The NBA unveiled the full 2026 Castrol Rising Stars rosters Monday on Peacock, spotlighting the league’s top young talent ahead of All-Star weekend. The mini-tournament will be held Friday, Feb. 13, at the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome at 9 p.m. ET, featuring three games between four teams.
Rookies selected for the showcase include Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies), Egor Demin (Brooklyn Nets), VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers), Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans), Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks), Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs), Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards), Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors), and Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans).
Key rookie performers include Knueppel, who is averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 48.1% from the field and 42.2% from three in 32.2 minutes per game. Edgecombe has posted 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 36 minutes, shooting 43.1% overall and 36.6% from beyond the arc. Flagg has emerged as one of the top rookies, contributing 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 43 games, while shooting 47.3% from the field.
Sophomores making the cut are Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers), Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards), Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder), Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards), Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets), Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies), Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers), and Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat), with Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies) rounding out the class.
Top sophomores include Sarr, posting 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds with a 50.5% field-goal rate, and Castle, averaging 16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Buzelis contributes 14.9 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 47.5% from the field.
The G League Rising Stars team features Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars), Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics), David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (San Diego Clippers), Alijah Martin (Raptors 905), Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), and Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix).
Standout performers include Jones Garcia with 27.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, and Newton averaging 26.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.
Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady serve as honorary coaches, while Austin Rivers leads the G League team. NBA assistant coaches determined the NBA roster by ranking 10 rookies and 10 sophomores, with the top vote-getters earning spots. The final spot went to the higher-scoring player among 11th-ranked finishers.
The tournament format includes two semifinal games with the first team to 40 points advancing, followed by a championship where the first team to 25 points wins.
