Dallas' Cooper Flagg has edged former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of Charlotte to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Flagg was the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. That and other accolades for a teenager were enough to overcome a difficult season for the Mavericks, while Knueppel helped the Hornets qualify for the play-in tournament.

The 19-year-old Flagg and Knueppel were first and second in rookie scoring, the first former college teammates to do that since 2004-05. Philadelphia's VJ Edgecombe was the other finalist.

Flagg and Knueppel traded places as favourites during the season, but Flagg's 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales. Flagg was the top bet going into Monday's (Tuesday AEST) announcement.

The first of those games was Flagg's 51-point showing against Orlando, the first time a teenager has scored 50 in the NBA. He broke his own record of 49 from earlier in the season against Knueppel and Charlotte.

"I see the games every night. I can check the box scores," Flagg said when asked how close of an eye he kept on Knueppel during the season.

"I think also I was watching Kon just because that's one of my brothers. We had such a good connection, and we're gonna be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching him as a fan as well, but there was obviously that competition at the same time."

It was, as expected, one of the closest votes in Rookie of the Year history.

Only 26 points separated them in a balloting where 100 reporters and broadcasters who cover the league ranked their top three rookies, with five points going to first place, three to second and one to third.

Knueppel, who was a one-and-done at Duke just like Flagg, but turned 20 before his NBA career started, became the first rookie to lead the league in three-pointers with 273.

He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 42.5 per cent from outside to join Larry Bird and Paul Pierce as only the only NBA rookies to average 15 points and five rebounds per game while shooting better than 40 per cent from beyond the arc.

OTHER AWARDS ANNOUNCED SO FAR BY THE NBA:

* San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama (Defensive Player of the Year)

* Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clutch Player of the Year)

* San Antonio's Keldon Johnson (Sixth Man of the Year)

* Boston's Derrick White (Sportsmanship)

* Atlanta's Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Most Improved Player)