Mavericks Get Bad News for Cooper Flagg vs Knicks

Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg will not play tonight against the New York Knicks, as the No. 1 overall pick has been ruled out with an illness, according to a report from The Athletic. It’s the first game the 18-year-old has missed in his NBA career after appearing in each of Dallas’ first 15 contests and emerging as the team’s leading scorer.

Cooper Flagg Illness Rules Him Out of Mavericks vs Knicks

Flagg was initially added to the injury report earlier Wednesday as questionable due to an illness, but the Mavericks later downgraded him to out for the nationally televised home matchup.

The rookie had played through multiple minor issues to start the season, including left shoulder soreness and a sprained right thumb that required a splint, but this illness is what finally takes him off the floor for the first time. 

Through his first 15 NBA games, Flagg is averaging 15.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists, leading the 4-11 Mavericks in scoring while also topping the team in total minutes played. 

Dallas’ frontcourt has already been in flux. Star big man Anthony Davis remains out with a left calf strain and is expected to be re-evaluated in 7-10 days after missing nine straight games. 

There is at least some good news: centers Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford are listed as probable and are expected to return against New York after sitting out Monday’s blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves for injury management. 

The Knicks come in at 8-5, while the Mavericks sit at 4-11 and desperate to stop a skid that’s been defined by injuries and narrow defeats. 

What Cooper Flagg’s Absence Means for Mavericks vs Knicks

With Flagg sidelined and Davis still out, the Mavericks will have to lean even harder on their depth at forward and on their veteran guards to generate offense.

Flagg has often been Dallas’ primary play-finisher on the wing, spacing the floor, attacking closeouts and pushing in transition. His absence likely means more minutes and touches for P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin (if his own illness cooperates), Max Christie and Klay Thompson as coach Jason Kidd cobbles together forward-heavy lineups. 

Dallas is already without Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum, both sidelined by knee issues, which has shifted more ball-handling to D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Williams. Flagg’s scoring punch had helped stabilize early units that were missing star power; taking him out of the equation raises the pressure on role players to hit shots and create off the dribble.

Defensively, Flagg’s size and versatility have been part of the reason Dallas has defended at a respectable level despite its record. Without him, the Mavericks lose a switchable 6-foot-9 body who can bother wings and help on the glass. That’s a concern against a Knicks team that can throw out lineups featuring Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus potentially Jalen Brunson if his sprained ankle allows him to go.

The return of Lively and Gafford softens the blow inside, giving Dallas legitimate rim protection and rebounding. But without Davis and Flagg, the Mavericks are short on top-end talent and on-the-ball creators, the kind of players who can stop runs and bail out stagnant possessions.

From a bigger-picture standpoint, missing a game for illness shouldn’t change Flagg’s Rookie of the Year trajectory — he remains one of the league’s most productive first-year players and the clearest bright spot in Dallas’ rocky start. Still, every game he misses makes it harder for the Mavericks to climb out of an early-season hole in the Western Conference standings.

Mavericks vs Knicks: Time, TV Info, Stats & Context

The Mavericks vs Knicks game tips off November 19 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The matchup will air nationally on ESPN, with local coverage on MSG in the New York market.

New York is favored on the road, with multiple sportsbooks listing the Knicks as mid-single-digit favorites as of Wednesday afternoon, in part due to Dallas’ lengthy injury report.

For fans searching “Is Cooper Flagg playing tonight vs Knicks?” the answer is now clear: he’s out with an illness, leaving the struggling Mavericks even more shorthanded as they try to slow a surging New York team on national TV. 

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