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.
Atlantic Notes: Oubre, Poeltl, Anunoby, Knicks
Kelly Oubre Jr. has proven himself too valuable for the Sixers to trade at the upcoming trade deadline, Keith Pompey writes for The Inquirer. Oubre is on an expiring contract, but as the team looks more and more like a potential playoff threat, Pompey believes that what the 6’8″ wing brings in terms of role versatility and two-way play on the wings is not something that can be easily replaced.
Oubre has played shooting guard, small forward, and power forward for the Sixers this season, depending on who was healthy and in the rotation around him. He defends opposing teams’ best players and is knocking down 38.0% of his three-point attempts.
“He plays both ends, right?” asked coach Nick Nurse. “I think that’s the main thing. He’s been pretty effective on both ends, and the other probably main thing is he’s in about his 10th year. He’s got a lot of stuff under his belt. A lot of minutes. A lot of games, too. That helps, too.”
Pompey writes that the only real benefit of moving Oubre would be cap and tax relief, but that’s a goal that should be pursued in the offseason, not in the midst of a season in which the team is hoping to make some noise in the playoffs.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Jakob Poeltl being out indefinitely with a lower back strain has put the Raptors in a very difficult position, says TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter video link). According to Lewenberg, Toronto’s preference is to be patient with the veteran big man, who is under contract through the 2029/30 season, but the lack of progress he has made in his recovery is a major wild card when it comes to the Raptors’ trade deadline approach. Toronto has been linked to multiple high-level centers in this trade cycle, including Domantas Sabonis, and the question of how long it will take Poeltl to return to form hangs over all trade talks, as well as the Raptors’ long-term outlook.
- After Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out on Saturday against the Sixers, Knicks coach Mike Brown tried something new, putting OG Anunoby at the five as the primary defender on Joel Embiid. The new-look lineup sputtered at times, but delivered when it mattered, writes Newsday’s Steve Popper. “We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG,” Brown said. “OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. And so we were able to do it.” Anunoby had a critical trio of plays on the offensive end, slamming home a put-back dunk, then hitting a three, then passing to Landry Shamet for a critical three. However, it was the other end of the floor that impressed Brown the most. “OG changed the game defensively,” Brown said. “And his quick decisions with the basketball, it was beautiful to watch. But defensively, guarding their power forward, guarding Paul George and then guarding Joel Embiid. He was phenomenal defensively.”
- Miles McBride and Shamet have established themselves as premier shooters in the NBA, but it’s their defense that’s proving indispensable for the Knicks, writes Jared Schwartz for the New York Post. Brown has repeatedly referred to the pair of guards as the best point-of-attack defenders on the team, and that was put into practice in Saturday’s win against the Sixers, when McBride and Shamet closed the game over Mikal Bridges. “You don’t stop those types of guys (Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe), but to have a guy like Deuce coming off the bench, have a guy like Landry — both those guys are physical at the point of attack, whether those guys are trying to get over pick-and-rolls or trying to get over (dribble handoffs) or even pindowns,” Brown said. “And to have that type of relentless pursuit with athleticism and strength and toughness and the mindset is phenomenal. And obviously, we need those guys.”
Raptors’ Poeltl Remains Out Indefinitely With Back Injury
Veteran center Jakob Poeltl remains out indefinitely due to a lower back strain, the Raptors announced on Sunday (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca).
Poeltl, who returned to Toronto on Thursday to visit a back specialist, recently received targeted pain relief treatment, per the team. His status will be updated when he returns to practice, but there’s no timeline for his return.
Poeltl has been managing the back issue since training camp and has missed 17 straight contests. Overall, he has been sidelined for 26 of Toronto’s 47 games due to the injury.
The Raptors have gone 13-8 with the Austrian big man in the lineup this season and hold a 15-11 record when Poeltl has been unable to suit up. Toronto is currently 28-19, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
While Darko Rajakovic expressed confidence last month that Poeltl’s back injury wasn’t a long-term concern, the 30-year-old has only made one brief appearance since Toronto’s head coach made those comments.
