NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2016 Participants: Projecting Best Potential Field

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is a fan favorite at All-Star Weekend, singling out of the most primal and entertaining aspects of the game and simply letting some of the league's most athletic and exciting players have at it in a series of put-up-or-shut-up opportunities (well, except for in 2014 with that weird freestyle round).

Fans are still waiting for the league to announce the (presumably) four players who will be in this year's version of the event. Here's a projection of the players who would make for a truly thrilling competition.

Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves

Simply put, Zach LaVine has to be on any sane person's list of potential contestants. The 20-year-old is the defending champion in the contest. He put together an ultra-clean performance last year at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with pretty much all of his dunks serving as a show-stopping number.

Even though he's coming off the bench this season, LaVine hasn't quit showing off the acrobatic skills that made him a global hit, especially in China.

“I knew I had a lot of fans, a lot of followers,” LaVine said, per Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “There were like 2,500 people there. They said I had more fans than Kevin Durant did.”

LaVine would be the favorite to win the dunk contest again this year should he choose to enter. Fans can only hope he's again inclined to give the people what they want.

Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks

Typically, the dunk contest features at least one super-tall, lanky contestant. Last year, that spot went to the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, an Internet favorite with a penchant for crazy-good fast-break slams. 

This year, however, the most buzzworthy young tall guy is Kristaps Porzingis, who is enjoying a successful rookie campaign in the Big Apple. 

Porzingis would probably have to get to Dwight Howard levels of creativity in order to have a truly memorable dunk-contest performance, as he doesn't really have the fast-twitch springiness that has characterized many successful dunk-contest entrants.

Still, Porzingis is the latest and greatest overseas big-man import, with apologies to the Greek Freak and Boban Marjanovic and his massive mitts. If the All-Star Weekend and dunk contest in particular are truly about fan service, give the Latvian sensation another platform to endear himself to the world.

DeMar DeRozan or Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors

It's not always possible, but the dunk contest could benefit from some local flavor. Basketball Insiders' Joel Brigham explained why Raptors forward Terrence Ross makes perfect sense for the competition:

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The addition of Ross to the dunk contest field makes a ton of sense not only because he’s one of the most gifted and creative dunkers in the league, but also because he would give the hometown Toronto crowd a local favorite to cheer for in one of the weekend’s marquee events. So far there has been nothing to suggest that the 2013 Slam Dunk champion will return to the contest he owned as a rookie, but his grace and athleticism belong in this competition. There might not be anyone in the league willing to participate in this thing with a better shot to dethrone LaVine.

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If Ross isn't in the competition, DeMar DeRozan would also fit the bill as a hometown favorite with dunk-contest experience. Sure, this is already his seventh year in the league, but he's still only 26 years old and hasn't featured in the contest since 2011. DeRozan was also named to his second All-Star Game this year, so he's a hot commodity right now.

Considering young, brilliant dunkers like Andrew Wiggins and Larry Nance Jr. have expressed an unwillingness to participate, the NBA would do well to inject some buzz into the event by having an All-Star veteran like DeRozan defend the air in the Air Canada Centre from younger upstarts in front of a partisan crowd. It would create a neat storyline for the event, and either Ross or DeRozan fits the bill.

Will Barton, Denver Nuggets

Few sights are more enjoyable in the NBA than watching Will Barton detonate on a fast break. Here's a prime example, courtesy of the Nuggets' Twitter account: 

That little rock-the-cradle jam is only a taste of what the uber-athletic 25-year-old can do when given even a half-clear path to the rim.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Chris Haynes, the NBA is considering Barton for the contest: 

Will The Thrill hasn't yet participated in the competition. Even better than perhaps popularity-contest winner Porzingis, Barton would be a great way to make sure the contest has some fresh blood with an actual chance at making LaVine sweat.