Anyone wondering who’d end up on the Rookies team for the 2026 Rising Stars Game at NBA All-Star Weekend could simply look at the first picks of last year’s draft.
Eight of the first nine selections in June’s draft were chosen to represent the rookie class, along with the No. 11 and No. 13 picks. It’s a sign that this heralded group of first-year players has consistently delivered in a way that most draft classes haven’t.
Two Duke stars are leading the rookie class
The Rookies team, which will face a team of Sophomores and G-Leaguers, is headlined by two players who were teammates in college. No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks averages 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists, while No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel is putting up 18.7 points and shooting 42.2 percent from three-point range for the Charlotte Hornets.
But they’re not the only top picks delivering on their immense promise. No. 2 pick Dylan Harper has been a stellar defender for the 31-15 San Antonio Spurs. No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe averages 15.4 points, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals for the Philadelphia 76ers. No. 6 pick Tre Johnson and No. pick 8 Egor Demin are both shooting nearly 40 percent on threes and making 2.2 and 2.4 per game, respectively.
It’s been a remarkably bust-free draft so far. Even Ace Bailey, the No. 5 pick left off the Rookies team, is averaging 10.9 points on 45 percent shooting — not bad at all for a 19-year-old rookie playing 24.6 minutes per game. The only top-13 picks not on the team are No. 10 pick Khaman Maluach, a 19-year-old who was always considered a long-term prospect at center, and No. 12 pick Noa Essengue, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing only two games.
Previous rookie classes haven’t been this reliable
Last year’s Rookies team wasn’t nearly as top-heavy. While top picks Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr were selected, spots went to No. 39 pick Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies, No. 21 pick Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans and four players selected between No. 14 and No. 18.
Even this year’s Sophomores team features three second-round picks in Wells, Ajay Mitchell and Cam Spencer, along with No. 15 pick Kel’el Ware, No. 20 pick Jaylon Tyson and No. 24 pick Kyshawn George. In another example of the unpredictability of the Class of 2024, there are only three holdovers from the 2025 Rookies team playing for the 2026 Sophomores squad.
In 2024, half of the lottery picks were left off the Rookies team, with as many players picked 11-20 on the team as there were from picks 1-10.
It’s unexpected that a draft class with so many young players would meet expectations. The Rookies have five teenagers, and only Derik Queen (21) and Cedric Coward (22) are older than 20. That means that, as good as the 2025-26 rookies have been so far, their upside could be even higher.