- Former Duke teammates Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg are the early standouts in the 2025-26 NBA rookie class.
- Knueppel and Flagg were named the rookies of the month for November in their respective conferences.
- Other rookies like Jeremiah Fears, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey are also making a significant impact.
They were college roommates and Duke teammates who were both selected in the top five of the 2025 NBA Draft, and it appears Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel and Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg are starting to distance themselves from the pack of rookies already making an impact during the 2025-26 season.
They have been the two best rookies in the NBA now that most teams have completed at least 25% of their schedule, with each earning rookie of the month honors for November in their respective conferences. Knueppel revealed during a recent appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jimmy Fallon that Flagg even texted him about the coincidence of two roommates getting the rookie of the month award at the same time.
But there are plenty of other players showing out in their first season in the NBA. Jeremiah Fears of the New Orleans Pelicans, Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs and Ace Bailey of the Utah Jazz all rose in the USA TODAY Sports NBA rookie rankings this week after encouraging stretches, and players such as Pelicans center Derik Queen and undrafted Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard are coming on strong.
Here’s a breakdown of how all the rookies stack up now that the 2025-26 NBA season has reached December:
NBA rookie rankings
Stats as of games played on Dec. 3; NBA Rookie of the Year odds as of 10 a.m. ET on Dec. 4, courtesy of BetMGM.
On the bubble: Sion James, Egor Demin, Ryan Nembhard, Collin Murray-Boyles, Shaq Powell
10. Will Richard, Golden State Warriors
- Last ranked: 8
- Stats: 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +50,000
Richard’s efficiency numbers continue to impress, playing rotation minutes for a veteran team, though he’s been in-and-out of Golden State’s starting lineup in recent games. The second-round pick from Florida ranks among the top five rookies this season in PER, plus/minus, offensive and defensive rating and field goal percentage.
9. Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
- Last ranked: Not ranked
- Stats: 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +12,500
Bailey’s insertion into the starting lineup in Utah has coincided with an encouraging uptick in performance by the top-five pick. After a terrible start to the season shooting the ball, Bailey is averaging 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, two assists and 1.3 steals per game since Nov. 7 while shooting better than 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range.
8. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets
- Last ranked: 6
- Stats: 9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +25,000
The second-round pick is still a steal for the Hornets, shooting nearly 80% from the field and ranking among the top five in the NBA in blocks. Though he’s also tied for the lead in rebounding among rookies, his issues clearing the glass defensively need to be cleaned up after a rough couple of weeks of mostly ineffective performances. It doesn’t help that Kalkbrenner left Wednesday’s loss to the New York Knicks with an ankle injury.
7. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
- Last ranked: 7
- Stats: 12.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +1400
The good performances are beginning to happen more frequently than the bad ones for Queen, who averaged 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and nearly 5 assists per game over the past two weeks. That stretch began with a 30-point performance facing Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 19. He has the third-best rookie of the year odds, according to BetMGM.
6. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
- Last ranked: Not ranked
- Stats: 13.6 points, 3.5 assists, 3 rebounds
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +10,000
Harper returned from injury after missing three weeks of action and picked up where he left off as a valuable and efficient asset off the Spurs bench. He followed up a 17-point performance against Minnesota with 15 points and six assists in a win over the Grizzlies and 16 points and five assists in a win over the Orlando Magic this week.
5. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
- Last ranked: 4
- Stats: 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +3000
Edgecombe hasn’t yet recaptured his October shooting form since returning on a minutes restriction from a three-game hiatus due to a calf injury. But he filled the stat sheet with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals in a win over the Washington Wizards in his most recent outing.
4. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
- Last ranked: 2
- Stats: 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +3500
Coward’s shooting has gone cold in recent games after a blistering start to his rookie campaign, but he remains a defensive asset for the Grizzlies on these off nights. He ranks among the top-five rookies in offensive and defensive rating, as well as plus/minus and player efficiency rating.
3. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
- Last ranked: 5
- Stats: 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +6600
Some of Fears’ advanced metrics aren’t pretty because of how poorly this Pelicans season is going, but he’s been perhaps the most consistent rookie on the offensive end. Fears has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and just had his first back-to-back 20-point performances.
2. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
- Last ranked: 3
- Stats: 17.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: -150
Flagg keeps rising in these rankings and remains the NBA Rookie of the Year favorite after another solid two-week stretch on both sides of the floor. The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft has the best defensive efficiency numbers among rookies and his offensive game is back in form after a slow start. Flagg just had back-to-back-to-back games in which he scored 35, 24 and 22 points to help lead the Mavericks to wins.
1. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
- Last ranked: 1
- Stats: 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +115
Knueppel keeps the top spot in the rookie rankings over his former Duke teammate because he keeps producing for the Hornets. He leads all rookies in points and 3-point shooting, while showcasing a more diverse game than analysts expected coming out of the draft. His ascension to begin this season even led to a recent appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jimmy Fallon.