Team Rosters For All-Star Game Revealed
The rosters for the three-team 2026 All-Star Game were revealed by the NBA on Tuesday night (Twitter link).
The USA Stars, coached by the Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff, will be made up of the following eight players:
Scottie Barnes- Devin Booker
- Cade Cunningham
- Jalen Duren
- Anthony Edwards
- Chet Holmgren
- Jalen Johnson
- Tyrese Maxey
The USA Stripes, coached by the Spurs’ Mitch Johnson, will have the following roster:
- Jaylen Brown
- Jalen Brunson
- Stephen Curry
- Kevin Durant
- LeBron James
- Kawhi Leonard
- Donovan Mitchell
- Norman Powell
The World team, coached by the Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic, will feature these nine players:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Luka Doncic
- Deni Avdija
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Nikola Jokic
- Jamal Murray
- Pascal Siakam
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Victor Wembanyama
The U.S. All-Stars were assigned to teams based on age, with the younger group placed on USA Stars and the older group placed on USA Stripes. Team World is composed of international players.
The format for the Feb. 15 event consists of a round-robin mini-tournament with four 12-minute games. The matchups are as follows:
- Game 1: USA Stars vs. World
- Game 2: USA Stripes vs. winning team of Game 1
- Game 3: USA Stripes vs. losing team of Game 1
- Game 4: Championship (top two teams from round-robin play)
If all three teams finish 1-1 after the round-robin games, the first tiebreaker will be point differential across each team’s two games.
Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of The Month
Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been named the NBA’s Player of the Month for the Western Conference, while Celtics wing Jaylen Brown has won the award in the East, the league announced today (Twitter link).
The Lakers were 9-6 in games Doncic played in January, and the All-Star guard increased his league-leading scoring average by racking up 34.0 points per game in those 15 outings. He posted a shooting line of .506/.392/.747 for the month while also contributing 9.1 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per night.
Doncic had four 30-point triple-doubles in January, capped by a 37-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound outing in Washington to wrap up the month last Friday. It’s the sixth Player of the Month award of his career and his first since he became a Laker almost exactly one year ago.
Brown’s career year continued in January as he led the Celtics to a 9-5 record in the 14 games he played, averaging 29.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 4.6 APG. The 29-year-old matched a career high by scoring 50 points in a win over the Clippers on January 3, then had a 27-point triple-double in a double-overtime victory in Brooklyn on Jan. 23.
While his teammate Jayson Tatum has racked up five Player of the Month awards over the course of his career, this is the first time Brown has earned the honor.
Brown beat out fellow nominees Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell of the Heat, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Sixers center Joel Embiid, Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, and Pacers forward Pascal Siakam for the January award, per the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
NBA Announces 2026 All-Star Reserves
The NBA has announced its 2026 All-Star reserves, revealing this year’s honorees on NBC ahead of the Knicks/Lakers matchup (Twitter links).
The following players will join the 10 All-Star starters the league announced on Monday, January 19.
Eastern Conference Reserves:
Guard: Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)- Guard: Norman Powell (Heat)
- Frontcourt: Jalen Johnson (Hawks)
- Frontcourt: Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
- Frontcourt: Pascal Siakam (Pacers)
- Frontcourt: Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
- Frontcourt: Jalen Duren (Pistons)
The East will see three first-time All-Stars in Johnson, Powell, and Duren. Powell is averaging a career-high 23.0 points per game in his first season in Miami, while Johnson has emerged as one of the league’s most versatile point forwards on offense, averaging 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per night while hitting 36.0% of his threes. Duren is averaging 18.0 PPG and 10.7 RPG, and is the second-leading scorer on the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons.
Towns is having a down year from an efficiency standpoint but has managed to contribute in other ways, leading the NBA in rebounds per game (11.8) while scoring 20.0 points per game on 36.4% shooting from deep. He will join teammate Jalen Brunson, who was named a starter for the second straight year, while Duren will join running mate Cade Cunningham.
