Meet the 2028 NBA All-Stars
Meet the 2028 NBA All-Stars
A likely extremely wrong prediction of who will be in NBA All-Star from the perspective of a fan in 2023
Happy Monday! Last night was another successful NBA All-Star game where we saw Team Giannis take the victory over Team LeBron.
So, with there not being many sports in the next few days, I wanted to take the fun opportunity to look towards the future and try and see if I get any of these right, and hopefully, we can look back at my genius in 2028.
To set the ground rules,
There will be the same number of All-Stars although by that time I think they will next to expand the game to fully showcase the leagues talent.
I will not be following conferences as closely because I can’t take into account player movement, but I will try my hardest.
This is for FUN! Enjoy :)
Current All-Stars Who Remain
As this is only five years into the future, it is quite likely, a good amount of those guys should still be at the top of their game, barring any major unforeseen injury or retirement.
2028 Returning All-Stars
Bam Adebayo - The Miami Heat don’t have many long-term bright spots, and I assume Bam is going to be a lifer who is going to continue to ascend up the ranks of the NBA. This season he has increased his productivity, and I don’t see it stopping.
Giannis Antetokumpo - Of course he will be here. He is the LeBron-type guy who seems will be able to avoid father time as LeBron has. Although he will be 33, he will be around and likely a starter.
Luka Doncic - Is there much I need to say about Luka? He is the future of the league and will be in the prime of his career. That is all. He is a LOCK!
Anthony Edwards - LeBron picked him as the first reserve this year and I think he will be hungry to get back.
Joel Embiid - EMBIID. That’s all.
De’Aaron Fox - The Kings are hopefully going to continue to be solid and warrant an All-Star.
Tyreese Haliburton - He has slowly been growing into an All-Star and I feel will continue on that trajectory.
Nikola Jokic - The two-time MVP will be on the older side of these selections, but his game doesn’t rely on youth; it relies on smarts. Jokic is well on his way to winning a third MVP, and it seems there hasn’t been an answer to stop him yet.
Donovan Mitchell - The 71-point man will be around for a long time and hopefully, by this point, in Miami!
Ja Morant - The high-flying dunker will continue to impress, and it seems that Memphis will warrant an All-Star for years to come.
Jayson Tatum - The Celtics are going to continue to be good, and Tatum just broke the record for most points in an All-Star game.
Zion Williamson - Man, if Zion isn’t here, something bad really happened to the future of the league.
Notable Omissions
Although I really want to put more of these guys, I can’t justify thinking the production will last or they will have the attention on them to get a bid into the game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - I love Shai, but I don’t know if the teams he will be on will be winning teams, and there may be an All-Star on his team too.
Jaren Jackson Jr. - Should he have even made it this year? In my opinion, no.
Lauri Markkanen - I love the jump he has taken, but will it be sustained? I want to say no, but again it is hard to predict.
Domantas Sabonis - Sabonis is going to have a few more appearances, but I think he will fizzle out in 5 years’ time.
Pascal Siakam - Pascal was kind of on the fence this year, and I feel he is quite streaky in terms of people caring about him, and I feel, for some reason, he is going to have a quiet season in five years’ time.
Veterans Now
LeBron James - Likely, if he chooses to stick around, he is in this game, even in a D-Wade-type role of extra All-Star.
Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving - At this point, it is unknown how long these guys will be around, but at least 1 of them will be gone; my prediction is Irving. The others will likely be around.
The Predictions/Future
I will not be predicted using any college or high school prospect as I am just not knowledgeable in that space and choose to look at the youth in the league already. But I do predict one has to be one of the millions of picks that the Oklahoma City Thunder own.
Paolo Banchero - This year’s first pick is star-bound, and Orlando is building a nice little squad and going to need an All-Star.
LaMelo Ball - I would be shocked if he is not in the game at some point soon with the way he continues to improve his stats year over year. Also, I need to see LaVar celebrating one of his sons becoming an All-Star, although I could also totally see LaMelo never being an All-Star.
Devin Booker - He will be healthier and bound to be an All-Star.
Cade Cunningham - Although he is in Detroit, I like what he is building and the product he is putting out on the floor. Hopefully, in five years, they will have it figured out.
Anthony Davis - As likely the only Laker that will be good enough to be an All-Star, he will be back in the game.
Josh Giddy - A fan-favorite who is continuing to put up numbers, and if he continues to develop seems like a lock to make at least one All-Star game.
Tyler Herro - This is my Miami bias showing, but I think Tyler will continue to take that next step and be that All-Star.
3x Draft Picks - I am going to be boring and take 3 slots for future draft picks. I will try to predict the years in which they are drafted. I think Victor Wembanyama is bound to be one, so 2023. Then likely 2025 and 2026.
Karl Anthony Towns - Another star who probably would be in the game this year if he wasn’t hurt.
Ultimately, this will likely not be the All-Star teams as players continue to change and stars are being made every year. The league is filled with talent and needs to expand. It was hard to pick names, especially with so much unknown, and this all being purely gut feelings.
But, to discuss a little of the business behind this, each player on the winning team currently makes $100,000, and the losing team makes $25,000 each. On top of that, the teams play for two charities of the captain’s choosing, which, no matter how the game goes, receives $150,000, and those charities are the real winners here!
Enjoy the week, and let me know how you think I did!