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The 2026 All-Star starters have been announced, leaving the coaches to select the remaining 14 reserves for the game on Sunday evening.
As a reminder, the format of the game is changing again this year. At least seven reserves will be named from each conference, but they won't all be playing on the same team. Instead, this year's game will feature a three-team tournament featuring two eight-man rosters of American players and one eight-man World roster. In the likely event that the 24 All-Stars aren't represented by 16 Americans and eight international players, commissioner Adam Silver will select additional representatives until those totals are met.
That format means that there will probably be more than 24 All-Stars this season. I'm still picking the 24 most deserving players regardless of which side of the globe they will be representing (in my case, I have 15 Americans and nine international players, meaning Silver would have to add one additional American All-Star).
Here are the seven best players from each conference, along with the starters who have already been chosen.
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Eastern Conference Starters
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Jalen Brunson
- Cade Cunningham
- Tyrese Maxey
- Jaylen Brown
MORE: Top three landing spots if Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded
Eastern Conference reserve picks
Donovan Mitchell, Cavs
Mitchell is a lock to make this game and was in the running for a starting spot. The Cavs have been a major disappointment this year but he has carried them to a respectable level. He's averaging a career-high 29 points, shooting well from everywhere on the floor, and playing solid defense. He's become one of the most underrated 3-point shooters in the league — he's second in total 3's on the year behind only Steph Curry.
Scottie Barnes, Raptors
The Raptors have been one of the pleasant surprises this season. They have won a ton of games with a killer defense and a good-enough offense. They deserve a representative in this game, and Barnes has been their best player.
Barnes' defensive intensity has returned this season. He's capable of guarding almost anyone in the league, and he's also a turnover-generating machine. He's No. 1 in the league in stocks (steals + blocks), wreaking havoc as a help defender.
Barnes also creates a lot of offense for the Raptors. He hasn't had a good year from 3, but he's kept defenses honest with a good midrange shot, post-ups, and drives. He's a great passer too, particularly in transition.
Michael Porter Jr., Nets
Porter's role was pretty simple in Denver. Wait for Nikola Jokic to create an advantage, then get ready to shoot an open 3 or attack a closeout when he got the ball. He's shown in his first year in Brooklyn that he's capable of doing much more.
Porter has been the No. 1 guy for the Nets, keeping a bad roster out of the very bottom of the standings. He can shoot over the top of anyone, and he's been draining 3's at a 39 percent clip with defenses loading up on him.
Porter has expanded his game past just shooting the ball. For the first time in his career, he's passing it too. His 3.2 assists per game are a career high, as are his 7.4 rebounds per game.
Jalen Johnson, Hawks
Johnson has been the do-everything offensive engine for the Hawks, making Trae Young expendable in a trade. The point forward is close to averaging a triple-double, with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists per game. He's a force going downhill and in transition, using his plus athleticism to put pressure on the rim. And teams can't sag off him because he is a capable 35 percent 3-point shooter.
Johnson is a shoo-in for the game. This will be his first appearance, and it won't be his last.
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Jalen Duren, Pistons
Duren has been the second-best player on the best team in the East. His pick-and-roll chemistry with Cade Cunningham has been outstanding, and it's led to him scoring 18 points per game on a terrific 63 percent from the field. He's also one of the best offensive rebounders, pulling down four per game.
Duren wasn't a great defender in years past, limiting his value. He's improved significantly on that end, gaining a better feel of where he's supposed to be. He's been an important part of a defense that has been No. 2 in the league.
Norm Powell, Heat
Where would the Heat be without Powell's team-leading 24 points per game? He was one of the biggest snubs last season on the Clippers, but he's playing in the weaker conference now and should get an Eastern Conference reserve slot.
Powell was already one of the league's most confident scorers. Degree of difficulty has never been an issue for him. In the Heat's new offensive system, which prioritizes one-on-one talent, he has been unstoppable. He can create shots out of thin air and drain them at an efficient clip. It's rare that a player makes his first All-Star appearance at 32 years old, but Powell has found the perfect situation to utilize his best skills.
Pascal Siakam, Pacers
Siakam might not make this game based on how awful the Pacers have been this year. He deserves a spot though. He has been just as good as last season, where he had more help and came within one game of another championship ring.
Siakam regularly faces intense defensive pressure as the only guy on the Pacers that can reliably generate advantages. He has still been able to score 24 points per game on a solid 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3. He's one of the toughest players to guard in transition, and he has an automatic midrange jumper. He's also an above-average defender. He is doing everything for Indiana.
Biggest snubs: Evan Mobley, Derrick White, Franz Wagner, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, LaMelo Ball
Western Conference Starters
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Nikola Jokic
- Luka Doncic
- Victor Wembanyama
- Stephen Curry
Western Conference reserve picks
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Edwards was the biggest starter snub (he should have been picked over Curry) and is a no-brainer All-Star for a good Wolves team.
Ant has been one of the best scorers in the game, averaging a career-high 30 points per game. He is now reliably a dynamite 40 percent 3-point shooter, along with being one of the best drivers in the league. And he's added a nice post game to make it easier to punish inevitable double-teams.
Jamal Murray, Nuggets
Murray has never made an All-Star team, due partly to his propensity for slow starts and injuries. That changes this year, where he's a no-brainer lock.
The Nuggets are a great team in the West and have survived Nikola Jokic's injury due to the ascendant play of Murray. He is averaging by far a career high with both 26 points and seven assists per game. He's been one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, hitting 45 percent of his attempts. And his two-man game with Jokic remains completely unguardable.
Kevin Durant, Rockets
Durant came to the Rockets this year with the job of becoming the tough shot-maker that could bail their offense out of bad possessions. He's done that, putting up his usual ho-hum 26 points per game on excellent shooting percentages at the ripe age of 37.
Chet Holmgren, Thunder
Holmgren has been the Thunder's second-best player this season. His 38 percent from 3 stretches the floor for teammates, and he's also hitting 66 percent of his 2's. That has added up to a solid 18 points per game for the league's best team.
Where Holmgren really makes his impact though is on defense. The Thunder's is one of the best in NBA history, and he is anchoring it. He's the best rim protector not named Victor Wembanyama, and he's been much healthier this season than Wemby.
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
Leonard is very quietly having one of his best seasons ever, averaging a career-high 28 points per game. He is elite at getting to his kill spots, where he's automatic on his jumpers. He's not near the Defensive Player of the Year level of his prime, but he's still a solid plus on that end of the floor. And while his knee issues have started to crop up again, he's been relatively healthy through the first half of the year.
Alperen Sengun, Rockets
Sengun made the team last year, and he's been even better this season. He's a master in the post, where he has a great bag and good touch. He's also a terrific passer. That has led to averages of 22 points and seven assists per game this year. His rebounding impact has been huge too. The Rockets are the best offensive rebounding team in the league by far, and he's chipping in three per night.
Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers
Avdija has been carrying the Blazers' offense, taking over primary ballhandling duties due to Scoot Henderson's injury and their lack of point guard depth. He has thrived in that point forward role, averaging 26 points and seven assists per game. He's a beast in transition and he has great touch when he gets fouled, leading the league in and-one's. Those bully-ball drives have led him to average almost 10 free throw attempts per game. He's also a strong defender who doesn't back down from taking tough assignments.
Biggest snubs: Devin Booker, Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Amen Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Lauri Markkanen, LeBron James
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