The Dallas Mavericks have been slowly waiting for a Cooper Flagg injury update that signals his return to action, and the latest news means the rookie sensation is even closer to getting back on the court with his latest foot injury.
After first being listed as questionable, and then a game-time decision for the Mavericks’ Thursday night game against the Orlando Magic, Flagg is now set to return for Dallas.
“BREAKING: The expectation in Orlando now is that Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg WILL indeed play tonight for the first time in nine games,” NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in a post on X.
While Flagg was set to be out for a longer period, he was upgraded from out to doubtful for Dallas’ last game against the Charlotte Hornets, set for a showdown versus Rookie of the Year award foe and former college teammate Kon Knueppel. Now, after being originally listed as questionable, the rookie will make his return
Is Cooper Flagg Playing Tonight? Mavericks Get New Injury Update
The foot injury has kept Flagg out for nearly a month, as he last played for the Mavericks on February 10th, and missed out on the All-Star Break festivities.
However, first doubtful, then questionable, and now set to return, Flagg will get back on the court after being out with the foot injury for four weeks.
Along with sharing the news about Flagg’s injury status against the Magic, Stein also commented on his status for Dallas‘ Friday night game against the Boston Celtics, in which franchise star Jayson Tatum is expected to make his stunning return from a torn Achilles injury suffered just ten months ago.
“I’m told a determination on Flagg playing Friday at Boston — even if he plays tonight — has yet to be made,” Stein wrote on X.
While Flagg’s injury updates haven’t come often, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd recently commented on the rookie’s status after he was ruled out of the team’s previous game against Charlotte.
“He’s ramping up,” Kidd said. “Everything is going well. Today was to kind of get back in his routine, and hopefully, as we go on this road trip, he can get in and play a game or two.”
With return is set for Thursday, the Mavericks are expected to play Flagg on a minutes restriction against Orlando, per Mike Curtis.
“Cooper Flagg is officially available, Jason Kidd says, and he’ll have a minutes restriction of 20-25 minutes,” he wrote in a post on X.
Flagg is also set to play on Friday against Boston, but will likely be on a similar minutes restriction as Dallas ramps him back up.
In 49 games this season, Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 48.2% shooting.
Cooper Flagg Rookie of the Year Odds
Heading into the season, Flagg was a heavy favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award for 2025-26. Knueppel overtook the Dallas first-year forward for a brief period, but then, after some strong performances, Flagg once again had the highest odds to win the award.
However, since his injury that has sidelined him for eight games, Knueppel is now the Rookie of the Year favorite. Not to say that Flagg hasn’t had a stellar first NBA season, but the Hornets’ wing recently set the rookie three-point record, while becoming the quickest player in league history to reach 200 threes.
Charlotte also has a much better record than Dallas, and while the two look to be the top rookies outright this season, Knueppel has the best odds to win Rookie of the Year. But if Flagg does return to his pre-injury form, the race could come down to the final games of the regular season.
As of March 5th, Knueppel is a -180 favorite to win Rookie of the Year, while Flagg is the underdog at +145 odds, according to DraftKings.
Mavericks Announce Major Cooper Flagg Injury Update For Return Vs. Magic