The NBA announced the starters for the 2026 All-Star Game on Monday, Jan. 19, and Donovan Mitchell’s name was missing. The Cleveland Cavaliers star shared his thoughts on the omission from the starter list.
Donovan Mitchell Surprised at Not Being Named an NBA All-Star Starter
The NBA revealed 10 starters — five from each conference — for the 2026 All-Star Game, which will be held Feb. 15 in Los Angeles. Mitchell, a six-time All-Star and two-time starter, was not among the players selected in the Eastern Conference.
Speaking to reporters, Mitchell shared his thoughts.
“To be honest, I kind of expected that,” Mitchell said while speaking to reporters. “The guys that were named, their record is better than ours. So, naturally, you reward that.
“Obviously, yeah, I want to be a starter for sure, but understand that, hey, at the end of the day, we win games, everybody gets rewarded. We haven’t won games necessarily at the rate we would like to. And that’s what comes first, and everything else comes with that.”
Donovan Mitchell on not being named an All Star starter:
“Not gonna lie, I kinda expected that. The guys that were named, their records are better than ours. I wanted to be a starter for sure. At the end of the day, we win games and everyone gets rewarded. Winning comes first.” pic.twitter.com/ONAIIL1jKq
— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) January 19, 2026
Mitchell’s comments reflected an acknowledgment of how All-Star voting often works, particularly when team success factors into perception.
The Eastern Conference starters announced by the league were Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics.
All-Star starters are determined by a weighted voting system, with fan voting accounting for 50% of the total, while current NBA players and a media panel each account for 25%. According to the league, Mitchell finished sixth in all three voting categories, narrowly missing out on a starting spot.
The Cavaliers guard will still have an opportunity to be named an All-Star reserve. Coaches from each conference will select seven reserves, regardless of position, with the full reserve rosters scheduled to be announced Sunday, Feb. 1.
Mitchell is having another strong individual season despite Cleveland’s inconsistent results.
He is averaging 29.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while playing 34.0 minutes per night. He is also shooting 48.5% from the field, 38.4% from 3-point range, and 84.0% from the free-throw line. Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring and remains the focal point of the team’s offense.
However, Cleveland’s overall record has worked against him in the voting. The Cavaliers entered the week with a 24-20 record, placing them seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. Mitchell acknowledged that team success often plays a significant role in individual recognition, particularly in All-Star voting.
The 2026 All-Star Game will introduce a new format, with a U.S. vs. World concept becoming a reality after being discussed for several years.
Three teams will participate in a round-robin tournament, with two teams composed of U.S. players and one team made up of international players. Each team will have eight players, and the event will feature four 12-minute games.
Because of the format, 15 players will be listed as starters across the tournament, meaning some players who were not announced as starters on Monday could still open games during All-Star weekend. Mitchell could be among those players if he is selected as a reserve.
The event will take place at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mitchell has been named an NBA All-Star in six consecutive seasons from 2020 through 2025 and is widely expected to be selected again when reserves are announced.
