Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg named to 2026 NBA Rising Stars for All-Star Weekend

Cooper Flagg is officially a Rising Star.

The Mavericks rookie forward was selected to participate in the 2026 NBA Rising Stars, an annual showcase during All-Star Weekend that features the league’s premier young players.

Flagg was one of 21 NBA players — 11 sophomores and 10 rookies — for the four-team competition that will be played on Feb. 13. There are also seven G League players who are invited to showcase their skills against the league’s top first-and-second year players.

The pool of NBA players was picked by the league’s assistant coaches and the group will be drafted onto three seven-player teams on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The league office hand-picked the players that will make up the G League team, which serves as the fourth team.

Mavericks

The long-anticipated selection of Flagg isn’t a surprise to anyone paying attention to the last three months of his sensational rookie season. He is averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals through 43 games for the 19-27 Mavericks, who sit outside of the Play-In picture.

Despite playing out of position at point guard for the first seven games of his rookie career, Flagg overcame those circumstances and improved significantly once he was given the opportunity to play away from the ball.

Those reps at point guard allowed him to gain a level of comfortability and poise not typically associated with rookies, let alone 19-year-olds. He ranks ninth in the NBA in clutch points with 73 (22 of 46 field goals) and is the only player in the league to rank top 10 in clutch points, rebounds and assists.

Earlier this month, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd predicted Flagg would inevitably be invited to the Rising Stars game when asked about his possible candidacy for the All-Star Game.

“He’s going to be there no matter what,” Kidd said. “He’s playing at a high level for a young player. He’s taking on the best defender. He’s trying to help his team win. He’s been very successful in late game. Hopefully he’s in the Big Game, but he will participate in the Little Game.”

The three teams of NBA players will be drafted by a trio of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers in Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, who will serve as honorary head coaches for the competition. Former NBA player Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.

Players will be selected without regard to position, conference or status, meaning rookie will be teammates with sophomores.

Flagg also won the first two Rookie of the Month awards for the Western Conference, a feat only achieved by his Eastern Conference counterpart Kon Knueppel —who was also Flagg’s former college roommate at Duke.

Flagg and Knueppel headline the 10 rookies, which also includes Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe, San Antonio’s Dylan Harper, New Orleans’ Derik Queen and former Lake Highlands standout Tre Johnson.

“[Flagg’s] in a great class,” Kidd said. “They have some guys that are playing at a high level. VJ, Knueppel and Flagg, those guys are playing major minutes & helping their team win.”

Dereck Lively II was the last Mavericks player to compete in the Rising Stars challenge, earning invites in both his rookie and sophomore seasons.

This year’s All-Star Game will be hosted at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif, home to the LA Clippers. Flagg will already be in Los Angeles when the NBA kicks off its All-Star festivities because the Mavericks will conclude a four-game road trip at Crypto.Com Arena against the Lakers on Feb. 12.

Flagg was labeled a generational talent long before he ever played in an NBA game. He’s certainly a player who could one day live up to those expectations.

For now, he’ll have to settle for the status as a Rising Star — the first step on the ladder toward superstardom.

X: @MikeACurtis2

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