Flagg, Knueppel, Edgecombe Among Rising Stars Participants
The 2026 Rising Stars event will feature 11 sophomores, 10 rookies and seven G League representatives, the NBA announced in a press release. The mini-tournament will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on February 13.
Here’s the full list of participants:
Rookies
- Cedric Coward, Grizzlies
- Dylan Harper, Spurs
- Egor Dёmin, Nets
- Tre Johnson, Wizards
- VJ Edgecombe, Sixers
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets
- Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors
- Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
- Derik Queen, Pelicans
Sophomores
- Matas Buzelis, Bulls
- Alex Sarr, Wizards
- Stephon Castle, Spurs
Reed Sheppard, Rockets- Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers
- Cam Spencer, Grizzlies
- Kyshawn George, Wizards
- Jaylon Tyson, Cavaliers
- Ajay Mitchell, Thunder
- Kel’el Ware, Heat
- Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies
G League
- Sean East II, Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz‘s affiliate)
- Alijah Martin, Raptors 905
- Ron Harper Jr., Maine Celtics
- Tristen Newton, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets‘ affiliate)
- David Jones Garcia, Austin Spurs
- Yang Hansen, Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers‘ affiliate)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, San Diego Clippers
All 10 of the rookies — headlined by No. 1 overall pick Flagg, No. 3 Edgecombe, and No. 4 Knuppel — were lottery selections in last year’s draft, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). By contrast, only five of the sophomores were lottery picks, with three being first-rounders outside of the lottery and three picked in the second round.
NBA assistant coaches selected the 21 rookies and sophomores, according to the release, and those players will be drafted onto three different seven-player teams on Tuesday at 6:00 pm CT on Peacock. Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will draft and be the “honorary coaches” of the three squads, while Austin Rivers will be the honorary coach for the G League representatives.
The four actual head coaches will be assistants from the All-Star game coaching staffs.
Six of the seven players representing the G League are actually on NBA contracts: Yang (No. 16) and Niederhauser (No. 30) were 2025 first-round picks, while Martin, Harper, Newton and Garcia are on two-way deals with their respective clubs. East, who played in Canada and Romania last season, is the lone player on an actual G League contract after Utah waived him in the fall.
Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, is the younger brother of Ron Harper Jr. Both players are the sons of longtime NBA guard Ron Harper, who won five championships with the Bulls and Lakers.
As for the tournament itself, the four teams will face off in a single-elimination semifinal, with the two winners competing in the final. The semifinal is first to 40 points, whereas the final will be first to 25.
Luka Doncic, Immanuel Quickley Named Players Of Week
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links). The award covers Week 14 of the season, from Jan. 19-25.
Doncic led his team to a 2-1 record last week by averaging 34.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists per contest. His best game came in Denver on Tuesday when he posted a 38-point triple-double in a road victory over the Nuggets. He also beat his former team in Dallas on Sunday en route to his second Player of the Week award of the season.
Quickley, who was named Player of the Week for the first time in his career, lifted the Raptors to four straight road victories by averaging 25.3 points on 61.1% shooting while contributing 6.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. He matched a career high by racking up 40 points (on 11-of-13 shooting) in Tuesday’s win over Golden State.
Quickley’s name has popped up in rumors recently, with Toronto reportedly gauging his trade value.
Saddiq Bey (Pelicans), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), James Harden (Clippers) and Naji Marshall (Mavericks) were the other Player of the Week nominees from the Western Conference.
Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell (Heat), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Jalen Johnson (Hawks), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Coby White (Bulls) were also nominated for Eastern Conference recognition.
Rockets Notes: Durant, Eason, Finney-Smith, Offense
The Rockets‘ trade for Kevin Durant accelerated their expectations after the incremental success the team experienced last season, but they’ve found it surprisingly difficult to replace the grit provided by Dillon Brooks, writes The Athletic’s William Guillory in a mid-season retrospective of the trade co-written with Doug Haller.
