NBA considers three-team U.S.-vs-World All-Star format for 2026

The NBA is moving toward a radical new format for its 2026 All Star Game that would pit three eight-player teams — two made up of U.S.-born players and one composed of international stars — in a roundrobin mini-tournament at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Feb. 15. League and players union officials presented the concept to the competition committee this week, and people familiar with the discussions said the proposal received a positive response as the league seeks to revive waning interest in its midseason showcase.

Under the likely plan, each team would field eight players — roughly 16 Americans and eight internationals, mirroring the NBA's current player makeup of about 70 percent U.S. and 30 percent overseas — and play short games with 12-minute quarters in a Ryder Cup-style schedule. The three teams would face one another in a roundrobin to determine an All Star winner. The game will be broadcast on NBC in an afternoon window that coincides with the Milan Winter Olympics, league officials noted, a timing Commissioner Adam Silver has said offers "an enormous opportunity" to lean into international competition.

Officials and players have weighed multiple alternatives in...