NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2017: Complete Participant List, Comments and Reaction

The NBA announced Thursday night the four-player field for this year's Slam Dunk Contest: Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Indiana Pacers guard Glenn Robinson III and Phoenix Suns forward Derrick Jones Jr. 

The Inside the NBA crew unveiled the participants, courtesy of NBA on TNT:

Robinson and Jones provided their reaction to the news on Twitter:

Gordon will look to atone for last year's runner-up finish to Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine, who declined to go for a third straight dunk title.

The 21-year-old will be a welcome inclusion for many fans after he and LaVine put together one of the best dunk contests in years. They needed two tiebreaker rounds to determine a winner.

Gordon will almost certainly be the heavy favorite to come out on top Saturday, Feb. 18 in New Orleans.

Jones could be a major wild card, though.

The 19-year-old doesn't have a big profile in the league, with ESPN Radio's David Jacoby speaking for many on Twitter:

Sporting News' Sam Vecenie is more familiar with Jones and went so far as to name him the likely champion:

Jones has played a total of 11 minutes for the Suns in 2016-17. A quick look at his highlight reel, however, shows he's more than equipped to outshine Gordon in the Big Easy.

Jordan is the biggest star in this year's field, but he's arguably the player with the worst odds of winning. The Clippers big man is a ferocious in-game dunker, but the dunk contest isn't a great showcase for taller players.

Dwight Howard won the event in 2008, but more recently, Andre Drummond placed third in 2016, and Serge Ibaka ended up in fourth in 2011.

Standing 6'11", Jordan won't have the same variety of dunks in his arsenal that Gordon, Jones and Robinson will be capable of pulling off.

Duncan Smith of FanSided's PistonPowered thought of a way for the 2017 All-Star to stand out from this year's participants:

As is the case with Jones, many fans will be unaware of Robinson's work with the Pacers. He's averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for Indiana. The 23-year-old has become a solid role player for the team following an underwhelming rookie campaign in 2014-15.

Much like Gerald Green in 2007, the dunk contest will be an opportunity for Robinson to make a name for himself on a national stage.