NBA All-Star 2026: Predictions and USA vs World Stars in Alofoke Deportes

The NBA All-Star Game continues to evolve, but being named an All-Star remains a source of pride for players, validation for their fans, and a historical milestone in their legacy.

The initial selection process for the new “USA vs. the World” format this season will work similarly to how it has been in the past, with the adjustment of being without specific positions. If the class of 24 All-Stars is not perfectly divided into 16 American players and eight international players (through a combination of fan, media, and player votes for the starters, and coaches for the substitutes), commissioner Adam Silver will add additional players to the roster to meet those minimums. For example, if the rosters include 15 Americans and nine international players, Silver would add one more American to the group.

Now that the season is halfway to the All-Star selection, the game is on Sunday, February 15th, it’s time to take stock of the candidates. As some stars have separated from the group, let’s analyze who are almost definitely in, who are on the tightrope, and who run the risk of missing an All-Star appearance, unless they improve their season quickly.

Eastern Conference

Safe Candidates:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
• Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
• Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Seven of the twelve All-Star spots seem secure. Unless a prolonged injury or a severe slump affects them. Antetokounmpo, Brunson, and Mitchell are easy choices, as they are All-Star mainstays having stellar seasons. Maxey leads the conference in scoring (32.3 points per game) after another individual leap. Brown, who has been on three consecutive All-Star teams, has increased his scoring to a career-high 28.4 points per game, with his Boston teammate Jayson Tatum out. Despite taking on a much larger offensive volume this season, Brown’s efficiency has increased. The last two guaranteed spots are for the team leaders with the best conference record. Cunningham has numbers essentially identical to his All-Star campaign from last season. Duren, who ranks sixth in the NBA in player efficiency, has been the best center in the East this season. Duren’s two-way play is a big reason for the Pistons’ presence at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, making him a worthy second All-Star for Detroit.

On the Tightrope:

• Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
• Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors
• Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Norman Powell, Miami Heat
• Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

The situation of the best All-Star candidates in this group can be summarized in a single sentence. Barnes has been the best all-around player on the third-best team in the conference, and Ingram is their top scorer. Giddey is almost averaging a triple-double, with 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game. Johnson has exploded both in the scoring table (22.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.6 steals) and in advanced statistics. However, the players at this level are still not safe, either because they have not maintained this level of production before or because they must answer a key question between now and February.

Let’s consider both Heat players featured in this group. Powell was a fringe All-Star candidate last season, when he emerged with the Clippers, and has been even better in Miami, averaging a career-high 24.7 points per game and shooting 44.4% from three-pointers. As long as Powell can remain productive now with Tyler Herro’s return to the Heat lineup, he will be a deserving All-Star for the first time in his 32nd season.

Adebayo defines the All-Star bubble, having been on three teams and lost three teams in the last six seasons despite having similar statistics each year. His performance in 2025-26 is more of the same: his stats are slightly below typical All-Stars, but his elite defense can compensate for any offensive weaknesses. Mobley occupies a similar space to Adebayo this season, as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is putting up decent stats, but has seen his efficiency drop. Finally, Wagner has been consistent and productive for the Magic; he probably would have been an All-Star if he hadn’t suffered an injury last December, and is back in that rhythm in 2025-26. Other players like Mikal Bridges of the Knicks, Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers, and rookie Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets could make a run as the first half progresses, but this list represents the top options for now. Knueppel is a fun surprise All-Star candidate, due to his 18.4 points per game and his 41.3% 3-point shooting on high volume, but he would be only the third rookie in the 21st century to make an All-Star team. If I had to choose the 12 All-Stars from the East today, the group would include the seven locks, plus Adebayo, Barnes, Giddey, Johnson, and Powell, with Adebayo as the last one in and Wagner as the toughest to cut.

Western Conference

Safe Candidates:

• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
• Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
• Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
• Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Durant (15 consecutive All-Star appearances when healthy), Curry (11), Jokic (seven), Gilgeous-Alexander (three), and Edwards (three) are perennial All-Stars enjoying excellent individual seasons, so they can already be included in the 2026 All-Star list. Doncic missed last season, but was an All-Star five years in a row before that. Since the popular Lakers point guard leads the NBA in scoring this season, he’s the sixth sure thing. The following is Wembanyama, a 2025 All-Star who should easily re-enter, as long as he returns from his calf injury with enough time to reach a minimum games threshold. And Sengun has been the Rockets’ best player, who have the second-best net rating in the league. His averages of 22.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists more than justify his inclusion in his second All-Star roster.