Guillory notes that after starting the season 16-6, Houston began struggling to replicate the physicality and intensity of last season’s squad, to the consternation of head coach Ime Udoka. Losing two players, plus the top-10 pick that became Khaman Maluach, to bring in Durant also hurt the team’s depth, a problem exacerbated by the ACL tear that has sidelined Fred VanVleet for the entire season to this point.
However, Durant has still been fantastic, according to Guillory, who says swapping the aforementioned strengths of last year’s team to bring in a bona fide number one scoring option was a trade-off the team took a calculated risk on. Because the Rockets’ offense has struggled when teams overload on Durant and force someone else to score, Guillory notes that there could be some trade deadline tinkering to bring in another depth piece, but he doesn’t expect a big move for a starting-level point guard.
In terms of which team has “won” the trade six months after the fact, Guillory believes that both Houston and Phoenix ultimately got what they wanted, but if he had to pick a side, the Suns have come out ahead — the Rockets have yet to prove themselves to be top-tier contenders, while the Suns have exceeded expectations and are currently just one game behind Houston in the standings.
We have more from the Rockets:
- According to Udoka, Tari Eason is nearing a return to playing unrestricted minutes as he continues to work his way back from a right ankle sprain suffered in early January, reports Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Eason played 28 minutes in Thursday’s overtime loss to the Sixers, contributing 13 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. It was the eighth time Eason had played 28 or more minutes this season, but he missed the following game on Friday against the Pistons due to right ankle management.
- In the same tweet, Shankar notes that Udoka expects Dorian Finney-Smith‘s road to a full workload to take longer as he looks to regain his rhythm following offseason ankle surgery. Udoka drew a parallel to how the team brought Steven Adams along last season, keeping his minutes per game below 15 until March, when he began logging longer stretches on the court. Finney-Smith is averaging a career-low 15.5 minutes in the 13 games he’s suited up for this season, and has struggled with his outside shot, knocking down just 28.6% of his threes despite 35 of his 44 field goal attempts this season coming from behind the arc.
- Udoka doesn’t believe that a point guard trade is incoming, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “We’ve always been confident and talked about our depth and relying on all these guys with Aaron [Holiday] and Jae’Sean [Tate] and guys that aren’t playing as much,” he said. “We want to see what [Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard] look like with a year of point guard play under their belt and getting Fred back eventually. For now, we want those guys to grow into that role.” Instead, the team has built an offense that dominates inside (with the seventh-highest percentage of points coming in the paint), crashes the glass, and is efficient from three, despite not being prolific. Adams’ Grade 3 ankle sprain could make it trickier for the team to maintain its edge on the offensive glass. In his absence, the team will turn to Clint Capela as the primary backup center, with Jabari Smith Jr. expected to play some minutes as a small-ball five.
Southwest Notes: Morant, Jerome, Finley, Flagg, Sheppard
After telling reporters over the weekend in London that he’s loyal to the Grizzlies, Ja Morant shut down questions about the trade rumors involving him when he returned to Memphis this week.
“I’m sorry y’all wasn’t able to come to London, but I’m done with those questions,” Morant responded when asked what the team told him about the possibility of a trade (Twitter link via Matt Infield of Action News 5).
Of course, just because Morant is done talking about them, that doesn’t mean those rumors will die down. Sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Memphis’ front office continues to engage with potential trade partners about a potential deal involving the star point guard.
Still, given the fact that Morant’s value is relatively low right now, the Grizzlies have pushed back against the idea that they need to move him, Siegel notes. Teams like the Heat and Kings hold some level of interest in the two-time All-Star, Siegel confirms, but only if he’s available at a bargain rate and they don’t have to give up assets of any real value in a deal.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome, who has yet to play this season due to a right calf injury, “should be close” to making his debut, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The team announced exactly two months ago that Jerome was six-to-nine weeks away from returning to action. This Saturday will mark the nine-week mark since that announcement.