Western Conference Reserves:
- Guard: Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Guard: Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
- Guard: Devin Booker (Suns)
- Frontcourt: Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Frontcourt: Kevin Durant (Rockets)
- Frontcourt: Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Frontcourt: LeBron James (Lakers)
For the Western Conference, Murray, Holmgren, and Avdija are all first-time All-Stars. Murray had long been considered one of the league’s best players – if not the best – to never take part in the event, but will no longer hold that title. He’s having his best scoring (25.8 PPG) and play-making (7.4 APG) season as a pro, and has helped the Nuggets hold onto the No. 2 seed despite missing co-star and All-Star starter Nikola Jokic for 16 games.
Avdija has exploded for the Blazers this season, averaging 25.5 points per game (after scoring 16.9 PPG last season) while also contributing 7.2 RPG and 6.7 APG and leading Portland to what is currently a play-in spot.
Despite cooling off a bit since his scorching start, Holmgren is averaging 17.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 2.0 BPG and has anchored Oklahoma City’s dominant defense all season, especially while starting center Isaiah Hartenstein faced an extended absence due to a calf injury.
Booker was named to the team after leading the overachieving Suns to a 30-19 record — they’re currently percentage points behind the Lakers for the No. 6 spot in the West.
James was named to his 22nd consecutive All-Star team despite having a down year by his own standards. He is currently averaging 21.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 6.6 APG for the Lakers, who are 29-18 coming into tonight’s game against the Knicks.
The Lakers, Knicks, Thunder, Pistons, and Nuggets are the teams with multiple players represented.
Some notable players not to make this year’s All-Star team include Michael Porter Jr., Kawhi Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, Lauri Markkanen, Brandon Ingram, and Alperen Sengun — they’re among the top candidates to become injury replacements.
As Ian Begley of SNY notes (via Twitter), the NBA’s decision to include a USA versus World component requires at least eight international players. Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Jokic, Avdija, Murray, and Siakam will make up a majority of the World roster, but with starter Giannis Antetokounmpo injured, the league will need to decide whether Towns, who suits up for the Dominican Republic in international play, as well as Powell, who played with Jamaica last summer, will be considered international or American players, Marc Stein observes (via Twitter). Either way, an injury replacement will need to be named for the Eastern Conference.
Stein adds that the NBA will announce the official roster breakdowns on Tuesday (Twitter link).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, the NBA announced today (Twitter links).
Oklahoma City had a 2-1 record during the week of January 12-18, with the reigning Most Valuable Player averaging 31.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a shooting line of .547/.400/.912 as the Thunder outscored opponents by 43 points during his 103 minutes on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first NBA player to be named the Player of the Week for the third time this season — he also earned the honor twice in November.
As for Adebayo, he posted averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per night while shooting 65.5% from long range as the Heat won two of three games. This is the third time he has earned the award and first time since January 2024.
Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Luka Dončić (Lakers), James Harden (Clippers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the NBA.
Brandon Miller (Hornets), Norman Powell (Heat), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) and Nikola Vučević (Bulls) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Pacers Notes: Huff, McConnell, Injuries, Bradley
Pacers center Jay Huff had a career night in Friday’s win over New Orleans, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). The 7’1″ big man posted a career-best 29 points (on 13-of-17 shooting) while chipping in nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 29 minutes.
“(Huff’s) getting better just at understanding where he needs to be,” Pascal Siakam said. “Continuing to run the floor, get some good rolls. He’s a shooter, so sometimes I think he forgets that he’s seven-feet, you know?
“So get down there. Get some of those dunks, those tricky ones — he owes me an assist today too for that missed dunk he had — but naw, I think he’s just playing free, shooting open shots, running hard and playing hard and getting those rolls and he’s able to get buckets.”
Huff, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Memphis, got off to a relatively slow start with Indiana, averaging 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds on .413/.294/.833 shooting in 34 games through the end of December (19.5 minutes per contest), Dopirak notes. However, the 27-year-old has played some of the best basketball of his career since the start of the new year, scoring 20-plus points three times and averaging 13.4 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .667/.424/.833 shooting over the past eight games (23.0 MPG).
