The NBA All-Star Game is a dying event, but in credit to the league, they are trying to revive it with new tweaks. Last season, the league attempted a four-team, single-elimination tournament, with a target score of 40 points for each round. While it was better than the traditional 400-point snoozefest, it still wasn’t great.
The proposal on the table now involves two USA and one World team playing each other in 12-minute quarter games, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The breakdown of the teams comes from the league makeup, which is currently 70% American.
While the 2026 NBA All-Star Game format isn’t official yet, it seems like things are trending in this direction. So, let’s look ahead and project the 2026 NBA All-Star Games rosters under the new format proposal.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be played at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Center on Feb. 15, 2026, airing on Sunday afternoon, instead of the un-kid-friendly Sunday night timeslot.
If the league does go with two USA squads and one World squad, here’s what they could look like.
USA Team 1
Evan Mobley, C | Cleveland Cavaliers
While most players get onto the All-Star team for their offensive prowess, Evan Mobley makes it here because of his defense and all-around game. One of the best young centers in the league, Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game last season on his way to the Defensive Player of the Year Award. More of that will get him his second All-Star nod.
LeBron James, F | Los Angeles Lakers
There hasn’t been an NBA All-Star Weekend without LeBron James’ name on the list since 2004, and 2026 will be no exception.
Two decades later and LeBron’s still an all star, just insane pic.twitter.com/3blqjLag2u
— Baseline Buzz (@BaselineBuzz5) September 4, 2025
All-Star Games are built for the players with the most star power to shine, and even at 41 by next season’s break, James is still the league’s biggest star.
Cooper Flagg, F, Dallas Mavericks
The one year James did not make the All-Star team was in his rookie season, so if Cooper Flagg didn’t participate, it wouldn’t be a total shock. That said, Flagg is in a much better winning situation as a rookie, and his well-balanced game will standout enough in Dallas to make him an All-Star.
Kevin Durant, F, Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant is another name that will be on the 2025 NBA All-Star roster, whether his numbers back it up or not. Next season, his play and scoring will justify it, though, as he’s finally with players who will actually play defense, freeing KD up to do what he does best and score the rock.
Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks
The Knicks star went from a nice starting guard in Dallas to a perennial All-Star in New York, and Jalen Brunson will continue to be among the NBA’s elite in 2025-26. Last year’s Clutch Player of the Year will continue to average 20-plus points and six-plus assists per game as he has throughout his time in the Big Apple and will enjoy his fourth trip to All-Star Weekend.
Cade Cunningham, G, Detroit Pistons
Some No. 1 picks take longer than others to become perennial All-Stars. Cade Cunningham toiled away on terrible Pistons teams for a long time before breaking out, but after posting career highs in points (26.1), assists (9.1), and rebounds (5.3) per game last season, the big Detroit guard is now in this game to stay.
LaMelo Ball, G, Charlotte Hornets
I may be one of the last real estate owners on LaMelo Ball Island, but I refuse to sell that property! One of these seasons, Ball will stay healthy, have healthy and competent teammates around him, and work with a good head coach, which will finally get him back to his first All-Star game since 2022. And 2026 is that season.
Donovan Mitchell, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell has quietly made six straight All-Star games, and 2026 will surely mark his seventh as a member of what will likely again be the best team in the East. This small-market sensation has simply been one of the best players of the last decade, although he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves playing in Utah and Cleveland.
USA Team 2
Paolo Banchero, C, Orlando Magic
The Magic center took a year off from the All-Star game after making it in 2023. Playing in just 46 games last year, Paolo Banchero had a disappointing season overall, but when healthy, he is still one of the best young bigs in the league.
Smoothest Paolo Banchero edit you’ll see today pic.twitter.com/VzOqr58aBB
— BancheroEra ⏳ (@BancheroEra) August 3, 2025
In just his 23-year-old season, there is no reason to think Banchero can’t stay healthy and return to his place among the best in the NBA.
Anthony Davis, F, Dallas Mavericks
Anthony Davis got a lot of heat for being the return in the Luka Doncic deal, so it may have gone unnoticed that he had yet another excellent season, averaging 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game between the Mavericks and the Lakers. This season, with Flagg and a healthy Kyrie Irving, those numbers should be even better.
