When the 2025-2026 NBA season tipped off, the Rookie of the Year award was widely viewed as a foregone conclusion. Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, heralded as a generational prospect and selected with the number one overall draft pick, was the overwhelming favorite. However, as the regular season enters its final two months, a fierce challenger has emerged from a familiar place: Flagg’s former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel.
Drafted fourth overall by the Charlotte Hornets, Knueppel is currently putting together the most productive rookie campaign in franchise history. He is doing so by launching a historic assault on the NBA’s perimeter record books. In late February, Knueppel officially set a new benchmark for the most three-pointers made in a season by a rookie, eclipsing the previous record of 206 set by Keegan Murray in 2023. Astonishingly, Knueppel reached the milestone in just 59 games—21 fewer games than it took Murray.
Knueppel’s perimeter dominance has forced the basketball world to rethink the rookie hierarchy. Flagg has been exceptional for Dallas when healthy, averaging roughly 20 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. However, Flagg’s three-point shooting sits at just 29 percent, and he has recently missed time due to injury.
By contrast, Knueppel is averaging a highly comparable 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, while boasting vastly superior shooting efficiency. The Charlotte wing is shooting nearly 49 percent from the floor and 44 percent from beyond the arc on exceptionally high volume. In fact, Knueppel and reigning MVP Nikola Jokić are the only two players in the NBA this season to average at least 15 points and five rebounds while shooting over 42 percent from three-point range.
The contrasting team trajectories have also bolstered Knueppel’s case. While the Mavericks have struggled to stay in the Western Conference playoff picture, the Hornets have surged. Behind Knueppel’s historic shooting and the playmaking of LaMelo Ball, Charlotte recently pushed their record above .500, thrusting themselves into the Eastern Conference play-in hunt.
This combination of individual efficiency, historical milestones, and team success has officially shifted the narrative. Major sportsbooks have adjusted their lines, positioning Knueppel as the new odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, a stunning reversal from the preseason expectations.
Despite the intense competition for the hardware, the two former college roommates remain close. Knueppel recently noted that he and Flagg stay in regular communication, though they rarely discuss the award race, focusing instead on their shared basketball philosophy. Regardless of who ultimately lifts the trophy, the NBA is witnessing a spectacular rookie duel that will likely define the league’s next generation of talent.
