Northwest Notes: Jazz, Thunder, Reath, Blazers
Although the Jazz were missing several regulars and only lost by seven points, head coach Will Hardy wasn’t happy with what he saw from his team on Sunday at home vs. New Orleans. As Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required) relays, Hardy had plenty to say after a 128-121 loss in which Utah gave up 76 points in the paint.
“Everybody wants to play more, and then you get a chance to do it, and you go out there and you don’t execute, that’s frustrating,” Hardy said. “… The frustrating part is that there’s so much opportunity on our team right now, and all of these young players are getting an opportunity to show us who they are, what they are, and that opportunity needs to be met with the desperation that it deserves.”
None of the 10 Jazz players who saw minutes on Sunday are older than 26 years old, while their oldest starter in the game was 24-year-old KJ Martin, so an already young team was even younger in that game vs. the Pelicans.
“No one cares what your résumé was before you got here,” Hardy continued. “I don’t care how many points you scored in high school. I don’t care what you were ranked coming out of high school. It doesn’t matter where you played in college. Doesn’t matter how many wins you got in college. It doesn’t matter how many points you scored in college. Your Instagram followers mean nothing to me. This is a job … this is a profession, and it needs to be treated as such.”
Utah had Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton back in its starting five on Monday against Detroit after they missed Sunday’s game, but the club didn’t fare any better on the second end of a back-to-back set, falling by 28 points at home to the Pistons.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The Thunder‘s top two scorers were firing on all cylinders in the team’s past two games, as Jalen Williams poured in a career-high 41 points in Sunday’s win over San Antonio (story via Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up 51 in Monday’s win over Houston for his fourth 50-point game since January 22 (story via ESPN.com). “Whether it’s 50, whether it’s 27, whether it’s 17 — as long as we win, I have fun with it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on Monday. “… Like, you don’t play the game to score a bunch of points. You don’t play the game to get a bunch of rebounds or assists or steals. … You don’t play for anything besides to win, and that’s what it’s all about.”
- As the fourth center on the Trail Blazers‘ depth chart behind Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, and lottery pick Donovan Clingan, Duop Reath hasn’t gotten a chance to play much this season. But he has taken advantage of a chance to play rotation minutes in Portland’s past two games, scoring 20 points in a total of 41 minutes on Sunday and Monday with Ayton and Williams out, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “(Reath) was playing great,” Anfernee Simons said after Monday’s win. “Obviously, having not been playing, staying ready at all times, being professional and coming in doing his job when his numbers is called. We all know what Duop is capable of. Each and every time we know we’re going to get the best out of him.”
- In a mailbag, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link) considers why the Trail Blazers haven’t “embraced the tank” this season, explores whether it makes sense for Portland to pursue win-now moves this summer, and acknowledges that it may difficult for the team to find a good deal for Jerami Grant on the trade market this offseason.
Northwest Notes: Watson, SGA, R. Williams, Timberwolves
Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, who has been sidelined since January 31 due to a sprained right knee, was ruled out for at least four weeks when the injury was first diagnosed. His absence is expected to extend a little beyond that initial timeline, head coach Michael Malone said on Thursday.
“He’s still got some hurdles to clear,” Malone said on Thursday, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). “Heading in the right direction. … I don’t know, maybe another seven to 10 days, kind of see what happens after this road trip, when we get back after the Boston game (on Sunday). Kind of reassess everything. But he’s definitely making progress, and hopefully he’ll be back sooner rather than later.”
According to Durando, Watson played 3-on-3 with teammates this week, but continued to wear a brace on his right leg during that session.
Watson has further solidified his place in the rotation in his third year with the Nuggets after averaging 18.6 minutes per game across 80 appearances in 2023/24. Through 48 games this season, he has averaged 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 24.1 minutes per night, with a .471/.340/.752 shooting line.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Asked about his decision to part ways with his agents before becoming eligible for a super-max extension this summer, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said it wasn’t just about avoiding agent fees on his upcoming mega-deal, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). “It wasn’t entirely that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think, for myself, I wanna be a well-rounded human being. Not just a basketball player — a business man, a father, a husband. I want to check all the boxes. I think it would be a good experience for me to learn and get better in another area of life.”
- Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams, who is dealing with a left knee sprain, will remain inactive for the rest of the team’s road trip, which runs through next Friday in Oklahoma City, reports Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Williams has been out since February 20 and hasn’t played in two consecutive games in over a month.
