Jalen Duren withdraws from dunk contest; Jase Richardson to take his place.
Detroit Pistons forward Jalen Duren has withdrawn from the 2026 Slam Dunk contest due to a knee injury sustained last week, as reported by several sources.
Duren, who is making his All-Star debut, left Thursday’s matchup against the Wizards prematurely because of right knee discomfort and subsequently missed Friday’s victory over the Knicks.
Orlando Magic rookie Jase Richardson, the son of two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson, will take Duren’s place. He will compete alongside Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, and Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson, all of whom are participating in the event for the first time.
The dunk contest has recently been led by Mac McClung, who chose to forgo the event after becoming the first three-time champion last year.
The contest is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14 at Intuit Dome and will follow a two-round format where judges evaluate each dunk. Each of the four participants will perform two dunks in the initial round, and the total score will determine the top two who progress to the final round. The finalists will then execute two additional dunks, with the highest cumulative score deciding the champion.
