The 4 Players Who Need to Be In the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

Gravity was defied, high-flyers flew and rims were rocked during the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

History was made, too, with Mac McClung slamming and jamming his way to the event's first ever three-peat.

That was fun to watch, but we're already over it. We're dreaming about 2026, and we know we aren't the only ones.

This event, when it's good, is the highlight of not only All-Star Saturday, but the entire All-Star Weekend. And it's best when the field of participants is loaded with posterizers, so we're doing the league office a solid and assembling an ideal quartet of yammers for the 2026 contest.

Notable Omissions

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We are trying to be realistic.

We'll exclude established stars from our main field, since the NBA has yet to figure out how to incentivize them to give it a go.

Look, we'd LOVE to see the likes of Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards and Zion Williamson trading throwdowns, but there just isn't any evidence of that being remotely possible (save, perhaps, for a hopefully-not-trolling post by Morant).

Besides, contrary to what some casual complainers might gripe about, this event can be great even without basketball's biggest and brightest stars.

But first, those Honorable Mentions:

Honorable Mention

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Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Bailey has the hops and creativity needed to follow the same path that Stephon Castle and Matas Buzelis just took from the draft lottery to the dunk contest. Bailey is a bit of a polarizing prospect, but as a dunker, he's already logging enough flight time to capitalize on any frequent flier perks.

Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Based on the trajectory he was taking before a torn labrum ended his season, Johnson's star might be shining too bright by this time next year to participate. He might, however, view himself more as an ascending star and could see the event as his formal introduction to the most casual fans. Let's hope that's the case, at least, because his elevator-type lift would absolutely play up in this environment.

Mac McClung, Orlando Magic

You might be wondering how the three-time champion got left of our actual list. Well, it was entirely his call. When discussing his rationale behind competing for a third straight year, the anti-gravity guard told reporters this would be his "one last time." So, we'll take him at his word, but neglecting to mention him would've felt like a failure. Plus, we'd point out to him that perhaps the only thing cooler than being the dunk contest's first three-peat champion would be pulling off its first four-peat.

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

OK, so we said we'd exclude him, but a couple of eye-catching posts on X demanded an honorable mention. Morant would be unquestionably awesome in this event, scratching fans' itch for stardom while also being one of basketball's rim-rockers. It's still hard to picture his actual participation, but our fingers are fully crossed nonetheless.

Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets

It's fitting that Whitmore calls Space City home, because he has what can only be characterized as moon-boots bounce. When he takes off, there's almost a graceful nature to his floating, which is subsequently (and masterfully) juxtaposed with the violent nature of his thunderous finishes. He'd put on a show.

VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

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B/R's Jonathan Wasserman discussed Edgecombe in a recent mock draft. In it, Edgecombe was compared to Andrew Wiggins, called a "special athlete" and discussed as having "outrageous athletic ability." ESPN's Jonathan Givony labeled Edgecombe "the most explosive athlete in college basketball."

Edgecombe's ups are different. The soon-to-be lottery pick hasn't reached the league yet, and he might still have the dunk of the year.

Edgecombe will be—and already is—a highlight-reel regular. He's a head-at-the-rim kind of hopper, and if his in-game dunks are this incredible, his dunk contest work might be mind-boggling.

The 19-year-old is also overloaded with upside, so while he obviously isn't an established star now, he might become one later, which could give his dunk-contest performance lots of longevity.

Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors

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Kuminga is a spring-loaded athlete and a high-profile draft pick of a marquee franchise. This is, admittedly, not a novel suggestion, and it's a topic he has tackled on multiple occasions. So far, he has resisted the idea claiming he may not have the creativity or athleticism needed to capture the crown.

His dunk reel suggests otherwise.

He does show more power and force than flair and finesse, but he'll unleash a windmill or reverse at any moment. And if he's uncorking those in games, it only stands to reason he could get a lot deeper in his bag for a contest.

"In the NBA, everybody's athletic, but [Kuminga's] one of those different types of athletes," Kevon Looney raved at the 2022 NBA Finals Media Day. "... You talk about guys, like the best athletes in the NBA, when Andre [Iguodala] was at his peak, his athleticism. A guy like LeBron. [Kuminga's] had that type of athleticism."

Kuminga has 99th percentile physical tools, and that might even sell them short. He very well may be trending toward stardom, too, so he'd give the event a bit of a name-recognition boost.

Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers

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Some players have hops, but Sharpe employs jetpacks.

Sharpe's vertical leap defies logic. He's such an absurd athlete that Vince Carter, aptly dubbed "Half Man, Half Amazing" during his playing days, has marveled at Sharpe's elevation.

And it is, objectively speaking, ridiculous. NBA.com's new tracking data shows Sharpe has the highest vertical leap on a slam this season (45.1"). And the second (43.6"). And the third (40.5").

Sharpe routinely looks down on the rim. He has the hang time of a parachute.

The league might need to examine whether his celestial journeys require a pilot's license.

Sharpe was initially committed to the 2023 contest before later backing out, indicating at least a level of interest in participating.

Here's to hoping he recommits and sticks this time, because his natural gifts could make his performance an all-timer.

Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets

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If the NBA wanted to invite both Amen and his twin brother, Ausar—which feels like a marketing no-brainer—we'd be all for it. And so would anyone who's ever witnessed the aerial antics of these bouncy brothers.

If it was for some reason decided that the event was only big enough for one Thompson twin, we'd give a slight edge to Amen. He is more explosive (which is quite a testament, since Ausar is an elite athlete) and a better playmaker, which could produce perfect ball placement on any self-alley-oops.

Thompson's explosion is the real draw, though. He makes high-flying heroics appear effortless, requiring little runway room to launch into a gravity-defying glide.

Rockets center Steven Adams, who entered the league in 2013 and has teamed with the likes of Russell Westbrook, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, called Thompson "one of a kind" and added, "I haven't seen that type of athleticism."

Thompson might have a credible argument of being the NBA's best athlete. He'd be incredible in the dunk contest, and that's without accounting for the fun stuff he'd surely cook up with his twin.