Cooper Flagg Headlines NBA All-Star Rising Stars Player Pool, Explaining Rules for New Draft Format
Cooper Flagg is heading to NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles as the headliner of the Rising Stars competition.
The draft pool for the four-team tournament was revealed Monday, and the Dallas Mavericks star was joined by Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe and others.
Here is the full player pool:
NBA Players
- Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
- Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
- Egor Dёmin, Brooklyn Nets
- VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
- Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
- Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
- Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards
- Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors
- Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
- 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
- Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat
- Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
G League Roster
- Sean East II
- Yang Hansen
- Ron Harper Jr.
- David Jones Garcia
- Yanic Konan Niederhäuser
- Alijah Martin
- Tristen Newton
This season's Rising Stars competition will be played Friday, Feb. 13, at the LA Clippers' Intuit Dome as a four-team, single elimination tournament with three total games.
The NBA announced there will be 21 first- or second-year NBA players drafted onto three teams of seven, while seven NBA G League players will make up the fourth squad. The three NBA teams will be drafted on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will be the coaches of the NBA teams, while Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.
And all eyes will be on Flagg when the competition starts.
The Duke product was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft and has lived up to the hype while showing flashes of his sky-high potential throughout his rookie campaign. He is averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 28 percent from deep.
Flagg poured in 42 points in a game against the Utah Jazz last month and figures to be the franchise centerpiece in Dallas for years to come.
What's more, he has been putting up those numbers as a focal point for opposing defenses with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving both sidelined with injuries.
It seemed like Flagg was going to get the chance to gradually adjust to the NBA as part of a veteran-laden Mavericks team when they drafted him, but he has instead been thrown into the spotlight as a go-to player who can attack the rim or facilitate as a ball-handling point forward if needed.
Whichever Hall of Famer ends up drafting him will have quite the advantage in the Rising Stars tournament.