“There’s growth with his connection with his teammates,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s feeling the game that we play better and better all the time.”
Known for his shot-blocking prowess, Huff — a former G League Defensive Player of the Year — is second in the league in blocks per game (2.1) among players who qualify, Dopriak adds.
Here’s more from Indianapolis:
- While there was little doubt that he would reach the threshold given that he’s been regular part of the rotation, Huff also had his salary for 2026/27 fully guaranteed after playing at least 825 minutes in 2025/26 — he’s currently at 845. His contract previously featured a $379K partial guarantee for next season, but he will now earn a guaranteed $2,667,944. The Pacers have a 2027/28 team option on Huff worth $3,005,085 — that figure will now be guaranteed as well if the option is exercised.
- Backup point guard T.J. McConnell joined Lou Williams as just the second player in NBA history to record at least 3,000 assists off the bench, per Tony East of Circle City Spin. The 33-year-old dished out nine assists on Friday to surpass that threshold. “Getting an assist, my teammates have to make the shots at the end of the day,” he said. “So for me, this says more about the players that I’ve played with in Philadelphia and especially here. Been fortunate to play with some great players in some great locker rooms, and just thankful for each and every teammate I’ve played with.”
- The Pacers will be shorthanded on Saturday in Detroit on the second of a back-to-back, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Siakam (rest), McConnell (left knee/elbow injury management), Aaron Nesmith (rest) and Andrew Nembhard (lower back injury management) are all out. However, center Isaiah Jackson has a chance to return — he has been upgraded to questionable. Jackson has been out since December 23 due to a concussion.
- Tony Bradley‘s 10-day contract will expire on Saturday night, East notes (via Twitter). The veteran big man was waived at the beginning of January before his contract became guaranteed but Indiana brought him back a few days later. The Pacers have the option to re-sign Bradley to a second 10-day deal.
And-Ones: Caboclo, All-Star Teams, Rising Stars, More
Former NBA forward Bruno Caboclo has signed a rest-of-season contract with Dubai Basketball, the EuroLeague team announced in a press release.
The 20th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Caboclo spent seven years in the NBA, last suiting up for Houston in 2020/21. The 30-year-old spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv, won the FIBA AmeriCup tournament with his native Brazil over the summer, and was sidelined to open ’25/26 due to a back injury.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps has made his picks for the 2026 All-Star teams, identifying nine locks from the Eastern Conference and 10 locks in the West, with five “bubble” candidates in each conference. Bontemps makes Pacers forward Pascal Siakam his final pick in the East over Desmond Bane and Michael Porter Jr., with Suns guard Devin Booker claiming his last spot in the West over Los Angeles stars Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
- Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Austin Rivers have been named honorary head coaches for the NBA’s 2026 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend, the league announced (Twitter link). NBA rookies and sophomores will comprise three of the teams, with the fourth squad made up of G League standouts.
- Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton of ESPN identify one trade candidate to watch on each NBA roster, ranging from big names like Ja Morant and Domantas Sabonis to under-the-radar trade candidates like Celtics big man Chris Boucher and Clippers forward Kobe Brown.
- In another story for ESPN, Marks takes a look at several of the most valuable traded draft picks for 2026, as well as outlining how certain teams could benefit from various convoluted swaps. Our breakdown of 2026’s traded first-round picks can be found right here.
Rory Maher contributed to this story.
Pascal Siakam: Constant Losing ‘Not Fun To Be Around’
The frustrations of losing are starting to boil over for the Pacers, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. T.J. McConnell questioned the team’s effort following Saturday’s loss to New Orleans, and Pascal Siakam delivered a more intense version of that message after Tuesday’s 17-point defeat against Milwaukee. Siakam spoke for nine minutes about the various shortcomings that led to a sixth straight loss and a 6-24 record.
