The NBA announced the 2026 All-Star starters from the East and West on Monday afternoon. The results — based on a cocktail of fan votes, coach votes and player votes — came out more or less how you'd expect.
East | West |
|---|---|
Jalen Brunson | Stephen Curry |
Tyrese Maxey | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
Cade Cunningham | Luka Dončić |
Jaylen Brown | Victor Wembanyama |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | Nikola Jokić |
These are all very talented and deserving players, but the gap between the East and the West, at least in terms of top-end talent, has never felt more pronounced. So, let's rank all 10 All-Star starters to really get a sense of how lopsided things are.
10. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown deserves a ton of credit for the job he has done in Jayson Tatum's absence, captaining the Boston Celtics to second place in the East with a roster more reminiscent of teams finishing second to last. Brown has increased his workload, become a far more functional and willing passer, and he's somehow pairing career-high volume with career-best efficiency.
That said, Brown probably shouldn't be starting the All-Star game over Donovan Mitchell or Jalen Johnson. Team success matters and it's not really worth nitpicking, but Boston's defense perks up with Brown off the floor, and he does not elevate teammates in the way others on this list do. Brown is a proficient three-level scorer, with far more command as a ball-handler and a facilitator than he has ever showed prior. He's part of a tremendously well-oiled machine, and the individual flourishes sans Tatum merit sincere recognition. But Brown still belongs a tick below others here.
9. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey took last season's failures personally and worked hard to elevate his profile across the board. He's still somewhat inefficient as an iso scorer, but Maxey does everything else at an incredibly high level. He has the speed to tilt a defense whenever he wants. The touch to finish from anywhere, at any angle. The pull-up 3s stretch a defense. The speed breaks 'em right down the middle. And he's dramatically more impactful as a passer and a defender than he was even two years ago. The Philadelphia 76ers are back in the thick of things because Maxey has willed them there.
Even if he's not a heliocentric offensive engine by trade, Maxey consistently ascends to a higher level in the clutch. He hits the big shots. With Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe and Paul George there to draw attention away from him, Maxey can pretty consistently have a field day sprinting into movement 3s, attacking errant closeouts, and really setting the gears of this Sixers offense in motion. His usage and minutes are at borderline unsustainable highs, but he just keeps chugging. Assuming the Sixers don't run him into the ground, do not be shocked if Maxey punches his ticket to first team All-NBA honors.
8. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are the No. 1 seed in the East right now, removing all doubt as to the veracity of last season's breakthrough. This roster does not feature the sexiest batch of names or play styles, but Detroit has a very clear identity on both ends. Cunningham is still a mixed bag defensively, but his size affords him a margin for error that other "point guards" simply do not have. As for the offensive side of things, Cunningham is the Pistons' identity.
Cunningham's usage has actually dipped a bit this season, but his scoring efficiency has peaked and he still has a hand in the overwhelming majority of what Detroit runs. He operates out of the pick-and-roll with surgical precision. He's second to only Nikola Jokić in assists per game. Beyond his own offensive contributions, both as a ball-handler and a spot-up threat, Cunningham elevates teammates. One glance at the Pistons supporting cast, and you wouldn't think it's a roster built for the No. 1 seed. Cunningham makes those around him better and sets the floor incredibly high for Detroit.
7. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks continue to run through the early trials and tribulations of life under Mike Brown. This is a very different Knicks team without Thibs. The personnel is the same, but their play style — the organizational mode of operation — has completely flipped. Through it all, however, Jalen Brunson continues to dominate. He's a supremely gifted offensive engine. There's nobody better in the East when it comes to manipulating a defense and extending those advantages.
Brunson is chronically undersized and out of his depth on defense, which is a huge problem when looking toward the playoffs. On that issue alone, you can start to build a case for Cunningham, Maxey and even Brown. But there simply is not a better generator on offense. Brunson powers the Knicks with relentless drives, a deadeye pull-up jumper, that unique foul-drawing ability. Whenever New York stagnates, Brunson can shake the offense loose with pure ingenuity. When it comes to raising the floor of a team in the regular season, Brunson still earns to ever-so-slight nod over his East backcourt peers. That gap is fading, though.
6. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry is 37 years old and the current iteration of the Golden State Warriors are well into their twilight years. It's hard to imagine the Dubs doing much of anything come the postseason, if Golden State even makes it to the postseason. And yet, in terms of individual value, Curry remains head-and-shoulder above just about his entire age bracket. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are still awesome, but Curry has maintained his value with barely a dip for more than a decade at this point. It's a shame that the team around him can't hold up its end of the bargain.
The book on Curry is already written. He's the most dominant off-ball threat in the NBA. Nobody applies more consistent pressure on a defense, even when he's floating on the weak side, 30 feet away from the ball-handler. Curry cuts and relocates with intention. He can sink 3s from anywhere, this we know. But he's also still adept at beating closeouts, snaking his way to the rim and finishing with craft — even when old knees and diminishing physicality would have long disabled that attribute for most guards Curry's age. He's a true master of his craft. We should not take it for granted, even if the Warriors can be kind of depressing as a whole.
5. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs have shot to the top of the NBA standings this season, currently second in the West with a 3-1 record against the indomitable OKC Thunder. Victor Wembanyama, to the surprise of no one, is their guiding light. In just his third NBA season, the former No. 1 pick is quickly amassing the necessary Infinity Stones. Wemby alters the geometry of the court defensively in a way nobody else can. He's 7-foot-4, with an 8-foot wingspan, and his instincts are only becoming sharper. The Spurs absolutely stifle teams when he's on the court.
Wemby is not the offensive generator of others on this list, but he's still expanding his profile. He can push the tempo in transition, run a supersized, inverted pick-and-roll, whip a bounce pass from the elbow. The skill set is well-rounded, and he's an increasingly efficient play finisher as he leans more into his unique gifts at the rim, and less on difficult, contested mid-range jumpers. Wemby is on pace to claim No. 1 on this list sooner than later. If he can take the next step as an offensive centerpiece and find a way to stay on the court longer (28.8 minutes per game this season, the least of any All-Star starter), the Spurs' big man will have an MVP trophy in no time.
4. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Dončić is a tough one. There's a strong case for Wemby right now, but you could also argue to bump Dončić even higher. It depends on personal values and feelings, really. Behind Jokić, Dončić is clearly the best offensive centerpiece in the NBA. He's a walking advantage, able to use his strength, dexterity and off-beat dribble cadences to pressure a defense and exploit the subsequent cracks. His touch on floaters and pull-up jumpers is feathery. His vision as a passer, borderline unfair. Dončić has a truly singular basketball brain.
And then there's the defensive end, where Dončić — and please, nobody show this to Nico Harrison — has become a real drag for the Lakers. Defense has never been a stength for Dončić, but there are nights now where his lack of mobility and, frankly, effort is jarring. The Los Angeles Lakers were 16.9 points per 100 possessions better than opponents with Dončić on the floor last season, compared to just 5.7 points this season. L.A. deserves criticism for bad roster construction, but Dončić's defense is a real limiting factor. It will be a prominent topic of debate in the playoffs. For now, though, his ability to shoulder the workload on offense keeps him prominently featured as one of the faces of the league.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
It seems like the Oklahoma City Thunder will fall short of Golden State's 73-win record after all, but this is still the best team in the NBA by a comfortable margin, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander their best player. The reigning regular season and Finals MVP just keeps elevating his craft. He is a weaker link in OKC's defensive chain, but overall quite adept and accomplished on that end of the floor. His length, flexibility and instincts make him a genuine two-way asset. The focus of his brilliance, of course, remains on offense.
SGA is a preternatural scorer. At 6-foot-6, the ability to mix speeds, change direction, hell, change the angle of his body, puts defenders at a constant disadvantage. SGA gets dinged for foul-baiting in certain circles, but truthfully, he's just good at drawing fouls. It's a skill. He forces a defender out of position and takes advantage. Are there flops mixed in? Sure, as much as the next guy, but SGA's free throw clip is a product of masterful manipulation and on-ball execution. He's not the same facilitator as others in the tier, but SGA might be the single most gifted isolation scorer in the modern game.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
There is truly no wrong answer between SGA and Giannis, but for now, the Greek Freak (do folks still call him that?) maintains his edge in these rankings. These are dark times for the Milwaukee Bucks, and it's unclear if Giannis will even last beyond this season in a Bucks uniform. But despite the crumbling infrastructure around him, Giannis continues to stack numbers and exert an extremely positive influence on both sides of the ball. Without Giannis, the Bucks would straight up be the worst team in the NBA right now.
Giannis has very little help, which means an astronomical workload that he continues to handle with grace, even into his mid-30s. So often, critics like to diminish Giannis as an athletic anomaly — a player reliant on strength, speed and size over skill. And sure, there is basic truth to the idea that Giannis simply is not as effective if he's built like Luka Dončić, but that is still an unfair critique. Giannis has developed into a genuinely potent mid-range scorer, in turn opening up more driving lanes and playmaking avenues. He navigates tight spaces off the bounce as a 7-footer. He knows exactly how to weaponize his physical gifts. The man is a special, special player.
1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokić is hurt — a bummer for All-Star and awards purposes — but he's still, without much room for debate, No. 1 on this list and on any list of the best NBA players. If the season ended today, Jokić would tie his career high in scoring on career-best 71.3 percent true shooting. He leads the NBA in rebounds (12.2) and assists (11.0) per game. The Denver Nuggets outscore opponents by 16.3 points per 100 possessions with Jokić on the floor. He's the closest thing in the NBA to an airbender, able to sculpt the offense in his image with incredible processing power and unmatched touch, both as a scorer and a facilitator.
It really does not feel like Jokić is kicking your team's teeth in most nights, but he almost certainly is. He dominates with such effortlessness that it can sometimes be misconstrued as ineffectiveness. He's a sharper defender than he gets credit for, despite his plodding nature. He doesn't need to leap or sprint to create advantages and spoon-feed his teammates open looks. There are great passers, then there are those who pass teammates open. Jokić is the latter. He batters defenders with his strength. His touch and coordination in the mid-range, stretching out to the 3-point line, allows him to make just about any shot — whether there's a hand in his face or not. The weaknesses do not exist. Not really. He's one of the greatest offensive players of all time and the crème de la crème in the modern game.