NBA Announces Player Pool For 2025 Rising Stars Event
The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.
The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):
Rookies
- Carlton Carrington (Wizards)
- Stephon Castle (Spurs)
- Tristan Da Silva (Magic)
- Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
- Dalton Knecht (Lakers)
- Jared McCain (Sixers)
- Yves Missi (Pelicans)
- Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
- Alex Sarr (Wizards)
- Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
Sophomores
- Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
- Gradey Dick (Raptors)
- Keyonte George (Jazz)
- Scoot Henderson (Trail Blazers)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (Warriors)
- Jaime Jaquez (Heat)
- Dereck Lively II (Mavericks)
- Brandon Miller (Hornets)
- Amen Thompson (Rockets)
- Cason Wallace (Thunder)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
G League Players
- JD Davison (Maine Celtics) *
- Mac McClung (Osceola Magic) *
- Bryce McGowens (Rip City Remix) *
- Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves) *
- Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes)
- Reed Sheppard (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *
- Pat Spencer (Santa Cruz Warriors) *
* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.
As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.
A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.
Wizards’ Kuzma Vows To Be More Aggressive, Less Inclined To ‘Fit In’
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma had his best game of 2024/25 on Saturday in Phoenix, registering season highs in points (30) and rebounds (11) as Washington outscored the Suns by four points during his 34 minutes of action.
After the game, he told reporters, including Josh Robbins of The Athletic and Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, that a change in mindset fueled his big night.
“I think today I just decided to be myself and not really just try to fit into everything that we’re doing here, and just really played in the moment,” Kuzma said.
Asked what he meant by playing “in the moment” and not trying to fit in, Kuzma continued, “I mean just not trying to fit into what we’re trying to do here. Just being more assertive, demanding the ball, not just going out there and trying to let people develop. Just playing my game.”
Kuzma is in the midst of arguably his worst season since he entered the NBA in 2017 — even after Saturday’s big night, his scoring average (14.6 points per game) is well below his career rate, and his shooting percentages of 42.3% on field goal tries and 28.0% on three-pointers are career lows. He has also battled injuries, appearing in just 27 of Washington’s 44 games so far.
Kuzma’s down year has coincided with an increased push from the Wizards to develop their young prospects, including second-year forward Bilal Coulibaly and rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington, and Kyshawn George. As a result, Kuzma has taken a step back in the offensive game plan, averaging just 13.7 field goal attempts per game, his lowest mark since arriving in D.C. On Saturday, he took 24 shots from the field.
“I think I’ve tried to fit in,” Kuzma said, per Robbins, when asked if he’s been “holding back” this season. “I think I’ve tried to help the young guys build confidence and do their thing. I think (Saturday) I was just really the most assertive I’ve been all year.”
Kuzma added that it “sometimes” feels as if being assertive and helping the Wizards’ young players develop are mutually exclusive goals.
“Only because there’s certain positions on the floor where we run plays,” he said. “Probably (in) past years, I might have been in those, you know?”
Increased usage for Kuzma could cut into the opportunities Washington’s youngsters are getting, but Robbins notes that those young Wizards still got their fair share of shot attempts on Saturday, with Coulibaly, Sarr, Carrington, and George combining to go 15-of-34. Shankar also points out that Kuzma taking on more offensive responsibilities could reduce the fatigue that the Wizards’ rookies are experiencing in the midst of their first 82-game season.
Of course, it’s also possible that balancing aggression with mentorship isn’t an issue Kuzma will have to deal with for much longer. He’s considered a candidate to be traded before next Thursday’s deadline — in that scenario, he’d likely end up on a playoff team not as concerned with player development. Still, he has two more years left on his contract after this season and his decline in production will reduce his appeal on the trade market, so the Wizards may choose to hang onto him for now.
According to Robbins, when asked on Saturday whether he intends to continue being aggressive going forward or resume trying to “fit in,” Kuzma considered the question for a moment, then replied, “Aggressive. Yeah, aggressive now.”
Southeast Notes: Wizards Core, Magic, Hunter, Capela, Heat
Success for the Wizards this season isn’t necessarily going to be measured in wins or losses. Their young core being enough to lift them to a postseason berth would have been greatly exciting, but an accelerated timeline isn’t all that common. Instead, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, this Washington season was always going to be about seeing which young players are worth building around.
