NBA Slam Dunk Contest Picks, Best Bets & Odds for 2026

• A new Slam Dunk champion will be crowned Saturday
• Two rookies headline the contest
• Keep reading for my NBA Slam Dunk Contest picks and best bets

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While the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has lost much of its luster since the days of Vince Carter, Jason Richardson, and Nate Robinson, the NBA has picked four high flyers this year who aim to reverse the degradation of the Slam Dunk.

All-Star festivities begin at 5:00 pm ET on NBC and Peacock. The Slam Dunk is the last contest of the night; however, with a likely start after 8:00 pm.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest Best Bet: Keshad Johnson to Beat Carter Bryant (+750, FanDuel)

I like the value here. Bryant is a heavy favorite to make the final, and Johnson is third in the pack. Essentially, this is picking the No. 3 seed to beat the No. 1 seed. The combinations that include Hayes and Bryant are even shorter than this +750 mark, and any combos with Jase Richardson are beyond 11-to-1.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest Pick: Keshad Johnson (+360, DraftKings)

I’ll take my chances with the great unknown of the Slam Dunk Contest in Johnson. Johnson has an athletic 6-foot-6 frame, and I think there is a reason the NBA is taking a chance on a second-year player. Bryant and Richardson are rookies with good pedigree, and Hayes is a veteran, but the sophomore Johnson is my pick.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest Odds

Carter Bryant is the favorite to win the Slam Dunk Contest, with +190 odds on BetMGM. The rookie is followed closely by Jaxson Hayes who has +250 odds, also on BetMGM. The long shots in the competition: Keshad Johnson (+360 on DraftKings) and Jase Richardson (+500 on DraftKings), two Floridian dunkers with little NBA experience.

Who Is in the 2026 Slam-Dunk Contest?

Carter Bryant, Spurs

A lottery pick out of Arizona in the 2025 NBA Draft, Bryant has shown promise as a two-way player in his 43-game NBA career. At the NBA Combine, Bryant recorded a vertical of 39.5 inches, so he has the bunnies needed to compete in this event. At the NBA level, unfortunately, Bryant only has nine dunks to his name. His athletic profile and recent draft pedigree make him the favorite.

Jaxson Hayes, Lakers

Hayes is by far the most experienced and most well-known player in the Slam Dunk. He has over 400 NBA games to his name across four seasons with the Pelicans and three with the Lakers. He is also the most experienced NBA dunker, recording 594 in his career. As a Laker, over 52% of his field goal attempts have been dunks, proving to be useful as a roll man with the likes of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Hayes is the most-known commodity, but big men have a spotty history in the Slam Dunk. Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, and Obi Toppin have managed to break through to win the contest, but the overwhelming majority of winners are wings and guards.

Keshad Johnson, Heat

Johnson has played 37 games across two NBA seasons. He has 15 career dunks, representing just over 20% of his career field goal attempts. Undrafted out of San Diego State and Arizona, the forward is the great unknown of the competition. The Heat last had a Slam Dunk winner in 2020 with Derrick Jones Jr.

Jase Richardson, Magic

The son of Slam Dunk royalty, Jason Richardson, Jase Richardson was the 25th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Magic. Richardson has played 39 games this season, averaging 5.1 points per game. He has only recorded four dunks in his NBA career, but given the genes, he is a serious threat to win this competition. However, he is fighting an uphill battle height-wise as he stands five inches shorter than anyone in the competition.

Last Five Slam-Dunk Contest Winners

The run of Mac McClung is over after the guard won three-straight Slam Dunks. McClung is one of two players in Slam Dunk history to win three competitions, and the only one to do so consecutively. Richardson will look to match McClung as Magic to win the contest.