“We just didn’t play with any pace, any determination,” he said. “It looked out there like we were just jacking shots sometimes. We played with no force. We just didn’t have it. It’s hard to evaluate our offense because it just looked like we didn’t try hard enough. … It doesn’t look like we have any pace or any pep to anything that we’re doing. We just look slow. There’s no energy. It’s not fun to be around.”
It’s only been six months since the Pacers came within a game of winning their first NBA title, and their sudden nosedive is likely temporary. It began when star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles tear in Game 7 of the Finals and has continued amid a long string of injuries dating back to the start of the season. Indiana has struggled to field a competitive roster, signing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Garrison Mathews, Gabe McGlothan and James Wiseman to hardship contracts over the past six weeks.
Haliburton is expected to make a full recovery by the start of next season, most of last year’s playoff roster is still in place, and the Pacers seem headed for a top pick in the draft. The team is well-positioned to return to contention quickly, but that provides little solace for Siakam right now.
“I really care about it and I hate, I hate, I hate losing, so it’s not fun,” he said. “It’s hard. I don’t think I’ve been the happiest. Maybe I have to fix it. I don’t look good out there most of the time, just because I can’t stand it. It drives me crazy. I’m trying to find solutions. I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to take it out, but it dictates my attitude and the way I am.”
Dopirak points out that the idea of tanking for one season isn’t as simple as fans tend to believe. The constant losing takes a toll on the players, and their natural competitiveness begins to wane. Siakam referenced that on Tuesday, saying he’s seeing less urgency from the roster to turn the season around. A play-in spot already seems out of reach, and it’s better for the Pacers in the long run to finish as close to the bottom as possible to maximize their lottery chances.
Siakam added that he still does intensive film study and constantly thinks about how he can improve. He declined to say whether his teammates are showing that same level of commitment, adding that the record speaks for itself.
“I don’t know,” he said. “The product isn’t good. We’re losing games. We have to figure it out. We all have to ask ourselves, ‘What can we do?’ Everyone has to come in wanting to make a change.”
Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Nembhard, Mathurin, Walker, Thompson
Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton continues to make progress in his recovery from his torn Achilles, posting a 30-second clip on social media on Monday that showed him running, jumping, and shooting on a practice court (Twitter video link).
However, with Haliburton having already been ruled out for the 2025/26 season, he’s taking some work on the side — Amazon Prime Video formally announced today that the two-time All-Star has been added as a player contributor for the streamer’s NBA broadcasts (Twitter link).
As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star explains, Haliburton’s appearance on Prime Video on Tuesday night will be his first of several over the course of the season. In addition to providing analysis on NBA Nightcap, Amazon’s studio show, the Pacers star will document and give a behind-the-scenes look at his recovery process from his Achilles tear.
We have more out of Indiana:
- Without Haliburton available, the Pacers are leaning more this season on players like Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin to take on starring roles alongside forward Pascal Siakam. That trio combined for 76 points in Monday’s victory over Sacramento and has fueled the team’s stronger play (four wins in six games) as of late, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “Those three guys were great,” head coach Rick Carlisle said of Siakam, Nembhard, and Mathurin on Monday. “… Those three guys are our three leaders, really. I’ve talked to the three of them together a few times in the last week or 10 days. And Benn is in that group now along with (Aaron) Nesmith and (T.J.) McConnell. Those guys are our veteran leaders.”
- After playing just nine minutes in Friday’s game in Chicago, Pacers forward Jarace Walker bounced back on Monday by providing 12 points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of action. Carlisle, who wasn’t pleased with Walker’s effort against the Bulls, was more enthusiastic about what he saw from the former lottery pick vs. the Kings. “I thought he was terrific tonight,” Carlisle said after Monday’s game, per Dopirak. “I don’t think his stats were super gaudy. Twelve points, we needed every single one of those points. He had a huge steal in transition. I don’t know how he pulls some of that stuff off. He just has amazing hands. Nights like Chicago is feedback for young players. His response in practice yesterday was terrific. I just liked his demeanor, his affect and his tone during the game. We need him.”