The Wizards have dedicated their season to investing huge minutes to four players who are under the age of 22: Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George.
“I think it’s great that they’re going through it,” coach Brian Keefe said. “That’s how you learn. You get out there, and you go through it. You experience it. All these things are new learning experiences.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic feel confident for the second half of the season with the team getting healthier overall, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando recently saw Paolo Banchero return from an extended absence and Franz Wagner is set to return on Thursday. “It’s been long overdue,” Gary Harris said of the team getting healthier. “That’s something that we’ve been anxious for. The injuries that have happened this season haven’t been ideal, but we’ve been able to tread water and keep our ahead afloat.“
- Orlando lost its last four games and six of the past seven. The looming returns will obviously help matters, but the Magic are also looking to the past for confidence, Beede writes in a separate post. The Magic began Banchero’s rookie season at 5-20 before going on a 29-24 stretch in the middle of the season. Last year the team slumped before winning 13 of its following 16 games after getting players back from injury.
- De’Andre Hunter erupted this season for the Hawks in his sixth season, averaging a career-high 19.1 points and 40.5% clip from three off the bench. He explained what has contributed to his breakout year to HoopHype’s Michael Scotto in a recent interview. “I think we’re playing a lot differently this year,” Hunter said. “We’re definitely moving the ball a lot more. We’re getting out in transition a lot more. As far as my role, coming off the bench has been a different role. I think I’m looked at as the playmaker or scorer in that second unit. That’s the expectation. I think I can score pretty well, so it’s not too hard for me.“
- Hawks center Clint Capela was added to the injury report Thursday and is out against the Raptors with knee soreness, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Lauren L. Williams (Twitter link). Capela has played in two games since becoming a full-time bench player, averaging 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds. Capela continues to be monitored on the trade market by rival teams, per Scotto.
- The Heat‘s Thursday game against the Bucks was delayed by one hour due to icy conditions in New Orleans that delayed the Bucks’ flight to Milwaukee, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (Twitter link). Tip is now set for 8:30 p.m. EST as opposed to its previously scheduled 7:30 start time.
Southeast Notes: Herro, Bitadze, Williams, Wizards
After being referred to as “fragile” by Heat president Pat Riley last spring, Tyler Herro has responded in impressive fashion to Riley’s public challenge to improve his availability, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Acknowledging during his end-of-season press conference last year that Herro had dealt with some major injuries, Riley said he hoped to see the veteran shooting guard be able to play “in that 72- to 82-game range.”
Herro, who has never appeared in more than 67 games in a season and missed 40 contests in 2023/24, has yet to sit out a single game in ’24/25, having suited up for each of the Heat’s 38 matchups to date.
“I’m trying to play over 70, 75 games, for sure,” Herro said. “Obviously, if I can play all 82, I’ll play 82. But I’m just trying to be as healthy as possible.
“… I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m fragile or I haven’t played as many games,” he continued. “I’m aware of what’s going on. I know I missed the last two seasons, with the hand injury and half the season last year. I’ve seen the comments Coach Riley said. In my own world, I was going to try to play more games on my own either way. I took his words, obviously, into consideration and used it as motivation as I always do.”
As Chiang writes, a player’s availability often comes down to luck, but Herro also says he’s been “more conscious” than ever about managing his body and his weight this season. On top of being more available than in the past, Herro is enjoying a career year in Miami, averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on .469/.403/.862 shooting.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Magic center Goga Bitadze has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol and won’t be available on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Bitadze, who has been Orlando’s primary starting center this season, was struck in the head during Sunday’s win over Philadelphia. He didn’t exhibit any concussion symptoms right away, but has since developed those symptoms, Beede explains.
- In a conversation with Spencer Davies of RG.org, Hornets center Mark Williams spoke about having Taj Gibson as a veteran mentor, the team’s trust in first-year head coach Charles Lee, and his belief that Charlotte is better than its 8-28 record suggests. “I believe 100 percent we’re better than what our record shows,” Williams said. “I know it sounds kinda repetitive with guys being out, but you can’t control it. So I think for us, whoever is out there on the floor with us, maintaining the same style of play, playing hard, doing all the little things on the court, hustle plays, rebounds. And I think for us, it’s just finding a way no matter what.”
