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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 13: Khaman Maluach #14, Ace Bailey #21, VJ Edgecombe Jr. #1 and Cooper Flagg #51 talk during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena on May 13, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The NBA All-Star Game will see the Rising Stars Challenge take place days before as part of the popular NBA weekend. Young players representing teams of the best rookies, sophomores and G-Leaguers will each compete against each other to see which team wins it all. However, limited roster spots see certain names snubbed from making it to All-Star Weekend.
Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey missed out on joining the rookie team due to the NBA viewing ten players above him in the pecking order. The NBA revealed the following rookie team roster for the Rising Stars Challenge:
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)
Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)
Bailey is the only player selected in the top nine draft picks to not receive a spot on the rookie team. Most rookies hope to make this team since it represents their first taste of All-Star Weekend where the best players represent the league. The NBA felt the other ten players are contributing more to their teams than Bailey is in Utah.
Did Bailey Deserve Rising Stars Selection?
Utah fans may feel disrespected since Bailey has numbers similar to other rookies selected for the game. Averages of 10.9 points per game in 24.6 minutes see Bailey scoring more than a handful of selections. Some would argue that Bailey’s name value from college should have bumped him up over other options.
Egor Demin, Dylan Harper and Collin Murray-Boyles all average fewer points than Bailey with their own flaws. However, arguments can easily be made in favor of any of the names involved. Harper and Demin have had more impressive performances, despite the inconsistency in their respective seasons.
Murray-Boyles is helping contribute to the Toronto Raptors overachieving as a playoff team with depth as one of their strengths. Utah playing horrendous basketball and Bailey struggling to develop with more opportunity hurts his case. The news likely comes as a disappointment to a rookie with little team success hoping to play the exciting All-Star Weekend game as a high point of the season.
Other Snubs From Rising Stars Challenge
A handful of other talented rookies to get consistent playing time missed their chance of traveling to Los Angeles for All-Star Weekend. Caleb Love and Maxime Raynaud are two names often praised for their contributions as impressive rookies this season.
However, neither player possesses the stats nor name value to get selected over the other talents confirmed for the game. Bailey is the biggest snub if one believes he deserved it over the other names on the bubble selected to represent the best rookies.
Utah has had their fair share of ups and downs with Bailey so far to make it clear he’s not a guaranteed future star. The higher draft pick at number five also puts more pressure on Bailey. Lackluster results for someone drafted that high likely caused the snub with picks selected after him getting the benefit of the doubt.