This was something of a foregone conclusion, of course, but Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg has been selected to play in the Rising Stars Game during NBA All-Star Weekend next month in Los Angeles.
Flagg will enter the Rising Stars game as one of the league’s marquee youngsters, bringing season averages of 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists into the game through the first 43 games of his NBA career. He’s the only player to rank in the top five in points (second), rebounds (third), assists (fourth), steals (second) and blocked shots (third) per game among rookies this year.
Flagg turned 19 on Dec. 21, and before that, had piled up an NBA resume only rivaled by LeBron James as an 18-year-old. On Dec. 15, just six days before his 19th birthday, Flagg became the only 18-year-old in NBA history to record a 40-point game, when he scored 42, brought down seven rebounds and dished six assists in a 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz. Only James scored more points (625) in NBA history as an 18-year-old than Flagg did this season.
He was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for both October/November and for December.
Flagg has been one of the best clutch players in the league all year long, which will give him some consideration in All-Star voting circles, but the selection to the Rising Stars game likely ends his candidacy for an All-Star reserve spot. All-Star Game reserves will be announced on Feb. 1 ahead of the Rising Stars tournament, which will be played on Feb. 13 and the All-Star Game itself, which will be played on Feb. 15. All the festivities will be held at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Inglewood, Calif.
Blake Griffin was the last rookie to be named an NBA All-Star in 2011.
The Rising Stars Challenge is a four-team, three-game mini-tournament featuring selected rookies and second-year players split into three teams, with the fourth team in the field made up of players from the NBA G League. Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars mini-tourney. Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.
Third-year Maverick Dereck Lively II participated in each of the last two Rising Stars challenges. The MVP of 2025’s Rising Stars mini-tournament was San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle.
The three 2026 Rising Stars teams, made up of NBA rookies and second-year players, will be drafted on Tuesday. The field of players for the Rising Stars mini-tourney is as follows:
Rookies
Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
Egor Dёmin (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)
Sophomores
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)
NBA G League Players
Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)
Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)
