Cooper Flagg finished his rookie season averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 70 games, carrying a 26.4 percent usage rate on a 46.8 percent field goal clip. His three-point shot lagged at 29.5 percent on 3.5 attempts a night, and his lineups swung wildly depending on which bigs shared the floor with him.
The Counting Numbers
Flagg played 33.5 minutes a game across 70 appearances last season, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks. He shot 46.8 percent from the field and 82.7 percent from the free-throw line, but his 3.5 three-point attempts a game fell in at just 29.5 percent. His true shooting sat at 54.8 percent, a number a 19-year-old with that free-throw touch should be able to push higher this season.
Usage Outran Impact
At 26.4 percent usage, Flagg operated as a lead ball-handler for Dallas, turning the ball over 2.3 times a game against a 21.2 percent assist rate. His on-court numbers came back at a 109.5 offensive rating and 114.7 defensive rating, a net of -5.2 that matched the team's overall net rating for last season. The turnovers and the defensive number both need to shrink for that gap to close.
The Lineup Split
Flagg's best five-man unit last season paired him with P. Washington, D. Gafford, B. Williams and M. Christie for a plus-2.2 net rating over 73 minutes. Swap in N. Marshall for Williams and the same core dropped to -0.6 net over 92 minutes. Replace Washington and Gafford with A. Davis, Marshall and R. Nembhard, and the unit collapsed to -10.9 net over 72 minutes. Flagg is not on the injury list entering camp and carries a rookie-scale deal that runs $14.5 million this season to $19.2 million by 2028-29, cheap enough for Dallas to build around him. The verdict: the counting stats are already there, the shot needs volume at a higher percentage, and Dusty May needs those two bigs on the floor with him more than Davis alone.
What were Cooper Flagg's stats last season?
Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 70 games last season, shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from three.
What is Cooper Flagg's contract with the Mavericks?
Flagg is on his rookie-scale deal, paying $14.5 million in 2026-27 and rising to $19.2 million by 2028-29.