- Mavericks co-interim general manager Michael Finley recognizes that the trade deadline can make players “uneasy,” but believes he’s in a good position to connect with his players and make them more comfortable because he knows what it’s like to be in their shoes. “Like I tell players, I’ve been overlooked in the draft. I’ve been traded. I’ve been amnestied. I’ve been waived. I’ve been the first man on the bench. I’ve been the 15th man on the bench,” Finley told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Everything that you’ve experienced, I’ve experienced, so I pretty much know what you’re going through.”
- Even though it has been a disappointing season overall for the Mavericks, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg has been a bright spot, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who solicited feedback on the rookie forward from rival scouts, coaches, and executives. “He’s better than advertised, if that’s possible,” one Western Conference scouting director said of Flagg.
- After barely playing for the Rockets as a rookie, Reed Sheppard has emerged as an invaluable part of the team’s rotation in his second NBA season, writes Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Sheppard leads Houston with 2.5 made three-pointers per game and is knocking them down at a 40.9% clip, providing crucial floor spacing for a team that ranks 29th in the NBA in total threes.
Rockets Gauging Dorian Finney-Smith’s Trade Value?
Houston is exploring the trade market in search of a potential backcourt upgrade, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who hears from sources that the Rockets have looked into what sort of return they could get for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and second-round draft capital.
A veteran three-and-D wing who signed with Houston last summer, Finney-Smith missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left ankle surgery. Since making his debut on Christmas Day, the 32-year-old has played a very limited role, logging between 13 and 18 minutes in each of his first 12 outings.
Finney-Smith has averaged just 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per night so far as a Rocket, and he’s earning $12.7MM this season, with a guaranteed $13.3MM salary for 2026/27 — he’s under contract through 2028/29, but the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed.
As a result, Finney-Smith’s value on the trade market will likely be pretty limited, though it’s worth noting that his overall impact isn’t always reflected by his counting stats. While it’s a small sample, Houston has a +9.5 net rating and a 102.1 defensive rating during his 186 minutes on the court.
Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans and Scotty Pippen Jr. of the Grizzlies are among the guards whom league personnel have identified as possible trade targets for Houston, per ClutchPoints. Siegel also mentions Bulls guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu as potential players of interest for the Rockets, though it would take more than Finney-Smith and second-round picks to acquire either one.
The Grizzlies haven’t given any indication they want to move Pippen, Siegel acknowledges. Additionally, any deal involving Pippen and Finney-Smith would require more outgoing salary from Memphis’ side, since the Grizzlies guard is earning just $2.3MM.
Alvarado, meanwhile, is considered the Pelican who is most likely to be dealt and has generated interest from multiple teams, including the Knicks and Pistons, Siegel writes. Atlanta and Indiana were also linked to Alvarado earlier this season.
Like Pippen, Alvarado has a relatively small cap hit ($4.5MM), so unless more pieces are added, a deal sending Finney-Smith to New Orleans wouldn’t be practical for the Pelicans, who are operating just $2MM below the luxury tax line. They don’t want to surpass that threshold or take back long-term money in a trade, per Siegel.
As the Rockets consider their options on the trade market, they’re not looking to trade veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and they’re also unlikely to make a move that would reduce Reed Sheppard‘s role, Siegel adds.
Steven Adams Out Indefinitely With Grade 3 Ankle Sprain
Rockets center Steven Adams has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 left ankle sprain and is out indefinitely, head coach Ime Udoka told reporters on Tuesday (Twitter link via Will Guillory of The Athletic).
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a Grade 3 ankle sprain is when the ligament is completely torn. It’s the most severe ankle sprain and involves significant swelling and pain.
While it’s unclear how much time Adams will miss, he’s likely facing a lengthy absence. The Clinic’s entry indicates that severe sprains can take anywhere from six-to-12 weeks to heal, and Adams would have to get back into shape once he has recovered.
The 32-year-old big man suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over New Orleans. He rolled his ankle contesting a Zion Williamson layup and was immediately in a great deal of pain (YouTube link). Adams had to be helped off the court with assistance.
