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Kevin Pelton
Over the past five years, the NBA has averaged between five and six new All-Stars per year, with the 2025 total of six (Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Alperen Sengun, Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Williams) at the higher end of that range.
Although the 2025-26 NBA season is young, it’s not too early to begin thinking about which players have a chance to join that group by making their All-Star debuts.
Two veterans in particular stand out. Jamal Murray has averaged more points in his playoff career (23.8) than Wilt Chamberlain (22.5), James Harden (22.5), Dwyane Wade (22.3) and Kawhi Leonard (21.6), yet he has never been an All-Star. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers put up historic numbers as the team’s go-to guy early in the season, including a 51-point game that raised our understanding of his ceiling as a player and a buzzer-beater last week against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This season’s first-time All-Stars will get there in a slightly different fashion now that the NBA has reformatted its midseason showcase yet again, pitting a team of international stars against two teams of American players.
Keeping an eye on which pool they’ll be part of, let’s take a look at 10 candidates to make their All-Star debut in 2026.
Over the course of his first season in Portland, Avdija emerged as the Blazers’ best player, averaging 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists after the All-Star break with 50-40 shooting splits. He has picked up where he left off, putting up 22.7 PPG and 4.2 APG as Portland has started 4-2. If the Blazers can stay in the playoff mix, Avdija figures to be their most prominent All-Star candidate.
No rookie has made the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2010-11, and that came after a redshirt season due to injury. Yao Ming was voted an All-Star starter as a rookie in 2002-03, but before that, we have to go back to Tim Duncan in 1997-98 for a first-year player chosen by coaches. Edgecombe, taken third overall, has surpassed No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg as the most likely rookie to end that drought.
Edgecombe has reenergized the Sixers during their 5-1 start, averaging 21.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 43.8% on 3s. It’s unlikely Edgecombe keeps that up, but if he does, he’s a legitimate All-Star contender. Edgecombe was born in the Bahamas and played for its national team in the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament, presumably putting him in the international pool if he makes it this season to L.A.
Giddey, an Australian international, is averaging career highs of 22 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists at the controls for the 5-1 Bulls. In the absence of injured backcourtmate Coby White, Giddey has taken on more offensive responsibility, and he’s shooting a career-high 45.5% on 3s through six games. Although there are reasons to be skeptical of Chicago’s start, if the Bulls are above .500, their chances of being rewarded with an All-Star improve dramatically.
A hip fracture that limited Holmgren to 32 games last season scuttled any chances of an All-Star appearance, but he’s taking advantage of Jalen Williams’ absence and the Thunder’s overtime games to boost his averages to 23.0 PPG and 10.3 RPG in the early going. Holmgren is shooting 42% on 3s, offsetting a relatively slow start as a shot blocker (1.3 per game, down nearly one a night from his first two seasons). Holmgren has now missed Oklahoma City’s last three games due to back soreness, but Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the team was merely “being conservative” with his return.
With the Hawks adding Kristaps Porzingis, Johnson’s versatility hasn’t been quite as important as last season, when he was one of just four players in the league whose averages rounded up to at least 10 rebounds and five blocks per game. Two of the other three (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic) are multi-time MVPs, while the fourth player was a three-time All-Star, Domantas Sabonis. At the same time, Johnson is averaging a career-high 20.8 points on 58% shooting. Johnson’s assist rate should go up with Trae Young sidelined by an MCL sprain. He handed out a season-high eight (with 22 points and 13 boards) in Friday’s win over Indiana.
Not yet age 30, Murray is already one of the most accomplished players ever without an All-Star appearance, a list he could play his way off this season. Injuries have been a factor in preventing Murray from making an All-Star roster, but he’s also never averaged as many points in a regular season (topping out at 21.4 in 2024-25) as in his playoff career. Murray is surpassing that in the early going, averaging 26.0 points on 39.4% 3-point shooting. Although he’s in an increasingly crowded international pool, I’d give Murray the edge over teammate Aaron Gordon to be Jokic’s first teammate ever chosen as an All-Star.
An outlier on this list in terms of age, Powell is coming off averaging a career-high 21.8 PPG in a breakthrough campaign for the LA Clippers. Dealt to Miami this offseason, Powell has emerged as the Heat’s leading scorer in the absence of injured Tyler Herro. His 24.0 PPG would surpass that previous career mark, while Miami has started the season by blowing out opponents. One potential complication: Powell has missed the last three games with a groin injury.
No player has done more to improve their All-Star chances in the season’s first two weeks than Reaves, who has taken full advantage of the opportunity created by injuries to first LeBron James and then Luka Doncic. Reaves is averaging a 32.0 PPG while leading the NBA in free throws made (10.2 per game). Reaves merited All-Star consideration a year ago, when he averaged a career-high 20.2 PPG, and would be a lock if he keeps up anything like his current pace as the Lakers get healthy.
After scoring 51 points in the first game Doncic missed at Sacramento, coming within an assist of a triple-double, Reaves followed that up with 41 points in a loss to Portland where the Lakers were outscored by 14 during his nine minutes on the bench. Reaves then made the game-winner to cap a 28-point, 16-assist outing at Minnesota before Doncic returned on Friday.
Entering the season, Thompson would have been my top pick for first-time All-Stars. He averaged 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists as a starter last season while earning All-Defensive first team honors. A season-long ACL tear for starting point guard Fred VanVleet figured to give Thompson more offensive responsibility this season. Thus far, he hasn’t taken advantage, scoring less than he did as a starter in 2024-25. It’s still a small sample, and with Thompson at the controls for a West contender, I’d give him a good chance of working into the All-Star discussion.
Only an untimely oblique tear last December prevented Wagner from making a strong All-Star push in his fourth season. He was averaging 24.4 points and 5.7 assists at the time for a Magic team that was 16-9 without injured leading scorer Paolo Banchero. By the time Wagner returned a month and a half later, coaches were just about to vote for reserves. Wagner hasn’t been the issue for Orlando, making an unsustainable 43.3% of his 3s as part of career-best efficiency. But he probably needs the Magic to get back above .500 to have a chance at All-Star.