Chet Holmgren, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
Coming off his first NBA championship, Chet Holmgren will take yet another step forward next season and make his first NBA All-Star Game. If he can stay healthy for the majority of the season, Holmgren should easily build on his 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks career averages.
Jaylen Brown, G/F Boston Celtics
The Celtics are going to have a down year without Jayson Tatum, but with the expectations that he will carry the load, it’s easy to see Jaylen Brown having a career year statistically. In 2022-23, he averaged career highs with 26.6 points and 6.9 rebounds, which he could easily improve on in 2025-26 with his running mate out.
Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns
Speaking of missing his buddies, Devin Booker is now a one-man show for the most part in Arizona with Durant and Bradley Beal gone. The four-time All-Star will make it five times in 2026 as the 24.4 points-per-game scorer will get enough shots to get 30 a game in the next campaign.
Jalen Williams, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Casual fans may not be familiar with Jalen Williams’ game, but hardcore NBA heads know that the young Thunder guard is quickly becoming one of the best two-way players in the league. Coming off a championship, the Thunder stars will get plenty of publicity, and that will lead to Williams’ second All-Star appearance.
Anthony Edwards, G Minnesota Timberwolves
This is one of the least surprising names on this list of predicted 2026 NBA All-Stars, and Anthony Edwards is arguably the best individual player in the game right now. And the scary part is, at just 24, there is still room for growth. Look for “Ant” to not only make the All-Star roster next year but also challenge for MVP.
Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors
Like LeBron and KD, Stephen Curry will be grandfathered into the 2026 NBA All-Star game regardless of his stats. However, even at 37, Curry can still shoot and fill up a stat sheet, as he still finished 11th in points per game last season with 24.5.
World Team
Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets
There may be rumors that the Nuggets will want to trade Nikola Jokic one day soon, but his name will not come off the NBA All-Star roster anytime in the near future. The seven-time All-Star has finished in the top two in All-Star voting in the last five consecutive seasons, and 2026 will mark the Serbian’s eighth All-Star appearance, regardless of format.
Karl-Anthony Towns, C, New York Knicks
Born in New Jersey but representing the Dominican Republic internationally, Karl-Anthony Towns has a sneaky workaround to get a deserved place in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. The Knicks big man finished 12th in the league in scoring last season and made his fifth All-Star appearance. With injuries ravaging the East, the Knicks will again be near the top and Towns will get a lot of the credit.
Victor Wembanyama F, San Antonio Spurs
Despite winning Rookie of the Year and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in his inaugural campaign, Victor Wembanyama didn’t make his first All-Star game until last year. Now that the Frenchman is there, though, Wemby won’t relinquish his spot on that roster for years to come.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks
There may be Giannis Antetokounmpo drama in Milwaukee until the Greek superstar is either traded or retires, but one place he will always be is on the NBA All-Star roster.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s baseline fade is a BEAUTY 🎨
(via @EuroBasket)pic.twitter.com/XGABpF41AN
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 4, 2025
While Antetokounmpo is now officially into his 30s, he is still one of the most physically dominant players in the game and a perennial MVP candidate.
Pascal Siakam, F, Indiana Pacers
With Tyrese Haliburton on the shelf for the season and Myles Turner on the Bucks, Pascal Siakam will be pretty lonely on the court in Indy this season. However, carrying the load for the Pacers could lead to the Cameroonian-born star to his best statistical season yet.
Domantas Sabonis, F, Sacramento Kings
The son of Lithuanian legend Arvydas Sabonis may have been born in the States, but Domantas Sabonis counts for the World Team here as he represents his father’s (and mother, who was Miss Lithuania 1988) home country. On the floor, Sabonis is an underrated star, quietly leading the league in rebounding for the last three consecutive years.
Luka Doncic, G, Los Angeles Lakers
Watch out, NBA. Luka Doncic has been in the lab and, more importantly, in the gym, looking fitter than ever heading into the 2025-26 campaign. If the Slovenian scorer has another level to take his game to, now that he’s in the best shape of his life, an MVP award could follow his sixth All-Star appearance.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G Oklahoma City Thunder
The reigning NBA MVP and proud Canadian, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is a no-brainer to make his fourth All-Star game. And while a second-straight MVP will be in SGA’s sights, it will be NBA title No. 2 that will drive him in 2025-26.
