Although they aren’t playing in the NBA All-Star Game, three former Auburn basketball standouts will be in action during NBA All-Star Weekend

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. will play in the Jordan Rising Stars on Friday night, and Sharife Cooper will play in the NBA G League Next Up Game on Sunday afternoon.

The NBA’s annual showcase of young talent, the Jordan Rising Stars games will be played at 8 p.m. CST Friday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. TNT will televise the Jordan Rising Stars.

The Rising Stars will feature a three-game tournament among four teams of NBA rookies, second-year players and NBA G League players. The games will be played to a target score. In the semifinals, the first team to 40 points wins. In the final, the winner will need 25 points.

Selected by NBA assistant coaches for the event, the 21 first- and second-year players were drafted onto three seven-player teams coached by former NBA standouts. Kessler was picked by Deron Williams for his team, and Smith was drafted by Joakim Noah. Selected by the NBA league office, the seven NBA G League players will comprise the fourth team.

The third player picked in the 2022 NBA Draft, Smith has averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocked shots per game in 55 games for the Rockets.

The 22nd player picked in the 2022 NBA Draft, Kessler has averaged 8.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots in 57 games for the Jazz.

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The NBA G League Next Up Game will feature 24 of the top players from the hoops circuit squaring off at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. NBA TV will televise the game.

Cooper will play on the team captained by Iowa Wolves forward Luka Garza against one captained by guard Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite.

Cooper finished third in fan voting to select the game’s participants.

In 30 games with the Cleveland Charge this season, Cooper has averaged 24.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals. In his first pro season last year, Cooper played in 13 games with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and 33 games with the G League’s College Park Skyhawks.

Kessler and Smith also will participate in the Kia Skills Challenge on Saturday night. In the three-team event, Kessler will be joined by former Alabama standout Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson to represent the Jazz in the competition.

Smith is on an all-rookie team with the Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero and Detroit Pistons’ Jaden Ivey.

The third team is comprised of the Antetokounmpo brothers – Giannis and Thanasis of the Milwaukee Bucks and Alex of the G League’s Wisconsin Herd.

The Kia Skills Challenge will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Vivint Arena. TNT will televise the event.

The 72nd NBA All-Star Game will be played at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Vivint Arena. TNT will televise the game.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.