NBA Rising Stars 2026 Rosters, Snubs, Predictions for All-Star Event
They got next.
Or maybe they got now.
The next wave of NBA stars is just reaching the shoreline, as the best and brightest young stars will soon steal the spotlight of All-Star Weekend for the 2026 Rising Stars. Or that's the idea, anyway. The league doesn't always necessarily nail the picks for this event, although there aren't any egregious omissions this time around.
Still, there are snubs worth spotlighting, which we'll do after laying out the participants and before predicting how things play out.
Rising Stars Rosters
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Team Melo
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
Team Vince
Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls
Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
Egor Dёmin, Brooklyn Nets
VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards
Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Team T-Mac
Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards
Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder (injured, will not play)
Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks
Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
Cam Spencer, Memphis Grizzlies
Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat
Team Austin
Sean East II, Salt Lake City Stars
Ron Harper Jr., Maine Celtics
David Jones Garcia, Austin Spurs (injured, will not play)
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser, San Diego Clippers
Alijah Martin, Raptors 905
Tristen Newton, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Yang Hansen, Rip City Remix
Mac McClung, Chicago Bulls
Snubs
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Ron Holland II, Detroit Pistons
This doesn't quite meet the measure of a grave injustice, but it's still surprising. This was a real chance to reward winning and recognize a young rotation regular on the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, plus it could help highlight how impact doesn't always equate to loud numbers.
Not to mention, Holland's athleticism would've popped in this environment, and his relentless defense may have helped set a competitive edge that's often lacking at All-Star Weekend. It's not a huge slight, but still a bummer nonetheless.
Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
Eight of the 2025 draft's first nine picks made the cut. So did nine of its 10 double-digit scorers. The lone omission was the same player, and I'm guessing you have context-clued your way to their identity.
Bailey, the No. 5 pick, has had his challenges with inconsistency and efficiency. He's also averaging 11.6 points on not atrocious efficiency (44.7/33.8/70.8 shooting) as a 19-year-old who doesn't always have a ton of scoring help around him. And with his blend of length, athleticism, fluidity and shot-making, he could've been a show-stopper and jaw-dropper in this setting.
Predictions
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One word of caution before getting started: Don't discount the G Leaguers. They'll be the hungriest in the field, and there are some tireless workers on that roster. Team Melo is a tough draw, but Team Austin can absolutely make it sweat or even pull off the upset if its NBA counterparts aren't ready to go.
That said, this might be wishful thinking, but it feels like we're headed toward a Team Melo vs. Team T-Mac finale. That would give us, among other things, another bout between Duke teammates and Rookie of the Year competitors, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. The last time they locked horns, they put a combined 83 points on the board.
Knueppel has another big-time shot-maker with him in Tre Johnson, plus a floor-spacing cheat code in Kel'el Ware. Flagg, meanwhile, could wreak defensive havoc with Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan and Collin Murray-Boyles.
It's an incredible matchup on paper, but our crystal ball likes Team T-Mac taking home the top prize between an MVP, net-shredding effort from Knueppel.