- Wizards rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington, and Kyshawn George, are beginning to feel the effects of the NBA’s 82-game regular season grind, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Carrington and Sarr rank first and second among first-year players in minutes per game, while George is seventh. “I’ve never played this (number) of games, never played this (many) minutes as well. So it’s definitely taken a toll,” Carrington said. “… Can’t really dwell on it; it’s just something you got to get through.”
Yves Missi, Alex Sarr Named Rookies Of The Month
A pair of big men have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for games played in December, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Pelicans center Yves Missi won the award for the Western Conference, while Wizards forward/center Alex Sarr has claimed the award in the East.
The No. 21 overall pick of last June’s draft, Missi has been one of the few consistent bright spots amid an injury-plagued season in New Orleans. The 20-year-old averaged 11.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game across his 13 appearances last month, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line.
Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, struggled with his shot over his first month-plus of NBA action, but he kept firing away and his results have improved pretty dramatically of late. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.7 BPG on .461/.455/.556 shooting in nine December games (28.4 MPG).
Unlike some other weekly and monthly awards, team record doesn’t matter much for rookies, who often receive the most opportunities on bad teams. The Pelicans currently have the worst record in the league at 5-29, with Washington at No. 2 in the reverse standings (6-25).
Missi beat out Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells to win the award in the West. Carlton Carrington, Tristan Da Silva and Zaccharie Risacher were the other nominees in the East (Twitter link). Wells and Jared McCain won the awards for games played in October and November (McCain subsequently suffered a torn left meniscus and is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery).
Wizards Notes: Champagnie, Kuzma, Carrington, Sarr
The fighting spirit that makes 6’6″ Justin Champagnie one of NBA’s best offensive rebounders has also helped him survive a difficult journey to earn a secure spot in the league, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Champagnie is still on a two-way contract he signed in March after joining the Wizards on a 10-day deal, but he’s become one of the team’s most dependable players. He has impressed coaches with his willingness to match up with larger opponents in the paint and battle them for rebounds.
“I feel like a lot of guys don’t want to crash the glass or don’t want to guard someone who is willingly throwing their body on the line every possession to try to go get a rebound,” Champagnie said. “And I just take advantage of it. I just have the willpower to go up there and go get ’em.”
Nothing has come easy for Champagnie on his way to establishing himself as an NBA player, Shakar adds. Some of his advisors tried to discourage him from playing collegiately at Pittsburgh, fearing he wasn’t good enough to earn a consistent role. He went undrafted in 2021 and had brief stints with Toronto, Boston and Miami before getting the opportunity in Washington. He offered some advice to other players who are in the same position.
“Never give up, never give in,” he said. “… It’s not going to be easy. There’s going to be days where you play bad, you don’t want to be there or your body hurts, or whatever. But I think [the key is] showing up and attacking each and every day that you have … taking full advantage of [opportunities] whether you’re playing or not. Being engaged, being there and embracing and learning everything that’s going on around you so that you can use it, in your own career, your own journey, wherever it may be.”
There’s more from Washington, D.C.:
- Kyle Kuzma returned Monday after being sidelined for more than a month with a broken rib, Shankar states in a separate story. The veteran forward came off the bench for the first time since he joined the Wizards in 2021, contributing nine points on 4-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes. “Blessed to be able to get back on the court. It’s been a long month. Put a lot of work in to get back early. Typically my injury was a six-to-eight-[week] thing, breaking a rib,” said Kuzma, who added that he had difficulty breathing for a couple of days.
- Rookie guard Bub Carrington left Monday’s game in a wheelchair after his head struck another player’s knee, Shankar adds. He was ruled out with “post-traumatic headaches,” but Shankar says he was able to walk around the locker room after the game and talk with coaches and teammates. He is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game.
- After struggling with his shot during Summer League and the early part of his rookie season, Alex Sarr has seemingly found a solution, according to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports. Over his last 13 games, he’s connecting at 45.9% from the field and 43.1% from three-point range while taking five shots per night from beyond the arc. “[Alex] was taking good shots. They were shots that we wanted him to take and he didn’t hesitate,” coach Brian Keefe said. “Some people hesitate when they’re not making them. He was not. That’s one of the things that we’ve learned about him is how strong he is mentally. When things aren’t perceived to be going well, it doesn’t affect him. He just keeps going and that’s pretty impressive.”
