Voting for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles has opened up and it’s time to take a look at who most deserves to be there.
There are several players who appear locks, whether it be for the standard they’ve set on the court or the status they’ve earned over the years — in some cases both. Debates and snubs are part and parcel of All-Star team selections and there’s room for that with the final spots.
This year’s game(s) will take on another different format, featuring three teams with two American teams and one international team. There are still 12 players getting selected from the Western Conference and another 12 from the Eastern Conference.
That’ll be the main thing here, so here are the 12 players who look set to represent the East in the NBA’s 75th All-Star Game. You can see our picks for the West here.
East MVP Locks
Cade Cunningham (DET, USA)
What a season Cunningham and the Pistons are having. Averaging 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.4 steals, Cunningham is the best player on the best team in the East and has put up one superstar performance after another this season. Most expected improvement from the Pistons after catching teams off guard last season but no one saw them climbing to the top of the conference. Cunningham elevating his play is a big reason why.
Jalen Brunson (NYK, USA)
There are no hesitations or feints in Brunson’s case for a third straight All-Star selection. Averaging 28.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists for the second-seeded Knicks, the captain and leader of New York’s basketball team continues to stake his claim as one of the best guards in the league.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL, Greece)
Will he still be in Milwaukee come the All-Star Game? That’s an entirely different discussion. With Antetokounmpo, the fact of the matter remains that, as long as he can step on the basketball court, he is the best player in the conference. Possibly out through the remainder of December, Antetokounmpo has averaged 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists and just about a steal and a block in 17 games.
Prime Performers
Donovan Mitchell (CLE, USA)
It’s a bit puzzling to see the manner in which the Cleveland Cavaliers are coming apart at the seams but that has very little to do with how well Mitchell has played this season. The six-time All-Star has done his part as Evan Mobley endures a down year and injuries plague the roster, averaging a career-best 30.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.4 steals. The standout number for him is his shooting inside the arc, making a career-high 59.7 percent of his 2-point attempts.
Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK, Dominican Republic)
The shooting numbers haven’t quite been at the level of excellence we’ve come to expect from Towns but he remains the second-biggest part of what the Knicks are doing and playing at a high level across the board. Towns is shooting the worst he’s shot from the floor in his career but it’s all relative as he’s putting up 22.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and just under a steal and a block per game.
Jaylen Brown (BOS, USA)
The Celtics have certainly surprised this writer who thought the loss of Jayson Tatum to injury, along with exits for Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet, would leave them decimated and looking to take full advantage of a “gap year.” Lo and behold, Boston is fourth in the East with Brown leading the charge. He’s averaging a career-high 29.3 points to go along with 6.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, playing with a determination to put everyone on notice he’s indeed capable of carrying a team in the absence of its best player.
New-School Stars
Scottie Barnes (TOR, USA)
Barnes is not only playing at an All-Star level but an All-NBA level. He’s looking like a true two-way star who can be a connector and play-finisher on the offensive end as well as an All-Defensive Team-caliber defender. Barnes is flirting with a 50-40-80 season, which no one could’ve predicted coming in and has the Raptors roaring as the third seed in the conference.
Tyrese Maxey (PHI, USA)
Maxey is third in the league in scoring at 31.5 points per game and the Sixers have needed every bit of it to remain relevant in the East playoff picture. He’s also contributing career highs in rebounds and assists and head coach Nick Nurse can’t rely on him enough at nearly 40 minutes per night. As one of the fastest players in the league who can attack the basket relentlessly but also pull up from the logo, Maxey is a thrill a minute player made for the All-Star Game.
First-Timers
Jalen Duren (DET, USA)
Duren is here to remind you Cunningham is not doing it by himself. The 22-year-old has upped his scoring from 11.8 last season to 18.0 per contest this season and his rebounding remains excellent with 11 boards per game. He’s also giving you a steal and a block per game. Duren has always exuded athleticism and toughness. Now, we are seeing the skill come around as well.
Jalen Johnson (ATL, USA)
Johnson is now just flat out one of the best players in the conference. Averaging 23.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game, he’s also shooting 56.5 percent on twos, 39 percent on threes and 82.2 percent at the free-throw line. He was a big part of keeping the Hawks afloat without both Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis and the team may be ready to take flight with Young now back in the mix.
One Magic Trick Only
Franz Wagner (ORL, Germany)/Paolo Banchero (ORL, USA)/Desmond Bane (ORL, USA)
It feels quite likely one of these three will be selected as an All-Star. The Magic found a groove in the absence of Banchero, with Wagner playing some terrific basketball and supported ably by Bane. Banchero has the star power but his numbers flatter to deceive because of the inefficiency behind his raw scoring stats.
Final Spot Candidates
Norman Powell (MIA, Jamaica)
Is this the year Powell gets some All-Star love? Returning to the East, Powell has carried on from where he left off with the LA Clippers, averaging 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals. He’s also shooting 54.2 percent on twos and has been lights out from three at 43.4 percent. If the Heat can get back to winning ways, Powell may get some love ahead of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
He has been representing Jamaica in international play, so that may actually work against him here, with only eight international spots to claim.
Derrick White (BOS, USA)
White continues to show why he’s one of the league’s best two-way guards. He does more than a little of everything, though his shooting numbers are significantly down this season. Still, it speaks to his impact that it has done little to erode his value and he’s a big part of the Celtics having a winning season thus far.
Brandon Ingram (TOR, USA)
This is currently looking like one of last year’s better trade deadline deals. Many questioned Ingram’s fit alongside Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett but Ingram has been almost everything this Raptors offense was missing. Averaging 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists, Toronto would not be near the third seed at 17-11 without him.
Josh Giddey (CHI, Australia)
Giddey’s case was a lot more compelling a month ago. Averaging 20.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.9 assists and a steal per game, it just hurts the Bulls have fallen off so much after an intriguing start. If Chicago can find some of that previous mojo and move back up the East standings, Giddey might be right back in the thick of the conversation.
Pascal Siakam (IND, Cameroon)
Siakam has the numbers, he just doesn’t have the team. Averaging 23.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals, the Pacers languishing at 6-21 near the bottom of the East hurts his case too much. He hasn’t been as efficient as the last couple seasons either, highlighting the load he’s having to carry in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton.
Personal selection:Â If Miami can stay above .500, my vote goes to Powell. It makes more sense to reward someone from the Heat rather than give Toronto or Boston two All-Stars, unless the Raptors or Celtics move further up the standings.
