Six players made the All-Star Game for the first time in 2026: Deni Avdija, Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Jamal Murray, and Norm Powell. Who could make their first All-Star appearance in 2027? Here are my top 24 choices, ranked by tiers:
BEST BETS
2025-26 Stats: 21.0 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 4.5 APG | 51-Point Game at 19
The Case: Flagg averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 boards, and 5.3 assists over his final 26 full games last season. He was already one of the game’s 15 to 20 best players for a stretch of his rookie year. With Kyrie Irving back, his efficiency should improve even more. And even putting aside Kyrie, Flagg could take a leap in Year 2 of his career regardless.
The Hurdle: If Irving’s return isn’t what the Mavericks are expecting and the team struggles again, the team might not win enough games for voters to give Flagg the nod over players on winning teams. All-Stars will inevitably be in Flagg’s future, it’s just a matter of when.
(Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
2025-26 Stats: 16.2 PPG | 5.8 RPG | 2.7 APG | 38.9% 3PT
The Case: Gordon was averaging 20.3 points while shooting 45.2% from 3 and playing his typically excellent defense to begin last season, all before a hamstring injury derailed his year. But the way the year started hasn’t left my mind. Gordon was doing all his typical off-ball scoring alongside Nikola Jokić, but also doing more off the dribble in the post, out of isolation, and in pick-and-rolls. If that type of production carries over to this season, and if he stays healthy, the Nuggets could have first-time All-Stars in consecutive years.
The Hurdle: Will Gordon stay healthy for the first time in a few years? And will he get enough scoring opportunities? The Nuggets might be at their best with Gordon sharing the floor with Jokić, but that doesn’t mean he’ll put up the raw numbers to be named an All-Star.
2025-26 Stats: 23.3 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 5.5 APG | 64.1% TS
The Case: Reaves was averaging 28.9 points through his first 18 games last season, so we’ve already seen him look like an All-Star. But then he got injured and that derailed his bid for a spot. If he and Luka both stay healthy this season, this could be the year. Reaves averaged 19.6 points per 75 possessions on 62.5% true shooting alongside Luka, and an astounding 33.1 points on 65.9% true shooting without him, per DataBallr. So he can thrive next to Luka and take over when Luka sits.
The Hurdle: Reaves competes on defense, but opponents can still target him. He might end up the weak link that teams attack this season. Becoming more reliable at the other end would make it easier to argue that the Lakers deserve multiple All-Stars.
2025-26 Stats: 18.3 PPG | 7.8 RPG | 5.3 APG | 3.0 OREB
The Case: Thompson earned my Defensive Player of the Year vote in 2024-25, and I voted him onto my All-Defensive second team last season. So he’s already established as one of the game’s best defenders, and last season he became an 18 point per game guy. Given the way Amen impacts the game across the board, it’d be surprising if he wasn’t named an All-Star at some point in his career. Maybe this is the year it happens. And even though Fred VanVleet will cut into his playmaking chances, maybe he’ll end up scoring more as a shooter, cutter, and rebounder.
The Hurdle: Thompson’s improvement to 77.9% at the free throw line offers some hope for his jumper, but he still made only 21.6% of his 3s last season. Defenses will keep backing off until he gives them a reason to stop. And without the jumper it could be quite hard for him to put up enough points.
2025-26 Stats: 20.6 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 3.3 APG | 34 Games Played
The Case: Wagner made 82.3% of his free throws and 51.6% of his floaters last season. Those numbers have been consistently great going back to college. But his 3-pointer has never clicked. Could this be the year? If so, expect his scoring averages to jump big time. He already has every other skill: He scores inside, he’s a talented passer, he does the dirty work, he rebounds, and he’s a great defender. What more could you want? Well, a jump shot.
The Hurdle: We’re entering Year 6 of his career, and we’re still having the same conversation about his jumper. Maybe it’s just never going to happen.