- Anthony Edwards‘ one-game suspension, which he served on Friday, will cost him $242,393, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That’s 1/174th of Edwards’ $42,176,400 salary for the season. The Timberwolves will receive a tax variance credit of $121,196, Marks adds, which projects to reduce their end-of-season tax bill by about $515K.
- Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker discussed the process of establishing himself as a reliable rotation player in Minnesota and brushed off a question about his upcoming unrestricted free agency. “Truthfully, the preparation is to let the time come when it comes and not get ahead of yourself,” Alexander-Walker said. “It’s something for me to learn now. The season’s not done. I’m still trying to win a championship. This organization has given me so much. So I want to continue to pour into the opportunity that I have and see what I can do with it.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Parts With Agents, Will Rep Himself
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has parted ways with his agents at Wasserman and will represent himself as he prepares to become extension-eligible this offseason, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).
Gilgeous-Alexander had been represented by Thad Foucher and Joe Smith, per RealGM.
Having made All-NBA teams in both 2023 and 2024, Gilgeous-Alexander has met the performance criteria for a super-max contract and will become eligible to sign that extension with the Thunder this July.
The 2024 MVP runner-up still has two years left on his current deal and can’t exceed six years in total, so the maximum value of his extension would be a projected $293.4MM over four years, beginning in 2027/28.
That projection is based on the cap increasing by the maximum allowable 10% for each of the next three seasons, so it’s possible the final figure will come in a little lower — the deal would start at 35% of the ’27/28 cap and would include 8% raises.
Unlike with Luka Doncic in Dallas, there has been no indication that the Thunder aren’t prepared to put that full super-max offer on the table for Gilgeous-Alexander this summer, which means the negotiation should be fairly straightforward.
While he’ll serve as his own agent as he negotiates that contract with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander will continue to be represented by Simon Gebrelul of Isla Management for marketing and off-court ventures, according to Haynes.
Gilgeous-Alexander is currently the betting favorite to be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season. The 26-year-old guard is averaging a league-leading 32.5 points per game on .523/.359/.897 shooting while also contributing 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.0 block per night for the 44-10 Thunder.
International Players Express Support For U.S. Vs. The World All-Star Format
As the NBA searches for ways to revive interest in its All-Star Game, one concept that gets frequent mention is a U.S. vs. the World format. Several international players expressed their support for that idea after Sunday’s mini-tournament, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“I would love to. My opinion is that it’s more purposeful,” said Victor Wembanyama, who figures to be a regular at the All-Star Game for the next decade or so. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.”
Nine-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was even more enthusiastic about the idea in his post-game press conference.
“I would love that. Oh, I would love that,” he said. “I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I’d take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete.”
As Reynolds points out, the NHL has been able to generate enormous passion by scrapping its traditional All-Star format and replacing it with the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. Saturday’s showdown between the U.S. and Canada in Montreal stoked an intense national rivalry and featured three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.
According to Reynolds, some NBA officials are watching the NHL’s success and considering how it could be adapted to basketball. There aren’t enough All-Star players from specific nations to divide them into four teams, but a matchup of American and international stars could create a fresh look for the annual showcase.
“Sometimes things just get old and kind of need a facelift,” Draymond Green said. “I know they’ve done different things to try to get it going. I think what’ll be interesting to see is how this 4 Nations thing turns out in hockey. If that turns out great, might have to peek an eye.”
Reynolds notes that this year’s rosters already feature six international All-Stars, with Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo joined by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pascal Siakam and Alperen Sengun. Luka Doncic would likely be there if not for the injuries have plagued him this season, and Reynolds points to Karl-Anthony Towns, who plays for the Dominican Republic in international competitions, as another addition.
However, filling out the World roster could mean adding a few players who aren’t as deserving of All-Star status. It would also take away four spots from American players, who make up roughly 70% of the NBA, which is why there’s reluctance to try it out.
“Not to say we couldn’t figure out a way around this, but to the extent we want to have a fair process for picking All-Stars, if you’re picking half the players from a 30% pool and the other half from a 70% pool, it might not be fair to the players,” commissioner Adam Silver said recently. “So, that’s one thing we’re looking at.”
Northwest Notes: SGA, Markkanen, Timberwolves, Shannon
Thunder superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a perpetual MVP candidate. Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman wonders if the three-time All-Star can turn into the NBA’s next generational standout on his own terms.
Gilgeous-Alexander has prioritized an exhaustive workout regimen over building out a particularly robust off-court sponsorship portfolio.
