Jalen Duren’s Status for NBA All-Star Game After Suspension for Pistons-Hornets Fight

On Monday night the Pistons and Hornets got into a rare, true brawl on the hardwood.

Centers Jalen Duren and Moussa Diabaté sparked the fight by getting into it after some physical play from both players. Duren shoved his hand into Diabaté’s face and the Hornets’ big man swung at the Detroit center. Miles Bridges and Isaiah Stewart both wound up getting involved and got into a fight of their own. It was an explosive fight the likes of which the NBA only sees once a year (if that). It’s also the sort of fight where suspensions and fines would absolutely follow.

On Wednesday the NBA revealed the punishments for those involved. Duren got two games, Diabaté and Bridges got four each and Stewart got seven in part due to his previous suspension history. They’re hefty suspensions for the players’ respective teams to handle; in particular Stewart is going to miss a stretch of difficult games for the Pistons. But given the violent nature of the altercation few can claim the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.

It’s all rather poor timing for Duren, though. The 22-year-old center earned his first All-Star berth this year manning the middle for top-seeded Detroit, averaging 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while playing the best defense of his young career. As far as his value to the team it’s key his suspension was the lightest of the group; he’s an important running mate for MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

But the Pistons only have one game remaining before the All-Star break, which means Duren will enter the 2026 All-Star weekend in Los Angeles under suspension. What does that mean for his status and potential participation in the All-Star Game itself?

As it turns out—it means nothing at all. Duren will be able to participate in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game even though his suspension will not be fully served when the game occurs. A league spokesperson confirmed Duren’s ability to suit up in a statement to Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News.

“However, a suspension would not prevent Duren from playing in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, a league spokesperson told The Detroit News on Tuesday,” Davis wrote yesterday.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported the same on Wednesday morning and additionally noted Duren would be able to participate in the slam dunk contest as well. Duren was initially announced as a competitor for this year’s dunk contest but was left out of the final lineup revealed by the NBA last weekend, so it’s not clear whether he plans to suit up on Saturday night.

As to why Duren is allowed to play in the All-Star game as a suspended player, no specific explanation has been offered. But the NBA’s bylaws state the following in regards to suspended players or personnel:

“If a player, coach or assistant coach is suspended from a game or games, he shall not at any time before, during or after such game or games appear in any part of the arena or stands where his team is playing.”

As you can see there’s no mention of league activities like the All-Star Ggame, only that the suspended individual cannot be around when “his team” is playing.

An odd situation given the timing of the fight but it seems Duren won’t miss out on his first All-Star experience.

More NBA from Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.