11 likeliest players to make All-Star debut in 2025-26

11 likeliest players to make All-Star debut in 2025-26

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Story byFrank Urbina, HoopsHypeSat, November 29, 2025 at 5:59 PM UTC·11 min read

As we approach the quarter mark of the 2025-26 NBA season, we thought it was a good time to check out some players who have a shot at earning first-time All-Star honors thus far in this still-young campaign.

Some of these players have been around the block, while others are still early on in their blossoming careers.

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Jamal Murray (Denver)

BPM: 2.8 (31st)VORP: 0.7 (29th)WS/48: 0.164 (38th)GRAT: 20.75 (16th)

Team record: 13-4

When discussing Nikola Jokic’s greatness, the fact that he’s never played with an All-Star will unfailingly be brought up. Using our own Teammate Score rankings, we can easily see the top accolades earned by Jokic teammates throughout their careers, an honor that is shared by three different players… all of whom earned 2nd Team All-Rookie honors, not even 1st Team:

Nikola Jokic teammate rankings

That’s right, the top accolade ever earned by a teammate of Jokic’s is 2nd Team All-Rookie.

That argument of Jokic having no All-Star help could finally be put to bed this season, however, as Jamal Murray, often considered one of the best players in the league without an All-Star appearance, could and should finally break through this year and earn the accolade for the first time.

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Murray is averaging 23.2 points and 6.8 assists per game this season, both career-high marks, while shooting 38.6 percent from three. Add that with the fact he’s as healthy as he’s ever been, and that the Denver Nuggets are playing excellent basketball, and we’d almost be surprised if Murray didn’t earn All-Star honors this year.

Austin Reaves (LA Lakers)

BPM: 5.0 (15th)VORP: 0.9 (19th)WS/48: 0.217 (9th)GRAT: 23.14 (6th)

Team record: 13-4

You can pretty much write in pen that fifth-year guard Austin Reaves will earn All-Star honors for the first time this season. In fact, if he maintains this level of play and stays healthy, he might even earn a 3rd Team All-NBA spot, as the former Oklahoma standout has been brilliant thus far in 2025-26, averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game on nearly 50 percent shooting from the floor.

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Reaves is one of just five players this season putting up a 27/5/7 stat line, along with teammate Luka Doncic, as well as Jokic, Cade Cunningham and James Harden. That’s solid company Reaves is keeping there.

And Reaves’ play is directly contributing to a fantastic start for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are 13-4, and boast a massive fan base, so if nothing else, you can expect a ton of fan votes in the All-Star ballot for Reaves.

Nov 7, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) looks for a shot against Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. (5) in the 3rd quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Josh Giddey (Chicago)

BPM: 3.4 (27th)VORP: 0.7 (27th)WS/48: 0.120 (86th)GRAT: 18.28 (27th)

Team record: 9-8

Maybe the oft-mocked Chicago Bulls were onto something when they traded Alex Caruso away for a package that brought back zero draft picks but one Josh Giddey, as the Australian guard looks well on his way to earning first-time All-Star honors in 2025-26.

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Giddey has been monstrously productive this season, putting up 20.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game while shooting a very respectable 38.8 percent rate from three. Only Giddey and Jokic are putting up a 20.0/9.5/9.5 stat line this season, which is impressive enough in its own right, but when you further consider that only three players ever, prior to this season, have averaged that for a campaign (Jokic, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson), you start to realize how historical Giddey’s pace thus far in 2025-26 has been.

Plus, Giddey’s production has been far from empty, as not only does he boast a positive swing rating on the campaign, but the Bulls have a winning record this season, something they haven’t accomplished for a full campaign since 2021-22.

If he keeps this up, Giddey could and should be named an All-Star for 2025-26, and make his debut in the iconic contest.

Jalen Duren (Detroit)

BPM: 3.4 (25th)VORP: 0.6 (32nd)WS/48: 0.257 (5th)GRAT: 21.38 (14th)

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Team record: 15-3

The starting center on one of the best teams in the league so far (the Detroit Pistons rank sixth in the league in net rating), Jalen Duren, has enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025-26, which is really saying something considering he was already a double-double machine over his previous two campaigns.

Now, Duren is getting even more opportunities, and he’s making the most of them, as the former Memphis Tiger is averaging a career-high 19.8 points per game to go with 11.8 rebounds and 65.5 percent shooting from the floor.

Duren’s a fascinating mix of old school and new school, as the big man doesn’t shoot threes, but he is a great driver for his size, one who can face up slower-footed foes and get to the basket for athletic finishes using crafty dribbles:

He’s also not scared to fire away from the midrange and knock down pull-up jumpers, something that gives us hope that he’ll one day extend that range to behind the three-point line.

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Regardless of whether that happens, Duren is enjoying a noteworthy 2025-26 campaign and has played a huge part in Detroit having the second-quickest turnaround in league history between 12-game losing and winning streaks.

We think if Duren and the Pistons keep this up for another month, the big man should get his first All-Star nod this year.

Franz Wagner (Orlando)

BPM: 2.8 (30th)VORP: 0.8 (23rd)WS/48: 0.174 (32nd)GRAT: 20.60 (17th)

Team record: 11-8

Although former No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero may be more physically gifted, there’s a chance that Franz Wagner is the better basketball player between the two. The advanced stats reflect that, too, as Wagner outpaces his star teammate in every single one thus far in 2025-26.

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Wagner is putting up 22.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game this season, while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor. His slashing and driving ability make him a force in the open floor and the halfcourt, and he has enough playmaking juice to make defenses pay for collapsing too hard on his forays to the paint.

