Brendan O’Sullivan provides the opening odds for the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest was once the main event of All-Star Weekend. It dominated headlines and many of the previous competitions remained popular for decades after. Whether new players drew inspiration from old dunks or fans were reliving the moment, the dunk contest was a staple of All-Star Weekend.
The event hasn’t been as special in recent memory with stars opting out of the contest, leaving rookies and even G-League players to compete. While the dunk quality isn’t always down, the lack of star players has caused the event to be less exciting. Watching LeBron James dunk will almost always draw more attention than a G-League player, even if the latter was objectively better.
The 2026 competition is another example of young players taking over the event. Three of the four competitors are in their first or second NBA seasons, with the fourth being a seventh-year veteran.
Additionally, all four players are competing in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the first time. Below is a list of all the competitors and the opening odds for each on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Opening Odds for the 2026 NBA Dunk Contest on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jaxson Hayes, Carter Bryant, Keshad Johnson and Jase Richardson are the four participants in the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Jaxson Hayes (+175)
Hayes is the only veteran of this competition, having been drafted in 2019. He’s in his seventh NBA season and third with the Los Angeles Lakers. Of the four competitors, he has the most dunks by far with 75. That’s tied for 19th in the NBA. The only problem is that centers haven’t historically done as well in this event compared to guards and forwards.
Carter Bryant (+175)
Bryant is one of two rookies in this event, but he’s favored to win. Him and Hayes are tied at +175 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, despite Bryant only recording nine dunks this season. To be fair, Bryant has played over 300 fewer minutes than Hayes, but it’s still a low number of dunks for a competitor.
Keshad Johnson (+450)
Johnson also has nine dunks this season, and much of that has to do with playing time and offensive touches. The sophomore forward has shown athleticism in limited action, but that’s also why he’s +450 entering the event.
Jase Richardson (+500)
Richardson is the second rookie in this competition. He’s the underdog since he has just four dunks all year despite playing more minutes than Bryant and Johnson. The one outside factor that Richardson has over his competition is he’s the son of two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson (2002 and 2003).