Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Dominate NBA Rookie Grades

Merlin sees the trade deadline handing minutes to this year’s rookies as tanking teams chase ping pong balls. The leaguewide grades spotlight clear standouts — Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe — and surprise contributors like Nolan Traoré and Will Richard, while others such as Khaman Maluach and Adou Thiero remain stuck behind veterans. The result is a stretched rookie class where opportunity, not talent alone, will shape futures. Merlin whispers that the next two months are a crucible. With franchises in what players call "it's audition time," the rookies who soak up real minutes will either cement roles or drift back to the weeds. Flagg already reads like a runaway Rookie of the Year favorite, but expect late picks and two-ways to emerge. As some clubs admit "the tank is on," fortunes may flip fast.