As always, Wagner’s top-end impact will come down to his three-point shooting, which has been OK thus far this campaign at 35.7 percent. Regardless, Wagner could make his All-Star debut in 2025-26 if he keeps up his current level.

Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn)

BPM: 2.9 (29th)VORP: 0.7 (31st)WS/48: 0.90 (123rd)GRAT: 15.44 (40th)

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Team record: 3-14

After years of playing a complementary part in Denver, Michael Porter Jr. now has an even brighter green light with the ball in his hands. The eight-year pro has been tasked with being the top scoring option on a very offensively-challenged Brooklyn Nets squad this season, and thus far, he has been up to the task, averaging a career-high 24.3 points this year, to go with 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 48.3 percent shooting from the floor.

Do we actually think Porter Jr. will be named an All-Star this season? No, not with the Nets struggling as much as they are. But he’d be a fun option, as he’s putting up All-Star-level numbers in this, his first chance to fully showcase his skills, albeit he’s doing so on a very bad Brooklyn team.

Oct 8, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) reacts during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images

Deni Avdija (Portland)

BPM: 3.9 (22nd)VORP: 1.0 (14th)WS/48: 0.137 (59th)GRAT: 18.68 (47th)

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Team record: 8-11

It’s safe to proclaim Deni Avdija the best Israeli basketball player ever by now, and his play over the past couple of campaigns with the Portland Trail Blazers has really helped solidify that. This season, Avdija is averaging 25.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on 38.9 percent shooting from three. Avdija is one of just five players this year averaging a 25/6/5 stat line, along with the likes of Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

If the Blazers had a stronger record, we’d be nearly certain Avdija would earn an All-Star spot, but even as is, he’s got a shot.

If Avdija does earn the distinction this campaign, that would mean the Washington Wizards gave up a 24-year-old All-Star for a package that got them Malcolm Brogdon (now retired), a 2029 first-round pick (whichever is second-best between Portland, Boston and Milwaukee’s first-rounder that year), two second-round picks and Bub Carrington (averaging 6.5 points so far in 2025-26, though he’s still just 20).

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Solid job there by Portland.

Mikal Bridges (New York)

BPM: 5.7 (11th)VORP: 1.2 (9th)WS/48: 0.192 (21st)GRAT: 18.19 (29th)

Team record: 11-6

The raw numbers (16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on 41.3 percent shooting from three), impressive as they are, still don’t do a good enough job of reflecting how impactful New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has been in 2025-26.

Only 14 players in league history (with at 50 appearances) have shot at least 41 percent from three while averaging over two steals and one block, a list that Bridges would join at season’s end if he keeps up his current pace.That, plus the Knicks ranking Top 4 in net rating this far in 2025-26 (plus-6.6), makes us think Bridges could very well make his All-Star debut in a couple of months, especially with Karl-Anthony Towns being a bit inconsistent on the campaign. So far, Bridges has pretty easily been New York’s second-best player behind Jalen Brunson.

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Jalen Johnson (Atlanta)

BPM: 4.8 (16th)VORP: 1.0 (13th)WS/48: 0.174 (31st)GRAT: 20.00 (20th)

Team record: 11-8

One of the most underrated wings in the game today, Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is a smooth midrange scorer, one who is shooting a career-high 38.6 percent from three this season, making him even more of a complete package on offense.

Johnson has reached such a level that he’s carried Atlanta to a winning record through 19 games, even with star guard Trae Young seeing action in just five games this campaign. So for anyone wondering how a team might fare with Johnson as its best player, you’re getting a good answer so far in 2025-26.

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Johnson is a fantastic rebounder and playmaker, a do-it-all wing putting up 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game this season. For what it’s worth, only eight players in league history prior to this campaign have put up a 21/9/7 stat line for a season, and Johnson is on his way to earning that distinction if he keeps this up.

Oct 6, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after scoring against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Norman Powell (Miami)

BPM: 4.2 (20th)VORP: 0.7 (24th)WS/48: 0.171 (34th)GRAT: 15.06 (42nd)

Team record: 13-6

It was a stroke of genius when the Los Angeles Clippers opted to trade Norman Powell to Miami, essentially for nothing, and replace him with Bradley Beal, who is now out for the season.

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Who could have seen that coming?

Now, Powell is playing like a potential first-time All-Star, an almost-unheard of feat considering he’s 32 years old. The San Diego native is averaging 24.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 44.1 percent from three, the 17th-highest mark in the NBA.

Powell’s play has been quite impactful, too, as he’s making the Heat nearly 3.0 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the floor. What’s more, after a tough, mediocre 2024-25 season, Miami is currently 13-6, in large part thanks to Powell’s strong play in Tyler Herro’s absence.

Powell’s All-Star chances could be hindered a bit with Herro’s return, but for now, he’s certainly on the path to being named a first-time All-Star if his output remains the same.

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Amen Thompson (Houston)

BPM: 1.2 (62nd)VORP: 0.5 (47th)WS/48: 0.139 (58th)GRAT: 18.81 (24th)

Team record: 12-4

Many had Amen Thompson as a breakout candidate this season, and he has accomplished that and then some, playing a hugely important role for what has been an elite Houston Rockets team this season. A defensive dynamo with otherworldly slashing ability, Thompson is putting up 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 47.8 percent shooting from the floor.

Thompson is also making Houston 9.5 points per 100 possessions better during his time on the floor thanks to his two-way prowess.

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With Houston looking like a contender this season, Thompson could very well get All-Star consideration, especially from head coaches.

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: 11 likeliest NBA players to make All-Star debut in 2025-26

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