Southeast Notes: Butler, Banchero, Coulibaly, Sarr, Wong, Miller
Jimmy Butler was in the spotlight quite a bit on Thursday, but he won’t be on the court tonight when the Heat play in Orlando. He’s listed as out due to return to competition reconditioning, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Butler is expected to rejoin the team on Friday when it prepares for Saturday’s road game against the Hawks.
Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley issued a statement on Thursday declaring that he won’t trade Butler. There has been heavy speculation regarding the future of Butler, who holds a $52.4MM option on his contract for the 2025/26 season.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Magic star Paolo Banchero continues to ramp up his on-court work, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Banchero has been sidelined eight weeks since he was diagnosed with a torn right abdominal muscle. However, he still hasn’t gone through a contact practice, so his timeline to return remains unclear.
- Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr are available to play for the Wizards tonight against Charlotte, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post tweets. Both players sat out Monday’s loss to the Thunder.
- 2023 second-rounder Isaiah Wong is averaging 7.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in seven December games. Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer explores whether the Hornets may have found a diamond in the rough in Wong, who was signed to a two-way deal earlier this month.
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller is back in action tonight after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury, Boone tweets.
Injury Notes: Booker, Allen, Tatum, Lakers, Wizards
The Suns will be missing guards Devin Booker and Grayson Allen on Christmas Day. Both players were deemed unavailable for Wednesday’s game vs. Denver after sitting out the team’s practice on Tuesday, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Booker was originally ruled out for two games after injuring his groin last Thursday, with the Suns referring to the ailment as groin soreness. On its latest injury report, the team is now listing the star as out due to a groin “strain.” Wednesday will be Booker’s third consecutive absence.
Allen, meanwhile, has been in the concussion protocol since taking an elbow to the head in Saturday’s loss to Detroit. This will be the second game he has missed.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Celtics star Jayson Tatum was a surprise late scratch for Monday’s game vs. Orlando due to a non-COVID illness, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com details. Tatum has been listed as questionable to play in Wednesday’s Christmas Day game vs. Philadelphia as a result of that illness.
- Lakers stars Anthony Davis (left shoulder contusion) and LeBron James (left foot injury management) are both listed as questionable for the team’s Christmas Day game against Golden State (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). However, I’d be surprised if either player missed the game — they were listed as questionable due to the same ailments on Monday before being upgraded to available. Point guard D’Angelo Russell is also considered questionable to play due to a sprained left thumb.
- The Wizards were missing starters Bilal Coulibaly (right groin soreness) and Alex Sarr (low back soreness) on Monday, prompting the club to deploy a small starting lineup featuring guards Jordan Poole, Malcolm Brogdon, and Carlton Carrington (Twitter link). While neither of those injuries sounds serious, we’re still waiting for an update on big man Marvin Bagley III, who had to be helped off the court midway through the fourth quarter on Monday after suffering a painful-looking knee injury (Twitter video link).
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Rookies, Howard, Jovic, Stevens
Just one year after experiencing the worst season in franchise history (15-67), the Wizards are on pace for just 11 wins this year. At 3-20, they rank 30th in offensive rating and 29th in defensive rating, while their average point differential (-15.9) would be the worst in league history. While the Wizards were expected to lose more than they won this year as they continue to develop their core, it wasn’t supposed to look like this, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic write.
A little more than a year into their multi-stage rebuild, some Wizards officials believe their future franchise cornerstones are still playing in college or high school, according to Aldridge and Robbins. Officials didn’t think the team would start off worse than last season after adding veteran talent like Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey over the summer, but both Brogdon and Kyle Kuzma have missed extensive time due to injuries, while Bey is expected to miss most or all of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL.
“I try to come into seasons with not too much of an expectation, because you just never know how things can go,” Kuzma said. “I probably thought we could struggle, but never to the extent that we are in the present.”
The injuries – along with the departures of some of last season’s rotation fixtures – thrust rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George into the spotlight early and often. While those three have been bright spots, Aldridge and Robbins note that they’ve each still struggled at times.
