OKC Thunder guard Cason Wallace named participant in the 2025 Rising Stars game

Cason Wallace is headed back to the Rising Stars tournament. The 21-year-old Thunder standout has been added to the player pool as a sophomore after competing in the competition last year as a rookie.

The annual showcase of premier young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games, will air at 9 p.m. ET on TNT. The Castrol Rising Stars champion will earn a spot to play in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, according to NBA Communications.

The Castrol Rising Stars player pool consists of 10 NBA rookies, 11 NBA sophomores and seven NBA G League players. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three seven-player teams. The seven NBA G League players, selected by the league office, will comprise the fourth team.

How does the mini-tournament work?

In the Castrol Rising Stars mini-tournament, Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship (Game 3).

For each semifinal game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. For the championship game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 25 points.

When will the draft take place?

The Rising Stars Draft will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. on the NBA App and on social platforms. The three teams of NBA players will be drafted by honorary head coaches, who will be announced at a later date.