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Cooper Flagg injury update: Dallas Mavericks rookie to miss All-Star weekend with foot sprain

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax02/12/26BarkleyTruax

The Dallas Mavericks have announced that rookie Cooper Flagg underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed a left midfoot sprain. The injury occurred on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns.

The Mavericks have already announced that he’ll miss Thursday’s game on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers. In addition, he’ll also be sidelined for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars game on Friday.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavericks do not expect him to miss any additional time. Dallas returns from All-Star weekend on Friday, Dec. 20 on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Flagg finished the 120-111 loss against the Suns with 27 points, five rebounds and two assists during 36 minutes on the court. It’s the eighth loss in a row for Flagg and the Mavericks, who currently sit 6.0 games back from the Los Angeles Clippers for the last spot in the Play-In with a 19-34 record.

He’s played (and started) in 49 of the Mavericks’ 53 games this season. The reigning No. 1 overall pick has been incredibly effective since joining the league, averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for Dallas.

Flagg recently went on a four-game stretch that saw him average 40.0 points per game between Jan. 29 and Feb. 5. This includes a 49-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets where he finished 69% from the floor. However, all four games came during the Mavericks’ current losing streak.

The former Duke Blue Devils star logged two double-doubles over that stretch. He hauled in at least nine rebounds in three of those matchups as well.

Flagg’s injury is the latest for the Mavericks, who have been no stranger to ailments this season. Center Dereck Lively II hasn’t played since December after undergoing surgery on his foot. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.

Veteran guard Kyrie Irving won’t make his season debut until after the All-Star break. Though, there’s no specific timetable for his return nursing a torn ACL.

In the immediate, the Mavericks could be down in numbers against the Lakers on Thursday night. Forwards Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin are both day-to-day with respective injuries. Marshall averages 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Mavericks this season.