Cooper Flagg all but guaranteed to win first NBA award

One of the most hyped up prospects to ever enter the NBA, Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg heads into his rookie campaign with an otherworldly amount of expectations.

Whether it's the perceived belief that he could end up being voted in as a 2026 All-Star or Stephen A. Smith's claim that his addition to a core already consisting of Anthony Davis and, when healthy, Kyrie Irving makes them the number one threat to the defending champion OKC Thunder, there's no doubt that big things are expected to be on the horizon with the 18-year-old in tow.

The latest prediction regarding Flagg comes from a recent piece penned by ESPN's writing staff, where, unsurprisingly, he was overwhelmingly voted in as the favorite to win this coming season's Rookie of the Year Award.

Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg obvious Rookie of the Year favorite

The publication assembled a group of NBA reporters, editors, and analysts, referred to as the "Summer Forecast panel," to answer some of the league's most pressing questions ahead of the upcoming campaign.

From who is most likely to be crowned as league MVP to what coach should be awarded the Red Auerbach Trophy, the in-the-know panel dove deep into a ton of topics.

When it came to the discussion of the ROY race, there were five players listed and a total of 218 points shelled out -- a first-place vote received five points, a second-place vote received three, and a third-place vote received one.

Needless to say, Flagg totaled the most points with a whopping 121 all to himself, making it not only a ridiculous 55.5 percent of the points allotted in the particular category, but the highest given out in the entire exercise.

Fresh off an epic one-and-done season with the Duke Blue Devils, one where he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks on 48.1 percent shooting from the floor and 38.5 percent shooting from deep while earning National College Player of the Year honors along the way, the wunderkind talent came into the association pegged as one of the most NBA-ready prospects in years.

Now, following a solid Summer League that showcased his overall versatility, coupled with his well-documented elite work ethic, it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of fans and pundits view Flagg as the obvious Rookie of the Year favorite for the 2025-26 season.