NBA All-Star Voting Opens with Raptors' Barnes and Ingram in the Mix - and a New Format That’s Turning Heads
The race to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game is officially on, and this year, it’s not just the players or the fans who’ll need to adjust - it’s the entire format. Voting opened Wednesday for the midseason showcase, set to take place in Los Angeles, and while the stars will still shine, the way they’re grouped and how they get there looks a little different this time around.
For the Toronto Raptors, the spotlight is on two key names: Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Both have made strong cases through their play this season, and the team is rolling out the campaign trail on social media to get fans behind them.
A New Look All-Star Game: Three Teams, Global Flavor
Let’s start with the big change. Gone is the traditional East vs.
West format - and even the recent Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis-style draft is taking a back seat.
This year, the NBA is going with three teams of eight players: two squads representing the United States, and one representing the rest of the world. The idea is to spotlight the league’s growing international talent pool while keeping the competitive spirit alive.
In theory, that means 16 American players and 8 international players will make up the All-Star pool. But there’s a twist - players with international “ties” could be eligible to play for Team World. The NBA hasn’t fully defined what “ties” means, but the door’s open for some flexibility.
Take Scottie Barnes, for example. He plays in Toronto, lives in Canada during the season, and is a fan favorite north of the border.
Does that qualify as a “tie”? Maybe.
It’s not clear whether that means citizenship, heritage, or simply where a player suits up professionally. But if the numbers don’t line up evenly, Commissioner Adam Silver will step in to balance the rosters with additional selections - meaning the three teams could end up with more than eight players each.
The Goal: Bring the All-Star Game Back to Life
This format shake-up isn’t just for show. The NBA has been searching for ways to revitalize the All-Star Game, which in recent years has felt more like a layup line than a serious showcase of the league’s best. The hope is that a USA vs. the World dynamic - with a third team in the mix - injects some competitive fire and gives fans something new to rally around.
Whether it works or not remains to be seen. There’s always a risk that international rivalries get played up a little too much, but at the end of the day, it’s still basketball - and a chance to see the game’s elite on one stage.
Barnes and Ingram: Two Different Paths, One Goal
Back to Barnes and Ingram - both Raptors have a legitimate shot at making the cut, though their paths might look a little different.
Scottie Barnes has been a standout on both ends of the floor this season, especially on defense, where he’s quietly becoming one of the league’s most versatile stoppers. But fan voting has never been easy for Raptors players. The U.S. market is simply bigger, and even with Toronto sitting 3rd in the East, Canadian players don’t always get the same national exposure.
That makes a Coaches’ vote the most likely route for Barnes. Coaches tend to value two-way impact and team success, and Barnes checks both boxes. He may not crack the top five in fan voting - with names like Giannis, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, and a couple of Knicks likely to dominate the ballots - but he’s absolutely in the mix when it comes to reserve selections.
Brandon Ingram, meanwhile, might have a more unconventional path. With several All-Star caliber players dealing with injuries this season, there’s a real chance Ingram could be tapped as an injury replacement.
That decision falls directly to Commissioner Silver, who has shown a steady hand in filling those spots in the past. In fact, that’s how Barnes made his first All-Star appearance.
Could Barnes Suit Up for Team World?
Here’s where things get even more interesting. If Barnes is selected and the league decides his connection to Canada qualifies him for Team World, Raptors fans could have even more reason to cheer. Imagine a Team World led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with Barnes joining the mix - that’s a squad Toronto fans can rally behind.
Realistically, though, both Barnes and Ingram would likely represent Team USA if selected. Either way, the Raptors having two potential All-Stars in the conversation is a testament to how far this team has come - and how much their core is starting to get noticed.
What’s Next
Fan voting will determine the starters, and then the coaches and Commissioner Silver will fill out the rest. With the new format, there’s more room for creativity - and more opportunities for deserving players to sneak in, even if they aren’t household names across the U.S.
The All-Star Game is still a celebration, but this year, it might just have a little more edge. For Barnes and Ingram, it’s a chance to showcase their growth on a national - and international - stage. And for Raptors fans, it’s time to get those votes in.