Detroit Pistons exec Trajan Langdon on Daniss Jenkins’ contract future
Detroit Pistons exec Trajan Langdon on Daniss Jenkins’ contract future at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.
The NBA announced its full Slam Dunk contest slate on Saturday, Feb. 7 — and it didn’t include Jalen Duren.
ESPN reported Monday that the Detroit Pistons’ big had accepted an invite to the dunk contest, but he will settle for the All-Star Game instead. Duren was named an All-Star for the first time last Sudnay, joining starter Cade Cunningham and coach J.B. Bickerstaff in the game scheduled for Feb. 15.
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, Miami Heat wing Keshad Johnson and Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson (a Michigan State alumnus) are the dunk contest participants. Duren exited the Pistons’ game Thursday early with right knee soreness, then missed their win over the New York Knicks on Friday.
The Pistons did gain more All-Star representation, though, as Richard Hamilton will participate in the “Shooting Stars” challenge with Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes.
Duren has established himself as a rising star for a Pistons team sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings at 36-12, 5½ games ahead of the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. The fourth-year center is averaging a career-high 18 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
Duren’s and Cunningham’s All-Star nods mark the Pistons’ first time with multiple representatives in the game since 2008, when Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace all made the East team as reserves.
2026 NBA All-Star reserves
Eastern Conference
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks.
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks.
Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors.
Western Conference
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns.
Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers.
LeBron James, LA Lakers.
2026 NBA All-Star Game format
The 2026 All-Star Game format will have two teams of U.S.-born players and one “World” team consisting of international players. The three teams will compete in a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games.
The breakdown, per NBA.com: “In the round-robin tournament, Team A will play Team B in Game 1. The winning team from Game 1 will take on Team C in Game 2, followed by the losing team of Game 1 meeting Team C in Game 3.
“After Game 3, the top two teams by record will advance to face each other in the championship game (Game 4). If all three teams have a 1-1 record after Game 3, the tiebreaker would be point differential in each team’s two round-robin games.”
Pistons in 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend
Cade Cunningham was named a starter in the All-Star Game on Jan. 19, becoming the first Piston picked to start since Allen Iverson in 2008-09. Cunningham, a reserve last season, is the first Piston to make consecutive All-Star games since Chauncey Billups from 2006-08.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was officially named a head coach for the 2026 All-Star game on Jan. 24. Bickerstaff is the first Pistons coach with an All-Star nod since Flip Saunders in 2006, and the fourth all-time, following Saunders, Doug Collins in 1997 and Chuck Daly in 1990.
Cunningham, Duren and Bickerstaff are all on the “Team USA Stars” team.
NBA All-Star starters 2026
Eastern Conference
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks.
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers.
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks.
Western Conference
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder.
Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers.
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors.
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs.
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets.
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2026 NBA All-Star Weekend schedule
(All times Eastern)
Friday, Feb. 13
All-Star Celebrity Game: 7 p.m., ESPN, Kia Forum.
Rising Stars Game: 9 p.m., Peacock, Intuit Dome.
NBA HBCU Classic (Hampton vs. North Carolina A&T): 11 p.m., Peacock, Kia Forum.
Saturday, Feb. 14
All-Star Media Day: 1:30 p.m., NBA TV, Intuit Dome.
All-Star Saturday (3-point competition, dunk contest, skills competition): 5 p.m., NBC/Peacock, Intuit Dome.
Sunday, Feb. 15
75th NBA All-Star Game: 5 p.m., NBC/Peacock, Intuit Dome.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.