“We are immersed in a very difficult stretch right now,” general manager Will Dawkins said. “But we remain committed to the long-term sustainability of the organization. Our staff and players have continued to work, and are growing. We will continue to stack the positive developmental gains and, at the end of the season, put proper perspective on the totality of the year. Don’t worry about the whole thing right now; at the end of the year, let’s look up and see what we accomplished. They’re getting better, and they’re still working, and that’s the main thing. What we signed up for is hard, and we know it.”
Head coach Brian Keefe endured a similar situation with the Thunder in 2008/09 as a player development coach. That team opened the season 3-29 before winning 20 of its final 50 games. According to Aldridge and Robbins, Keefe has done a good job teaching the young talent, but the club has to do more to not surrender big runs in games.
“It’s being addressed, I can tell you that,” a team source said. “It’ll look different.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Getting used to the NBA’s grueling schedule is the biggest adjustment Sarr has had to make in the first part of his young career, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network writes in a piece reflecting on the progress the Wizards‘ rookies have made so far. Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, is averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his age-19 season.
- Last year’s No. 11 overall pick Jett Howard is continuing to earn more minutes for the Magic while holding his own on the defensive end, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Howard is averaging 4.2 points per game in 25 contests this season after making just 18 appearances last year.
- After falling out of the rotation in November, the Heat‘s Nikola Jovic worked behind the scenes to regain the trust of the coaching staff, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He had an impressive night on Thursday, contributing 14 points and four rebounds to help Miami beat Toronto. “If you’re not playing, how do you win the day? At least you have a staff that’s looking and valuing pre-practice, film sessions, practice, shootarounds, walkthroughs and that’s how you can earn trust,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But then you also stay ready, so that when you get your opportunity that you can make the most of it and then you can impact winning.“
- After trading Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, the Heat will have two open standard roster spots. They’ll have two weeks after that trade is officially finalized to fill at least one of those openings, and as we outlined on Friday, Dru Smith being converted to a standard deal is one avenue the team may explore. If that occurs, Isaiah Stevens could be a natural replacement for Smith’s two-way spot, suggests Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Stevens impressed in summer league and the preseason and is averaging 13.8 PPG and a G League-leading 10.8 APG for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Wizards Rumors: Kuzma, Valanciunas, Brogdon, Davis, Baldwin, Coulibaly
The Wizards view Kyle Kuzma as a team leader who can help the team stay competitive and assist in the development of some of the young players on the roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. But Scotto says teams around the NBA view Kuzma as a potential trade candidate due to his skill set, the team-friendly declining structure of his contract, and the fact that he probably doesn’t fit Washington’s long-term timeline.
The Mavericks nearly traded for Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline, but the Wizards reportedly brought that opportunity to the forward, who decided to pass on it. As Scotto writes, the Pacers had some interest in Kuzma before they acquired Pascal Siakam and the Kings have also been connected to him over the past couple seasons.
While it’s unclear if any of those clubs would circle back to Kuzma at this point, Scotto hears that the Bucks, Warriors, Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers are among the other teams that have kept tabs on the 29-year-old.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon are among the Wizards’ veteran trade candidates being monitored by rival teams, says Scotto. According to Scotto, Valanciunas has provided the sort of veteran mentorship to No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr that Washington hoped for, going up against the rookie big man in practice and teaching him things on both sides of the ball.
- While the Wizards have a few trade candidates to watch, Scotto suggests that second-round picks may not move the needle much for the front office, especially if they come attached to bad contracts. Washington has already stockpiled several extra second-rounders and turned down offers consisting of second-round picks for Tyus Jones at last season’s deadline, Scotto adds.
- Johnny Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr., both of whom are on expiring contracts after having their 2025/26 team options declined in October, were shopped on the trade market prior to the season and are potential salary fillers for in-season deals, per Scotto.
- Although Bilal Coulibaly has taken a step forward in his second NBA season, the 20-year-old is still adjusting to being relied upon as a two-way threat, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who notes that the Wizards forward’s offensive production has slipped following a hot start. “It’s been a lot thrown at me,” said Coulibaly, who has averaged 8.8 points per game with a .377/.208/.667 shooting line in his past nine games after putting up 17.0 PPG on .575/.387/.828 shooting in his first eight. “But I got to go through it because that’s what I want to do in my future, in the near future. I want to be a great two-way player. … I’ll take it.”