The 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest features a four-man field at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles as part of All-Star Saturday Night. Participants include rookies Jase Richardson and Carter Bryant, alongside veterans Jaxson Hayes and Keshad Johnson, according to CBS Sports. Odds list Bryant as the favorite at +180.
The 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest is set for Saturday night at 5 p.m. ET, serving as the third event in NBA All-Star Saturday Night at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers. This exhibition highlights athletic dunks from a field of four players, each performing two dunks in the first round to determine finalists based on average scores from judges. The finals will also feature two dunks per competitor.
According to CBS Sports, the participants are rookies Jase Richardson of the Orlando Magic—son of two-time dunk champion Jason Richardson—and Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs, plus veterans Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers and Keshad Johnson. Hayes, a 7-footer, aims to become the first player of his height to win the contest. Mac McClung, winner of the previous three contests, is not participating this year.
FanDuel Sportsbook odds position Bryant as the +180 favorite, followed by Hayes at +250, Johnson at +320, and Richardson at +350. NBA expert Larry Hartstein, who has hit eight of his last 13 NBA prop picks, is fading Bryant due to the rookie's 64.3% dunk success rate in games—nine makes out of 14 attempts—and concerns over complex dunks planned under pressure. Many of Bryant's dunks have occurred in garbage time, raising questions about performance in the spotlight. Hartstein favors a longshot described as one who "explodes to the rim."
A Yahoo Sports report lists a slightly different field, replacing Johnson with Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons, a first-time All-Star center comparable in size to 2008 winner Dwight Howard. Yahoo predicts Hayes as the winner, citing his recent in-game between-the-legs dunk. This discrepancy in participant lists highlights varying reports ahead of the event.
Richardson, a 6-foot-1 guard drafted 25th overall from Michigan State, enters as the biggest underdog. Bryant, a 6-foot-8 forward selected 14th overall, was recently prioritized by the Spurs after they cut Jeremy Sochan.
