Spurs announce trio of guards set for NBA Rising Stars challenge

The NBA announced on Monday evening that San Antonio Spurs sophomore Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper have been selected to compete in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars Game during NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

It will mark the fifth time in franchise history that the Spurs have had multiple Rising Stars in the same season. 

Harper has participated in 35 games and is averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in just 21 minutes per game. He is one of only five rookies to achieve these averages and the only rookie to do so without the support of a star player. Harper ranks among the top 10 rookies in assists, standing at No. 5, steals at No. 6, and scoring at No. 10. Earlier this season, he made history by becoming the youngest guard in NBA history to record a game with at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and zero turnovers.

21-year-old Stephon Castle is set to make his second appearance in the Rising Stars event after winning last year's Rising Stars MVP and advancing to the All-Star Game in San Francisco. This season, he has started in 36 games, averaging career-best statistics of 16.9 points, 7.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.30 steals in 31.0 minutes per game. This season, he became the fastest player in Spurs history to reach 1,500 points and 500 assists, accomplishing it in just 105 games.

Two-way guard 24-year-old David Jones Garcia is also representing them in Los Angeles. In nine regular-season games with the Austin Spurs, he leads the league in scoring with an impressive average of 26.8 points per game. He also set a career high by scoring 45 points against the Texas Legends.

On Tuesday, January 27, three teams of NBA Rising Stars will be drafted, and a fourth team will consist of NBA G League players. These four teams will compete in a tournament on Friday, February 13, at the Intuit Dome, starting at 8 p.m. Central Time.

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