The NBA has finally revealed this season’s All-Star format, and it might be the most refreshing the league has rolled out in years. Instead of the usual East vs. West format, we’re getting something entirely new. There will be two teams made up of American players and one team representing the rest of the world.
It’s positionless, refreshing, and kind of genius. We have been done trying to fit guards into forward spots for years, but we are also done with not seeing enough competition. But there’s a caveat to this. If the original pool of 24 All-Stars doesn’t produce enough Americans to fill two squads, or enough international stars to even field a proper World team, Adam Silver himself gets to add more All-Stars to the group.
That means at least one roster could end up with nine or even 10 players instead of eight. So yes, we might be headed for a year where the Commissioner is basically the league’s director in trying to make this work. With that in mind, we’re building three best-case All-Star teams, two American squads and one World Team, to show what this format could look like.
American Team Blue
Roster: Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Anthony Edwards, James Harden, Stephon Castle
American Team Blue has excellent shot-making thanks to the three-man core of Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant. That trio alone can outshoot almost any group in the world, and placing them next to Paolo Banchero’s bully-ball play and Chet Holmgren‘s size gives this team an absurd ceiling.
Anthony Edwards adds the explosiveness and swagger every All-Star roster needs, while James Harden brings veteran playmaking, who can toggle between running the offense and spotting up. Add Stephon Castle, already one of the most polished young guards in the league, and you’ve got a lineup that has star power and skill.
What makes Blue dangerous is their versatility. They can play blazing fast or slow the game down and let KD take over, and they can toggle between jumbo lineups or guard-heavy sides. Holmgren and Banchero give them frontcourt versatility few All-Star combinations can match, and Harden’s ability to unlock second units makes them adaptable. No doubt, Team Blue would be stacked and ready.
American Team Red
Roster: Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell, Austin Reaves, Jaylen Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Julius Randle
American Team Red doesn’t have the same household superstars as Blue, but what they do have is maybe the most competitive desire among the three teams. Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell give them elite on-ball creation, while Austin Reaves slides in as the glue guard who is on a tear right now.
On the wings, Jaylen Brown brings his usual All-Star presence, and Karl-Anthony Towns adds a stretch-big weapon capable of dropping 25 without breaking a sweat. With Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey off the bench, Red has two of the hungriest competitors in the game. Not to mention, Julius Randle rounds out the squad with bruising interior scoring and underrated playmaking.
Team Red has a frontcourt that can beat teams up inside or draw them out to the perimeter. They may not have Curry and Durant-level skill, but they have eight players who compete like every possession matters. In an All-Star environment where defense is optional, these guys might actually try.
World Team
Roster: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Josh Giddey, Alperen Sengun, Lauri Markkanen
The World Team is terrifying and borderline unfair. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic give them two of the craftiest playmakers alive, and top-five MVP candidates. Behind them sits the freakish frontcourt trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic, a combination so absurd that it shouldn’t be allowed on a court.
They will dominate the boards and defensive end in a way we have never seen before. Add Josh Giddey’s playmaking, Alperen Sengun‘s creativity, and Lauri Markkanen’s shooting, and this group becomes a matchup nightmare in every way imaginable. What sets the World Team apart is their size-to-skill ratio.
They can roll out lineups where everyone is at least 6’8”, everyone can pass, and everyone can see over defenses. Their half-court offense would look like a ball-sharing clinic. Defensively, Wemby and Giannis erase mistakes, and Jokic quarterbacks the game in an unselfish way. In simple terms, this roster has no weakness.
Who Would Win In The New 2026 All-Star Format?
With all three teams playing each other, before the top two advance, the World Team likely rises above the chaos first. Their size and talent are simply overwhelming, and in an All-Star setting where mismatches are everywhere, their ability to generate easy looks gives them a major advantage.
American Team Blue probably joins them in the finals thanks to Curry, KD, and Booker being able to score in bunches in an open-style of play in the All-Star Game. Team Red is tough enough to steal a game, but likely doesn’t have the firepower to win consistently against these other two monsters.
A Blue vs. World final would be the headliner everyone wants: Curry’s threes versus Jokic’s passing, Giannis vs. Durant, Wemby vs. Holmgren, and Edwards trying to steal the show. In a single-game format, either could win, but the World Team has five of the top 10 players in the world. With Luka and SGA controlling the game and a three-headed giant in the frontcourt, the World squad takes the crown by simply overwhelming even an elite American roster.
Expect sensational plays from Curry from beyond, Jokic doing his triple-double thing, and Luka reminding everyone he is the face of the biggest franchise in the world. We don’t expect the likes of Anthony Edwards to shy away, likely coming up with a poster dunk (or two) to keep the Americans relevant. But we might be in an era where Team World is ruling basketball, especially with key Americans LeBron James and Jayson Tatum unavailable for most of the season.