- One week after making his NBA debut, Pacers two-way player Ethan Thompson made his first career start on Monday, getting a look in the wing role that has been played in recent weeks by Ben Sheppard, Walker, and Garrison Mathews. While Thompson’s numbers – six points and five rebounds – didn’t jump off the page, he had a couple steals and didn’t turn the ball over in his 28 minutes. “He plays a very solid, very even keeled game and he’s helping us,” Carlisle said of Thompson after the win (Twitter link via Dopirak).
- In case you missed it, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier today that the Pacers have been engaged in trade talks in the hopes of finding a long-term answer at the center position.
Central Notes: Stewart, Antetokounmpo, Pacers, Cavaliers
Isaiah Stewart has become an elite defender off the bench for the Pistons over the last few years, and his teammates and coaching staff are making sure people know it.
“He’s the best defensive center in the league and it’s not close,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). “And I think it’s time that everybody who watches basketball recognizes it.”
Pistons star Cade Cunningham disagreed slightly with his coach’s assessment — but only because he felt Bickerstaff didn’t go far enough with his praise.
“I think he’s the best defensive player in the league,” Cunningham said, according to Sankofa (Twitter video link). “I would love to see him get a Defensive Player of the Year award, ’cause I think he deserves it. I see the best defenders in the league all the time, and I’m thankful I don’t have to see Stew.”
Stewart is currently averaging 2.0 blocks in just 22.5 minutes per night, and has five games with at least four blocks this season.
“There will never be a shot that goes up that Stew doesn’t contest,” Ausar Thompson said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “He puts his body on the line every night. It’s beautiful to watch.”
One thing holding Stewart back in award discussions is the league-imposed minutes restriction. A player must play 20 or more minutes in at least 63 games and 15-plus in at least two more to be eligible for awards like MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. Stewart has missed three games already and has played fewer than 20 minutes in six more.
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is the hottest name in the rumor mill these days, but he recently took to the media to state his desire to stay with the Bucks. “There are people who see a door, who want to hurry up and escape through that door,” Antetokounmpo told NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). “I see a wall and I want to run through the wall and make things work.” Haynes adds that the two-time MVP says his only focus is getting healthy and being there for his team. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes that there’s no doubt Antetokounmpo wants to make things work with the Bucks, and speculates that any trade involving him may not happen until at least the offseason.
- The Pacers got a sorely-needed road win on Friday against the Bulls, Dustin Dopirak writes for the Indy Star. Head coach Rick Carlisle is aware of the talent deficiency the team is facing on most nights and how it limits them. “A lot of elements right now have to be in place for us to be an effective road team against a team like Chicago,” Carlisle said. The effort was led by Pascal Siakam, who had 36 points and 10 rebounds while hitting five three-pointers. After starting 2-16, Indiana has won three of its past five games.
- The Cavaliers were booed at home during Saturday night’s loss to the undermanned Warriors, Chris Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. It was the team’s fifth loss in seven games. “Can’t keep getting in this position,” Donovan Mitchell said.
“Shouldn’t come down to it. All due respect and credit to them, but the consistent thing is we get down and then we start playing. There’s no switch to flip. Until there’s a change in that, we’re going to keep being in these positions where sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t, and we have to fix it.” Head coach Kenny Atkinson agreed with his star’s assessment, adding, “We need a reset right now to rest our bodies and get our principles. You always take lessons from struggles.”
Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Doncic led the Lakers to three wins during the week of November 24-30 while averaging 37.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds per contest. Those performances, which included a 43-point outburst against the Clippers, increased his league-leading scoring average to 35.1 points per game.
Brunson lifted the Knicks to four wins by averaging 28.8 points and 4.5 assists per game while knocking down 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts. He matched his season high on Friday by racking up 37 points against Milwaukee.
Doncic and Brunson, of course, were backcourt partners in Dallas. Brunson has earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors seven times since joining the Knicks, while this is the first time Doncic has achieved the feat since becoming a Laker.
The other nominees in the West were Zach Edey (Grizzlies), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Austin Reaves (Lakers).
Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Tyler Herro (Heat), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Pascal Siakam (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.