The Dallas Mavericks have been playing without their standout rookie star Cooper Flagg for the past seven games. Flagg had earlier suffered a left foot sprain during a match against the Phoenix Suns on February 10.
However, he is now expected to get a chance to play against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday after being listed as 'doubtful' on the official injury report. According to a post on X by Mark Stein, the flag's status has been upgraded to 'Out'.
The Mavericks have officially listed Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain) as questionable for Tuesday's game against fellow Rookie of the Year top contender Kon Nueppel in Charlotte.
Doubtful has been at least one step above the flag's outright OUT classification for the last seven games. https://t.co/0cHy8vHhWb
- Mark Stein (@TheSteinLine) 2 March 2026
“The Mavericks have officially listed Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain) as questionable for Tuesday's game against fellow Rookie of the Year top contender Kon Nueppel in Charlotte.
Suspect is at least one step above the outright OUT classification of flag for the last seven games,” he wrote.
In his absence, the Hornets' Kon Knuppel has undoubtedly stepped up to the plate with his best run of the year. Before his injury, Flagg was averaging 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field and 30.2% from beyond the arc over the course of 49 games.
He has emerged as one of the few bright spots for Dallas in a season that looks unlikely to reach the playoffs. The Mavericks currently sit in 12th place in the jam-packed Western Conference with a 21-39 record, a far cry from their 50-32 season during the 2023-24 campaign.
They have also suffered other major injuries, with Kyrie Irving and Derek Lively II out for the season while PJ Washington recovers from an ankle problem.
"Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has already announced that Flagg 'probably won't' play in another Rookie of the Year contest against the Hornets' Kon Nueppel on Tuesday in Charlotte... but stay tuned," Stein previously reported.
The Mavericks have gone 2-5 without the flag and will face the Orlando Magic after their performance against the Hornets, which may be a more plausible point for their comeback.
