The NBA announced the player pool for the Rising Stars game, and to no one’s surprise, Charlotte Hornets wing Kon Knueppel made the list.
The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Player Pool!
NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be drafted onto three teams on Tuesday (1/27) at 7:00pm/et on Peacock, with NBA G League players to comprise the fourth team.
The four teams will compete in the Castrol Rising Stars mini tournament on… pic.twitter.com/7jtxcCRGgp
— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2026
Knueppel is battling with Cooper Flagg for rookie of the year. Flagg has slightly better counting stats but Knueppel’s efficiency has been pretty absurd for a guard/wing. On the season, Knueppel is averaging 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 48.2% from the field, 42.2% from three, and 89.5% from the free throw line. He’s made 151 3-pointers on the season, which is third in the entire league behind Stephen Curry and Donovan Mitchell. He’s on pace for 263 made threes on the season. The current rookie record is 206. I think he’ll probably break it if he stays healthy.
The box score stats are extremely impressive, but more impressive is the way Knueppel accrues those stats. He shares the floor with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges. He’s rarely the first option. He never forces anything. He picks his spots with expert precision and capitalizes on just about every opportunity he finds for himself. It’s crazy to think that theoretically this is the worst Kon Knueppel is ever going to be in the NBA. He’s only going to get better.
As for the game, it’s not the classic Rookies vs Sophomores anymore. Instead, it’s a four team single elimination mini-tournament. The rookies and sophomores are drafted onto three teams while the G League gets a team of their own. There’s no clock. The semifinals are first to 40. The two winners will play in the championship game to 25. The G League being there adds a fun wrinkle. They’re trying to win and prove that they’re just as good as their more heralded counterparts.
The game will be played on Friday, February 13th and will be broadcast on Peacock.