Poeltl started to ramp up his activity a couple weeks ago and was cleared for contact work, but his recovery progress reportedly “stalled,” as he was still dealing with back discomfort.
In 21 appearances this season, Poeltl has averaged 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals in 25.3 minutes per game. All of those statistics are down compared to 2024/25, when he averaged 14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.2 BPG in 29.6 MPG (57 games).
The Raptors don’t have a traditional backup center on their roster, having instead relied on Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili to man the middle with Poeltl out. Lottery pick Murray-Boyles, who has missed the past three games due to a left thumb contusion, is questionable for Sunday’s game in Oklahoma City.
Amick’s Latest: Ellis, DeRozan, Sabonis, Towns
After being inactive for two games last weekend due to a minor knee issue, Kings guard Keon Ellis has missed two more contests this week as a DNP-CD. Still, that hasn’t diminished league-wide interest in Ellis on the trade market.
League and team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that there are approximately 10 teams in the mix for Ellis, with a deal expected to happen on or before the February 5 trade deadline. Sacramento is seeking a late first-round pick for the fourth-year guard, per Amick’s sources.
While the Kings have no shortage of trade candidates on their roster, Ellis is the one who has generated the most interest to this point, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic said on Thursday. Vecenie observes that the 26-year-old has a limited offensive skill set and doesn’t have the size necessary to stop bigger wings and forwards, but his energetic backcourt defense and solid outside shot provide real value.
Here are a few more items of interest from Amick’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors haven’t shown any interest in veteran forward DeMar DeRozan to this point, a Kings source tells Amick. DeRozan has been cited as a possible target for Golden State in the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s season-ending ACL tear, but it sounds like that’s just speculation right now and isn’t consistent with the options the Warriors are actually pursuing.
- After reporting in December that the Wizards, Suns, and Bulls have had interest in Domantas Sabonis in the past, Amick reiterated that point today. However, he acknowledges that the Raptors appear to be the most legitimate suitor for the Kings center at this point. Toronto has been connected to Sabonis by multiple reporters throughout the season, with Jake Fischer stating on Thursday that the Raptors maintain their interest in the big man.
- Like Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Amick hears that the Knicks haven’t engaged in any trade talks about big man Karl-Anthony Towns, despite one report to the contrary. The expectation, Amick writes, is that New York will focus on getting the most out of Towns in Mike Brown‘s system rather than looking to move him when his value has dipped a little.
Siegel’s Latest: MPJ, Warriors, Murphy, Giannis, Wolves, Magic
The Warriors had internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. but received indications that the asking price would be higher than they’re comfortable with, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. The Lakers also aren’t expected to pursue Porter, Siegel writes, since they’re not looking to take on that sort of a big-money contract at this time (Porter is owed $40.8MM in 2026/27).
The Nets have conveyed to potential trade partners that they’re comfortable keeping Porter beyond this season, per Siegel, so if their asking price isn’t met, there’s a good chance he’ll remain in Brooklyn through the trade deadline.
While a Porter deal doesn’t seem likely, Siegel says the Warriors remain on the lookout for wings and have been linked to veterans like DeMar DeRozan of the Kings and old friend Andrew Wiggins, who was sent to the Heat in last season’s Jimmy Butler trade. It remains to be seen whether Miami will look to move Wiggins, but there’s still “a lot of mutual love” between the former No. 1 overall pick and the Warriors, who won a title together in 2022, Siegel notes.
Of course, the Warriors’ interest in Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III has been an open secret for months, and they’ve made him multiple calls about him this season, sources tell ClutchPoints.
Rivals believe New Orleans’ asking price for Murphy would be multiple first-round picks and a young player or two, says Siegel, but it’s unclear if the Pelicans would move him even if that price is met — they’ve reportedly told teams they don’t intend to. The Raptors are another team that has inquired on Murphy, Siegel reports.
