After the starters, who are the replacements for the 2026 All-Star Game?

Victor Vembanyama holder, LeBron James not retained, unlike Stephen Curry… On Tuesday, the starters for the 2026 All-Star Game, which will be held in Los Angeles, were revealed without much surprise or scandal. But who will now be the 14 replacements (minimum) revealed on February 1st?

Changes to the formula and the first attempt at the “United States” vs. “Rest of the World” tournament changed the invitations to the All-Star Game. If there is no longer a position restriction, the other criteria must still be met to select a replacement.

After the two fives from the East and the West, in each of the two conferences, the coaches will choose seven replacements. These 24 players will then be divided into three teams of at least eight players, two teams of American players (the conditions of distribution in these two teams have not yet been announced…), one of the players from the “Rest of the World”. If there is a shortage of US or international players, Adam Silver will then name the missing member(s). Therefore, there could potentially be more than 24 All-Stars…

After announcing the starters for this 2026 All-Star Game, eleven players are missing for the “US 1” and “US 2” squads compared to just three for the rest of the world team.

USA 1 and USA 2: Stephen Curry – Cade Cunningham – Tyrese Maxey – Jalen Brunson – Jalen Brown

Rest of the World: Shai Gilgeous-Alekander – Luka Donciic – Giannis Antetokounmpo – Victor Vembaniama – Nikola Jokic

Here’s what the list of replacement players could look like.

Their presence seems certain

Finished tied with Victor Vembanyama in cumulative voting categories, Anthony Edwards should be one of the first names dismissed by the league’s coaches. The Wolves point guard has once again passed a milestone in scoring and efficiency (from 27.6 points on 44.7% including 39.5% on 3-pointers in 2024/25 to 29.9 points on 49.9% including 41.3% from distance) within a competitive Western team. His status as the new face of the league adds to the evidence.

The same applies to Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers guard was the sixth pick in the East by players, the public and the media. If Cleveland isn’t at the expected level, he can hardly match (28.9 points on 48.3% shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals).

His figures may be a little less flashy, but Kevin Durant he is set to make his 16th career All-Star game. The Rockets wing is playing up to his standards (25.9 ppg on 51.1% shooting including 39.5% on 3-pointers, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 rebounds) and leads a top-4 team in his conference.

Remaining seats: East 6, West 5 / USA 8, Rest of World 3

They should be there

There are still seats in the east, and several candidates stand out quite clearly. Making serious offensive progress as a surprise leader in the first part of the season, Jalen Duren (17.8 points on 63%, 10.9 rebounds) should get a lot of votes. A temporary fourth and just as unexpected, Toronto should be rewarded with at least one player present. This should be a priority Scottie Barnesthe author of a very good first part of the season in areas very similar to those of his only All-Star Game selection thus far (19.8 points on 50.4%, 8.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.3 blocks).

If he is not as productive as last season (20.8 points on 46.9%, 11.5 rebounds, 3 assists), which earned him a starting position in 2025. Karl-Anthony Towns should follow Jalen Brunson as a member of the Knicks. finally, Jalen Johnson established himself this season as a possible star in Atlanta in the absence of Tree Young, injured and then traded. The wing has seven triple-doubles (23.2 points at 51.1%, 10.3 rebounds, 8 assists), which makes him runner-up to Nikola Jokić in the field.

In the West, however, there is more pushing. It could be five for four places, with a strong international tendency. Boosted by fan votes and seventh in owner voting, Danny Avdia (Blazers) could be one of the new call-ups this season. The wing is impressive with his versatility (26.2 points on 47%, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists) and leads Portland to an even record. There is no problem with the balance sheet either Chet Holmgren (Thunder), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) et Jamal Murray (Nuggets).

The former would serve as the Thunder’s second representative, a position justified by his offensive progress to compensate for the absence of Jalen Williams (17.8 points on 57.2%, 8.4 rebounds). Alperen Sengun would be invited to his second consecutive All-Star game, after further raising his level of play (21.5 points on 51.1%, 9.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists). Jamal Murray would be selected for the first time, after coming close to doing so several times over the last few seasons.

