VJ Edgecombe Named 2026 Rising Stars MVP
VJ Edgecombe was named the 2026 Rising Stars MVP after closing out two straight wins for Team Vince en route to the Rising Stars championship.
In Game One between Team Melo and Team Austin’s G League rising stars, Dylan Harper (Spurs) hit the game-winning shot to get Team Melo to the target score of 40 points. Team Austin had the top two scorers in the game in Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Clippers) and Yang Hansen (Blazers), but Team Melo’s balanced scoring attack, led by Reed Sheppard (Rockets) and Donovan Clingan (Blazers) with 9 points each, was too much for the G League stars to contain.
In Game Two between Team Vince and Team T-Mac, VJ Edgecombe (Sixers) exploded for 17 points, including the last 10 and the step-back game-winner over Cam Spencer (Grizzlies). Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) led Team T-Mac with 10 points, while Tre Johnson (Wizards) added eight while facing off against teammate Kyshawn George. Team Vince came away with the 41-36 victory.
The Rising Stars championship game, with a target score of 25, kicked off with back-to-back Clingan three-pointers while Matas Buzelis (Bulls) carried Team Vince early with a one-handed dunk and a smooth post move. An Edgecombe rebound and putback brought the game to 23-22 for Team Vince, prompting a Team Melo timeout. After a Stephon Castle (Spurs) putback dunk, Edgecombe was fouled by Clingan on a drive, heading to the free throw line, where he knocked down the game-winning free throws. Carter Bryant (Spurs) contributed five points while playing against his teammate Harper, who led Team Melo with eight points.
Blazers’ Cissoko Latest Two-Way Player To Reach Active Game Limit
Several teams will head into the NBA’s All-Star break with roster decisions to make before their schedules resume next week. One of those teams in the Trail Blazers, who deployed two-way player Sidy Cissoko for his 50th game of the season on Thursday in Utah.
Cissoko, who made his 24th start of the season and played 30 minutes in Portland’s win over the Jazz, has now reached the active game limit for two-way players and will no longer be able to suit up for the NBA team unless he’s promoted from his two-way contract to the Blazers’ standard 15-man roster.
Cissoko is one of several players in that boat, along with Nuggets forward Spencer Jones, Timberwolves guard Johnny Juzang, and Sixers forward Jabari Walker. All four two-way players have been active for 50 NBA games this season.
Cissoko and Jones have emerged as key contributors for their respective teams and will likely be promoted to standard contracts sooner rather than later. The Nuggets might have taken that route with Jones already if not for the concussion that sidelined him for the final three games before the All-Star break, which allowed the team to put off an official roster move for an extra couple weeks.
Denver has two openings on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to promote Jones, making the club’s decision even more straightforward.
That’s not the case in Portland though, where one of the team’s 15 players currently holding standard contracts will need to be cut if the Blazers want to promote Cissoko. If the team decides to convert both Cissoko and its other standout two-way player, Caleb Love (who is at 45 active games), two cuts would be required. Rayan Rupert and Matisse Thybulle have been mentioned as possible odd men out, but that’s not necessarily a given.
There’s less urgency for certain other teams whose two-way players have reached – or are fast approaching – their active game limits. For instance, while Juzang has been active for 50 games this season, he only actually saw the floor in 21 of them — he was a DNP-CD in the other 29. As such, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Wolves haven’t rushed to promote him to the standard roster. Juzang was on the inactive list for Minnesota’s last three games prior to the All-Star break.
Rockets two-way guard JD Davison is another player nearing his 50-game limit (he has five games left), but like Juzang, he hasn’t been a crucial part of his team’s rotation when he’s active. Davison has appeared in 24 games and been a DNP-CD in 21 others. With that in mind, Houston may not be in a rush to move him to the 15-man roster when he gets to his game limit.
It’s also worth noting that promoting a two-way player or leaving him in limbo aren’t the only two options a team has at its disposal after he reaches his active game limit. When two-way player Chris Youngblood found himself in that situation last week, the Thunder decided to waive him, recognizing that there was no room for him on their 15-man roster and wanting to give him the chance to explore other opportunities before the end of the season.
Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (six games left) and center Moussa Cisse (eight games left), Wizards big man Tristan Vukcevic (nine games left), Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens (nine games left), and Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea (10 games left) are among the other notable two-way players whose teams will have roster decisions to make in the coming weeks.
The full list of players who have already been converted from two-way deals to standard contracts can be found here.
