The NBA unveiled the 28-player field for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Game, and the spotlight for Oklahoma City is firmly on Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, who earned his first career Rising Stars selection.

The annual showcase of the league’s top young talent will be held Friday, Feb. 13 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, as part of NBA All-Star Weekend. The event will stream live on Peacock at 8 p.m.

Mitchell’s breakout season earns national recognition

Mitchell, the 38th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has emerged as one of the most impactful young guards in the NBA. In his second season, the former UC Santa Barbara standout is averaging:

14.1 points per game3.7 assists3.5 rebounds1.42 steals26.3 minutes per game

He’s the only second-year player in the league hitting or surpassing those numbers across the board, and his growth has played a major role in helping Oklahoma City surge to a 37–10 start, the best record in the NBA.

Thunder’s Rising Stars tradition continues

Mitchell’s selection keeps a familiar trend alive in Oklahoma City:

7 consecutive seasons with a Thunder player in the Rising Stars Game10 total selections over the last six seasons, tied for the most in the NBA

Oklahoma City’s reputation for developing young talent continues to show on the national stage, and Mitchell is now the latest face of that pipeline.

How the Rising Stars event works

The Rising Stars field includes:

11 NBA sophomores10 NBA rookies7 NBA G League players

The 21 NBA players will be drafted into three seven-player teams, while the seven G League players will form a fourth team.

The Rising Stars Draft takes place Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. on Peacock, with Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady serving as honorary coaches for the NBA teams. Austin Rivers will coach the G League team. Players will be drafted without regard to position, conference, or years of service.

Mini-tournament format

The event will be played as a four-team, three-game mini-tournament:

Semifinal 1: Team A vs. Team B (first to 40 points wins)Semifinal 2: Team C vs. Team D (first to 40 points wins)Championship: Winners advance, first to 25 points wins

Event details

Castrol Rising Stars Game: Friday, Feb. 13Location: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, Calif.Streaming: Peacock 8 p.m. Draft: Tuesday, Jan. 27 (6 p.m. Peacock)

For the Thunder, this moment belongs to Ajay Mitchell a second-year guard who’s gone from second-round pick to national stage, now representing Oklahoma City as one of the NBA’s rising stars.