandez following Friday’s loss to Dallas, Lewis states in a separate story. Demin had 17 points in 25 minutes, while Powell came off the bench for 13 points in 23 minutes. “(Fernandez) challenged Egor, he challenged Drake, and they both responded beautifully, with an edge,” Hetzel said. “It’s another step in their progression. They took a big step in having a bad game and then responding. And that’s what the NBA’s all about. You play 82 of them. You got to be quick to forget about the last one, move on and play better, which they both did.”
- Porter has tended to carry the scoring load in his first season with Brooklyn, but Fernandez is concerned that isn’t the best approach for his young team, Lewis adds in another piece. While the veteran forward had 34 points on Friday, the Nets’ other players couldn’t respond when Dallas started sending multiple defenders at him in the fourth quarter. “We kept looking at Mike instead of using him and others taking or making the shot,” Fernandez said. “You can control if you take a good shot, you cannot control if it goes in.”
- Hetzel serves as the Brooklyn’s Summer League coach, so he has extensive experience dealing with the team’s rookies, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Before Sunday’s game, he offered his thoughts on each of them and the progress they’ve made since the draft.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, George, Martin, Wolf, Demin
Joel Embiid has produced well below his career rates for most of the season, but he flashed his former Most Valuable Player form on Friday, pouring in 39 points in the Sixers‘ 10-point win over Indiana.
“He’s worked at it,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “The practices this week have helped. His own individual work away from practice has helped. I think him being able to do all of that is a great sign that he’s starting to feel good. I have always said that he’s best when he’s driving. I think he drove a lot to draw fouls early. The best thing was his variety. The 39 points were great, but they came with him scoring through a lot of different schemes. He read the different stuff most of the night, pretty good.”
Friday’s game was the Sixers first in five days, and Embiid believes his knees have held up better when he has more time in between appearances.
“I feel good,” Embiid said. “I’ve been able to be consistent, and that’s the big thing. I’ve been able to do the same thing over and over again this week and not have to take a break. I’ve talked about this before, but the plan of having me play a game and then having two days off seems to be working. So, I’ve been able to get on the court and do a lot of work.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nurse has increasingly used Paul George as a point forward, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. George has racked up 13 assists over the last three games. “I’m comfortable with the ball,” George said. “I think more than anything, it’s just continue to prove to myself and remain confident as I continue to trust my body and gain confidence on the floor that my body can still produce. So it’s just adding to the confidence, and just chipping away at the work put into this season so far to get ready for this season.”
- Earlier this week, Raptors two-way player Alijah Martin is the G League’s most recent Player of the Week, per the NBA (Twitter link). Martin averaged 26.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in three Raptors 905 wins. This year’s No. 39 overall pick has appeared in just two games with the NBA team.
- Nets rookie big man Danny Wolf had 17 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Dallas on Friday. He’s averaging 13.5 PPG in his last six outings. Wolf benefited from a stint in the G League, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “When he had the opportunity to play with Long Island, he took advantage of his minutes,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And now that he’s in the rotation, he’s taking advantage of his minutes. So I’m very happy with him. He’s a special player because at his size he can do so many different things. And still trying to figure it out because he’s showing me what he’s capable of doing. He’s capable of doing a lot of things — good things.”
- Another Nets rookie, Egor Demin, only played two-plus minutes in the fourth quarter on Friday as the team fell apart in crunch time, Lewis notes. “He was trying to fix mistakes by trying to make things happen. And this is not how you want to do things,” Fernandez said. “I need him to play with better readiness and better physicality. And this is not the way that the team needs him to play. So, he’s got to be better. Otherwise, the minutes are going to go down, and somebody else will take advantage. I know he cares; he’s always responded and punched back. So, he’s way better than what he performed.”