NBA Dunk Contest Odds & Expert Predictions

A featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend is the slam dunk contest. The competition has lost some luster over the years with the league’s bigger names and best dunkers taking a pass, but lesser known players get the spotlight to showcase their talents.

All 4 participants in this year’s field are making their Slam Dunk contest debuts guaranteeing a new champion. Mac McClung, the only player in history to win 3 straight titles, announced last month he would not participate.

Instead the NBA has a quartet of newcomers who will attempt to wow a crowd that’s pretty much seen it all since the first contest was held in 1984. The contest’s roots actually date back to the old ABA in its final season in 1976 before merging with the NBA. Julius “Dr. J” Irving won the title in an event that transcended the game into what it is today.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest Preview

Part of NBA All-Star Saturday, the Slam Dunk Contest will be one of 3 events taking place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA on February 14, 2026. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. ET with the contest the third event scheduled. Watch the action on NBC and Peacock.

This year’s event promises a new champion joining the likes of past winners Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, Zach LaVine, and McClung. All of those players have multiple Slam Dunk Contest titles on their resume.

Odds are up for the 2026 Slam Dunk Contest with rookie Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs listed as the favorite on the NBA betting line. Fellow first-year player Jase Richardson has the bloodline to be a champion and veterans Jaxson Hayes of the Lakers and Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat round out the field.

He has the longest odds on the board but Richards has the pedigree as the son of former 2-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Jason Richardson. Jason, then with the Golden State Warriors, became the 2nd back to back winner with titles in 2002 and 2003 joining Michael Jordan at the time as the only players with consecutive titles.

The younger Richardson is looking to create his own legacy in the Association. He hasn’t seen a ton of action with the Orlando Magic this season averaging a little more than 12 minutes in 38 games. He scored a career best 20 points against Washington last month.

At 6-6 with a 7-foot wingspan and mad hops, Bryant is the most physically gifted player in the field. And those attributes can lead to some impressive dunks. The 14th overall pick by San Antonio in the 2025 draft has the tools and with some flair he can put on a show.

We don’t often see big men wow a crowd with dunks since they’re so close to the rim as it is. Think back to when Spud Webb won the title. The little guy defying gravity was a spectacle. But Hayes has shown athleticism for a 7-footer and has flashed creativity in his above-the-rim antics.

The Heat’s Johnson, another physical specimen at 6-6, rounds out the field. He’s in his first full NBA season after splitting time between Miami and the G League last season. No stranger to playing around and above the rim, Johnson is explosive with more than a third of his career made field goals being dunks.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest Predictions

We don’t know a lot about the field making it difficult to predict. Though he’s nimble around the rim, post players don’t get the recognition so I’ll have to scratch Hayes. Based on physical attributes and college highlights, backing Bryant and Johnson to advance is logical.

Johnson fits the bill of so many past winners with his size and power. And that’s always something that fans and judges like to see. As long as he doesn’t miss, Johnson is the pick.