11 likeliest players to make All-Star debut in 2025-26
New Blood: The Race for First-Time All-Star Nods Heats Up
As the 2025-26 NBA campaign moves past the quarter-mark, the hierarchy of the league is beginning to crystallize. With the 2026 All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome looming on the horizon, the conversation has naturally shifted toward which players are poised to earn their first career selections. A recent analysis by HoopsHype has identified the eleven likeliest candidates to break through this season, highlighting a mix of overdue veterans and ascending superstars.
Headlining the conversation is Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. Despite a championship ring and a resume filled with legendary playoff performances, Murray has famously never been named an All-Star, largely due to the depth of the Western Conference backcourt. With the Nuggets continuing to contend, this season represents perhaps his best statistical argument to finally shed the "best player never to make it" label.
Joining him on the list of potential debutants is Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves. His inclusion speaks to his evolution from a role player into a legitimate tertiary star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Reaves’ efficiency and playmaking have made him indispensable to the Lakers' offense, and the Los Angeles spotlight certainly bolsters his candidacy.
The list also leans heavily into the league's youth movement. Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner and Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams are viewed as near-locks if their respective teams maintain top seeding. Wagner has taken another leap as a primary scorer, while Williams has become the perfect two-way complement to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Meanwhile, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Memphis’s Desmond Bane are putting up the raw numbers necessary to demand attention, provided their teams can remain competitive in the standings.
With the old guard of the NBA gradually ceding minutes and roster spots, the 2026 All-Star festivities in Inglewood promise to be a showcase for the next generation. For players like Murray and Wagner, the distinction is no longer just a possibility—it is an expectation.
As the 2025-26 NBA campaign moves past the quarter-mark, the hierarchy of the league is beginning to crystallize. With the 2026 All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome looming on the horizon, the conversation has naturally shifted toward which players are poised to earn their first career selections. A recent analysis by HoopsHype has identified the eleven likeliest candidates to break through this season, highlighting a mix of overdue veterans and ascending superstars.
Headlining the conversation is Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. Despite a championship ring and a resume filled with legendary playoff performances, Murray has famously never been named an All-Star, largely due to the depth of the Western Conference backcourt. With the Nuggets continuing to contend, this season represents perhaps his best statistical argument to finally shed the "best player never to make it" label.
Joining him on the list of potential debutants is Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves. His inclusion speaks to his evolution from a role player into a legitimate tertiary star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Reaves’ efficiency and playmaking have made him indispensable to the Lakers' offense, and the Los Angeles spotlight certainly bolsters his candidacy.
The list also leans heavily into the league's youth movement. Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner and Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams are viewed as near-locks if their respective teams maintain top seeding. Wagner has taken another leap as a primary scorer, while Williams has become the perfect two-way complement to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Meanwhile, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Memphis’s Desmond Bane are putting up the raw numbers necessary to demand attention, provided their teams can remain competitive in the standings.
With the old guard of the NBA gradually ceding minutes and roster spots, the 2026 All-Star festivities in Inglewood promise to be a showcase for the next generation. For players like Murray and Wagner, the distinction is no longer just a possibility—it is an expectation.
