A bigger and stronger Cooper Flagg will take the court with his Dallas Mavericks for their regular season opener at Houston against the Rockets Wednesday night.
The 19-year-old phenom from Newport gained 23 pounds through his offseason workout regimen, going from 205 pounds to 228 pounds, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Flagg told the newspaper that the added strength and muscle will help him be more well-rounded and create space.
“I don’t think there’s any areas where adding strength can hurt you. I’m so excited,” the 6-foot-10 forward added.
Matt MacKenzie, who owns and operates the Eastern Maine Sports Academy in Veazie and is Flagg’s trainer, told the Dallas Morning News that you are going to see “a more confident, more decisive version of Cooper on the offensive end.”
Flagg is coming off an exceptional rookie season for the Mavs, who drafted him with the first overall pick in 2025.
As the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year, he led the Mavs and all NBA rookies in scoring, averaging 21 points per game. He also led the Mavs in steals (1.2 per game) and minutes played (33.5 per game) and was second in assists (4.5) and fifth in rebounds (6.7).
He shot 46.8% from the floor: 51.3% off two-point shots and 29.5% off threes. He was an 82.7% shooter from the free throw line.
The Mavs finished at 26-56 and missed the playoffs in the Western Conference.
But nine-time NBA All-Star guard Kyrie Irving has returned after missing the entire 2025-26 season due to knee surgery.
The Mavs also have a new president in Masai Ujiri and a head coach in Dusty May, who led the University of Michigan to the NCAA title last season.
In a Bangor Daily News story in August, Flagg said that the upcoming season is a “new beginning for us.”
“It’s a fresh slate and we want to show we’ve improved. We need to stay healthy and having Kyrie is obviously going to help,” said Flagg at the third annual Flagg Brothers Basketball ProCamp at the New Balance Fieldhouse and the Memorial Gym on the University of Maine’s campus in Orono.
His twin brother, Ace, was a freshman at UMaine this past season and was chosen to the America East All-Rookie Team.
Cooper said he was focusing on all aspects of his game in the offseason while working out with MacKenzie and the Dallas staff.
“I’m trying to get better all-around. I’m always in the gym working on everything,” he said.