5 NBA Players Making All-Star Leaps Before Our Eyes
It's a long way to the 2026 NBA All-Star game in February, but that doesn't mean it's too early to look at who has taken the All-Star leap so far this year.
To be clear, this is not saying these players will be All-Stars—but they should receive significant early consideration for a bid.
This season, the All-Star teams will be divided into two USA teams and one World team for a round-robin tournament.
For this exercise, we are not going to take into account what team the player may play for. This is purely about players who are making the leap.
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers started 2025-26 without LeBron James, but it wasn't a problem with Austin Reaves stepping up his game. Playing as Luka Doncic's running mate, Reaves exploded onto the season.
The numbers have been impressive. Reaves' scoring is up nearly eight points to 28.1 points per game. He is also averaging a career high in assists, dropping 7.6 per game. And he has already logged a 51-point game, following that up with 41 points the next night.
Reaves has proved he can be the second option for L.A.—or, at the very least, part of the three-headed monster alongside Doncic and LeBron James.
A big part of Reaves' scoring jump has been his finishing at the rim at 71.7 percent and 59.4 percent on non-restricted area paint shots. Comparing that to last season's 60.5 percent at the rim and 43.7 percent on non-restricted area paint shots. That's the leap!
Reaves is making the All-Star leap, but it might be difficult for him to actually get selected to the event, since Doncic is a definite All-Star, and if James plays enough games, he would likely be an All-Star as well.
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
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Jalen Duren is having one of the biggest leaps this season, producing on both ends of the floor for the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons
Looking just at scoring, Duren went from averaging 11.8 points last season to 20.6 points this season. That's nearly a nine-points-per-game jump. He has developed a strong off-the-bounce game, allowing him to attack bigs and get to the rim.
This new addition to his game has opened the door to drawing fouls and going to the free-throw line, which is exactly what has happened, as Duren averages 7.3 free-throws per game.
Duren has also dominated the glass. He is fourth in rebounds per game, and he already has a 22-point, 22-rebound game. (Note: He followed that up with games of 11, 16, 14 and 15 rebounds.)
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
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There was a thought that this would be a breakout season for Chet Holmgren. With Jalen Williams out of the lineup to start the year, the 7'1" center has stepped into the role of the second option.
Right off the bat, it has been Holmgren's aggression sparking the leap. He is doing more than picking his spots; he's actively seeking opportunities to get the ball and score.
Holmgren is averaging 19.3 points, up from 15.0 last season. He's shooting 69.5 percent from two. And this is just the tip of the iceberg offensively for him.
Defensively, the Thunder have a defensive rating of 99.8 when Holmgren is on the floor.
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
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If it were not for an injury early last season, Jalen Johnson would have made this All-Star leap in 2024-25. The good news, though, is that the injury issue from last year hasn't slowed him down.
In fact, Johnson has been even better in 2025-26.
On the scoring front, Johnson has taken his game to another level, averaging 22.8 points per game on shooting splits of 58/40/81.2—all career-highs (PPG included). He is getting to the line nearly five times per game, and he has been one of the main reasons the Atlanta Hawks have been able to thrive with Trae Young out of the lineup.
Beyond scoring, Johnson has also taken his playmaking to new heights. He's averaging 6.6 assists, up from 5 last season, which is another career high. And he's taken on the role of lead playmaker alongside Nickeil Alexander-Walker, since Young was injured—and the Hawks have not skipped a beat.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
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A historically slow starter, Jamal Murray has shot out of the gates this season.
Murray's averaging a career-high 22.5 points per game despite shooting his lowest three-point percentage since the 2019-20 season. More impressively, he's taken his rebounding to another level, going from 3.9 rebounds to 5.2.
A lot of Murray's previous slow starts stem from his recovery from injuries. This season, he entered training camp free from recovery and did not put any mileage on his body, with no international games for the Canadian national team.
Murray is the second-best player on the second-best team. Putting together a full season would be him taking the All-Star leap.
*Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on X, @MoDakhil_NBA.
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