As the 2026-2027 NBA season gets underway, there are several rising stars across the league who could break through this season and make their first All-Star team. From the veteran players who were on the verge of making their first All-Star team but were snubbed in the past to the young, exciting future faces of the NBA. Here are five players who could make their first All-Star team this season.
NBA Stars Who Can Make Their First All-Star Team
5. Forward Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Porter Jr. had a career year in his first season with the Nets after being traded away from the Denver Nuggets. Porter Jr. averaged under 25 points per game to go along with seven rebounds. He only played 52 games last season, with 41 of them coming before the All-Star break. If Porter Jr. can continue to put up those numbers on a Nets team that isn’t expected to do much, he could make his first All-Star game this season. Porter, for now, will continue to be the top-scoring option on a Nets team still finding its way. So he will have plenty of volume and opportunities to build an All-Star case with his numbers.
4. Forward AJ Dybansta, Washington Wizards
The top pick from the 2026 NBA Draft out of BYU has the skillset and athletic profile to be the rare NBA All-Star team selection as a rookie. In NBA history, there have been fewer than 50 players to make the NBA All-Star team, with Blake Griffin being the last one to do it in the 2010-2011 season. Dybansta averaged 25 points and seven rebounds in college; he has the scoring prowess and dynamic athleticism to make an immediate impact for the Wizards.
Dybansta will also be surrounded by other NBA All-Stars in Anthony Davis and Trae Young, so there will be plenty of one-on-one matchups he can take advantage of in his rookie season.
3. Guard Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Reaves has made himself a household name around the league since becoming a Laker in 2021. Every season, Reaves has taken his game to the next level, adding at least a three-point increase to his points per game. Despite an injury-riddled season last year, Reaves averaged 23.3 points per game in LA to go along with five assists and five rebounds. With LeBron James no longer in LA, Reaves will have a bigger role playing alongside Luka Doncic.
If Reaves can average 25 points per game this season and keep his scoring and rebounding output the same, Reaves should see his first NBA All-Star selection this season.
2. Guard Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
Thompson could be in for a breakthrough to league-wide stardom this season. The do-it-all Swiss Army knife for the Rockets has been one of the NBA’s best defenders since being selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. Thompson blend of top-level athleticism, mixed with a high motor and an above-average skill set, could allow for Thompson to be hard to notice when the selection process starts for the 2027 NBA All-Star Game.
In the 2025-2026 season, Thompson averaged 18.3 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. Through each of his first three seasons, he has improved his playmaking and increased his assists per game. He went from 14 points per game as a second-year player to 18 last season. If Thompson could break the 20-point barrier, along with his ability to rebound and play-make, he could make his first NBA All-Star team as a Rocket this season.
1. Forward Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
The top pick from the 2025 NBA Draft instantly showed why he was a highly touted prospect in his rookie year for the Mavericks last season. Flagg put together a rookie campaign that saw him average 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, and he won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. The Mavericks were not a good team last season, but Flagg still produced at a high level despite being the focal point of other teams’ game plans as a rookie.
Flagg, as an 18-year-old last season, was the youngest player in NBA history to record multiple 40-point games and the youngest to have a 50-point game. It’s not a matter of if, but when Flagg makes his first All-Star team, and that will likely be as early as this season.
Main Image: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