Sarr Discusses AD; Whitmore Details Recovery, Outlook
- Wizards center Alex Sarr is confident about how he’ll fit next to Anthony Davis once both players are healthy, per Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network. “He has a very complete game. I can also step out and play inside-out, so I think it’ll be pretty seamless [playing alongside him],” Sarr said. “Just getting the reps in, that’s definitely going to help us.”
- Wizards wing Cam Whitmore is out for the remainder of his third season after being diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis — a form of blood clot — in his right shoulder. He recently discussed the serious health issue, which required three surgeries to address, with play-by-play announcer Chris Mills of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
Ace Bailey, Bub Carrington, Jahmir Young Added To Rising Stars Event
Jazz forward Ace Bailey, Wizards guard Bub Carrington and Heat guard Jahmir Young have been selected to participate in Friday’s Rising Stars competition as injury replacements, the NBA announced in a series of tweets.
Bailey will replace Mavericks star Cooper Flagg, who is unavailable due to a left midfoot sprain, while Carrington will take the place of his Wizards teammate, Alex Sarr, who is sidelined by a strained hamstring. Young will fill in for Bulls guard Mac McClung, who is out with a right calf injury.
Bailey will be part of Team Melo, coached by Carmelo Anthony, Carrington will be on Team T-Mac, coached by Tracy McGrady, and Young is on Team Austin, coached by Austin Rivers.
Selected with the fifth pick in last year’s draft, Bailey is part of a talented rookie class throughout the league. The 19-year-old has appeared in 48 games, making 37 starts, and is averaging 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.2 minutes per night with .449/.343/.708 shooting numbers.
Carrington, 20, was the 14th pick in the 2024 draft. He hasn’t missed a game in his NBA career and is averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists in his second season with .402/.393/.761 shooting splits.
Young has spent most of the season in the G League and has only appeared in eight games with Miami. The 25-year-old is averaging 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 16 regular season games with Sioux Falls.
The Rising Stars event will match three teams consisting of NBA rookies and sophomores, along with a fourth team of G League players. They will compete in a three-game tournament to crown the winner.
Alex Sarr To Miss Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Alex Sarr has suffered a hamstring strain that will sideline him for roughly two weeks, the Wizards announced (via Twitter). That means Sarr won’t be available for Friday’s Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend.
Sarr was held out of Wednesday’s loss at Cleveland with hamstring tightness. He also didn’t play last Saturday at Brooklyn.
The 20-year-old big man is having a productive second NBA season, averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 41 games. He has established himself as a foundational piece in Washington after being selected with the second pick in the 2024 draft and finishing fourth in last year’s Rookie of the Year race.
Because Sarr’s injury occurred just before the All-Star break, he’ll have a full week to rest before the Wizards play again. Their next game is February 19 at home against Indiana.
Washington will be focused more on maximizing the value of its draft pick rather than trying to win over the next two months, so there’s no incentive to bring back Sarr before he’s fully recovered. The Wizards hold the league’s second-worst record at 14-39 heading into the break, and their first-round pick is top-eight protected.
Tristan Vukcevic also missed Wednesday’s game with an illness, so Washington used an extremely small starting lineup with no real center. Anthony Davis, who was acquired at last week’s deadline, also didn’t play amid conflicting reports on whether he will be held out for the rest of the season.
Sarr marks the second significant loss for the Rising Stars game in the past 24 hours. The Mavericks announced Wednesday that Cooper Flagg will have to miss the game due to a left midfoot sprain.
Kadary Richmond Signs 10-Day Contract With Wizards
The Wizards have filled the open spot on their 15-man roster by signing guard Kadary Richmond to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Richmond signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal with Washington last fall after going undrafted out of St. John’s in June. The 6’6″ guard was waived at the end of the preseason and reported to the Wizards’ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
Across 23 total appearances for the Go-Go, Richmond has averaged 8.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in 22.4 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .457/.308/.846. While those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, the 24-year-old has been more effective since the G League’s regular season began in late December — in his most recent outing for the Go-Go on Saturday, he had 19 points and six assists.
The Wizards are currently carrying just 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with Richmond joining Keshon Gilbert as the team’s 10-day players to fill out the 15-man squad.
While Gilbert’s deal will expire after All-Star weekend, Richmond’s will cover Washington’s first two games following the break, running through next Friday (Feb. 20). Richmond will earn $73,153 over the course of his 10-day contract.
