When was the last time each NBA team had a player win Rookie of the Year?

With Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks taking home the honor this year, here’s a look back at some of the team history behind NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.

As the 2026 NBA Playoffs continue, fans and players alike are slowly finding out the results from the regular season’s award voting, with the winners of several major accolades having been announced.

Among those is the NBA Rookie of the Year award, which was given to Dallas Mavericks’ forward Cooper Flagg for the 2025-26 season – who narrowly beat out Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets for the honor.

Flagg’s path to Rookie of the Year was among the more typical, with the teenage phenom nicknamed “The Maine Event” entering this regular season as one of the sport’s more hyped prospects in recent memory after being selected first overall by Dallas.

While Flagg joins other former first overall picks such as Paolo Banchero, Victor Wembanyama, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose and LeBron James as Rookie of the Year winners, several other winners of the award emerged as surprises throughout the regular season after being overlooked during the summer and fall.

Perhaps the most surprising winner in recent memory was Malcolm Brogdon, who won the award for the 2016-17 season with the Milwaukee Bucks after being selected 36th overall in the prior year’s draft – becoming the second-lowest draft pick ever to win the award after the 1957 60th overall pick Woody Sauldsberry.

With the trophy first officially awarded following the 1952-53 season, most NBA teams have at least some history with the honor. Following the 2025-26 season, 28 of the league’s 30 teams have had a player win the award at least once, while 22 teams have had more than one player take home the accolade.

The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat remain the only two franchises to have never had a player win the Rookie of the Year – a tidbit that seems odd given the development of homegrown superstars such as Nikola Jokić and Dwyane Wade.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Golden State Warriors are the club with the most Rookie of the Year wins, with the club winning the award on six different occasions – most recently with Chris Webber in 1994.

For the 28 teams that have had a player take home the trophy before, here’s a look at the most recent occurrence for each team along with that player’s draft pick – beginning with Flagg’s win of the award in 2026:

1. Dallas Mavericks: 2025-26, Cooper Flagg (1)
2. San Antonio Spurs: 2024-25, Stephon Castle (4)
3. Orlando Magic: 2022-23, Paolo Banchero (1)
4. Toronto Raptors: 2021-22, Scottie Barnes (4)
5. Charlotte Hornets: 2020-21, LaMelo Ball (3)
6. Memphis Grizzlies: 2019-20, Ja Morant (2)
7. Philadelphia 76ers: 2017-18, Ben Simmons (1)
8. Milwaukee Bucks: 2016-17, Malcolm Brogdon (36)
9. Minnesota Timberwolves: 2015-16, Karl-Anthony Towns (1)
10. Portland Trail Blazers: 2012-13, Damian Lillard (6)
11. Cleveland Cavaliers: 2011-12, Kyrie Irving (1)
12. Los Angeles Clippers: 2010-11, Blake Griffin (1)
13. Sacramento Kings: 2009-10, Tyreke Evans (4)
14. Chicago Bulls: 2008-09, Derrick Rose (1)
15. Oklahoma City Thunder: 2007-08, Kevin Durant (2)*
16. New Orleans Pelicans: 2005-06, Chris Paul (4)**
17. Phoenix Suns: 2002-03, Amar’e Stoudemire (9)
18. Houston Rockets: 1999-00, Steve Francis (2)***
19. Toronto Raptors: 1998-99, Vince Carter (5)
20. Detroit Pistons: 1994-95, Grant Hill (3)***
21. Golden State Warriors: 1993-94, Chris Webber (1)
22. Brooklyn Nets: 1990-91, Derrick Coleman (1)^
23. New York Knicks: 1987-88, Mark Jackson (18)
24. Indiana Pacers: 1986-87, Chuck Person (4)
25. Utah Jazz: 1980-81, Darrell Griffith (2)
26. Boston Celtics: 1979-80, Larry Bird (6)
27. Washington Wizards: 1968-69, Wes Unseld (2)^^
28. Los Angeles Lakers: 1958-59, Elgin Baylor (1)^^^

*franchise was then known as the Seattle SuperSonics

**franchise was then known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

***two-way tie for the award with Elton Brand in 1999-00 and Jason Kidd in 1994-95

^franchise was then known as the New Jersey Nets

^^franchise was then known as the Baltimore Bullets

^^^franchise was then known as the Minneapolis Lakers