The No. 4 Duke Blue Devils take on the No. 20 Clemson Tigers in an important ACC matchup on Saturday. With the NBA in the middle of the All-Star break, Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg decided to attend the game and watch his former college team.
However, the 19-year-old phenom was seen wearing a walking boot on his left foot. According to Dallas-based basketball reporter Grant Efseth, Flagg is dealing with a midfoot sprain. In the clip shared by WYFF News 4 sports anchor Chase Justice, Cooper Flagg does not appear to be in pain as he walks and cuddles with a man upon arriving at the stadium.
"Cooper Flagg is currently wearing a boot while he recovers from a medial left hamstring sprain. The Dallas Mavericks are next scheduled to play Feb. 20 against the Minnesota Timberwolves."
Cooper flag in the building for this 👀 pic.twitter.com/T4Q9U6htuN
- Chase Justice WYFF News 4 (@ChaseJusticeTV) 14 February 2026
With the Mavericks taking on the Timberwolves on Feb. 20, Flagg has less than a week to prepare for action. The former No. 1 pick suffered the injury during Dallas' 138-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 7. If Cooper Flagg returns for the February 20 game against Minnesota, it could mean he has a grade-one midfoot sprain, which is not considered a serious injury.
Despite playing as a small forward and power forward during his time at Duke, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has a flag playing point guard. It's a decision that puts Cooper Flagg in deep trouble and could accelerate his development in the NBA.
In 49 games played so far this season, Flagg has averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest, while shooting 48.2% from the floor and 30.2% from beyond the arc. The Mavericks will monitor Cooper Flagg's left foot in the coming days before announcing his status for the Timberwolves game.