It’s a tough setback for Adams, who has missed extended time in recent years due to a knee injury which cost him the entire 2023/24 season. The New Zealand native has made has made 32 appearances this season, averaging 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds — including a league-high 4.5 offensive boards — in 22.8 minutes per game.
The Rockets will certainly miss Adams’ presence in the lineup. They have a +11.8 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a +3.4 mark when he’s not playing.
Clint Capela is the most obvious candidate for more playing time with Adams out. Udoka could also opt to run Jabari Smith Jr. in the middle when Alperen Sengun is resting.
On a brighter note for Houston, fourth-year forward Tari Eason will return to action on Tuesday after missing the past five games due to a right ankle sprain, per Guillory.
Southwest Notes: Adams, Durant, Dirk, Mavs, Morant
Rockets center Steven Adams suffered a left ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over New Orleans and had to be helped off the court with assistance, notes Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Head coach Ime Udoka told sideline reporter Vanessa Richardson after the game that Adams’ ankle already had a significant amount of swelling but X-rays were negative.
Adams looked to be in a great deal of pain when the injury occurred (YouTube link). He rolled his left ankle contesting a layup from Zion Williamson.
The 32-year-old big man has made 32 appearances this season, averaging 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds — including a league-high 4.5 offensive rebounds — in 22.8 minutes per game.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Rockets star Kevin Durant became the sixth-leading scorer in NBA history during Sunday’s game, passing Dirk Nowitzki (31,560), tweets Iko. It was an uncharacteristically off shooting night for the 37-year-old forward, who scored 18 points but was just 5-of-18 from the field, though he also contributed eight assists and six rebounds.
- Mavericks legend Nowitzki said in an interview with Sports Illustrated Germany that he’s not interested in becoming the team’s general manager, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. The Mavericks currently have Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi operating as co-interim GMs after firing Nico Harrison. They’re expected to hire a permanent replacement for Harrison as head of basketball operations, though that’s reportedly “several months” away from happening.
- New Orleans Times-Picayune columnist Rod Walker weighs the pros and cons of the Pelicans pursuing a Ja Morant trade. While he admits he’s “not completely sold on the idea,” Walker says the Pelicans should consider a deal with division rival Memphis if they can acquire the two-time All-Star point guard at a heavy discount. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that the Pels have a level of interest in Morant, Walker notes.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, the NBA announced today (Twitter links).
Oklahoma City had a 2-1 record during the week of January 12-18, with the reigning Most Valuable Player averaging 31.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a shooting line of .547/.400/.912 as the Thunder outscored opponents by 43 points during his 103 minutes on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first NBA player to be named the Player of the Week for the third time this season — he also earned the honor twice in November.
As for Adebayo, he posted averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per night while shooting 65.5% from long range as the Heat won two of three games. This is the third time he has earned the award and first time since January 2024.
Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Luka Dončić (Lakers), James Harden (Clippers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the NBA.
Brandon Miller (Hornets), Norman Powell (Heat), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) and Nikola Vučević (Bulls) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Trade Rumors: MPJ, Kuminga, Raptors, Rockets, Clippers
Recent reporting from ESPN and The Athletic indicated that the Warriors haven’t engaged in any substantive talks with the Nets about Michael Porter Jr. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area also hears Golden State has been “hesitant” to pursue Porter and suggests the team’s interest in the veteran forward has been overstated.
According to Johnson, if the Warriors do make a run at Porter, it would likely require a third team, as the Nets aren’t interested in Jonathan Kuminga.
However, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com has heard differently, citing sources who say the Warriors are not only interested in Porter but have “something brewing” in regard to the 27-year-old ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. As Afseth writes, Porter is having a career year in Brooklyn and scouts think he could help just about any team.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Both Johnson and Afseth confirm the Lakers are a team to watch for Kuminga, who demanded a trade on Thursday, the first day he was eligible to be moved. President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka likes Kuminga’s game, sources tell Johnson, and the Lakers think the 23-year-old would provide athleticism on the wing alongside Luka Doncic. Still, it’s unclear if the two Pacific Division rivals would make an in-season trade, Johnson notes.
