On Monday, honorary coaches Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady drafted players for the upcoming 2026 Castrol Rising Stars event. It will be a four-team mini-tournament featuring the league's top rookies and second-year standouts.
Players invited to participate in the challenge include Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, Egor Demin, Collin Murray-Boyles, Cedric Coward, Alex Sarr, Reed Sheppard, Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, and Matas Buzelis.
There is also a team of G League players coached by Austin Rivers. The G League Rising Stars team features Sean East II, Ron Harper Jr., David Jones Garcia, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Alijah Martin, Tristen Newton, and Yang Hansen.
Dallas Mavericks star Flagg was selected by Hall of Famer Anthony with the No. 1 pick in the player pool. Best known for his time with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, Anthony is a 10-time All-Star.
Cooper Flagg as a Rising Star
Flagg was drafted with the No. 1 pick in last year's NBA Draft. He is widely considered to be the top national college player of 2025.
In his rookie season, Flagg is averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists over 43 games. On the league's latest Rookie Ladder, Flagg is ranked No. 2 for Rookie of the Year honors.
Part of the reason for Flagg's dip in the rankings is a recent ankle injury. Last week, he sprained his left ankle in the first half of action against the Denver Nuggets. This caused him to miss Dallas' two following games.
The 19-year-old is listed as questionable for Wednesday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It will be the front end of a back-to-back set for the Mavericks.
The Castrol Rising Stars event is scheduled for Friday, February 13. Flagg will have the opportunity to be the sixth No. 1 draft selection to win the Rising Stars Challenge MVP award, joining Cade Cunningham, Andrew Wiggins, Kyrie Irving, John Wall and Elton Brand.
Newsweek