The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is stacked, and we mean extremely stacked. Every year, the NBA takes a break for a weekend to celebrate the biggest and brightest stars. But, just like every year, people are talking about a list of certain names who didn’t get enough credit—players who were snubbed in the All-Star Game.
So, who are these deserving players this year, and why didn’t they make the cut for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, California?
Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn Nets)
Having the green light in Brooklyn meant Michael Porter Jr. can and will shoot the ball. People believed he’d flourish in Bed-Stuy, and it turns out that they were right.
As the go-to guy for the Nets, MPJ is averaging a career-best 25.0 points to go along with his 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Despite his impressive career year, Porter Jr. was left off the 2026 NBA All-Star roster. While he does have a case for becoming an All-Star this season, the Brooklyn Nets’ 14–37 record through 51 games probably didn’t help his case.
Of course, MPJ isn’t the first to suffer this fate, as this scenario routinely happens. One example is when Bradley Beal averaged almost 29 points per game heading into the 2020 All-Star break but got snubbed because of the Wizards’ poor start.
Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Unsurprisingly, Michael Porter Jr. isn’t alone in getting snubbed for this year’s NBA All-Star Game just because he’s playing for a bad team.
The Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen is quietly having a breakout season. The Finnish big man is averaging 27.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with 48–36–89 shooting splits. Some analysts even think that Markkanen has a better case of being an All-Star for Team World than Karl-Anthony Towns if only the Jazz had a better record.
Although Utah is far from being a contender this year, Markkanen has shown he has the talent to become the franchise’s cornerstone alongside Keyonte George, Kyle Filipowski, and new teammate Jaren Jackson Jr.
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
At the beginning of their 2025–2026 campaign, the Sixers looked like they were nothing more than a tanking team. But in the middle of the season, things started to turn around when Joel Embiid, now back on the floor even though he’s not fully 100%, started playing at the MVP level he used to be.
As of this writing, Embiid is averaging 26.6 points, 3.9 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, and the 76ers have cracked the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, over the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat.
Unfortunately, Tyrese Maxey was the only Sixer included in the 2026 All-Star Game. But hey, at least Embiid is back and is dropping 30 and 10 again.
James Harden (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Only a few people understand how superb it is for a guy pushing 37 years old to still play at a winning level. We’re talking about James Harden, who was part of the reason the Los Angeles Clippers went from a dismal 3–16 start to an impressive 16–3 run in the latter part of their campaign.
What’s even worse is that The Beard got snubbed for the All-Star Game, which will be hosted by the Clippers in the Intuit Dome.
Before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Harden was pouring in 25.4 points a night and leading the Clippers to their mighty turnaround. But in a stacked Western Conference, it was probably not surprising that he got left out.
Honorable Mentions
- Brandon Ingram (Toronto Raptors)
- Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
- Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic)
- Keyonte George (Utah Jazz)
- Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns)
- Josh Giddey (Chicago Bulls)
- De’Aaron Fox (San Antonio Spurs)
- Derrick White (Boston Celtics)
A few of the names mentioned on this list could still be included in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game as injury replacements, like Alperen Sengun, who was chosen to replace the injured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Then again, these stars should have been included in the first roster, while some who made the cut shouldn’t have been there at all.
This brings us to a question: Did guys like LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Chet Holmgren deserve their NBA All-Star Game spots this year?
