The ebbs and flows of an NBA season are almost always more dramatic for a rookie, and this crop of coveted first-year players is beginning to exhibit all the traditional signs of a group battling inconsistency, intrigue and injury as the grind of their initial professional campaign takes its toll.
The latest version of the USA TODAY Sports NBA rookie rankings reflect this annual rite of passage, with slumps, surges and mentions of the inevitable ‘rookie wall’ beginning to surface even as it concerns No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. He nonetheless has seen his status as the favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year strengthen to begin 2026, with former Duke teammate Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel still his biggest threat for the award.
But the first rookie rankings of the new year include familiar names surfacing once more and new ones entering the fray for the first time. The battle to be first-team all-rookie might end up being more exciting than the race to be crowned the NBA’s top rookie.
Here’s a breakdown of how all the rookies stack up for the entire 2025-26 season:
NBA rookie rankings
Stats as of games played on Jan. 7. NBA Rookie of the Year odds as of noon ET on Jan. 6, courtesy of BetMGM.
On the bubble: Will Richard, Collin Murray-Boyles, Hugo Gonzalez, Sion James, Ryan Nembhard
10. Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards
Last ranked: Not ranked
Stats: 12.3 points, 3 rebounds, 1.8 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +50,000
Johnson’s return to the Wizards’ starting lineup coincided with the team’s recent batch of wins and he has been more assertive offensively, reaching double figures in 10 of the past 11 games. The sharpshooter is showing off other facets of his game lately, recording a career-best five assists on Jan. 6 and then scoring 20 points the next night while going 6-for-7 on two-point attempts.
9. Egor Dëmin, Brooklyn Nets
Last ranked: Not ranked
Stats: 10.2 points, 3.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +50,000
The first of Brooklyn’s four first-round picks from the 2025 draft is starting to put together intriguing performances, hitting multiple 3-pointers in eight of his past nine appearances. The BYU product is averaging more than 15 points per game during that stretch, which included the Nets’ first three-game winning streak of the season, and he just had the finest fourth quarter and overtime of his young pro career in a 104-103 loss to the Magic on Jan. 7.
8. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
Last ranked: 6
Stats: 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +10,000
Fears drops in the rankings for the second time in a row after a relative rough patch in his rookie campaign that also finds the Pelicans mired in another long losing skid. The 6-foot-3 guard opened 2026 with consecutive games with 18 and 21 points and he’s the only rookie in the league to play in every game this season. But Fears is also shooting less than 40% from the field over the past three weeks.
7. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
Last ranked: 7
Stats: 11 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +10,000
The No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft holds steady in the rankings after his quietest stretch of the season coming off the bench for the Spurs. Harper’s versatility still popped several times in recent weeks, with 10 assists in a win over the Thunder on Dec. 23, 12 assists against the Utah Jazz four days later and 22 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers to start 2026.
6. Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings
Last ranked: 10
Stats: 10.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +50,000
The second-round pick continues to surge, emerging as a youthful bright spot while another Kings’ season spirals. Raynaud is averaging nearly a double-double since entering Sacramento’s starting lineup last month and should see his role expand if the team moves some of its veterans before next month’s trade deadline. Raynaud didn’t miss a game after a recent knee injury scare.
5. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
Last ranked: 4
Stats: 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +8000
Coward was picking up steam again, finishing with 28 points and 16 rebounds in a nationally televised loss to the 76ers on Dec. 30 and 16 points in 12 minutes of action against the Lakers on Jan. 4 before suffering an ankle injury. He has missed the Grizzlies’ two games since then, though coach Tuomas Iisalo said the injury is not considered serious.
4. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Last ranked: 3
Stats: 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +4000
Queen has cooled off some after nearly recording four triple-doubles in six games last month (he completed only two), but he’s becoming a threat to pull one off whenever he takes the court. He finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists in a loss to the Lakers on Jan. 6.
3. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Last ranked: 5
Stats: 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +2800
The No. 3 pick is in the midst of his best stretch of games since beginning his rookie season scalding hot shooting the ball from outside and he’s playing a huge two-way role in the backcourt for an Eastern Conference playoff contender. Edgecombe is averaging 20.1 points, 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2 steals per game over the past month.
2. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Last ranked: 2
Stats: 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: +650
Though Knueppel’s surprising versatility and court awareness has quickly turned him into an NBA Rookie of the Year threat this season, his shooting remains the weapon that makes him especially dangerous. Knueppel hasn’t been held without multiple 3-pointers in a game since Dec. 3 and he’s shooting 42.9% from 3-point range overall.
1. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Last ranked: 1
Stats: 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: -700
Flagg followed up an electric three-game run around his memorable Christmas debut this season with a stretch that led Mavericks coach Jason Kidd to be asked about the rookie wall. Flagg responded with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a 100-98 win over the Kings on Jan. 7 in which he played through a knee injury.