Injury Notes: Castle, T. Johnson, Kings, M. Porter
Spurs guard Stephon Castle took a hard fall in the second quarter of Tuesday’s victory over the Lakers and exited the game early, sitting out the second half with what the team referred to as a pelvic contusion. However, Castle is confident that the injury isn’t serious, indicating after the game that he’s hoping to play in the second end of a back-to-back on Wednesday in Golden State, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).
“I’m expecting he’ll be pretty sore — more than pretty sore,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “It was good that he walked off and didn’t feel like it was anything else.”
While Castle thinks he’ll likely be as a game-time decision for Wednesday, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Spurs decide to hold him out, given that it’s the team’s last game before the All-Star break. If he sits out on Wednesday, the second-year guard would have another full week off before San Antonio’s schedule resumes next Thursday.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- After missing six consecutive games due to a left ankle sprain, rookie guard Tre Johnson is off the injury report and appears set to return to action on Wednesday as the Wizards visit Cleveland in their final game before the All-Star break, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Johnson had been a starter in each of his last 17 games prior to the injury.
- The Kings, losers of 13 straight games, may be further ramping up their tanking efforts as they prepare to face Utah in their last game before the break. According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), in addition to Domantas Sabonis (left knee injury management), Keegan Murray (left ankle sprain), Malik Monk (illness), and De’Andre Hunter (left eye iritis), the team has ruled out Russell Westbrook (left ankle soreness) and Zach LaVine (right fifth finger tendon injury) for Wednesday’s contest.
- Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. will miss a second straight game on Wednesday vs. Indiana due to right knee tendinitis. However, head coach Jordi Fernandez said on Monday that the injury isn’t considered serious and that it’s not related to the sprained MCL Porter had in the same knee earlier this season (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Southeast Notes: Heat, Giannis, Wagner, Connaughton, More
The Heat weren’t offered a first-round pick for Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, or Tyler Herro ahead of last Thursday’s trade deadline, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. According to Jackson, Miami could have potentially secured a pair of second-round picks in a Wiggins trade, but the front office didn’t think the upside of those picks outweighed the value of hanging onto the veteran forward.
While the Heat intend to renew their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, the Bucks didn’t tell Miami what it would’ve taken for them to accept an offer, according to Jackson, who reports that Milwaukee simply turned down the Heat’s proposal rather than making a counteroffer or engaging in any real back-and-forth.
Interestingly, Jackson says the Heat – who only had two tradable first-round picks at the deadline – had a viable path to acquiring a third first-rounder and would’ve been willing to pull the trigger on that deal and include the pick in their offer for Antetokounmpo. However, it still wouldn’t have been enough to satisfy the Bucks.
It’s unclear how Miami would’ve acquired that third first-round pick without using either one of the three veterans mentioned above or another asset that would’ve otherwise been included in its Giannis offer.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Southeast:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who missed nine consecutive games – and 25 of 27 – due to a left ankle injury, returned to the court on Monday vs. Milwaukee, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel details (subscription required). Wagner came off the bench for the first time in his NBA career and was on a “very strict” minutes restriction, per Beede. But he made an impact as a reserve, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and handing out five assists in 17 minutes of action as Orlando beat Milwaukee 118-99.
- The new contract that veteran wing Pat Connaughton signed with the Hornets is a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a team option for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Connaughton will earn $1,315,814 for the rest of this season, while his 2026/27 option is worth $3,815,861.
- More contract details out of Charlotte: Tosan Evbuomwan‘s new two-way contract with the team is a two-year deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Among the Hornets‘ two-way players, only Antonio Reeves has a one-year contract, with Evbuomwan’s and PJ Hall‘s deals running through 2026/27.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) analyzes the Anthony Davis trade and considers possible next steps for the Wizards. In Gozlan’s view, unless Davis is willing to take a pay cut on his next deal, it doesn’t make sense for Washington to sign the big man to a contract extension unless he stays healthy and plays well for an extended period of time.
NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots
A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.
For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
These situations remain fluid, with more roster moves being finalized each day. But with the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Tuesday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)
Multiple open roster spots
- Teams with multiple 15-man openings:
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Teams with one 15-man and one two-way opening:
- Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings
The Celtics entered trade deadline week with 14 players on their standard roster and sent out four players (Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Josh Minott) while only taking back one (Nikola Vucevic). They promoted Amari Williams from his two-way contract to the standard roster to get to 12 players, but they still have three roster openings.
Given how tight their margins are below the tax line, the Celtics will likely use their full two-week allotment and wait until February 19 before making two additions to get back to the roster minimum of 14.
