Overview
- The league said the three finalists were chosen from ballots cast by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.
- Dallas forward Cooper Flagg led all rookies at 21.0 points per game and recorded 11 thirty-point games, the most by a first-year player since Victor Wembanyama in 2023-24.
- Charlotte guard Kon Knueppel averaged 18.5 points and 42.5% from three while leading the entire NBA in made threes with 273, a first for a rookie.
- Philadelphia guard VJ Edgecombe posted 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists, led the NBA in loose-ball recoveries with 79, and earned Eastern Rookie of the Month in March.
- The winner will be announced during the playoffs, and media assessments frame Flagg and Knueppel as the closest contenders.