Dallas Mavericks rookie star Cooper Flagg and Washington Wizards second-year standout Alex Sarr were expected to be two of the featured names participating in the 2026 Rising Stars during NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, both youngsters will be unable to participate due to injury.
Whereas the Mavs announced that Flagg is out through the All-Star break with a left midfoot sprain, the Wizards announced early Thursday morning that Sarr would miss the All-Star event due to a hamstring strain. This injury will keep Sarr sidelined for approximately two weeks.
Since both Flagg and Sarr are unable to participate in the Rising Stars event, the NBA has already named their replacements for the weekend's festivities. Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey will be replacing Flagg, and Wizards guard Bub Carrington will be replacing Sarr, his teammate, in the 2026 Rising Stars.
Despite a slow start to his rookie year in Salt Lake City, Bailey has worked his way into being a key contributor for Will Hardy's team. Since the start of January, Bailey has averaged 13.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor. He ranks fifth in scoring among all rookies during this stretch.
Bailey has also scored at least 10 points in 14 of his last 16 games, including four 20-point performances.
As for Carrington, he continues to see his role with the Wizards increase with CJ McCollum no longer being on the team and Trae Young yet to make his debut since the big trade in January.
Carrington has started in 24 of the 53 games he's played this season, averaging 10.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range. He is one of 16 second-year players averaging double-digit scoring numbers, and he's made the third-most threes out of NBA “sophomores” this season.
The 2026 Rising Stars will take place on Friday, February 13, at the LA Clippers' Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