“I just live my life,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I come to work every day. I hoop. I interact with my fans. I love my family, call my friends. I do everything normal people do. I’m nobody special. I’m just like the rest of y’all, for y’all wondering what I’m like.”
The 6’6″ guard has led Oklahoma City to a 44-10 record, tied with Cleveland for the best in the league. Eight games clear of the No. 2-seeded Grizzlies, the Thunder appear poised to secure the No. 1 seed in the West for the second consecutive season.
As the team’s leader, Gilgeous-Alexander has been a huge part of that success. Across 53 games this season, the Kentucky alum is averaging 32.5 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per night.
“Being the face of the league would be special,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s, again, something I can’t control, but it’s something that would be amazing. At the end of it, I can just try to be the best basketball player I can be, the best person I could be, the best role model I could be for all the kids growing up trying to play basketball.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has had a down season for Utah, itself en route to its third straight lottery during his tenure with the team. To hear him explain his statistical dip, Markkanen is thinking about the 13-42 Jazz’s future, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. The Arizona alum is adjusting his shot profile to be ready for more competitive games. “We’ve been working on, like, not getting just wide-open catch shoots all the time,” Markkanen said. “I’m trying to shoot more contested threes. Lightly contested, from behind dribble handoffs, and when they’re lazy switching. Stuff that I haven’t really shot before.” Larsen observes that the numbers bear this out, as Markkanen is attempting one fewer open three-pointer per game this season. Across 41 bouts, the 27-year-old is averaging 19.6 points per game on .432/.353/.869 shooting splits. Markkanen just inked a lucrative four-year contract extension last summer.
- After Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore won a Timberwolves ownership arbitration ruling Monday against Glen Taylor, Chris Hine and Jeff Day of The Minnesota Star Tribune take stock of what’s next for Minnesota’s evolving ownership situation.
- Timberwolves rookie wing Terrence Shannon Jr. has recently emerged alongside lottery pick Rob Dillingham as a useful bench cog for the West playoff hopefuls, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Shannon’s aggressive post play has impressed head coach Chris Finch, although consistent minutes have been tough to come by. “He loves finishing with reckless abandon, and we need that,” Finch said. “It’s a part of the reason we identified him in the draft. We had other guys that maybe were younger guys, but we wanted somebody who was a little bit more physically and mentally ready to play right away.”
And-Ones: Shaq, TNT, MVP Race, All-Star Game, 2025 Draft
NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal has reached an agreement on a new long-term deal with TNT Sports that will be worth in excess of $15MM per year, reports Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
Although TNT Sports will no longer have the right to broadcast NBA games after the 2024/25 season, the show’s popular Inside the NBA studio show will remain on the air, with the company licensing it to ESPN beginning this fall. O’Neal’s agreement with TNT ensures that he’ll still be part of the show’s panel going forward.
O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith have each reportedly talked to new NBA media rights partners NBC and Amazon, who will begin broadcasting games next season. However, Barkley and O’Neal have deals in place to remain with TNT and the expectation is that Smith will sign a new multiyear contract with the network too, according to McCarthy. As for host Ernie Johnson, he’s considered a “TNT lifer,” McCarthy writes.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the top two spots on 99 of 100 ballots submitted by media members to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link) in his latest Most Valuable Player straw poll. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed a single second-place vote, with Jokic coming in third on that voter’s ballot. However, it’s clearly a two-player MVP race between Gilgeous-Alexander, who received 70 first-place votes and 910 total points, and Jokic, who got 30 and 788, respectively.
- The NBA and NBPA will speak to this year’s All-Stars this weekend to stress the importance of competing hard in Sunday’s All-Star event for the sake of both fans and the business, league sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). The All-Star game has been a low-intensity affair for years, but the league is hopeful that a new mini-tournament format featuring three shorter games will help address that issue.
- The 2025 NBA draft class continues to look stronger, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who write in an Insider-only story that NBA executives are enthusiastic about the overall depth in the class, not just the potential difference-makers at the top of their boards. The international class also may be better than initially believed, with as many as nine possible first-round picks in that group, Givony and Woo say. The ESPN duo has updated its full mock draft, from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg at No. 1 to South East Melbourne forward Malique Lewis at No. 59.
NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Game Rosters
The 24 players selected for the 2025 All-Star Game were drafted on a Thursday pre-game TNT show by coaches Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, and later announced by the NBA (Twitter link).
The players were previously sorted into groups of starters and reserves, but that had no bearing on their team placement for the new mini-tournament in this year’s game.