On the Tightrope:

• Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• James Harden, LA Clippers
• Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
• Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
• Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

The next tier of Western Conference All-Star candidates is divided into two groups with one thing in common: they are all putting up incredible numbers. How do you say no to any of these players?

The first group is individual stars on teams that are unlikely to compete for a Finals spot. Avdija leads the league in drives (Gilgeous-Alexander led the league for the last five seasons, but now ranks second behind Avdija) and is averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists with great efficiency. Booker is in a recent slump and left Monday’s game early with a groin injury, but is still recording 25.7 points and 6.9 assists for the West’s most surprising winner. Harden is scoring at his best pace since he was a Rocket (27.7 points per game) and ranks fifth in the league in assists (8.4 per game). And among Western Conference players, Markkanen ranks sixth with 28 points per game.

The second group is secondary stars on winning teams. Murray, long hailed as the best active player who has never been an All-Star, has finally started a hot season, averaging career highs in both points (24.0) and assists (6.6). Holmgren is the betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year due to Wembanyama’s injury, and has made a quiet offensive leap, increasing his true shooting percentage to an elite 65%. Randle is scoring 23.0 points per game and operating with the best efficiency of his career. And Reaves’ 28.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game signify his immense progress in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, injuries are likely to shrink this list between now and February. The first draft of this section included Aaron Gordon, but his All-Star chances evaporated with a hamstring injury that will keep him out for at least a month.

For now, however, the lesson from this exercise is that the West has too many qualified players for too few All-Star spots. There’s a decent chance, for example, that Murray still won’t make an All-Star team, despite his impressive start, because the competition around him has also stepped up.

If I had to choose the 12 All-Stars from the West today, it would be the eight sure ones, plus Avdija, Booker, Holmgren and Reaves, with Holmgren getting the last spot over Harden. While I don’t usually consider team performance much when thinking about All-Star votes, the historically great 20-1 start of the Thunder suggests they are much more deserving of a second All-Star than the 5-16 Clippers with only one representative, even though Harden has superior individual statistics and is hosting this year’s festivities.

Analysis by Nationality

Upon observing the list of candidates, it shouldn’t be difficult to select eight international players to form a team and face the Americans. Six of those are sure to play for the international team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Doncic (Slovenia), Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Jokic (Serbia), Sengun (Turkey), and Wembanyama (France). And among Giddey (Australia), Wagner (Germany), Avdija (Israel), Markkanen (Finland), and Murray (Canada), it’s likely that at least two more international representatives will secure a spot.

In any case, it seems more likely that more than eight international players will be named as All-Stars this year, which would require Silver to add additional Americans to ensure that at least 16 players are available for the two United States teams at the All-Star festivities. Furthermore, examining the list of international players underscores that the international team should be the heavy favorite to win at the Intuit Dome in February. The four best undisputed NBA players, who are having a historically great start this season, are foreign-born, and Wembanyama could be the fifth-best player in the league. If those players take the All-Star event seriously, they should easily handle a couple of American teams whose strength is diluted by dividing the best national players into two teams.

Bad Beginnings

Several NBA stars haven’t been featured in this article yet, because their level of play in the first six weeks of the 2025-26 season doesn’t warrant serious consideration for the All-Star game. They will need both health and a sustained hot streak to re-enter the conversation before the actual selection process in a couple of months. One of those players is Karl-Anthony Towns, who has struggled to find his place in the offense of the new Knicks coach, Mike Brown. Towns is a five-time All-Star, but has shown considerable inconsistency from game to game this season, and his 33% mark from the 3-point line is the worst of his career. Many more candidates are not looking like locks or in the current bubble due to a combination of injuries and underperformance. In no particular order, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, LaMelo Ball, Trae Young, Ja Morant, Darius Garland, and Tyler Herro are all recent All-Stars who are really not in contention right now. The most interesting All-Star case could belong to James, who entered this season with 21 consecutive All-Star selections. However, James missed the first 14 games of the Lakers with sciatica, and is far from being third on his own team in points since he returned. He has a lot of work ahead to qualify for his 22nd All-Star team on his own merits. But the last time James wasn’t an All-Star was in his rookie season, 2003-04; for reference, the top scorers in the East in that year’s All-Star Game were Jamaal Magloire, Kenyon Martin, and Jermaine O’Neal.

Finally, now that the future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul, has officially announced his retirement, one wonders if the new format will leave room for Paul to receive an honorary All-Star designation in his final season, as happened with Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade in 2018-19. Paul is a 12-time All-Star and, according to Basketball Reference, holds the career record with 128 assists in All-Star games, one ahead of Magic Johnson’s 127.