2025-26 Stats: 17.4 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 4.0 APG | 36.2% 3PT
The Case: White will have space to get downhill into the paint and he’s a potent shooter beyond the arc. We didn’t see a lot of White without LaMelo Ball on the floor last season, but in the 282 minutes that we did he averaged 33.2 points and 7.2 assists per 75 possessions. The Hornets have enough faith in their existing roster to live without LaMelo, and White could prove to be worth the bet.
The Hurdle: White was more of a 20-points-per-game guy in Chicago prior to this surge with Charlotte. So we may have already seen his peak level. Last season’s surge could have just been more about the fact defenses weren’t game planning for a backup guard the way they did for LaMelo.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
2025-26 Stats: 20.8 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 3.7 APG | 39.9% 3PT
The Case: Alexander-Walker jumped from 9.4 to 20.8 points per game last season. What if there’s more coming? His elite shooting already makes defenders sweat, he’s a talented connective passer, and a versatile defender. Better finishing and self-creation could vault him higher. He led Team Canada in pick-and-rolls this summer, ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Andrew Nembhard. So perhaps that usage is a sign of what’s to come.
The Hurdle: Alexander-Walker’s breakout was built largely on off-ball volume. He ranked in the 30th percentile in isolation scoring and the 37th percentile in pick-and-roll scoring, per Synergy. So as optimistic as one might be, these numbers would have to improve a lot for him to fuel the scoring jump needed to earn a spot.
2025-26 Stats: 16.7 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 7.4 APG | 1 40-Point Triple-Double
The Case: Castle checks a lot of boxes already as an elite defender who can bully his way into the paint, and catch fire as a scorer. If he becomes a more reliable pull-up shooter, then he has All-NBAs, not just All-Stars, in his future.
The Hurdle: Castle has never really been a consistent shooter going back to high school, so it might be wishful thinking for it to suddenly come along. And with De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper sharing the backcourt, Castle might end up more of the third wheel.
2025-26 Stats: 23.6 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 6.1 APG | 37.1% 3PT
The Case: George averaged 23.6 points on 60.9% true shooting last season, which are borderline All-Star numbers as is. With a stronger roster around him now, George could see an uptick in assist opportunities this year as the primary ball-handler on the team. With continued improvement as a scorer on his drives to the rim and more playmaking chances, an All-Star appearance is a realistic goal.
The Hurdle: George has been a poor defender so far in his career. Without some progress on that end, it could hurt the Jazz and his chances of getting this honor.
2025-26 Stats: 17.0 PPG | 8.3 RPG | 9.1 APG | 13 Triple Doubles
The Case: Giddey is already flirting with triple-double averages. More stops on defense could lead to a couple more rebounds, and more made shots could lead to a couple more assists. The Bulls being better could really be all it’ll take for Giddey to become a 20/10/10 guy.
The Hurdle: The Bulls drafted Caleb Wilson, who looked like a blossoming star in Las Vegas Summer League. What if Wilson is so good that he’s taking touches away from Giddey? Maybe Giddey’s numbers could even drop. Or conversely, the Bulls might continue to be a bad or mid team, and a great stat line for Giddey won’t be enough for voters to reward him.
2025-26 Stats: 20.2 PPG | 4.9 RPG | 3.3 APG | 38.3% 3PT
The Case: Miller scored 26.7 points per 75 possessions, compared with 23.5 alongside LaMelo last season, per DataBallr. Now without LaMelo on the squad, those numbers could become more of a regular occurrence. But he can’t just be an empty calories numbers guy. Miller’s efficiency needs to approach or exceed 60% true shooting and he needs to maintain competitive defense.
The Hurdle: It was another offseason spent rehabbing. Miller had surgery on his left shoulder in May, so a summer that could have been devoted to expanding his game became another recovery period. Maybe this will turn out to be a good thing and he’ll finally be healthy, though.
