Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey was added to Carmelo Anthony’s Team Melo for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars event, stepping in after Cooper Flagg bowed out with a left midfoot sprain. Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington also was added to Tracy McGrady’s Team T-Mac as the NBA set the stage for its All-Star weekend showcase.
The games were set to stream on Peacock on Feb. 13, with the winners of Team Melo vs. Team T-Mac and Team Vince vs. Team Austin advancing to the Castrol Rising Stars Championship. Bailey comes in after averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds over his last 15 games, while Carrington was brought in after Alex Sarr was replaced on Team T-Mac.
The Rising Stars event is part of the NBA All-Star 2026 festivities, and the additions give both teams a fresh look heading into one of the league’s first real measuring sticks of the weekend. Bailey’s scoring stretch and Carrington’s 39.3% three-point shooting give each side a useful replacement, even if neither move was made by choice.
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That is the friction at the heart of this kind of event: the roster changes are driven by injuries, but the format still asks the new arrivals to matter immediately. For Bailey and Carrington, the assignment is simple. Fit fast, produce fast, and try to push their teams into the championship game.
