2026 Kia Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel, Pelicans rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, along with NBA Draft prospects AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson will serve as the 2026 NBA Finals Player Correspondents.
This year’s class of NBA Player Correspondents for the 2026 NBA Finals features a dynamic group of rising stars, including the runner-up for Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, two 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team selections, and two of the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Former University of North Carolina forward and top NBA Draft prospect Caleb Wilson will serve as Player Correspondent for Game 1, followed by New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (Game 2) and guard Jeremiah Fears (Game 3). Former BYU forward and another top NBA Draft prospect AJ Dybantsa will cover Game 4 and Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel slated for Game 5, if necessary. This marks the first time that NBA Draft prospects will take part in the program.
Throughout the Finals, Player Correspondents will create content from on-site events, conduct interviews and give fans exclusive access across NBA digital and social platforms, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the league’s marquee stage.
The NBA Player Correspondent Program has become a staple of the league’s biggest events, showcasing players’ personalities and perspectives while helping them build experience in sports media and positioning them as voices beyond the court.
“The Player Correspondent Program during the NBA Finals gives players a unique opportunity to experience the NBA’s biggest stage in a different way, one they ultimately aspire to compete on,” said Michael Levine, the NBA’s SVP of Player Engagement. “Players are educated on league business, allows them to engage with the Finals atmosphere, tell the stories of the game and begin developing their voices to support future aspirations.”
Player Correspondents in the past have included NBA All-Stars such as Tyrese Maxey, Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes, Jaren Jackson Jr and Donovan Mitchell, with DeAndre Ayton, Jalen Williams, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner also having taken part in the program before playing in the Finals with their respective teams.
The program has also featured contributions from former NBA players and broadcasters including Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Caron Butler, Gary Payton and Quentin Richardson.
Dylan Harper, the dynamic rookie guard for the San Antonio Spurs, served as a player correspondent during NBA All-Star 2026, getting a behind-the-scenes look into the league’s biggest events and media operations.
Queen and Fears each earned 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. Knueppel delivered one of the most productive rookie seasons in league history, finishing second in Kia NBA Rookie of the Year voting after setting the NBA rookie record for three-pointers made. Dybantsa and Wilson enter the Finals as two of the most highly-regarded prospects in basketball ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
As the NBA’s championship stage takes center court, this year’s group of Player Correspondents will offer fans a fresh perspective on the Finals experience — from the atmosphere inside the arena to the moments that unfold behind the scenes.
The Player Correspondent Program provides players with opportunities to get behind the microphone and develop their skills as storytellers throughout the year at major league events, including NBA All-Star, NBA Draft and the NBA Finals. Through original content, interviews and social storytelling, participants help bring fans closer to the game while sharing their unique viewpoints on basketball’s biggest moments.
