Detroit Pistons forward Jalen Duren is pulling out of the 2026 slam dunk contest due to a knee injury he suffered last week, according to multiple reports.
Duren, a first-time All-Star, exited Thursday’s game against the Wizards early due to right knee soreness and then sat out Friday’s win over the Knicks.
Duren is being replaced by Orlando Magic rookie Jase Richardson, the son of two-time slam dunk champion Jason Richardson. He will join Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant and Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson, all first-time participants in the event.
The dunk contest had been recently dominated by Mac McClung, who elected to skip the event after becoming the first three-time winner last year.
The contest, which takes place on Feb. 14 at Intuit Dome, features a two-round format with judges scoring each dunk. All four players will attempt two dunks in the first round, and the combined score determines the top two who advance to the final round. The finalists then attempt two more dunks, with the highest combined score determining the winner.