The 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest field is set, and the headlining event on Saturday night will be extremely light on star power. Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs, Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat and Jase Richardson of the Orlando Magic will be the four competing for the Dunk Contest crown.
That field came as a bit of a surprise, as first-time All-Star Jalen Duren from the Detroit Pistons was reportedly planning on participating but ultimately declined. That leaves the field without an All-Star competitor once again, and fans will likely head into the 2026 edition without lofty expectations.
Bryant, Johnson and Richardson will inject a bit of youth into the proceedings, and we’ve seen in the past that sometimes the unknown competitors can breathe some life into the event. That’s certainly what the NBA will hope for, but fans will likely enter the night a bit skeptical that the Dunk Contest will deliver high marks.
Hayes recently went between the legs for a slam on a fastbreak against the Chicago Bulls and is known for his high-flying theatrics. Hayes, a 7-footer, is averaging 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this season for the Lakers.
Bryant, an athletic first-year player out of Arizona, has played in 40 games this season as a first-round pick. He is averaging 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game.
Richardson, a rookie out of Michigan State, has played in 36 games this season and is averaging 5.1 points per game in 12 minuter per night in Orlando.
Johnson is in his second year in the league with the Heat and has appeared in 21 games, averaging 3.1 points per game in 7.6 minutes of action per night.
Mac McClung will not participate
Three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion Mac McClung will not participate in this year’s event after he was waived by the Indiana Pacers in November following a three-game stint.
While his NBA opportunities have been limited, McClung made a reputation as a supreme athlete with elite dunking ability. He won the league’s midseason extravaganza at each of the last three All-Star weekends. McClung also boasts a track record as a G League standout and won the MVP award at the end of a stellar year with the Osceola Magic last fall.
NBA All-Star Weekend will take place Feb. 13-15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Slam Dunk Contest is scheduled for Feb. 14. The 10 starters for the All-Star Game — which will feature a new format — were unveiled in January.