Below are each team’s selections, sorted in order of pick:
Team Shaq
- LeBron James, Lakers
- Stephen Curry, Warriors
- Anthony Davis, Mavericks
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics
- Kevin Durant, Suns
- Damian Lillard, Bucks
- James Harden, Clippers
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics
O’Neal had the first overall pick in the televised draft, selecting James, who holds the record for most All-Star appearances in a career. For the most part, O’Neal opted for the “old guard” of the NBA, so to speak. His team has a whopping 87 All-Star appearances (including this year) among its eight players.
The roster also unites a handful of players. Durant spent this week in trade rumors, with reports indicating he didn’t want to be traded to Curry’s Warriors. The two players were teammates for three seasons. This also will mark the first time James and Davis will play together since the blockbuster move that brought Doncic to L.A. Additionally, Curry, James, Durant, Tatum and Davis all played together on the 2024 U.S. men’s Olympic Team.
Team Kenny
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
- Jalen Williams, Thunder
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers
- Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons
- Tyler Herro, Heat
In contrast to O’Neal’s roster, Smith opted for some of the younger stars across the league. Smith’s team has a combined 13 All-Star nods to their name — Williams, Mobley, Cunningham and Herro are all first-timers. Smith united a pair of Cavaliers, with Mobley and Garland joining forces.
Team Chuck
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
- Pascal Siakam, Pacers
- Alperen Sengun, Rockets
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Barkley went for a mix of experience in his group. He secured the top three expected players in the MVP race this season between Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander. He also landed Wembanyama with the 12th overall pick. Barkley’s group has a combined 35 All-Star honors, with Sengun and Wembanyama as first-time All-Stars and Antetkounmpo (nine) and Jokic (seven) leading the way.
A fourth team coached by Candace Parker will play in the tournament. She’ll be coaching whichever team wins this year’s Rising Stars Challenge — those rosters were announced earlier this week. Two teams will meet in a semifinal (game one) while the other two also play each other (game two). The winning team from each game moves on to the final round.
The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.
Northwest Notes: Braun, Gordon, SGA, Jazz, Avdija, Camara
After bringing forward Aaron Gordon off the bench in his first eight games back from a calf strain, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reinserted Gordon into the starting lineup on Wednesday vs. New York.
Rather than replacing Russell Westbrook, who was a reserve for the first couple months of the season, Gordon supplanted third-year guard Christian Braun, who had started each of his first 45 games of 2024/25 and just set a personal career high with 28 points on Monday.
“Never an easy decision. Christian Braun has been great for us this year. Not good. He’s been great,” Malone said after the game, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “And he’s done everything that’s been asked of him.
“But I just like keeping Russell out there. I think the Russ-and-Nikola (Jokic) dynamic is the best two-man combination in the NBA right now, and I didn’t want to disrupt their rhythm. Knowing that CB, whether he comes off the bench and plays 29 minutes like he did tonight, or he starts, he’s going to give us the same thing every night. We need that. … I applaud CB’s understanding of what we’re trying to do.”
Braun had 13 points of 4-of-8 shooting in his first game as a reserve. He was a team-worst minus-18, though that could be at least partially attributed to the fact that the Nuggets’ rotation were thrown for a loop early in the game when Jokic picked up two quick fouls and was replaced by Braun. The 23-year-old told reporters, including Durando, that he’s willing to do “whatever I’m called to do” by the team and earned praise from Malone for how he handled the move.
“Was he celebrating? Was he shaking his pom-poms? No, of course,” Malone said. “He’s a competitor. He wants to be out there. He wants to start. But what you love about Christian Braun is he’s going to do whatever you ask him to do, and whatever is best for the team.”
Malone added that the lineup change isn’t necessarily permanent.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- After not reaching the 50-point mark in any of his first 427 NBA regular season games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has done it twice in his past four outings. One week after he scored 54 points in a win over Utah, the star guard poured in 52 against Golden State on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough to get the Thunder a victory, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes. “It sucks. Me personally, I play to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Winning comes first and foremost, and if I don’t win, I am not satisfied. So maybe my 52 points tonight wasn’t in the best interest of the team.”
- The Jazz‘s decision to elevate Isaiah Collier to the starting lineup and move Keyonte George to the bench was less about rewarding Collier for his play so far this season and more about sending a “wake-up call” to George, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. George has continued to play a significant role as part of Utah’s second unit, averaging 32.0 minutes per game in his first three appearances as a reserve.