2025-26 Stats: 21.5 PPG | 5.7 RPG | 3.8 APG | 12 3s in One Game
The Case: Murphy has steadily added to his game since entering the league. He’s such a dangerous shooter, and he’s developed the ability to beat some defenders off the dribble. Murphy’s offseason training focuses on these creation moments, so if he starts building on it then his already impressive numbers could balloon.
The Hurdle: The Pelicans. I don’t expect New Orleans to be a playoff team, and the West is loaded with stars on teams that will be. Murphy could have the best season of his career and still lose out to someone putting up similar numbers for a contender.
I CAN TALK MYSELF INTO IT
2025-26 Stats: 16.7 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 2.2 APG | 1 Finals Game-Winner
The Case: We just watched Anunoby score 20 points per game during a championship run. Why can’t some version of that carry over if the Knicks continue to spread the ball around? His defense has long been worthy of All-Star consideration. More scoring could finally get him there.
The Hurdle: OG took only 11.6 shots per game during New York’s title run. The reason he scored so much is just that his efficiency was outrageous. But his volume wasn’t all that different. During the regular season, he’s never averaged more than 18 points or attempted 14 shots per game. There might simply be too few shots available for OG to put up the numbers voters need to see.
2025-26 Stats: 20.1 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 4.1 APG | 39.1% 3PT
The Case: Bane’s usage was at 23.3% last season. Could new Magic head coach Sean Sweeney simply put the ball in Bane’s hands more often? Bane averaged 23.7 points per game in Memphis on a 28.5% usage before, so even though he’s a shooter first he’s not just a specialist. Bane is a good pick-and-roll shot creator and could handle a heavier workload.
The Hurdle: There’s a lot of mouths to feed in Orlando. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner need the ball too.
2025-26 Stats (5 games): 14.4 PPG | 10.8 RPG | 3.0 APG | 1.8 BPG
The Case: When Kessler is defending the basket, opponents shoot only 50.6% on shots within six feet of the rim. That is 13.3% worse than their average in those situations, a purely dominant mark that now will be in the Los Angeles limelight. On offense, Luka Dončić is about to make his life easy by spoonfeeding him shots at the rim. Kessler also began shooting 3s last season, so if that carries over then he could put up bigger numbers than anyone is really anticipating.
The Hurdle: Rudy Gobert is a three-time All-Star but a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and a nine-time All-Defensive player. The point is that dominant defenders aren’t always honored for their efforts. Kessler will need to have a career-best year on offense, and with a ton of talent on that end for the Lakers he might just end up being a guy cleaning up inside.
2025-26 Stats: 24.2 PPG | 7.1 RPG | 3.0 APG | 3.4 3PM
The Case: Before the All-Star break last season, MPJ averaged 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. I thought he belonged on the All-Star team, despite how horrible the Nets were. But he didn’t get the nod from coaches in part because Brooklyn was such an eyesore. Maybe this year the Nets will be better, and maybe Porter will put up comparable stats that get more love.
The Hurdle: Julius Randle will command some of the touches that belonged to Porter, who had a lot of freedom last year. So Porter needs to show that his first half was a level he can sustain while sharing more of the offense.
2025-26 Stats: 17.0 PPG | 3.9 RPG | 5.2 APG | 37.7% 3PT
The Case: Without Jaylen Brown on the floor last season, Pritchard averaged 26.7 points and 7.6 assists per 75 possessions on 60.6% true shooting. This year, Pritchard could end up the No. 2 scorer in Boston so there could be a lot more chances coming for him to bomb 3s, get into the paint, and run the offense.
The Hurdle: It’s unclear whether Pritchard will start or how much more of the offense he’ll control. Just because Brown is gone, it doesn’t mean he’ll suddenly become a featured guy. Jayson Tatum will get more touches, too, and so will Paul George and others on the roster.
2025-26 Stats: 14.1 PPG | 10.6 RPG | 2.2 APG | 3.4 OREB
The Case: If Tyrese Haliburton returns looking like himself, Zubac will feast off his playmaking. We could even see them become the league’s most potent pick-and-roll duo. But Zubac is also a great post scorer and an excellent interior defender. All those pieces together could make him one of the keys to Indiana’s turnaround and earn him an All-Star spot.
