He surpasses NBA stars without playing a game: Flagg creates the first controversy of the year

Cooper Flagg leads the NBA 2K26 rookie rankings. The 2025 Draftâs #1 pick gets an 82 rating, ahead of Dylan Harper (78) and Ace Bailey (77) in the video game releasing September 5.
Cooper Flaggâs official NBA 2K26 Rating đ pic.twitter/eyv1bgHlVy
â Ronnie 2K 2K26 (@Ronnie2K) July 12, 2025
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NBA 2K revealed rookie ratings for NBA 2K26 on Tuesday, and unsurprisingly, Cooper Flagg tops the rankings. The first pick in the 2025 Draft, selected by the Dallas Mavericks, receives an overall rating of 82, immediately establishing his dominance over his draft class.
Dylan Harper, the second draft pick, follows closely with a 78 rating, while Ace Bailey rounds out the top three with 77. This hierarchy perfectly reflects the expectations placed on these three players, who left their mark on the college season.
A rating that puts Flagg ahead of established veterans
Flaggâs 82 rating places him 79th in NBA 2K26âs overall rankings, even surpassing established veterans. The rookie is rated higher than Paul George (81), Draymond Green (81), Jrue Holiday (81), and Anfernee Simons (81).
This virtual recognition isnât entirely surprising given Flaggâs exceptional run at Duke. In just one season with the Blue Devils, the forward posted impressive averages of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, confirming his status as a generational prospect.
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Recent history shows that 2K developers can sometimes underestimate promising rookies. Luka DonÄiÄ started at 79 in NBA 2K19 before climbing to 87 the following year. Ja Morant had a similar progression, going from 79 to 85, while Victor Wembanyama started at 84 before surpassing 90 points.
Harper and Bailey, teammates at Rutgers last season, were arguably the countryâs two best freshmen behind Flagg. Their positioning just after the Draftâs #1 pick seems logical and consistent with their exceptional college performances.
Fans can discover these rookies starting August 29 in early access, before NBA 2K26âs official release on September 5.











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