What happened: Flagg became the fourth teenage Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, joining LaMelo, KD and LeBron. He was also the first rookie since MJ in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

Why it matters: That profile sets a high baseline for his offensive load and all-around usage heading into the 2026-27 season. Flagg was already central to offseason planning, so any Year 2 jump would quickly reshape expectations around the next step of his development.

What to watch: Training camp and preseason rotations will show whether his playmaking role expands after that Year 1 workload. The opener will be the first real read on how much responsibility shifts his way immediately.