2025-2026 All-NBA Team Predictions

The 2025-26 NBA regular season has concluded with the 65-game rule remaining a central talking point in award discussions. Under the collective bargaining agreement, players must appear in at least 65 regular-season games to qualify for end-of-season honors such as All-NBA teams, MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year.

However, the NBA and NBPA recently approved extraordinary circumstances exemptions for two star players who fell just short: Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons. Doncic missed time due to traveling for the birth of his daughter, while Cunningham dealt with a collapsed lung injury late in the season. Both are now fully eligible for award consideration.

This adjustment significantly impacts the All-NBA landscape in what has been a highly competitive and star-driven season. With the exemptions in place, the top individual performances can be properly recognized without strict availability penalties in these specific cases.

Here are the predicted All-NBA teams for 2025-26, using a positionless format consistent with recent voting practices. These selections draw from season-long dominance in scoring, efficiency, playmaking, defense, and team impact, while incorporating the requested adjustments: moving Cade Cunningham to the Second Team and elevating Jaylen Brown to the First Team.

All-NBA First Team

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

All-NBA Second Team

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

All-NBA Third Team

Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

The 65-game rule eliminated or weakened the cases of several other strong performers, intensifying competition for the final spots, particularly on the Third Team. Players like James Harden, Derrick White, and others came close but fell just short in this projection.

This season highlighted both the challenges of the availability rule and the value of transcendent individual impact, especially with the exemptions granted to Doncic and Cunningham. Official All-NBA teams will be announced in the coming days as the playoffs begin. These predictions reflect a consensus view adjusted for the specified changes and the unique circumstances of 2025-26.