The 2026 NBA All-Star starters are set after weeks of fans, media and players voting for the top players to represent their conference and their country. The reserves will be announced on Feb. 1.
With the new “United States versus the World” format, three teams will be formed, featuring eight-man rosters — two of which will be composed of American players and the third of international players.
Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the fan vote for their respective conferences, while a couple of new faces have attained All-Star starter status, including Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey. The NBA All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Our NBA insiders break down the rosters, including the biggest surprises, duos they’re excited to see play together, and the rest of the roster projections.
THE 2026 ALL-STAR STARTERS ARE HERE 🤩 pic.twitter.com/4fp7KA7AkZ
— ESPN (@espn) January 19, 2026
What did the voters get right?
Going with three guards in the East starting lineup. One of the many changes to the process this year was eliminating positions from the ballot, and the guard pool in the East was much stronger with stalwart forward Jayson Tatum sidelined. Voters could have shoehorned taller players into the lineup out of tradition, but wisely opted against it. — Kevin Pelton
What did the voters get wrong?
It’s hard to complain about Stephen Curry being voted a starter. He’s undoubtedly an All-Star and has earned the right to start for a sixth consecutive year, but so too did Anthony Edwards, who got my media vote. Edwards is averaging a career-high 29.6 PPG and has matched Curry in terms of efficiency this season.
I also voted for Donovan Mitchell in the East, where he presumably got less credit because the Cleveland Cavaliers have disappointed this season. That’s not because of Mitchell, who is playing as well as ever. Still, both Edwards and Mitchell will make the All-Star Game and might end up starting with American players split into two teams, so these are quibbles more than actual issues. — Pelton
Which international duo are you most excited to see play together?
Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama. Giannis is such a unique combination of size and explosiveness that everyone calls him “The Greek Freak” … but when he stands next to Wemby, he looks like a guard. Seeing the Freak and “the Alien” together in an All-Star format, I expect to see dunks from every angle. Of course, Wemby also has one of the best shooting strokes in the league, so Giannis collapsing the defense and kicking out to the big man for the 3-pointer should also be pretty.
On defense — if they choose to play any — the rim protection could be epic. The styles make the fight, but Giannis and Wemby are also both very competitive, and if they rub off on each other, it could lead to All-Star magic. — Andre Snellings
Which American duo are you most excited to see play together?
Curry and Tyrese Maxey. Once the full roster is announced, I may switch out Maxey for Anthony Edwards, but the combination of Curry’s infinite range and Maxey’s blazing speed with the ball would be awfully fun to watch — especially in an All-Star setting.
The international team, assuming everyone plays, is going to have some incredible size advantages with Antetokounmpo, Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic all on the court, and the American rosters are likely to be pretty guard-heavy, which will make for a fun contrast in styles. — Tim Bontemps
What should the league do about LeBron James‘ 21-year All-Star streak?
If James is healthy, he should be in the All-Star Game. It’s pretty simple. Is he one of the 12 best American players in the league? Yes. Are the Lakers a factor in the West? Yes. Are his numbers worthy of consideration? 22.6/5.9/6.9 on 50.9% shooting — yes.
Add in the fact that the game is being played in L.A., and this truly could be James’ swan song, and it’s an absolute no-brainer to have him in the game.
If the coaches don’t vote James in as a reserve, then it’s up to Adam Silver to put him on the roster. Now, there could be some hard feelings from the league’s side about how last year went — and understandably so. James reported to San Francisco but was a late scratch for the game because of lingering foot and ankle discomfort.
Had he made the decision not to play sooner, a worthy player could have been selected as a replacement All-Star. That should have been handled better.
But looking at the big picture, as the league is searching for ways to keep the All-Star Game relevant, one of its purposes is to honor legends on their way out. Think about Michael Jordan in Atlanta in 2003; Kobe Bryant in Toronto in 2016; or even Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade in Charlotte in 2019, both added to the game by Silver, even though their on-court production had dipped significantly.
So long as James is healthy, it’s an absolute must to extend that All-Star streak to 22 years. — Dave McMenamin
What the league is saying about the new format
The reaction to the new format has mostly been a shrug, but there is optimism that the format change leads to a better game. In 2020, when the league added a target score ending and the game was held just a few weeks after the death of Kobe Bryant, there was some extra competitiveness. However, nothing the league has tried has worked for long.
The bigger leaguewide talking point has nothing to do with the All-Star Game itself. The ongoing investigation into the LA Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer, and Kawhi Leonard over potential salary cap circumvention could cast a pall over the weekend. With the game being held at Intuit Dome, Ballmer’s newly constructed palace, that investigation could be a dominant theme. — Bontemps
The biggest All-Star implications to know about
Changes to the 2017 and 2023 collective bargaining agreements have all but eliminated financial incentives for All-Star selections. A rule introduced in 2011 had previously allowed a first- or second-round pick to receive 30% of the salary cap in their second contract if they were named an All-Star starter at least twice. However, that is no longer one of the criteria for the rookie supermax, meaning Wembanyama’s selection as a starter will not impact on his extension.
Overall, teams have gone away from including contract incentives — even unlikely bonuses — because they count toward the apron. This past free agency, no player had an All-Star bonus negotiated in his contract. Seven players currently have All-Star incentives: Kevin Durant, RJ Barrett, DeMar DeRozan, Donte DiVincenzo, Aaron Gordon, Tyler Herro and Domantas Sabonis. None were selected as starters.
Of the 10 All-Star starters, only Wembanyama and Brunson are not on max contracts. Wembanyama is in the third year of his rookie deal and Brunson signed a team-friendly four-year, $156.5 million extension in 2024. Brunson’s deal paved the way for New York to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns, extend Mikal Bridges and remain below the second apron this season. — Bobby Marks
Let’s project the rest of the rosters
Building off Bontemps’ recent All-Star picks, eight of the remaining 14 All-Star selections seem like locks: Scottie Barnes, Jalen Duren, Jalen Johnson and Mitchell in the East; and Durant, Edwards, Jamal Murray and Alperen Sengun in the West.
That leaves six slots up for grabs, three in each conference. The open spots in the East should come down to Towns from the slumping Knicks, a choice of Heat representatives in Norman Powell and Bam Adebayo, and a pair of forwards with strong individual numbers on weak teams, in the Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. and the Pacers’ Pascal Siakam.
Out West, the debates over the final spots will be more contentious, as a slate of worthy candidates includes Chet Holmgren (who has inferior counting stats, but excellent efficiency and defensive numbers for the NBA’s best team), Devin Booker (the leader of the conference’s most surprising contender), Most Improved Player favorite Deni Avdija, two players with star-level stats but fewer games played due to injury (Kawhi Leonard and Austin Reaves) and 21-time All-Star LeBron James, who might command a legacy spot despite lesser numbers and playing time this season.
For now, my final projection for All-Star reserves — not necessarily who I would pick, but who I think will make it — includes:
Eastern Conference:
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Western Conference:
Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
If these are the selections, then the final nationality breakdown would be 16 Americans and eight international players — a perfect split, pending any injury replacements between now and mid-February. — Zach Kram
