Deandre Ayton and Lauri Markkanen will be teammates in the NBA β for one night in February, at least.
The two former Arizona Wildcats standouts and NBA lottery picks will team up with Team World for the Rising Stars game Feb. 15, during All-Star weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game features only rookies and second-year players in a U.S. vs. World format.
Future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki will be the honorary coach for the World team, and Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving will head the U.S. team.
It'll be the second time participating in the event for Markkanen, the Finnish forward in his second season with the Chicago Bulls. He had 15 points and six rebounds in World's 155-124 victory last year.
Markkanen was the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
Ayton is scheduled to participate in the event as a rookie, after the Phoenix Suns made the Bahamian center the No. 1 overall pick last June. His health will have to cooperate, however, as Ayton hasn't played since spraining his left ankle on Jan. 19.
Markkanen is no stranger to that type of adversity, having missed the Bulls' first 23 games this season while he recovered from a sprain to his right elbow.Β
Since his return on Dec. 1, Markkanen is averaging 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in 28 games. He scored back-to-back 30-point games in wins over the Magic and Cavaliers near the end of December, and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds Tuesday in Brooklyn.
Ayton, meanwhile, is the only rookie averaging a double-double, with 16.4 points and 10.6 rebounds a game with Phoenix. He leads all rookies in rebounding, and is fourth among rookie centers with 46 blocks on the season.
Other former Wildcats to play in the All-Star event include Damon Stoudamire (1996), Mike Bibby (2000), Michael Dickerson (2000), Jason Terry (2001), Richard Jefferson (2003), Gilbert Arenas (2003), Andre Iguodala (2005, 2006), Channing Frye (2006) and Derrick Williams (2012).
You can watch the Rising Stars gameΒ at 7 p.m. Feb. 15, on TNT.
The Rising Stars teams in full:
Team USA
Jarrett Alen, Brooklyn Nets
Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings
Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Kyle Kizma, Los Angeles Lakers
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Team World
OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors
Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Los Angeles Clippers
Rodions Kurucs, Brooklyn Nets
Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
Josh Okogie, Minnesota Timberwolves
Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers
Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
