With Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg set to miss his fifth straight game with a midfoot sprain, there’s good reason to be concerned. Yes, the Mavericks have had a lot of bad luck with injuries over the past couple of years. However, it goes deeper than that, into the nature of the injury itself.
Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg’s Foot Injury May Cause Him To Miss Rest Of Rookie Season
Looking around the league, there are a few players who have been diagnosed with midfoot sprains in recent years. That’s good for someone that wants to get a sense of how Flagg’s recovery might play out. Yet, in that assessment, one comes to realize that Flagg isn’t just in danger of losing his grip on the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Award. He might end up being ruled out for the rest of the season.
Marvin Bagley III
Then with the Sacramento Kings, Mavs big man Marvin Bagley III sustained a midfoot sprain on Dec. 26, 2019. Initially expected to be out for “a few games,” he returned to the court on Jan. 13, playing four games before his ailing foot forced him back out of the lineup. Though given a three-work recovery timeline on Feb. 20, Bagley sat out for the remainder of the season.
Anthony Davis
A few years before Washington Wizards big man Anthony Davis was traded to Dallas, he was diagnosed with a midfoot sprain while he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Officially, he was projected to be out for at least four weeks from Feb. 17, 2022. He returned on April 1, playing three games before being shut down by the medical staff.
Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers centerpiece Joel Embiid suffered a midfoot sprain on Nov. 21, 2022. Though set to miss the next two games, he sat out the Sixers’ next four contests. All’s well that ends well, as Embiid appeared in 54 of Philadelphia’s 62 remaining games (averaging 33.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest).
Jarred Vanderbilt
Lakers forward-center Jarred Vanderbilt sustain a midfoot sprain on Feb. 1, 2024. At first, Los Angeles announced that Vanderbilt would be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks. As it turns out, Vanderbilt would be sidelined for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
TJ Warren
Just months after his marvelous play in the NBA bubble, TJ Warren was diagnosed with a midfoot sprain. The injury occurred in late Dec. 2020, just four games into the 2020-21 season. His injury healing slower than expected, Warren not only sat out for the remainder of 2020-21 but all of 2021-22.
The Last Word On Cooper Flagg’s Injury Prognosis
People’s bodies are different, so Flagg’s rehab process might not resemble Bagley’s or Davis’s or Embiid’s or Vanderbilt’s or Warren’s. Even so, it’s worth evaluating how other members of the NBA fraternity were affected by midfoot injuries, as they could be enlightening. It’s not any different from Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton or Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum seeking the advice of Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant after they tore their Achilles.
With that in mind, four out of the five aforementioned players essentially suffered season-ending injuries when they were diagnosed with a midfoot sprain. The only one who didn’t was Embiid, who sustained his midfoot injury at the beginning of the season. With three months and 25 games remaining on their 2025-26 slate, the Mavericks could choose to shut Flagg down. This would not only heighten their chances of securing a high draft pick but be a protective measure for their new franchise cornerstone.
Unfortunately for Flagg, his chances of winning the Rookie of the Year award continues to take a hit. He’s already in a near-deadlock with Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter Kon Knueppel. Unless Knueppel hits a wall, Flagg missing more games will only allow his former college teammate to shine even more. Of course, if Flagg had to lose ROY to anyone, he’d likely prefer it to be Knueppel. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be the one with the bragging rights though.
© Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images