2026 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest Predictions: Donovan Mitchell, Conn Knuepel

NBA All-Star weekend is finally here and all the festivities are underway from Los Angeles as one of the longest-running events will return this weekend with a new group of players. The NBA 3-point contest has seen legends like Larry Bird, Stephen Curry, Mark Price and more light up the stage, but only one can walk away victorious on Saturday.

Miami Heat’s Tyler Hero won the 2025 tournament, but was replaced by a teammate instead Norman Powell. blazers Damian Lillard enters the tournament having won two of its last three, but it’s a rookie Charlotte Hornets scorer Knuppel could who comes into the competition a betting favourite. the sun’ Devin Booker he will also bounce back from his memorable last round to win in 2018.

Odds for a 3-point contest, thanks DraftKings

2026 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest Odds

Kon Knuepel: +240
Damian Lillard: +400
Jamal Murray: +650
Devin Booker: +650
Tyrese McKay: +700
Donovan Mitchell: +750
Norman Powell: +1000
Bobby Portis: +1200

Overview

Each competitor will have 70 seconds (1:10) on the clock to go through five racks of five balls, each containing a “money ball”. Normally, regular basketballs will be worth one point, while money balls will be worth two points. The fifth rack, which the participant can place anywhere, contains five money balls. Finally, the two points “from the logo” will be marked with two three-point shots each.

Each player will make a total of 27 shots in the first round. The three highest scores will advance to the championship round, shooting in reverse order from the first round total.

Key stories, returning participants

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers is the most interesting name to watch having already won this competition two of the last three years. He is not expected to return to action during the 2025-26 season due to an Achilles tear, but he makes the decision to take part and reclaim his former crown in the competition. Donovan Mitchell of the Cavs and Norman Powell of the Heat return for another shot after coming up short the last two years.

Of all the contenders, Tyrese McKay is having the best season and is garnering MVP votes for his performance with the 76ers this season. Kon Knuepel is challenging Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year and a win in this contest could certainly boost his stock in the eyes of fans.

Players to watch

Rookie Kon Knueppel is the clear betting favorite, shooting 43.1% from deep this season with an average 3.4-7.9 shot ratio. Furthermore, he excels at spotting up from open looks, so this type of contest is tailored to his skill set. Players like Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell offer a serious shot as both are capable of catching heat from deep, but can be considered more of a shooter in the game.

Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks actually has the highest three-point percentage in the entire field at 45.1%, so don’t be surprised if he manages to sneak into the championship round. Try to conserve energy through all five racks is a lesson that first-timers usually learn too late in the round, so expect Portis, McKay and Knueppel to go early in this round.

As far as taking a dark horse chance in this contest, Devin Booker could be a solid pick having already won this contest. I expect Tyrese McKay and Donovan Mitchell to fall early because they are much more effective when they warm up during the game, but players like Booker, Knueppel and Lillard can thrive thanks to their rhythm down the stretch.

Final prediction and 3 point competition winner

It’s hard to say how effective Damian Lillard will be in reclaiming his title while competing on an injured achilles. The Hornets’ Kon Knuepel seems like the clearest pick here thanks to his three-point shooting specialization, and he’s the most poised to win this contest if he can get off to a strong start.

Although he will be taking his time early and finding his rhythm for the first time in this competition, he has played like this for most of the season against other opponents. He’s also likely to get into the arena early and get some shots, making him the most likely pick to win in his first outing.

Final Prediction: Kon Knuepel (+240)