My 2026 NBA All-Star Game media ballot: No Mavericks, but plenty of Texas ties

The NBA revealed the 10 starters for the 2026 All-Star Game on Monday after collecting votes from a combination of fans (50%), current players (25%) and a media panel (25%). I was fortunate enough to represent The Dallas Morning News with a media vote for the second consecutive season. Voting looked a bit different this year since starters were selected without regard to position. It doesn’t appear as if the Mavericks will have any representatives this season, which could mark the first time since the 2017-18 season. Both Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, their All-Star selections from last season, are sidelined with injuries. Davis, a 10-time All-Star, finished with 440,356 fan votes, which ranks 15th in the Western Conference. He finished with 15 player votes, ranking 32nd among his peers. He did not receive any media votes. Overall, he received a weighted score of 19, just behind Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle. Mavericks first-year forward Cooper Flagg finished with 366,881 fan votes and remained the only rookie among the top 20 vote getters in both conferences. He finished with 21 player votes, which ranked 17th among his peers. He did not receive any media votes. Overall, he received a weighted score of 16.25, the same score that Alperen Sengun received. Although it’s highly unlikely for Davis, given his injury woes, Flagg could still earn a spot in “The Big Game” if he’s selected as a reserve by the league’s head coaches. Seven players from each conference will be named as reserves. The reserves will be revealed by NBC/Peacock on Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. CT. Here’s how I voted for the five starters in each conference and how my ballot differed from the final results the NBA revealed Monday afternoon. What differed: My prediction was off by one player in each conference. Eighty percent was pretty good the last time I checked. I factored team success and offensive/defensive production into my decision for choosing Edwards instead of Curry, whose Warriors are eighth in the West. The Timberwolves star is averaging a career-high 29.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season, which also includes his best 3-point shooting season at 41.8%. Minnesota is fourth in the West thanks to Edwards’ rise. He’ll surely be voted in as a reserve, but he deserved the honor to start with the rest of the US roster. Official results: Antetokounmpo, Brown, Cunningham, Maxey and Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks) What differed: For the East, there were a lot of guards worthy of starting, including Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell. Brunson is the head of the snake for the Knicks, but I wanted to follow a semi-traditional format with two guards, two forwards and a big man. I chose Towns since he’s averaging a double-double of 21 points and 11.6 rebounds. New York has struggled over the past 11 games, but they’re still third in the conference. Towns could receive another nod, but I’d keep an eye on Detroit’s Jalen Duren to make his All-Star debut next month. Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.