NBA scouts and executives have praised Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg as "better than advertised" in his debut season. That now earns him a trip to NBA All-Star Weekend.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg finished with 366,881 fan votes for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which ranked 21st in the entire Western Conference and first on the Mavs roster.
“I feel blessed,” Flagg told reporters earlier this month as fan voting went on. “Obviously, to see that is really cool. I feel really honored and really blessed just to see my name up there.”
It wasn't enough to earn the No. 1 overall pick and rookie star a spot on the All-Star roster, but he will still make the trip to Los Angeles and take part in the festivities.
As announced by the NBA on Monday, Flagg has earned a place in the Castrol Rising Stars Game, which spotlights the league's brightest young talent before the big game.
Flagg won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for games played in October, November and December, and he's steadily improved as the season's gone on.
The former Duke Blue Devil holds averages of 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in a Mavs-high 33.8 minutes per game.
"He's better than advertised, if that's possible," said one Western Conference scouting director, via ESPN. Flagg's people in Dallas knew that this latest honor was on its way.
“He’s going to be [at All-Star Weekend] no matter what," said Dallas coach Jason Kidd, who was a 10-time All-Star, earlier this month.
"He’s playing at a high level for a young player. He’s taking on the best defender. He’s trying to help his team win."
Kidd joked that until Flagg gets voted into the "Big Game", he'll have to settle for the "Little Game" comprised of youngsters. His teammates know one day soon he'll move up he keeps playing like he has.
"To be on that list [of All-Stars] speaks volumes to what he’s doing right now," said Anthony Davis, also a 10-time All-Star. “He’s putting the league on notice that’s he’s going to be a multi-selection All-Star for a long time, whether it’s on the bench or starting."
Joining Flagg in the Rising Stars Game is former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, who also has swept Rookie of the Month honors in the Eastern Conference by leading all rooks in scoring just a tick above Cooper at 18.9 points per game.
The annual event showcases the league's "premier young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games," according to NBA.com. A pool of 28 players were announced, with 21 being NBA rookies and sophomores along with seven G-League standouts.
The four teams will be coached by Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Austin Rivers.
The Rising Stars Game will take place on Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. CST on Peacock just after the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. On Saturday, the annual Three-Point and Slam Dunk contests will take place leading up to the 75th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. CST on NBC.
Might Flagg take part in something other than Rising Stars? He isn't shooting the three-ball too well, but he does have a package of highlight-reel dunks ...
"I’m more of an in-game dunker," Flagg said last week about competing in the Slam Dunk contest. "Never say never, but I don’t know if I can really compete."
He'll stick to where he's asked to be as his status in the league continues to be raised higher and higher.
"He's what everyone thought he would be," another personnel director said. "He's 18 years old and closing out games - making shots and making plays to close games. That's just not normal. That's something really special."
