All eyes were on Cooper Flagg on Thursday, as he officially took the NBA stage for the first time. After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg played in his first NBA Summer League game against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The best part about any NBA rookie class is the hope it inspires. Every fresh face has a shot to someday be etched on his team's Mount Rushmore.

After leading all first-year players by averaging 14.7 PPG, Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs won the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Castle became the second consecutive Spurs first-round pick to win ROTY, and now Dylan Harper aims to become the third.