Markkanen Has Strong Showing In First All-Star Voting Returns

The Utah Jazz forward collected more than 110,000 votes in the first two weeks of campaigning, placing him among the top 20 Western Conference vote-getters.

The Utah Jazz forward collected more than 110,000 votes in the first two weeks of campaigning, placing him among the top 20 Western Conference vote-getters.

Markkanen has restored his shooting percentages after a down 2024-25 season, hitting 47 percent from the field, 37 percent from three, and 90 percent at the free-throw line.

The Jazz are 12-15 in his 27 appearances and 0-4 when he doesn’t play.

Will New Format Help Markkanen’s All-Star Campaign?

Fans will encounter a new format for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

For the first time, the All-Stars will split into three teams: two eight-man rosters of players born in the United States and a third eight-man roster of international players.

Fan voting counts for 50 percent of the vote for the five All-Star starters in each conference, with the remaining 50 percent split evenly between players and media.

NBA coaches will select the remaining seven reserves from both conferences.

Fan voting will look similar to previous years, with 24 players named to the Eastern and Western All-Star teams.

If voting doesn’t produce 16 players for the two United States teams and eight for the international team, commissioner Adam Silver will add players to whichever roster lacks its required number.

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According to the first returns, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama appear safe to earn enough fan votes to occupy five of the eight international roster spots.

That scenario leaves three openings on the international roster for league coaches or Silver to fill.

Markkanen will likely battle for one of those final three international spots with Deni Avdija, Alperen Sengun, Karl Anthony-Towns, Pascal Siakam, Jamal Murray, and Josh Giddey, all of whom are posting strong numbers.

The Jazz forward was named to his first All-Star team in 2023 during his first year in Utah, when the game was hosted in Salt Lake City.

Keyonte George was not among the NBA’s top 40 vote-getters in the NBA’s first returns.

How Does The All-Star Tournament Work?

The three teams will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.

All-Star Weekend runs from February 13 through 15. Voting ends on January 14.