The Hurdle: Even if Zubac is great, he needs enough touches in an offense with Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and lots of other shot creators on the team.
DON’T RULE IT OUT
2025-26 Stats: 12.1 PPG | 11.6 RPG | 2.1 APG | 1.7 BPG
The Case: Clingan shot 34.1% from 3 on 3.2 attempts per game while anchoring Portland’s interior defense. Last season, opponents shot 12% worse than they ordinarily did on shots within six feet when Clingan was the closest defender. So, he could be blossoming into one of those rare bigs that can both space the floor and put a lid on the rim.
The Hurdle: An All-Star case will require sustaining his production beyond last season’s 27.2 minutes per game.
2025-26 Stats: 11.8 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 3.9 APG | 18.0 Finals PPG
The Case: Harper shot 25.2% from 3 and 57.3% at the rim before the All-Star break, then 47.9% and 66.7% afterward, respectively. Then he averaged 18 points in the Finals. Those season-long averages listed above undersell just how excellent he was to finish his rookie year. With another year of seasoning, he could explode.
The Hurdle: There are a lot of mouths to feed in San Antonio: Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and, of course, the big tall French guy. Harper could be better, but it doesn’t mean he’ll get enough touches or play enough minutes.
2025-26 Stats: 18.5 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 3.4 APG | 273 3s (Rookie Record)
The Case: Knueppel is already one of the NBA’s best shooters, but he ranked only 15th with 7.9 3-point attempts per game. Could he see that number climb to nine or even 10 without LaMelo Ball absorbing so many touches anymore? Perhaps. But spot-up shooters don’t make All-Star games. And Knueppel’s ability to handle the ball and make smart passes is what sets him apart from those specialists. Kon ranked in the 76th percentile for pick-and-roll scoring efficiency last season, and there will be a lot more chances to show what he can do with the ball in his hands.
The Hurdle: A left hamstring injury will cost Knueppel the preseason, and he won’t be reevaluated until the first week of the regular season. So he’s already starting behind, so much so that I considered removing him from the list. But he still deserves a mention when this list is 24 names long.
2025-26 Stats: 14.8 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 2.7 APG | 41.2% 3PT
The Case: McDaniels already has established himself as one of the game’s greatest defenders. With Julius Randle and Naz Reid gone, the Wolves could need him to take on more on-ball scoring responsibility and LaMelo Ball could help by finding him on cuts, in transition, and for open 3s. If more buckets go his way, then so too could an All-Star appearance.
The Hurdle: Anthony Edwards and Ball will control much of the offense and take most of the shots. So even an uptick in scoring for McDaniels might not be enough to make it.
2025-26 Stats: 9.9 PPG | 5.7 RPG | 3.1 APG | 1 Steals TItle
The Case: Ausar is already one of the best defenders in basketball, but he played only 26 minutes per game last season. Maybe now he’ll eclipse 30 minutes. Thompson can do everything on offense except shoot, but he also works his butt off to develop that skill. Maybe this is the year it clicks.
The Hurdle: Ausar took only 24 3s last season, and he made just six of them. It’d be quite a monumental leap if he starts becoming a reliable guy from outside.
2025-26 Stats: 16.5 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 5.4 APG | 1.3 BPG
The Case: What if White just remembers how to shoot? He made 32.7% of his 3s last season after shooting 38.1%, 39.6%, and 38.4% in his previous three full seasons with Boston. White is already an elite defender and connective passer. So without Jaylen Brown, and more opportunities potentially available, he simply needs to get back to shooting the way he has before to have a chance to have his best season ever.
The Hurdle: White was a streaky shooter prior to that hot three-year stretch in Boston. What if he just goes back to the way he was before? White can still help Boston win games, but he’ll have to score to be named an All-Star.
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