The Nuggets dipped to 13 players on standard contracts by trading Hunter Tyson last Thursday and also have until Feb. 19 to get back to 14. Two-way standout Spencer Jones has reached his 50-game limit and is the obvious candidate to be promoted into that spot, though he’s in the concussion protocol for now, so Denver may not to need to make that move until after the All-Star break.
The Timberwolves went from 14 players to 13 when they sent out Mike Conley on Tuesday of trade deadline week, so they have until Feb. 17 to reach the roster minimum again. It sounds like their old 14th man will likely become their new 14th man, with Conley expected to re-sign in Minnesota after being dealt twice ahead of last week’s deadline.
As for the Warriors and Kings, both clubs both briefly went down to 13 players, but they’ve since promoted two-way players Pat Spencer and Dylan Cardwell, respectively, so they’re back to 14 and there’s no urgency for them to make additional moves. Still, it’s worth noting that both teams technically have multiple roster openings, since they’ve yet to sign new two-way players to replace Spencer and Cardwell. Both Golden State and Sacramento are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
One open roster spot
- Teams with a 15-man opening:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards *
- Teams with a two-way opening:
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Clippers *
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers **
The Nets, Cavaliers, Rockets, Pacers, Heat, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.
The Suns, meanwhile, are in the same boat as those teams but might create a second opening on their 15-man roster in the near future — the expectation is that they’ll waive newly acquired guard Cole Anthony. If they do so, they’d have 14 days to add a replacement.
The Wizards have perhaps the most fluid situation of any team in this group. They have 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with Keshon Gilbert on a 10-day deal that will expire during the All-Star break. It’s also possible that D’Angelo Russell, acquired in the Anthony Davis blockbuster, won’t be on the roster much longer, with buyout rumors swirling around him. If Washington parts ways with Russell and doesn’t re-sign Gilbert, the team would have three 15-man openings and would need to fill at least two of them.
The Pistons, Clippers, Bucks, and Sixers all currently have full 15-man rosters and one open two-way slot, but L.A. and Philadelphia will soon open up standard roster spots.
The Clippers have Dalano Banton on a 10-day deal through next Monday, while the 76ers have Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. on 10-day pacts through Saturday. Both teams are at or near their limit of “under-15” games for two-way players, so if they want to continue using their players on two-way contracts, they’ll need to ensure they maintain full 15-man rosters.
No open roster spots
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies *
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
The Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Raptors are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.
In some of those cases, there’s an obvious release candidate on the roster. For instance, it’s believed to be just a matter of time until Toronto officially waives Chris Paul. A few of those clubs will also need to make room on their 15-man rosters to convert two-way players — Ryan Nembhard in Dallas and Sidy Cissoko in Portland are among the top candidates for promotions.
As for the Grizzlies, one of their 15 standard players – Lawson Lovering – is on a 10-day contract. His deal will expire after the team’s Feb. 20 game, opening up a roster spot in Memphis.
NBA Increasingly Concerned About Tanking, Discussed Issue Last Month
The search for solutions to rampant tanking around the league was a prominent topic of discussion at the most recent NBA Competition Committee meeting in late January, Marc Stein of the Stein Line reports (Substack link).
Despite league efforts in recent years to discourage tanking, including flattening lottery odds, nearly one-third of the NBA’s 30 teams appear to be incentivized to lose as often as possible for the remainder of the season. That’s due to a top-heavy draft class, with potential franchise-altering talents Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson available for the lottery winners.
The Jazz and the Wizards — both of whom made major trades last week — are especially motivated to finish in the bottom four to ensure that they can’t fall lower than eighth in May’s draft lottery. Both of those teams hold top-eight protected picks and in the last three lotteries, the team with the worst record fell to the No. 5 spot.
It’s noted around the league that the Spurs’ upswing coincides with their franchise landing top four picks in three straight drafts. Other executives noted to Stein that the Sixers’ tanking methods during the second half of last season landed them the No. 3 pick, which turned into VJ Edgecombe.
Commissioner Adam Silver will likely field numerous questions on the topic during his annual All-Star weekend press conference.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Clippers received major interest in Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before last Thursday’s trade deadline after their decision to trade Ivica Zubac to Indiana became public knowledge. While they ultimately held onto their best player, potential suitors are expected to line up after the season to make offers for Leonard, who will have one year remaining on his contract and is extension eligible.
- While Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that the Warriors were interested in signing point guard Lonzo Ball, they might pass on him because of health issues, Stein writes. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported over the weekend (Twitter link) that multiple teams are reviewing Ball’s medicals to determine whether to sign the veteran guard.