Here are a few more highlights from Siegel’s latest league-wide rumor roundup:
- Although Giannis Antetokounmpo has said on the record that he has no intention of ever asking the Bucks to trade him, many people around the NBA still believe it’s only a matter of time until the two sides split, Siegel writes. There’s a sense it could happen in the offseason, which is one reason why several clubs want to hang onto their top trade assets. “It really seems like he’s made up his mind already,” an Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints. “But this is Giannis we are talking about, and he’s very careful with the words he picks when talking to the media because he doesn’t want to be painted as the villain in Milwaukee. And if we are being honest, he shouldn’t be, no matter if he requests a trade or not. He may not have directly requested a trade, but everyone knows what’s going on there. It’s basically just who will break the silence and actually say it is time to move on. Giannis doesn’t want to be that guy, and that’s understandable.”
- The Timberwolves are widely expected to address their backcourt in a deadline deal, with Magic guard Tyus Jones, Kings guard Malik Monk, and Hornets guard Collin Sexton among the players they’ve been connected to, per Siegel. Charlotte has conveyed that it would want at least one asset of value (ie. a draft pick or young player) in a Sexton deal, Siegel adds.
- There’s a belief that the Magic are open to moving Jones, forward Jonathan Isaac, and/or center Goga Bitadze, according to Siegel, who suggests Orlando could acquire second-round capital and 2026/27 cap relief in a deal involving Bitadze. The Magic are operating about $5.6MM above the luxury tax line, so they could look to duck the tax altogether by trading one or more of those players, whose salaries range from $7MM (for Jones) to $15MM (for Isaac).
Fischer’s Latest: AD, Butler, Giannis, LeBron, Raptors, Vucevic
The Mavericks are said to be open to continuing Anthony Davis trade talks while the big man recovers from his hand injury, and agent Rich Paul would reportedly like to see a deal happen before the February 5 deadline. However, the market for Davis seems to have cooled in the wake of his latest injury, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Hawks and Raptors have been the two teams mentioned most frequently this season as potential suitors for Davis, but both Eastern Conference clubs have been signaling that they’re no longer involved in significant trade discussions with the Mavericks, per Fischer. The Warriors also haven’t shown legitimate interest in pursuing the 32-year-old despite being linked to him earlier in the season, Fischer adds.
By all accounts, the Mavs won’t just send Davis to the highest bidder if they don’t get any offers to their liking, so unless Atlanta or Toronto circles back to the big man or another suitor emerges in the next week or two, it sounds like the odds of AD remaining in Dallas through the deadline are rising.
Here are a few more items of interest from Fischer:
- Fischer agrees with fellow Stein Line reporter Marc Stein, who wrote on Wednesday that the Warriors are unlikely to trade Jimmy Butler at the deadline following his season-ending ACL tear. Butler has been a positive presence in Golden State’s locker room and the Warriors believes he’ll help them next season, Fischer explains, so it doesn’t make sense to move him unless his maximum-salary contract would be necessary to land a superstar like Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo or Lakers forward LeBron James. Both of those players remain very much on Golden State’s radar, says Fischer, but aren’t considered probable trade candidates at this time and may not be in play until the offseason, at the earliest.
- The Raptors are signaling that they’re not pursuing Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, but they maintain interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, sources tell Fischer. Toronto’s apparent lack of interest in Morant was also reported this week by Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
- Multiple sources who spoke to Fischer believe Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is unlikely to be traded at the deadline. However, the veteran big man is expected to be a popular target on the free agent market during the offseason, Fischer writes, since he’s believed to be open to taking on a more “complementary” role in the right situation after having been a full-time starter for most of his career.
