There's a strong case to be made that the Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell should be a starter in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
The NBA All-Star game is all about showcasing the best talent in basketball. However, one of the game's top players won’t be starting, even though he should be.
The starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star game were revealed on Monday, and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell was noticeably not on the list. The players to make it ahead of Cleveland’s superstar were Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and Jaylen Brown.
Mitchell was clearly snubbed from being in the starting lineup, and there are a couple of reasons why.
First, there’s a case that Mitchell’s counting stats are the best when compared to Buronson, Maxey, and Cunningham of the three. He’s averaging 29 points per game, which is the second-most of the group, and Mitchell's eFG% if 57.7 is the highest of the guards
Second, if the NBA wants to reward availability, Mitchell has played the most games of the group of guards, too.
Even though it’s more subjective, Mitchell’s importance to the Cavaliers can’t be underestimated either. With all of the injuries, it’s hard to imagine where Cleveland would be this season if it weren’t for Spida’s heroics. On the other hand, the rest of the group has a strong supporting cast to fall back on.
Mitchell seems to think one of the reasons that he wasn’t named a starter is because of Cleveland’s record. pointed out that, “to be honest, I kind of expected that. I mean, the guys that were named, their ecord is better than ours. So, naturall, you reward that.”
Oct 22, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesSure, if you look at Cunningham is leading the Detroit Pistons, who have the No. 1 seed in the East. But Cleveland has only one fewer win than the the Brunson’s New York Knicks, and two more losses than Maxey’s 76ers. It’s not like Cleveland is out of the playoff picture, while the rest of the team leads the conference.
Mitchell’s hopes of earning his ninth All-Star nod aren’t completely gone. The league has yet to announce the reservations for each conference, and there’s simply no reason Cleveland’s guard shouldn’t be on that list.
At the end of the day, the All-Star game is supposed to be a fun celebration of basketball, so Mitchell's starting versus not starting isn’t that big of a deal. However, it would’ve been nice for him to get that honor in what has been arguab;y the best season of Mitchell’s career so far.
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