Early 2026 NBA All-Star Game: Race for USA vs. World Rosters Takes Shape
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The NBA season is roughly halfway to the All-Star break, and the league’s revamped USA vs. the World format is beginning to crystallize. When the showcase tips off on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome, 24 players will be chosen without positional requirements. If the initial vote does not produce at least 16 Americans and eight international players, commissioner Adam Silver will add names to meet those minimums.
Eastern Conference
Near-locks (7): Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell.
Antetokounmpo, Brunson and Mitchell are delivering their usual elite production. Maxey’s 32.3 points per game pace the conference, while Brown has lifted his scoring to 28.4 with Jayson Tatum sidelined. Detroit’s conference-leading record gives Cunningham and Duren—sixth in league PER—a strong case for inclusion.
On the bubble (8): Bam Adebayo, Scottie Barnes, Josh Giddey, Brandon Ingram, Jalen Johnson, Evan Mobley, Norman Powell, Franz Wagner.
Powell’s career-best 24.7 points and 44.4% from three strengthen his candidacy at age 32. Barnes is the top all-around performer on the East’s third-best club, while Giddey is flirting with a triple-double average. Adebayo and Mobley offer elite defense but more modest counting stats. Wagner is back on All-Star pace after last season’s injury.
If voting ended today, the projection favors the seven near-locks plus Adebayo, Barnes, Giddey, Johnson and Powell, with Wagner narrowly missing out.
Western Conference
Near-locks (8): Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, Victor Wembanyama.
Curry, Durant, Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards continue to post All-Star-level numbers. Doncic leads the league in scoring after missing the mid-season classic a year ago. Wembanyama is expected back from a calf injury in time to qualify, and Sengun’s 22.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists headline Houston’s strong start.
On the bubble (8): Deni Avdija, Devin Booker, James Harden, Chet Holmgren, Lauri Markkanen, Jamal Murray, Julius Randle, Austin Reaves.
Avdija tops the NBA in drives and averages 25.8 points. Booker remains at 25.7 points despite a recent groin issue, while Harden is scoring 27.7 with 8.4 assists for the struggling Clippers. Markkanen sits at 28.0 points, and Murray is finally off to a hot start with 24.0 points and 6.6 assists. Holmgren is the current Defensive Player of the Year favorite, Randle is producing efficiently, and Reaves has erupted for 28.8 points per night.
The forecast gives the West’s final four spots to Avdija, Booker, Holmgren and Reaves, edging out Harden.
International vs. American Balance
Six near-locks—Antetokounmpo (Greece), Doncic (Slovenia), Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Jokic (Serbia), Sengun (Turkey) and Wembanyama (France)—already secure international representation. Additional contenders such as Giddey (Australia), Wagner (Germany), Avdija (Israel), Markkanen (Finland) and Murray (Canada) suggest the World squad could exceed eight players, potentially forcing Silver to add an extra American or two.
Stars Seeking a Rebound
Several former All-Stars are currently outside the conversation. Karl-Anthony Towns is adjusting to Mike Brown’s system in New York, shooting a career-low 33% from deep. Injuries or underperformance have also hampered LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, Ja Morant and others. James, who missed the Lakers’ first 14 games with sciatica, faces an uphill climb to extend his streak of 21 consecutive All-Star selections.
With two months remaining before ballots close, health and late-season surges could still reshape both rosters, but the current field has already created a crowded race—especially in the Western Conference.
Source: ESPN
