NBA All-Star Weekend is always something to look forward to for fans, even if it has fallen short of expectations over the last few seasons. The 2026 edition feels especially loaded because young players need to make themselves felt, and Adam Silver has done his best to spice up the All-Star Game by introducing a Team USA-Team World format.
Not to mention, the reimagined Rising Stars Contest and a dunk competition are begging for viral moments beforehand, and we can’t wait to witness an All-Star Game that pits the world’s best international talent against America’s deepest pool in years. The weekend has the potential to define the midseason.
Naturally, some stars will still treat All-Star Weekend with little care, but we think this season will offer something a little different. Here’s how the weekend unfolds, and why these winners could use this to catapult the rest of their seasons.
Rising Stars Contest
Team Melo – Coach Carmelo Anthony
- Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)
- Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)
- Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)
- Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)
- Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)
Team Vince – Coach Vince Carter:
- VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
- Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)
- Egor Demin (Brooklyn Nets)
- Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)
Team T-Mac – Coach Tracy McGrady:
- Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)
- Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)
- Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)
- Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)
- Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)
Team G League – Coach Austin Rivers
- Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
- Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
- David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser (San Diego Clippers)
- Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
- Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)
The Rising Stars Contest has become one of the most competitive events of All-Star Weekend, and this year’s format makes it even more compelling. With four distinct teams coached by legends, the talent gap is razor-thin, but the stylistic contrast is not. Team Melo epitomizes modern basketball: positional versatility, switchable defenders, and multiple creators who can do their thing and create offense by themselves.
Cooper Flagg is the headliner, and for good reason. The Mavericks rookie already plays with a superstar impact at times, blending defensive instincts with growing offensive skills. Pairing him with Reed Sheppard’s shooting, Stephon Castle’s downhill pressure, and Dylan Harper’s shot creation gives Team Melo an offense that doesn’t stall when the pace accelerates. Donovan Clingan anchors the interior, providing rim protection and easy finishes that matter in short-format games.
Team Carter looks solid as well, with Edgecombe looking to make a bigger name for himself and prove he is the best rookie in the league, and steal some hype from Flagg. He is bolstered by Buzelis, a rising two-way swingman, and some other youngsters who want to become bigger names. T-Mac’s team is also decent, headlined by sharpshooter Kon Kneuppel and future All-Star Alex Sarr.
You can’t count out the G-League squad either, because they have been competing at a high level for months already. What ultimately separates Team Melo, though, is Carmelo Anthony himself.
No coach understands the balance between letting young stars cook and organizing chaos better than Melo. His team has the most natural offensive flow, the best blend of star power and role acceptance, and the players are most comfortable making quick, decisive reads.
In a tournament where chemistry matters more than schemes, Team Melo feels inevitable by the final whistle.
Winner: Team Melo
2026 Kia Shooting Stars
Team All-Star: Scottie Barnes; Chet Holmgren; Richard Hamilton
Team Cameron: Jalen Johnson; Kon Knueppel; Corey Maggette
Team Harper: Ron Harper Sr.; Dylan Harper; Ron Harper Jr.
Team Knicks: Jalen Brunson; Karl-Anthony Towns; Allan Houston
The 2026 Kia Shooting Stars contest combined shooting skill with calmness under pressure, and this year’s field is built around chemistry as much as talent. With just 1:10 on the clock and seven designated shooting spots, the event rewards teams that move quickly. More than any other All-Star competition, this one punishes hesitation.
Team All-Star brings modern versatility with Scottie Barnes and Chet Holmgren flanked by veteran Richard Hamilton. Barnes and Holmgren can score and shoot quickly, while Hamilton’s discipline and composure help steady the group. The concern is tempo; both young stars can be deliberate, and in a timed format, even a half-second of hesitation can cost valuable points.
Team Cameron leans into pure shooting confidence. Duke alums Jalen Johnson, Kon Knueppel, and Corey Maggette are comfortable firing in rhythm, and Knueppel in particular is tailor-made for this contest with his quick, compact release. Their familiarity and pace make them a strong bet to advance, though efficiency, not volume, will ultimately decide whether they can survive a second round.
Team Harper offers the best chemistry. Dylan Harper is the offensive catalyst, Ron Harper Jr. provides reliable catch-and-shoot consistency, and Ron Harper Sr. supplies veteran calm. Their family connection eliminates confusion in shot order, but their margin for error is thin if early attempts don’t fall, especially with fewer natural deep-shot specialists.
