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The 2026 NBA All-Star game features some changes this year. The game itself has been replaced with a three-team tournament featuring two American teams and one World team, which should hopefully make the game more competitive than it's been in years past.
Some of the preliminary events have been changed as well. The skills competition is gone after Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul hilariously tried to game the system last year. In its place is the return of the Shooting Stars competition, which the league had retired back in 2012.
We've got rosters and predictions for every event during the weekend, which kicks off on Friday, Feb. 13 and ends on Sunday, Feb. 15.
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Rising stars prediction
The weekend kicks off with the Rising Stars game on Friday, Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. ET. There will be four teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, comprised of NBA rookies, sophomores, and G-Leaguers.
Those four teams will be led by captains Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and Austin Rivers.
Team Melo
| Cooper Flagg | Mavericks |
| Stephon Castle | Spurs |
| Jeremiah Fears | Pelicans |
| Collin Murray-Boyles | Raptors |
| Reed Sheppard | Rockets |
| Dylan Harper | Spurs |
| Donovan Clingan | Blazers |
Team T-Mac
| Kon Knueppel | Hornets |
| Tre Johnson | Wizards |
| Ajay Mitchell | Thunder |
| Cam Spencer | Grizzlies |
| Kel'el Ware | Heat |
| Alex Sarr | Wizards |
| Jaylon Tyson | Cavs |
Team Vince
| VJ Edgecombe | Sixers |
| Kyshawn George | Wizards |
| Egor Demin | Nets |
| Jaylen Wells | Grizzlies |
| Derik Queen | Pelicans |
| Matas Buzelis | Bulls |
| Cedric Coward | Grizzlies |
Team Austin
| Sean East II | SLC Stars |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser | San Diego Clippers |
| Tristen Newton | RGV Vipers |
| Mac McClung | Windy City Bulls |
| Ron Harper Jr | Maine Celtics |
| Alijah Martin | Raptors 905 |
| Yang Hansen | Rip City Remix |
| David Jones Garcia | Austin Spurs |
Team Melo looks the most stacked, led by this year's No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. They have an overload of great guards and a dominant rim protector in Donovan Clingan.
Team Vince has the most balanced roster. Kyshawn George has been a breakout star in Washington and is probably too good for this game. Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward are good rotation players who will play hard defense, as will guard VJ Edgecombe. They are undersized though, with Derik Queen as their only big man.
Team T-Mac also has some very good NBA role players and a star in Kon Knueppel.
I like Team Vince to take down this tournament. There's not much coaching involved in this game, but Carter is probably the best of this group. And he has the easiest job given that his roster is the most balanced. He can split minutes somewhat evenly to keep his guys happy and still win.
Prediction: Team Vince
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Shooting stars prediction
The Shooting Stars competition is back this year, taking place on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 5pm ET. The contest will pit three teams featuring two NBA players and one legend against each other. The teams are as follows:
| All-Star | Scottie Barnes, Chet Holmgren, Rip Hamilton |
| Cameron | Jalen Johnson, Kon Knueppel, Corey Maggette |
| Knicks | Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Allan Houston |
This is a pretty easy pick. The Knicks clearly have the most shooting talent among the three rosters. Knueppel might be the best shooter in the group, but Johnson and Maggette are mediocre from 3. Hamilton and Barnes are both streaky 3-point shooters. I'd expect Team All-Star to finish in last.
Prediction: Team Knicks
3-Point contest prediction
The Starry 3-point contest will be held directly after the Shooting Stars competition. The participants are as follows:
| Devin Booker | 35.1% |
| Kon Knueppel | 42.8% |
| Damian Lillard | 37.1% |
| Tyrese Maxey | 38.0% |
| Donovan Mitchell | 36.7% |
| Jamal Murray | 38.7% |
| Bobby Portis Jr. | 39.0% |
| Norman Powell | 39.8% |
Booker has to be the long shot. He's an average 3-point shooter and he's having a bad year, hitting only 30.7 percent from deep. Lillard is the feel-good story. He's not playing at all this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, and he's won the contest twice already.
The smart money might be on the rookie Knueppel, who will probably break the record for 3's made by a rookie by the end of this season.
Let's go with the feel-good story in Lillard to win. He has the most time to practice, and he is the most familiar with the format. His torn Achilles shouldn't affect his shooting form much. He's almost 10 months past sustaining his injury.
Prediction: Damian Lillard
Dunk contest prediction
This is the weakest dunk contest that we've ever seen. Maybe these contestants will surprise us, but there is no star power here. The event will close Saturday night's festivities and feature the following four contestants:
| Carter Bryant | Spurs |
| Jaxson Hayes | Lakers |
| Keshad Johnson | Heat |
| Jase Richardson | Magic |
Hayes has to be the underdog of these four. Taller players have a difficult time winning historically, and he's not going to be a fan favorite after serving a one-game suspension for pushing a mascot and having a domestic violence incident earlier in his career.
Richardson has the best story. His dad Jason won this event twice, back in 2002 and 2003. Jase is a 6-foot-1 guard who has great athleticism but has only dunked four times this season.
Bryant and Johnson are more unknowns. Neither are playing a ton this season, but both have a good shot to win. Bryant showcased an impressive 39.5 inch vertical at the draft combine, leading him to be selected 14th in the 2025 draft. Johnson's vertical is even more impressive, at 42 inches.
I'm going with the most unknown of the group. Johnson has the nickname "showtime" for his ability to create highlights in the open court. He's had some great dunks in the first half of the season. And he's got the underdog story going for him.
Prediction: Keshad Johnson
All-Star Game winner and MVP prediction
This game features the USA Stars team, USA Stripes team, and a World team. The rosters are divided as follows:
| Scottie Barnes | Jaylen Brown | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| Devin Booker | Jalen Brunson | Deni Avdija |
| Cade Cunningham | Stephen Curry | Luka Doncic |
| Jalen Duren | Kevin Durant | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
| Anthony Edwards | Brandon Ingram | Nikola Jokic |
| Chet Holmgren | LeBron James | Jamal Murray |
| Jalen Johnson | Kawhi Leonard | Alperen Sengun |
| Tyrese Maxey | Donovan Mitchell | Pascal Siakam |
| Norman Powell | Karl-Anthony Towns | |
| Victor Wembanyama |
The World team has the most talent, but they have a couple of factors working against them. Giannis and SGA are not expected to participate due to injuries. Nikola Jokic will be on the floor, but he has always been awful in All-Star games because he puts forth minimal effort in the games.
The USA Stripes team is more talented than USA Stars, even given that Stephen Curry is missing the game for Stripes. Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, and Jaylen Brown have been the best domestic players this season. Three of those guys are on USA Stripes.
I'm still giving this one to Team World. Victor Wembanyama has been an ardent proponent of trying as hard as possible during these games. He will be the best player on the floor and try to lead the World team to a win.
Prediction: Team World
As far as MVP goes, I'm picking Wembanyama again. If you haven't been paying attention to this season closely, then you've missed that Wemby is already a top five player in the league and No. 1 in highlights produced. This game was meant for him.
Wemby had a good All-Star performance last year, leading his Global Stars team to the championship game and scoring a team-high 11 points. A lengthy delay ruined the rhythm of everyone though, and Stephen Curry eventually won the game and award.
This should be Wemby's chance for redemption. He will have some incredible blocks and amazing dunks, like he's done every night this season.
Prediction: Victor Wembanyama
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