Chicago Bulls' Josh Giddey Slips in Latest NBA All-Star Voting Return

The Chicago Bulls' Josh Giddey stumbled down the All-Star leaderboard on Tuesday.

The NBA released its second batch of All-Star voting results, dropping Giddey into the No. 19 spot in the Eastern Conference. Previously sitting at No. 14 with 115,000 votes, the jumbo guard now sits only ahead of Orlando's Franz Wagner on the list with a tally of 197,162. Miami's Norman Powell, Philly's Joel Embiid, and New York's Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges were the four players to move ahead of Giddey.

For what it's worth, when compared to the 20 players named for the Western Conference, Giddey's total number of votes puts him 38th. The Spurs' Stephon Castle joins Wagner behind the Bulls' standout. He is also now 13th among the international players. The NBA has switched this year's format to a tournament that will feature a "world" roster – a change that has felt as though it could help Giddey land a spot.

Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to lead the way for their respective conferences. There has been minimal overall change in the East leaderboard as a whole. The most notable swaps include Jalen Brunson pushing Tyrese Maxey down a step as he claims second, and Michael Porter Jr. grabbing Pascal Siakam's spot at No. 9.

Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain the leaders in their conferences in the second fan returns in NBA All-Star Voting 2026.

Fans (50% of the vote) join NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) in selecting five players in each conference honored as starters. pic.twitter.com/u8tlbj9GA8
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 6, 2026

Does Josh Giddey Still Have a Chance?

Josh Giddey.of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA;Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) dribbles the ball towards the basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Fan voting (50 percent) is only a factor for All-Star Game starters, and it always felt unlikely that Josh Giddey would contend for a spot in the first five. Yes, players (25 percent) and media (percent) will also cast ballots for starters and could play a part in shaking up the order. Still, Giddey's chance at a Top 5 spot in the East was always going to be an uphill battle.

What matters much more is the fact that he is in the conversation and appears within the current Top 20. Again, fan voting isn't the end all be all, but it is a decent reflection of who has a chance at participating in the big game. With that in mind, seeing him nearly fall off the leaderboard altogether is a slight concern.

One has to imagine his recent injury plays at least a part in this slide, and there is a good chance it ends in him fully dropping off the list by the time the next results are revealed. He has already missed the last four games and isn't set to have his hamstring re-evaluated until at least the middle of next week. The less he is out there and making a case for himself, the less likely it is that he remains in the mix. That's just the reality for players on middling teams.

The only good news is that head coaches will be the ones to decide the reserves in each conference. There is no question that Giddey has become a bigger part of the scouting report this season, and head coaches are going to be well aware of his career-high numbers. Will that be enough to earn him the spot, though? Will coaches side with more proven players on more competitive teams? We'll see.