How does the All-Star Game draft work?

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game returns on Sunday, February 19 with Salt Lake City as this year’s host location. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on TNT, though this year’s exhibition will come with a fresh twist. Once again, each roster will be compiled by the two conference lead vote-getters, who were named “captains” for the game.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers will serve as the Western Conference captain, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokoumpo will be the captain for the Eastern Conference. This year marks James’ sixth straight selection as captain after finishing as the West’s top vote-getter. Antekoumpo will serve as captain for the third time since the inception of the All-Star Draft format.

The All-Star Draft will take place before tipoff at 7:30 p.m. ET, and will be available to watch on TNT and TBS. There’s one big twist this year.

Both captains will start by drafting the 14 All-Star reserve selections. Paul George and Damian Lillard are among the returning names for this year’s exhibition, but James and Antetokoumpo will also have a handful of first-time All-Star selections to choose from. De’Aaron Fox, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jaren Jackson Jr. all make their All-Star debut in Salt Lake City, giving fans a look at some of the league’s brightest stars for the future.

Then, James and Antetokoumpo will select from the remaining pool of the eight NBA All-Star starters. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Ja Morant highlight this year’s pool of starters. Lauri Markkannen of the Jazz will make his All-Star debut in addition to being named a starter due to injury replacement, giving the home crowd something extra to cheer for.