Cooper Flagg: Salary, Stats, Biography & NBA Rookie Guide

Few things capture the NBA’s imagination quite like a teenager from a small Maine town walking onto the biggest stage and immediately becoming the face of a franchise. That’s the story of Cooper Flagg, the 6’9″ forward who went from leading Nokomis Regional High School to a state title to being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.

Height: 6’9″ ·
Weight: 205 lbs ·
Position: Small Forward ·
Team: Dallas Mavericks ·
Draft: 2025 #1 overall ·
Age (2026): 19

How much does Cooper Flagg make a year?

Cooper Flagg’s rookie contract with the Dallas Mavericks is a four-year deal worth a reported $62,730,226, according to BasketNews (basketball news outlet). That breaks down to an average annual salary of $15,682,557 over the life of the contract. But the yearly figures aren’t equal — they ramp up each season under the NBA’s rookie salary scale.

What is the rookie salary scale for the #1 pick?

• 2025-26 base salary: $13,825,920 (Spotrac (sports contract database))
• Year 2 (2026-27): approximately $14.5 million (projected from scale)
• Year 3 (team option): approximately $15.2 million (Sportskeeda)
• Year 4 (team option): approximately $19.1 million (Sportskeeda)

The NBA’s rookie scale is a fixed pay chart tied to draft position — the higher the pick, the larger the starting salary. For the 2025 class, that scale produced a top-slot value higher than in previous years because of a rising salary cap, as CBS Sports (sports news authority) reported. Flagg’s first-year salary of about $13.8 million aligns with that projection.

How does his salary compare to other rookies?

• No. 1 pick (Flagg): ~$13.8M in Year 1
• No. 2 pick: roughly $12.4M in Year 1
• No. 5 pick: roughly $6.6M in Year 1
• Late first-round pick: ~$2-3M in Year 1

The Hoops Rumors (NBA contract tracker) list of 2025 first-round rookie scale salaries confirms Flagg at the top of the ladder. The implication: being the No. 1 pick doesn’t just mean draft glory — it means Flagg earns roughly double what the No. 5 pick makes in his first year.

Why is Cooper Flagg so famous?

Flagg’s fame didn’t start with the NBA draft — it began in a small gym in Newport, Maine, where a 6’9″ teenager with a handle and a jumper looked like he’d been misplaced from a future All-Star game. He became a national name largely because of what he accomplished before he could legally drive.

What achievements made him a national name?

• McDonald’s All-American (2024): One of the highest honors in high school basketball. Flagg was selected to the prestigious roster in his senior year at Montverde Academy (ESPN).
• First freshman Maine Gatorade Player of the Year: In 2021, he became the first freshman ever to win the state’s top player award (ESPN).
• Led Nokomis Regional to state title (2021): As a freshman, he carried his small-town school to a Maine Class A state championship (ESPN).
• Drafted #1 overall (2025): The Dallas Mavericks selected him with the top pick, cementing his status as a generational prospect (Spotrac).

How did his high school career lead to fame?

Flagg’s high school arc follows a now-familiar pattern for elite prospects: start at a local public school (Nokomis Regional), dominate, transfer to a national prep powerhouse (Montverde Academy in Florida), then dominate at a higher level. But his Maine roots made him unusual. Most top-5 prospects come from established basketball hotspots like Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles. Flagg came from a town of roughly 3,000 people. That underdog origin story, combined with his jaw-dropping athleticism, made him a media darling long before the draft.

Is Cooper Flagg gf?

Yes. Cooper Flagg’s girlfriend is Arianna Roberson, a 6’4″ center for the Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team. Their relationship is publicly known and has been covered by basketball media outlets.

Who is Arianna Roberson?

• Height: 6’4″ (ESPN player profile context)
• Position: Center for Duke women’s basketball
• Connection to Flagg: Both attended Montverde Academy at overlapping times

What is her basketball career?

Roberson is a highly rated recruit in her own right, committed to Duke’s women’s program. Her size and skill set make her a notable prospect, though she’s early in her college career. The couple’s shared basketball background — both played at Montverde Academy in Florida — offers a natural connection that fans and media have noted.

Are Cooper and Ace Flagg identical twins?

No — Cooper and his twin brother Ace are fraternal, not identical. The distinction matters because casual fans often assume twins share the same physical profile and career trajectory. In this case, they don’t.

What are the differences between Cooper and Ace?

• Cooper Flagg: 6’9″, 205 lbs, small forward, No. 1 overall NBA draft pick
• Ace Flagg: Reportedly shorter and less physically developed; also a basketball player
• Key difference: Fraternal twins share about 50% of their DNA (like any siblings), not the nearly identical DNA of identical twins

Ace Flagg’s basketball career

Ace Flagg is also a basketball player. Like Cooper, he played at Montverde Academy. But he hasn’t reached the same level of national prominence — the elite NBA prospect status his brother achieved. Both brothers were part of the same high school program, but Cooper’s physical gifts and skills separated him as a once-in-a-generation talent. For fans asking “is Ace as good as Cooper?” — the answer, so far, is no. And that’s fine. One superstar per family is still an extraordinary outcome.

Who is the lowest paid NBA player?

While Cooper Flagg earns roughly $13.8 million in his rookie season, the lowest paid NBA players earn significantly less — typically the league minimum salary or a two-way contract.

How much does the lowest paid NBA player earn?

• League minimum (2024-25): Approximately $1.1 million for a rookie (Spotrac)
• Two-way contract: About $559,782 per season (the NBA’s two-way salary)
• Veteran minimum: Ranges from $2.0M to $3.3M depending on years of service

How does Cooper Flagg’s salary compare?

Flagg’s $13.8 million first-year salary is roughly 12.5 times the league minimum for a rookie. Even the lowest paid NBA player — someone on a two-way deal who splits time between the NBA and the G League — earns about $560,000. That’s life-changing money for almost anyone, but it’s a tiny fraction of what Flagg takes home. The trade-off: Flagg carries the pressure of being the No. 1 pick, while a two-way player can develop with far less scrutiny.

Timeline: Cooper Flagg’s path to the NBA

Six key dates that trace Flagg’s journey from a small-town Maine kid to the No. 1 overall pick.

The pattern: Flagg hit every major milestone early — freshman state champion, first freshman to win a state Gatorade award, McDonald’s All-American, No. 1 pick. For scouts and fans, the only question now is whether that early dominance translates to the NBA.

Frequently asked questions

For the Dallas Mavericks and their fans, the choice is clear: invest in Flagg’s development, or risk watching a generational talent grow into a superstar on someone else’s roster. With $28.3 million already guaranteed and team options on years three and four, the Mavs have both the incentive and the leverage to build around their small-town Maine prodigy.