Raptors Notes: Quickley, Barrett, Murray-Boyles, Poeltl
The Raptors are reportedly gauging the trade value of Immanuel Quickley, and he likely increased it with a spectacular performance in Tuesday’s win at Golden State, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Quickley tied his career high with 40 points — shooting 11-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 from three-point range — and added 10 assists while sparking an offense that had looked lethargic lately to 145 points.
“Yeah, I felt a little bit better,” said Quickley, who missed two games last week due to back spasms. “But it was just the mindset. I told a couple of the guys, just have the mindset to come out and be aggressive. The game is more like 70 or 80 percent mental than it is (physical). Just have the mindset to go out and aggressively dominate.”
Quickley has been mostly healthy this year after being limited to 33 games last season. He could be a reliable source of offense for teams needing help at point guard, but a contract that pays him $97.5MM over the three years after this season will limit his perceived value on the trade market.
There’s more on the Raptors:
- RJ Barrett‘s sprained ankle is forcing him to miss his seventh straight game tonight in Sacramento, but there’s hope he can be available Friday at Portland or Sunday at Oklahoma City, Grange states in the same piece. Barrett is eager to return to the court after playing just six times over the past two months due to the ankle and a knee injury. “Yeah, it’s annoying, us losing some games and seeing, ‘man, I could have helped us here’, you know,” Barrett said before Tuesday’s game. “So, I’m just trying to be patient, to make sure that I can come back and be myself and really help us.”
- The Raptors haven’t issued an official prognosis for rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles, who left Sunday’s game after getting chopped on his already-hurting left thumb, Grange adds. X-rays were negative, and the team said Tuesday that he’s “undergoing further evaluation.” Injuries to teammates have forced Murray-Boyles to start nine games at center, and Grange points out that he’s been successful in that role, averaging 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds while playing high-level interior defense.
- Center Jakob Poeltl continues to suffer from a lower back strain and has returned to Toronto to visit a back specialist on Thursday, Grange tweets. Poeltl has only been available for 21 games this season and has made just one brief appearance since December 15.
Raptors Rumors: Webster, Morant, AD, Agbaji, Sharpe
There have been rumblings around the NBA that Raptors general manager Bobby Webster – who is in the last year of his contract – is facing some pressure to accelerate his team’s contention timeline by making a significant in-season deal, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. However, Grange hears that’s not actually the case.
Multiple sources tell Sportsnet that Webster and the Raptors are already having “meaningful” discussions about a contract extension and that the team’s head of basketball operations has a very strong relationship with Keith Pelley, the president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (the Raptors’ parent company).
“There’s a really good vibe,” one of Grange’s sources said of the relationship between Webster and Raptors ownership. “Everyone is comfortable with each other. The communication is good. It seems like there is a big-picture view of the whole thing. It’s kind of (an) old-school approach to dealing with management. There’s a lot of runway, and no rush. Everything has cooled off (since former Raptors president Masai Ujiri was let go last June). They’ve really come a long way, considering there was an executive search this past summer.”
Following Ujiri’s exit from Toronto, the Raptors conducted a search for a new lead basketball executive but ultimately decided to promote Webster, who had worked in the front office under Ujiri for over a decade. Pelley has no regrets about that decision and told Grange that Webster’s contract status won’t affect the team’s in-season decisions on the trade market.
“There is no pressure regarding the trade deadline or his contract,” Pelley said. “And he is 100 per cent aware of that. The team is moving in the right direction and I’m convinced that Bobby will make the right moves, at the right time, to make us better. This team under Bobby’s direction, will contend for championships.”
We have more on the Raptors:
- While Toronto has been linked to Ja Morant since word broke that Memphis is considering trading him, one insider who spoke to Grange insisted that the Raptors won’t be a serious suitor for the Grizzlies point guard. Grange also expresses skepticism about the likelihood of an Anthony Davis trade between the Mavericks and Raptors, noting that the big man – who will turn 33 in March – is the sort of win-now target who probably doesn’t make sense for Toronto right now.