The team best built for this format, however, is Team Knicks. Jalen Brunson’s composure, Karl-Anthony Towns’ elite shooting range, and Allan Houston’s historically pure mechanics create a trio that maximizes every shooting spot. They waste no motion, understand their roles, and thrive under pressure. In a contest defined by efficiency and execution, Team Knicks are the smartest pick to win the 2026 Kia Shooting Stars.
Winner: Team Knicks
2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest
Participants: Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Norman Powell, Kon Knueppel, Bobby Portis
The field is loaded with elite shooters, headlined by the return of two-time champ Damian Lillard, who hasn’t played a game this season, and superstar Devin Booker, but the 2026 contest feels tailor-made for Tyrese Maxey. Few players combine rhythm shooting, stamina, and shot versatility the way Maxey does, and that combination is everything in this event.
Maxey’s growth as a shooter has been one of the league’s most underappreciated developments. He’s no longer just fast; he’s controlled. His release is compact, his footwork is elite, and he’s become lethal relocating off movement, exactly the skill set the 3-Point Contest rewards. Unlike some volume scorers, Maxey doesn’t need warm-up attempts to find his groove. He arrives ready.
Sure, Dame might be considered the favorite because he is the best pure shooter on this list. But he hasn’t played a competitive game in months, and we don’t see him limping in and winning a 3-Point Contest. If he does, it would be incredible to see, but we give the edge to Maxey, and the player behind him has to be Kon Knueppel.
We think Maxey takes this home, but Knueppel could make it very interesting if he gets a rhythm going and starts getting the fans behind him. Do we want to see Dame win? Secretly, yes. But Maxey has the chance to start collecting individual trophies.
Predicted Winner: Tyrese Maxey
2026 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest
Participants: Jase Richardson, Carter Bryant, Jaxson Hayes, Keshad Johnson
Every dunk contest needs a story, and Jase Richardson brings the perfect one. The son of a former NBA dunk champion, Jason Richardson, Jase steps into the competition with expectations, but also with creativity, bounce, and a clear understanding of what wins this event in the modern era.
Richardson’s advantage isn’t just vertical explosion; it’s intent. His dunks are designed, not improvised. He understands pacing, uses props without gimmicks, and knows how to escalate difficulty from round to round. While Jaxson Hayes brings size and power, and Keshad Johnson offers athletic flair, Richardson’s ability to blend finesse with authority gives him the edge in judges’ eyes.
By the final dunk, the narrative completes itself. Richardson delivers a clean, high-degree finish that honors his lineage without copying it, and the crowd responds accordingly. The judges don’t hesitate. In a contest desperate for renewed identity, Richardson gives it exactly that.
Winner: Jase Richardson
2026 NBA All-Star Game
Team USA Stars
- Scottie Barnes
- Devin Booker
- Cade Cunningham
- Jalen Duren
- Anthony Edwards
- Chet Holmgren
- Jalen Johnson
- Tyrese Maxey
Team USA Stripes
- Jaylen Brown
- Jalen Brunson
- Stephen Curry (*Set To Miss Out, Replacement pending)
- Kevin Durant
- LeBron James
- Kawhi Leonard
- Donovan Mitchell
- Norman Powell
Team World
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Deni Avdija
- Luka Doncic
- Nikola Jokic
- Jamal Murray
- Alperen Sengun (*Replaces injured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
- Pascal Siakam
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Victor Wembanyama
This All-Star Game feels less like an exhibition and more like a statement opportunity, and Team World is built to make one. With Luka Doncic orchestrating, Nikola Jokic always dominant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo being a factor, the international roster boasts an almost unfair level of basketball IQ.
Team USA Stripes has firepower, even with Stephen Curry likely out, with LeBron James and Kevin Durant sharing the floor, but the World Team’s size, length, and versatility create matchup problems that persist even in a loose defensive environment. Even Team USA Stars have elite talent, clearly, but they lack the experience of the Stripes, along with the sheer dominance and size of Team World.
We have already mentioned how ridiculous Jokic and Giannis are. But also, Alperen Sengun and Pascal Siakam thrive in free-flowing settings, while Jamal Murray adds scoring bursts that punish defensive lapses. At the center of it all is Victor Wembanyama.
This is his stage. He blocks shots without fouling, finishes lobs that feel impossible, and stretches the floor in ways that warp defensive logic. By the fourth quarter, the game subtly shifts from competition to coronation. Wembanyama controls the tempo, delivers highlight after highlight, and walks away with MVP honors, not because the moment was given to him, but because he took it.
Winner: Team World
All-Star Game MVP: Victor Wembanyama