- Forwards Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara have been the Trail Blazers‘ two best players for much of the season and have established themselves as long-term building blocks, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who says the duo’s strong play has been one of the brightest spots in another lottery-bound season in Portland.
- While Camara has improved his scoring numbers this season (10.0 points per game with a .349 3PT%), his defense is his calling card. Jason Quick of The Athletic takes a closer look at Camara’s impact on that side of the ball, speaking to several of his opponents about what they see in the young Trail Blazers forward. “He’s a dog, for real!” Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan said of Camara. “I just love the way he picks up full court. He doesn’t give a f–k who he is guarding. He just wants to play defense, and you don’t really see that often here in the NBA anymore.”
Northwest Notes: Williams, SGA, Gordon, Dillingham
The Thunder continue to deal with major injuries, including playing chunks of the season without Isaiah Hartenstein and nearly all of it without Chet Holmgren. Part of the reason Oklahoma City is staying afloat – far above and beyond in fact – is the play of Jaylin Williams, Rylan Stiles of Thunder on SI writes.
“First off, he has become a leader. Always doing the right things, just trying to win games by any means necessary,” teammate Isaiah Joe said. “He is a very smart player. He is willing to play hard, does all the little things and wants to win at all cost no matter what it takes.”
Williams is averaging 5.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 16 outings. He has started Oklahoma City’s past four contests with Hartenstein and Holmgren both sidelined, averaging 8.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG during that stretch.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got over the 50-point threshold for the first time in his career on Wednesday, scoring a career-high 54 points. According to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman, Wednesday’s game was a byproduct of Gilgeous-Alexander’s mentality shifting. “I think this season I’ve taken a leap in my mental. In the past, I’ve been hyper focused on efficiency, and in moments I would — not defer, but I would be conscious of it, and I think it would like affect my decision making,” the Thunder star said. “And this year, I think I’ve got over the hump of not worrying about efficiency. Like, I’m just playing.“
- Aaron Gordon fortifying the second unit might be key to the back half of the Nuggets‘ season, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports opines (Twitter link). In each of Denver’s last four wins, superstar Nikola Jokic played fewer than 31 minutes. After returning from a nine-game absence, Gordon came off the bench in each of his past six games. According to Matt Moore of Action Network HQ (Twitter link), head coach Michael Malone said Gordon told him he’d be fine with coming off the bench for the foreseeable future if that’s what’s best for the team. Gordon is a combined plus-50 in Denver’s last five victories.
- Timberwolves rookie Rob Dillingham expressed that he’s ready to take on a heavier workload, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. “I’ve always played. I never had to go through where I’m not playing, especially because of injury,” said Dillingham, who recently returned from an ankle sprain. “It was new to me. But I just had to sit back and realize why it was happening, then take my time off and get ready for when I do get in the game, just like now.” The 2024 lottery pick out of Kentucky is averaging 4.8 points in 9.7 minutes per game across 19 appearances this season.
NBA Unveils 2025 All-Star Game Starters
The 2025 All-Star Game starters were revealed on Thursday during Inside the NBA’s pregame show and confirmed by the NBA on social media (Twitter links).
In the Eastern Conference, a pair of Knicks made the cut, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns – in his first season in New York – earning nods. Joining Brunson in the backcourt is Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo secured frontcourt spots.
Lakers star LeBron James extended his all-time record to 21 consecutive All-Star selections in the Western Conference. Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander accounted for the backcourt spots in the West while Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and Kevin Durant of the Suns joined James as frontcourt starters.
The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.
The reserves, who are picked by the league’s coaches, will be announced on Jan. 30. LaMelo Ball of the Hornets narrowly missed out on being a starter after ranking first in the fan vote, having finished third in player voting and seventh in the media vote. The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama also barely missed out, finishing second in media voting but fourth for both players and fans.
Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Booker, Norman Powell, Anthony Davis, Jalen Williams, Alperen Sengun, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro, Evan Mobley and Jaylen Brown are among the names who could be voted in as reserves.
The 74th NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 will feature a new format, complete with a mini-tournament composed of four teams and three games. Two teams will meet in a semifinal while the other two will play in another. The victors in each of those games will meet in a final. The winner of each game is the first to 40 points.
The format change means that the 10 players named starters on Thursday won’t be the only players who actually start on All-Star Sunday. The 24 players ultimately named All-Stars will be split among three eight-man teams, with the roster’s drafted by Inside the NBA’s Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.
The draft will air on Feb. 6 on TNT. The fourth team of eight players will be made up of the winning team from the Rising Stars event.
The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.
The full voting results can be found here.