Many basketball fans are worried that Cooper Flagg’s injury to his right foot is worse than it is, especially after an update that Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd gave. On Wednesday, January 14, the 19-year-old star was defending against Denver Nuggets’ Peyton Watson when he appeared to roll his ankle and was seem visibly limping after the play. After heading to the locker room, he surprisingly returned to the bench but was sidelined for the rest of the game. And now it looks like Flagg might be benched once again in the team’s matchup against the Utah Jazz on Thursday.
Flagg could miss Thursday’s game against Utah Jazz
The Mavericks coach provided a concerning update on Flagg’s ankle sprain after the game with the Nuggets.
“He stepped on someone’s foot,” said Kidd, as reported by Mavericks beat writer Ron Harrod Jr. on X (formerly Twitter), “and so, I think last game he twisted his ankle too. So, they decided to hold him for the second half.”
The coach then relayed that he was uncertain if Flagg, along with power forward Daniel Gafford who also suffered an ankle sprain in the Nuggets game, would be able to play against the Jazz.
Given that Flagg has sprained his foot in his last two games, it would not be surprising to see the team delay his return to the court. This is despite the Dallas dropping to 15-26 after its 118-109 loss against Denver.
Still, the rookie has made a strong impression this season after the Duke Blue Devils alum became the No.1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In December, he has been shooting over 50% and has averaged nearly 24 points in every game.
Former NBA champion Tony Allen initially underestimated what Flagg would be able to produce as a rookie, but he made an apology to him on “To The Baha” podcast on January 13.
“I was absolutely wrong,” Allen said about Flagg, “I truly want to take that back, but unfortunately, I can’t, man. He’s been showing me so many signs of a superstar… His ceiling is way higher than I thought. Way higher than I thought.”
