SAN ANTONIO — The early returns are in — and the Cavs have some ground to make it.
The NBA revealed the first set of fan votes for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, with guard Donovan Mitchell the only Cavalier among the top 20 in the Eastern Conference.
Mitchell, a six-time All-Star, currently ranks fifth, garnering just over 850,000 total votes. He trails Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo — the Eastern Conference leader — Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks and Detroit maestro Cade Cunningham.
Teammates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley — both of whom joined Mitchell on last year’s All-Star team, giving Cleveland the only NBA roster with three — are way behind.
As in the past, 12 players from each conference will be selected as All-Stars. There are five starters and seven reserves on each side. In terms of starters, fan voting accounts for 50% of the total while NBA players and a panel of select media account for 25% apiece. NBA head coaches determine the reserves.
In a new U.S. vs. World format, there will be two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (known as the World team) that compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games. The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players. If voting does not result in the selection of 16 U.S. players and eight international players (which can include American players with ties to other countries if necessary), NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join either group to reach that minimum. In that case, at least one team would have more than eight players.
Garland, a two-time All-Star who missed the first few weeks while recovering from toe surgery, is still trying to capture his pre-injury form. In 16 games, he is averaging just 17.3 points — the second lowest of his career — to go with 7.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds while shooting a substandard 40.3% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range.
Mobley, named an All-Star last year for the first time in his career, just recently returned from a five-game absence because of a calf injury. Even prior to getting hurt, the youngster wasn’t having the campaign so many expected. In 25 games, Mobley is averaging 18.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals — numbers in line with 2024-25.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be played at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome on Feb. 15.
The next round of fan voting will be unveiled Jan. 6.