Rising Stars 2026: The List of Selected Players Has Been Released
Jan 8, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dunks the ball against the Utah during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The NBA unveiled on Monday the list of participants for Rising Stars 2026, with Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks as the headliner. The phenomenal rookie, first pick of the 2025 draft, will be joined by 20 other young NBA talents and 7 G League players for this competition taking place on Friday, February 13 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
An Exceptional Lineup Led by 2025 Draft Rookies
Flagg, who averages 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, will be joined by nine other rookies from the 2025 lottery. Among them are Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs), VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers), Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets) and Egor Demin (Brooklyn Nets).
The sophomore selection is led by Stephon Castle of the Spurs, reigning Rookie of the Year and MVP of Rising Stars 2025. Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards), Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets) and Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers) notably complete this list of eleven second-year players.
Ajay Mitchell makes the Rising Stars challenge pic.twitter.com/pQouG67pHd
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) January 27, 2026
The tournament format follows last year’s with four teams of seven players. The 21 NBA players will be distributed into three teams during a draft broadcast on Tuesday, January 27 at 7 PM. Hall of Fame legends Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as coaches, while Austin Rivers will lead the team composed of the seven G League players.
The semifinals will be played to the first team reaching 40 points, with no time limit, and the final to the first team scoring 25 points. This format produced particularly entertaining action during the 2025 edition, promising more excitement for this All-Star Weekend.
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