- Although the Raptors have been described as a buyer heading into the deadline, Afseth’s sources refer to Toronto’s approach as being “opportunistic” in search of potential buy-low opportunities. That may be why the team has been linked to stars like Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis and Ja Morant, all of whom have dealt with significant health issues this season.
- Houston’s front office isn’t overreacting to the Rockets‘ recent struggles, writes Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. Team sources tell Iko the Rockets have discussed trade concepts with approximately half the teams in the league, but no deals are imminent and they aren’t aggressively searching for upgrades. Opposing teams have checked in on the availability of Tari Eason, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, Iko adds.
- There was speculation that the Clippers might be a seller after a miserable start to the season, but now they’re considered a possible buyer after reeling off 11 wins in their past 13 games, per Afseth, with John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic viewed as potential trade candidates. Collins is on an expiring $26.6MM contract, while Bogdanovic earns $16MM this season with an identical team option for 2026/27.
Pistons, Celtics Among Teams To Express Interest In Jaren Jackson Jr.
While the Grizzlies have made point guard Ja Morant available, there’s no indication that stance has extended to big man Jaren Jackson Jr. In fact, multiple reports have indicated that Memphis wants to hang onto Jackson and build around him.
Still, that hasn’t stopped a certain agent-turned-podcast-host from speculating about a potential trade involving Jackson, and it hasn’t stopped teams from calling the Grizzlies to register interest in the former Defensive Player of the Year. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Pistons and Celtics are among the teams to convey their interest.
Detroit has Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart in its frontcourt but has been in the market for a power forward or center who can stretch the floor — Jackson fits that bill, having made 37.3% of 5.0 three-pointers per game since the start of last season. As for Boston, the 2024 champions lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet in 2025 free agency while also trading away Kristaps Porzingis, so it makes sense that the Celtics would be seeking an impact big man.
As Scotto points out, if the Grizzlies traded both Morant and Jackson, it would create a path for the club to rebuild around a younger core led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells. While Memphis still views Jackson – who is just 26 years old and is under contract through at least 2029 – as a part of that core, more teams figure to inquire about his availability if Morant is moved ahead of the February 5 deadline, Scotto writes.
Scotto also checks in on Morant’s market, citing league sources who say that the Heat, Bucks, Kings, Raptors, and Pelicans have expressed some interest. However, it sounds like most of those teams would only be interested in the two-time All-Star as a buy-low target.
According to Scotto, there have been whispers for months that Morant and his camp view Miami as a favorable landing spot. But rival executives who spoke to HoopsHype believe the Heat’s “dream scenario” would be landing Giannis Antetokounmpo if he becomes available in the summer, so the club will be reluctant to give up any assets that would compromise that possibility.
An ESPN report from earlier today classified league-wide interest in Morant as “tepid,” and Sam Amick of The Athletic has heard the same. According to Amick, Miami and Milwaukee are considered unlikely landing spots for the Grizzlies guard, while Sacramento doesn’t view him as a great fit for its timeline and would be unwilling to include any draft capital in an offer. Scotto adds that some rival executives wondered whether the Nets or Rockets might have interest in Morant, but neither club seems to.
Morant is currently sidelined with a right calf injury and didn’t play in the NBA’s first ever regular season game in Germany on Thursday. Amid rumors that Morant doesn’t want to play for Memphis at all anymore, commissioner Adam Silver said he’s hopeful the star guard will be able to suit up on Sunday in London.
“I know he has a tremendous following globally,” Silver said ahead of Thursday’s game in Berlin, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “And I wish he were able to play tonight. I’m still holding out hope he’ll be able to play when we’re in London on Sunday. So, yes, I’m disappointed he’s not on the floor tonight, but I understand he’s injured.”