The Canadian, coming off the best season of his career (26 points on 48.9% including 44.9% from 3-pointers, 7.4 assists), may still fear being left behind again while the West is already well represented. Because Devin Booker he would also deserve the selection both by his individual performance (25.3 points at 45.3%, 6.3 assists) and by the results of the Suns, much more attractive than could be imagined after the transfer of Kevin Durant (6th, 27 wins – 17 losses).

Remaining places: East 2, West 0 / USA 3, Rest of World 0

They are in balance

For pretenders in the West, the horizon is already blocked. It would take one, or even a couple of absences for us to hope that they will be called up for reinforcements. That means the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome could be played without a Clippers player, despite the exploits Kawhi Leonardor even James Harden. However, the former has a chance to be called as a reinforcement if the American players are absent…

Still, he had the best statistical season of his career (28.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and a league-best 2.2 steals), but he paid for the results of the Clippers, who just returned to the play-in zone after a completely lost start to the season, and his 13 games spent in the infirmary. Another credible contender, but a bit too short, Austin Reaves (Lakers) is clearly playing at an All-Star level (26.6 points on 50.7% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists), but he seems to be a step below the other contenders, especially with two potential teammates already drafted.

The final two places should be a close fight and there is no shortage of strong entries. An All-Star in his second season and sat out last season due to injury, Paolo Banchero is perhaps the hottest player name still in the running. The power forward, however, is not as dominant as in the last two seasons (five points per game less than in 2024/25), and Orlando is hot and completely lukewarm. Could Toronto and Cleveland take another player to Los Angeles? Brandon Ingram (The Raptors) are having a great season, but are they All-Star worthy? As for Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), can its new league status gained last season be enough to overcome the Cavaliers’ average scoring and stagnation? Unless Derrick White inviting yourself to greet the beautiful nature of Boston?

A little further down the pecking order, the Heat could hope to make it count Norman Powell or Bam Adebayo among the invitees, but a too “one-dimensional” scoring profile from the back (23.7 ppg) and a decent individual season without more inside might not be enough given the poor collective record. The same applies to Pascal Sakakwho has numbers similar to those of his prime years with the Raptors, but with an Eastern Conference red-light, Indiana.

When it comes to production, the two most serious issues are perhaps Michael Porter Jr and from Josh Giddei. MPJ explodes with more responsibility among the Nets (25.3 ppg on 48.1% including 39.6% on 3-pointers, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists), but Brooklyn’s results (12 wins in 42 games) do not speak in his favor. It’s a little better for Josh Giddy in Chicago (21-22), but won’t the Bulls’ lack of attractiveness punish the Australian leader too much, despite being close to a triple-double average (19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 9 assists)?

LeBron James married him

Absent from the top five for the first time in 21 appearances, LeBron James can he be completely absent from the debates? The end of an era would be very symbolic, especially in Los Angeles. This season confirms his relative statistical decline – the second least productive of his career after his freshman year (22.5 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists) – and especially physically with 17 missed games out of 42 and tracked playing time. Is that enough to rule him out of the replacement spot?

The all-time leading scorer remains a key player, with All-Star stats, on one of the teams with the best midseason record. And his aura remains intact within the NBA microcosm, as he finished eighth in the player voting for starting spots. It remains to be seen what the coaches will decide…

Our selections

USA 1 and USA 2: Stephen Curry – Cade Cunningham – Tirese Mackey – Jalen Brunson – Jalen Brown | Anthony Edwards – Donovan Mitchell – Kevin Durant – Jaylen Duren – Scotty Barnes – Jaylen Johnson – Chet Holmgren – Devin Booker – Michael Porter Jr. – Norman Powell – Kawhi Leonard

Rest of the World: Shai Gilgeous-Alekeder – Loat Donis – Anthunist Antomompool – Vickor Vehimbuari – Victila Jokić’s. So Alpdija – Alperent Young – Cities Nyar-Antoj – Cave Muraj of Murani