Maine’s Cooper Flagg Returns Tonight for Second NBA Season

Tonight, the Maine Event returns to center stage. Cooper is back!

After a long offseason, Maine native Cooper Flagg and his Dallas Mavericks teammates are ready to kick off the 2026–2027 season tonight on the road in Houston against the Rockets. It will be exciting to see Flagg back on the court after a rookie season in which he took the league by storm.

Flagg did just about everything in his rookie year. He was the unquestioned leader, often playing multiple positions, including point guard, because of consistent holes in the roster. It was a lot to ask of any young player, and asking a 19-year-old rookie to take on that role speaks volumes.

Flagg led the team in scoring (21.0 points per game, which also ranked in the top 25 in the league), ranked fourth in rebounding (6.7), second in assists (4.5), and first in steals (1.2). Those numbers improved throughout the year as the young rookie found his footing in the competitive league.

His performance was also good enough to earn him the 2025–2026 NBA Rookie of the Year award, beating out V.J. Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers and his former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets. He became the first Dallas Mavericks player to win the award since Luka Dončić in 2019.

What is New with the Dallas Mavericks This Year?

So, what will year two bring for the Newport native? For starters, there's the return of star point guard Kyrie Irving, who had been sidelined for the last 19 months due to a major ACL tear. Getting an All-Star point guard back should be a huge boost. The Mavs will also once again rely on P.J. Washington to be one of the team's top scorers, as Dallas hopes to take the next step in its progression and make the playoffs.

However, the biggest story will, of course, be Flagg's continued development and whether he's ready to become a perennial All-Star. If year one was any indication of what's to come, I'd say there's a very good possibility.

How Can I Watch Cooper Flagg Tonight?

Tipoff for the Houston-Dallas game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. The game isn't nationally televised, but viewers can sign up for a free trial of NBA League Pass.

Here Are All the Awards Maine's Cooper Flagg Won at Duke

Newport native Cooper Flagg had one of the best freshman seasons we have ever seen in college basketball. Here's a closer look at the awards the Duke forward won.

Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka