The Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets will meet on Thursday night with a lot riding on the line. It’s the first meeting of the regular season between Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg, who are the runaway favorites for Rookie of the Year. These teams met in the preseason, but Knueppel was still finding his footing, and now he’s neck-and-neck with Flagg for the prestigious honor.
However, to have a head-to-head battle in the same game, both players have to be available, and Cooper Flagg missed Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as he dealt with an ankle injury that he suffered last week, but they probably didn’t want to stress it in a back-to-back situation.
The Mavericks released their injury report on Thursday afternoon, and Cooper Flagg is completely off the injury report for this game, meaning he is good to go for this game against his college teammate, Kon Knueppel.
Flagg is still the favorite to take home the Rookie of the Year award at -350 on FanDuel, but Knueppel isn’t far behind, currently at +280. And that gap seems to close every day. No one else is even in the ballpark, so this race is going to come down to the former Duke teammates.
Feb 5, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) and guard Kon Knueppel (7) meet prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
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Full Mavericks-Hornets Injury Report
Although Cooper Flagg is back, the Dallas Mavericks are still dealing with a lengthy injury report.
Anthony Davis remains out as he recovers from ligament damage in his left hand, which is expected to keep him out until late February, at least. There’s a chance he’s no longer a Maverick at that point, as the trade deadline is a week away, but there’s not a lot of trade interest in him.
Kyrie Irving is still recovering from his torn ACL, and there’s a chance that he will miss the entire season. The expectation is that he’ll be cleared after the All-Star Break, but with the shape of the team, and 2026 being the last year they have control of their first-round pick until 2031, there’s no sense in rushing him back. They may put him in some games at the end of the year to get back in the flow of things, but it’ll likely be on a heavy restriction.
Dante Exum (right knee surgery) and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) are out for the season. Naji Marshall (rest) is out for this game. Klay Thompson (left knee soreness) missed Wednesday’s game against Minnesota, but he is probable for this game. Brandon Williams (right ankle sprain) is questionable.
For Charlotte, Brandon Miller is probable with left ankle impingement. Grant Williams (right knee injury management) and Mason Plumlee (right groin surgery) are out.
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