Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson will compete in the NBA's Rising Stars Competition during All-Star Weekend.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers simply hoped that Jaylon Tyson could be a contributor in some capacity off the bench. Now, halfway through the year, the sophomore forward is much more than that, and it’s hard to imagine where the Wine and Gold would be without him.
Tyson has been a key piece to Cleveland’s success and has earned himself a major NBA All-Star Weekend honor. The NBA announced the participants in the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Game on Monday night, and Tyson joins the Sophomores’ roster.
Tyson, who was drafted 20th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, joins some of the top picks from that draft class, including Alex Sarr, Stephon Castle, Reed Sheppard, and Donovan Clingan, just to name a few. He also becomes the 24th member of the Cavaliers to participate in the competition since it started in 1994.
Tyson is more than deserving of being named to this team. The forward is currently averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists a game while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from behind the arc.
When campaigning for Tyson to be a Rising Star earlier this week, the Cavaliers' social media accounts point out that he is the only eligible player for the event who averages more than 13 points, 5.5 rebound and shoots better than 45 percent from behind the arc.
Even though Tyson has been a star in his role all year long, his true rising-star moment came against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 16, when the forward scored a career-high 39 points while shooting 77 percent from behind the arc and 76 percent from the floor.
If NBA fans didn’t know who Tyson was before the game, he surely came up on their feed that night.
Jan 16, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) reacts after a score against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesIt’s hard to imagine where the Cavaliers would be without Tyson taking this next step to become a Rising Star. Darius Garland and Sam Merrill have each suffered multiple injuries this season, which has pushed Tyson into the lineup on occasion.
Whether he’s playing with the first group or coming off the bench, Tyson hasn’t skipped a beat.
Tyson will be selected for one of the three Rising Stars teams on Tuesday, and the event will be on February 13th at 9:00 PM EST.
Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavs. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.