Injuries have prompted unexpected roster adjustments for the 2026 Castrol NBA Rising Stars game, scheduled to kick off NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles on Friday night. Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg and Washington Wizards’ Alex Sarr have both been ruled out due to injuries, leading to new players joining the competition.
Flagg, sidelined with a left mid-foot sprain, and Sarr, dealing with a hamstring strain, will not participate as originally expected. The NBA has announced that Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey and Washington guard Bub Carrington will replace them on the Rising Stars rosters.
Player Status and Performance Impacting the Replacements
Fans expressed disappointment over these last-minute swaps. Flagg, the number one overall draft pick from last June, has quickly become a standout player, earning the top selection by Carmelo Anthony in the Rising Stars player draft. Sarr, picked second overall in the previous season, quietly built a solid reputation while contributing an impressive 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season for the Wizards.
Ace Bailey, the replacement for Flagg, has gained confidence lately with the Utah Jazz. Over his past 15 games, he’s averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 46.6% from the field. Bub Carrington steps in for Sarr, showcasing solid shooting accuracy by making 110 three-pointers at a 39.3% clip, averaging 10.2 points per game this season.
Viewing Details for the 2026 Castrol NBA Rising Stars Event
The Rising Stars game will take place on Friday, February 13, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The tournament begins at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, with the championship game following at approximately 10:35 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the event streaming live on Peacock.
Structure of the NBA Rising Stars Competition
The top 20 young players, consisting of 10 rookies and 10 sophomores, were selected based on votes from league assistant coaches. Hall of Fame players Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady each drafted teams of seven players. The fourth team, coached by current NBC Sports analyst Austin Rivers, consists of G League Rising Stars.
The event follows a straightforward four-team tournament format. The first semifinals pit Team Melo against Team Austin at 9 p.m. ET, followed by Team Vince facing Team T-Mac at 9:55 p.m. ET. The winners of these matches advance to the championship game.
Each semifinal ends when a team reaches or exceeds 40 points, while the final is decided once a team hits or passes 25 points.
Complete Rosters for the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Game
Team Melo
- Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)* (out with left mid-foot sprain)
- Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)
- Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)
- Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)
- Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)
- Ace Bailey (Utah Jazz)* (replaces Cooper Flagg)
Team T-Mac
- Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)
- Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)
- Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)
- Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)* (out with hamstring strain)
- Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)* (out with injury)
- Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks)* (replaces Ajay Mitchell)
- Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards)* (replaces Alex Sarr)
Team Vince
- VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
- Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)
- Egor DÑ‘min (Brooklyn Nets)
- Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)
Team Austin (G League Rising Stars)
- Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
- Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
- David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)* (injured, will not play)
- Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)
- Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
- Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)
- Mac McClung (Chicago Bulls)
Broadcast Information for NBA All-Star Weekend on NBC and Peacock
Every segment of the NBA All-Star Weekend will be broadcast across NBC and Peacock, including the Rising Stars Challenge on February 13, the 3-Point and Dunk Contests on February 14, and the All-Star Game on February 15. This marks the 75th NBA All-Star Game, scheduled for a 5 p.m. Eastern start, earlier than usual to accommodate expanded coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three games every Monday night during the regular season, while Coast 2 Coast Tuesday offers doubleheaders on NBC and Peacock. Typically, an 8 p.m. ET game airs on NBC in Eastern and Central time zones, while an 8 p.m. PT game broadcasts in Pacific and Mountain zones. Viewers are advised to consult local listings weekly. All games will also be available live on Peacock nationwide.
NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball coverage on February 1, 2026, across NBC and Peacock platforms, providing a comprehensive NBA viewing experience during the season.
