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Cooper Flagg puts Mavs on top with a bucket and his mom approves (0:22)
Cooper Flagg’s floater gives the Mavericks a lead and gets his mom out of her seat. (0:22)
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Tim BontempsJan 27, 2026, 08:02 PM ET
- Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.
PHILADELPHIA — NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony made Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, the first pick in Tuesday night’s draft of the three teams made up of rookie and sophomore players in the Rising Stars Challenge.
The first four picks, in fact, were all members of the 2025 NBA Draft class, with Flagg being followed by Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel, who taken with the second overall pick by Tracy McGrady, while Vince Carter took Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe and New Orleans Pelicans forward Derik Queen with the third and fourth selections overall.
Rounding out the three teams, which were drafted on NBC’s pregame show on Peacock Tuesday night ahead of 76ers-Bucks here in South Philadelphia, were the following:
Team Melo: Flagg, Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard; San Antonio Spurs guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper; Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan; and Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles
Team T-Mac: Knueppel, Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware, Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson and center Alex Sarr; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson; and Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer
Team Vince: Edgecombe, Queen, Wizards forward Kyshawn George; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin; and Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward and forward Jaylen Wells
The fourth team, made up of players who have participated in the G League this season, consists of two first round picks – Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen, the 16th pick, and LA Clippers center Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the 30th pick, in June’s NBA Draft; four players on two-way contracts – David Jones Garcia (Spurs); Tristan Newton (Houston Rockets); Alijah Martin (Toronto Raptors); and Ron Harper Jr. (Boston Celtics). The final player, Sean East II, plays for the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars.
The four teams will play three games, with the winners of the first two games playing in the third to determine the overall champion, on Friday, Feb. 13, as part of All-Star festivities at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