- To that point, while Grange doesn’t rule out the possibility of the team making a big move sooner rather than later, he hears from multiple sources that the Raptors are prepared to be patient and may be more likely to take a big swing a year from now. As Grange observes, Toronto has a fairly young roster and head coach Darko Rajakovic has repeatedly used the word “rebuild” this season when discussing his team’s progress. While I wouldn’t describe this Raptors team – which is operating in luxury tax territory – as rebuilding, Grange’s point is that the Raptors believe there’s more room for internal development and aren’t in a rush to go all-in right away.
- Ducking the tax and adding frontcourt help still appear to be the primary deadline goals for the Raptors, according to Grange, who reiterates that wing Ochai Agbaji and his $6.4MM expiring contract is the team’s top trade candidate.
- In addition to Magic big man Goga Bitadze, who was connected to the Raptors earlier in the season, Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe is another potential frontcourt target to watch for Toronto, Grange says. He has also heard from multiple sources that second-year Pelicans center Yves Missi is available, though the Raptors’ level of interest in Missi is unclear.
Wizards Rumors: Zion, Kuminga, Salary Dumps, Middleton, More
The Wizards‘ trades for Cam Whitmore last summer and Trae Young earlier this month exhibit the front office’s willingness to roll the dice on high-upside players in need of a change of scenery, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who hears from league sources that Washington will likely be keeping an eye out for similar opportunities at this season’s trade deadline.
Multiple sources who spoke to Robbins identified Pelicans forward Zion Williamson as one player who fits that bill. While New Orleans has reportedly told rival teams that Williamson won’t be traded this season, people around the league are skeptical that the former No. 1 overall pick is truly off limits, Robbins explains.
According to Robbins, the general consensus is that the Wizards wouldn’t give up their most valuable assets – including any of their own first-round picks – for a player like Williamson, but their “least favorable” 2026 first-rounder (which will likely be Oklahoma City’s pick) could hold some appeal to the Pelicans.
Robbins stresses that a Wizards trade for Williamson is a long shot and that the idea is mostly based on speculation, but he notes that the Pelicans forward was mentioned by several of the sources he talked to. Another player who fits into the same “distressed asset” category would be Jonathan Kuminga, Robbins adds, though multiple recent reports suggested Washington may not be among the most serious suitors for the Warriors forward.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Although the Wizards will monitor the market for another buy-low opportunity like the one for Young, they’re more likely to operate as a “dumping ground for assets” at the deadline, Robbins writes. In other words, Washington – which is operating roughly $30MM below the luxury tax line – would be willing to take on unwanted multiyear contracts if they come attached to young players or draft picks.
- Robbins points to Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley ($32.5MM cap hit this season) and Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant ($32MM) as a couple examples of players with long-term contracts that their respective teams are looking to move off of. Quickley has three seasons on his deal beyond this one, while Grant has two more (one guaranteed year plus a player option). However, the sense is that neither Toronto nor Portland wants long-term salary relief badly enough to send out draft assets with Quickley or Grant in exchange for Khris Middleton‘s $33MM expiring contract. The Raptors and Blazers would prefer to use those contracts in deals that actually upgrade their rosters, per Robbins. “I think any smart front office would first obviously use those salaries to get better,” one rival team official told The Athletic.
- Most league sources who spoke to Robbins believe the most likely outcome with Middleton is that he remains in D.C. through the trade deadline and then emerges as a buyout candidate.
- According to Robbins, the Wizards will be reluctant to make a trade that would interfere with the development of any of their most important young players, such as big man Alex Sarr, forward Kyshawn George, guards Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington, and wing Bilal Coulibaly. However, Washington has no obvious long-term answer at power forward and should be more open to pursuing players at that position.
- Assuming they don’t acquire this sort of player at the trade deadline, the Wizards are expected to explore the free agent market during the offseason for a big man who can improve the club’s defensive rebounding and provides more rim protection, Robbins reports.