Making the All-NBA 2nd Team feels a bit like being the person who gives the best toast at a wedding but isn't the best man. You were phenomenal. You were essential. But for some reason—maybe a missed week of games or just the sheer existence of a guy like Nikola Jokić—you aren't on the top platform.
Honestly, the All NBA 2nd Team is where the most interesting basketball debates live. The First Team is usually a lock. We know who the top three or four guys are by February. But that second tier? That’s where the bloodbath happens.
What Most People Get Wrong About the All NBA 2nd Team
There's this weird misconception that the second team is just "the losers of the first team." That is total nonsense. In the modern era, especially with the 2024 CBA changes, making any All-NBA team is a gauntlet.
You've got the 65-game rule now. If a superstar plays 64 games because of a rolled ankle in March, they are gone. Poof. Their season "didn't happen" in the eyes of the record books. This has turned the second team into a survival list for the elite.
Take the 2024-25 season as a prime example. The roster was basically a "Who's Who" of icons and the next generation.
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- LeBron James (Lakers)
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Think about that for a second. You have LeBron James, at age 40, still out-working 95% of the league, sitting right next to Jalen Brunson, who basically carries the entire city of New York on his back every night. It’s a mix of "Still Got It" and "I’m Next."
The Positionless Chaos
The NBA finally ditched the old "two guards, two forwards, one center" format recently. Now, it’s just the best players. Period. This change was huge for the All NBA 2nd Team because it stopped punishing centers. For years, you’d have the two best players in the league both be centers (like Embiid and Jokić), and one would get bumped to the second team just because of a label.
Now? If the five best players are all seven feet tall, they can all be First Team. This has actually made the second team even harder to make. You aren't just competing with people who play your position; you're competing with everyone.
The Money: Why These Votes Actually Matter
It’s easy to think these awards are just for the trophy case. They aren't. They are about the bag. Specifically, the "Supermax" eligibility.
If a player on a rookie scale contract makes an All-NBA team (any team, even the third), they can qualify for a contract worth 30% of the salary cap instead of 25%. When the cap is hovering around $150 million, that 5% difference is life-changing money. We are talking about tens of millions of dollars hanging on the vote of a media member in Des Moines or a broadcaster in LA.
"It's a lot of pressure on the voters," says one long-time NBA columnist. "You aren't just ranking players; you're essentially signing their checks."
The 2025-26 Landscape: Who is Fighting for a Spot?
Right now, as we move through the 2025-26 season, the race for the All NBA 2nd Team is a mess—in a good way.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo usually have the First Team locked down. That leaves a massive vacuum for the second team. We’re seeing guys like Cade Cunningham in Detroit finally making that leap into the elite conversation. Then you have the veterans. Can Steph Curry keep up this level of production at his age? History says yes, but the young guards are getting faster.
The Snub Factor
Every year, someone gets "robbed." In 2025, there was a lot of noise about James Harden making the Third Team while players like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Alperen Sengun missed out on higher honors.
The criteria often shifts depending on who you talk to.
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- Winning: Does the team actually make the playoffs?
- Availability: Did they hit that 65-game mark? (The 20-minute-per-game requirement is the real killer here).
- Narrative: Is there a "he’s due" factor?
How to Track the Race Yourself
If you're trying to figure out who will land on the All NBA 2nd Team this year, don't just look at points per game. That’s a rookie mistake. Look at the "on-off" splits. Look at how a team collapses when their star sits.
Most importantly, keep an eye on the games played tracker. In 2026, health is a statistical category of its own. If a player hits game 60 and has two weeks left in the season, they are officially in the "Safe Zone."
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the 65-game count: Use sites like Basketball-Reference or the official NBA app to track starts. Anyone under 65 is ineligible, no matter how good they are.
- Ignore positions: When debating with friends, remember that the "Center" spot doesn't exist anymore for these ballots.
- Check the contract status: See which players are in a "contract year" or eligible for an extension. They usually play with a different level of desperation to make these teams.
The All NBA 2nd Team isn't a consolation prize. It’s a testament to being one of the ten best basketball players on the planet. In a league with over 450 players, that’s a pretty decent place to be.