Three Wizards Earn Rising Stars Invitations

The Washington Wizards once again look to take the NBA Rising Stars tournament during next month's All-Star game. The focal pieces of their young core - Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson - will each represent the Wizards once they're drafted to their respective teams for the weekend's games.

2026 NBA Rising Stars rosters: pic.twitter.com/WXLjq3Ui2i
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 26, 2026

This marks the second consecutive year in which the Wizards earn recognition for their eye for talent and their knack for stacking high-upside prospects, as they sent three members of the team in 2025, too.

This is not only an admission of the young core that they've started compiling, but a notice that each of the hand-picked Wizards can hang with the best of their respective draft classes.

Sarr is the only returner of the bunch, and he also required the least thought from fans and members of the media speculating as to who'd receive a tournament nod. Of all of the recent draftees filling out Washington's young roster, he stands alone as the lone youngster who accrued some genuine All-Star buzz over the course of his impressive sophomore half-season.

He came back from his first NBA offseason playing stronger than he ever did as a rookie, holding his ground in the post on both sides of the ball. Even while Sarr's assortment of floor-spacers and entry-passers continues taking their lumps during their own development processes, he's getting his scoring and block numbers off against anyone standing opposite of him.

Washington Wizards Center Alex Sarr — Jan 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) takes a shot during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

First-Timers

George will join Sarr in making his All-Star weekend debut, another second-year professional who's built a convincing case as one of the best players to emerge from the 2024 Draft. He's struggled with consistency, but the three-level scorer is thriving as a defender and playmaking passer on top of added scoring pressure, making him another no-doubter for the event.

He'll replace Bub Carrington as a Rising Star, who earned an All-Rookie Second-Team shoutout last season for the shooting and passing he provided as a highlight-prone rookie. While he's bounced back to the high-level role-playing production levels he broadcast then, the slow start he slumped out to ultimately held the league back from giving him a repeat invitation.

And while Bilal Coulibaly made Rising Star No. 3 back then, he's since entered his third season, making him too old to keep attracting attention for the event geared towards players just having entered the league. In his place stands Johnson, the lone rookie representative of the group. His Wizards, along with the Memphis Grizzlies, lead all squads with three Rising Stars apiece.

Washington Wizards Guard Tre Johnson — Jan 16, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) reacts after the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

He, along with most members of the most recent batch of lottery picks, is set to attract some attention for the team that wouldn't have much to do at All-Star Weekend otherwise. The 10-win Wizards surely weren't going to be packing the All-Star Game roster, especially with Trae Young sidelined for the foreseeable future, but this is their way of giving the prospects a taste of the glory that could follow continued development.

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