The NBA Finals brings with it Adam Silver's annual state of the league press conference.
The national media gets all of the answers (or the canned ones) about the big issues around the league -- from concerns about TV ratings, to the questions of competitive balance around the league and the prospect of expansion.
The league is still trying to get its handle on an intractable "problem" of their All-Star Game.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about this specifically at his press conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, as he envisions another change to All-Star Weekend. After watching the success of the NHL's Four Nations Cup, a tournament the league ran instead of an All-Star weekend, he is envisioning something similar for a new All-Star Game for the NBA.
"We are looking at something that brings an international flavor into All-Star competition," Silver said. "I think, as I said the other day, we’re still experimenting internally with different formats, talking to the Players Association about that.
"I don’t think a straight-up USA versus World makes sense. That’s not what they did in the NHL either. There probably will be some different teams we form. Whether it’s some regional basis for how we combine certain groups of players, because USA players, who I talked about earlier, international is 30% of the league, American players are still 70% of the league."
It is still unclear what this will look like. The NBA will hold its All-Star Game in whatever format in the afternoon on NBC this coming February to accommodate NBC's coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Whatever the case, it seems likely that this format will benefit the Magic's young stars.
All All-Star nods are earned -- whether by fan vote or from the coaches and league, in whatever way they end up divvying these teams. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will have their say on becoming All-Stars this year. They are both capable.
But a new format could open the door for them to get to the All-Star Game more easily. Especially Franz Wagner.
The league is certainly willing to try something new once again with the showcase game. It is redefining who is an All-Star and how players qualify for the All-Star Game. It is unclear what the rules would be.
But it will remain a one-day event. And the likely bet is that it will resemble the tournament the league attempted last year. Even if the league puts together regional teams -- perhaps an East Coast U.S./Canada team, a West Coast U.S./Canada team, a European team and an Africa/Asia team -- it leaves open a lot of spots to fill. And it could leave out some established stars with the limited roster spots.
Some arrangement like this would at least make some sense if the idea is to have some element of pride involved in the competition. The league's ultimate goal is to put together a semi-competitive product to keep fans engaged.
For European and international stars, that leaves a lot of spots to fill. It indeed does not make much sense to do a U.S. vs. the World matchup -- unless national teams are flying over for the short exhibition.
Looking at the 2025 NBA All-Stars, there were only four European-born All-Stars -- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Alperen Sengun. There are obviously a lot more European-born players they would need to add.
Considering Eurobasket is set to take place this summer, there will be a showcase for current and future European stars. Franz Wagner did not commit to playing in the tournament for Germany, but he seems like a likely rising star in another international competition.
Add in Luka Doncic, who missed the All-Star Game with an injury, and that is a solid European team. In fact, Wagner was fifth among European-born players in scoring average last season.
The league could also lump Paolo Banchero into a European team because of his ties to Italy, even though he is among the favorites to be on Team USA for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
If the league is going to do a tournament with some international or local flavor, they are going to need to bend some rules to keep all the top stars involved and retain the All-Star Game's historical honor.
As Silver estimated, about 70 percent of the league is still American born. There is no clean way to make international teams. That is why Wagner is a likely All-Star in this format. Not that he would not earn it anyway.
It should be clear that Banchero and Wagner will be under consideration for an All-Star berth, regardless of the format for the next All-Star Game.
Banchero averaged 25.9 points per game last year and finished fourth in fan voting despite playing in only five games. Wagner averaged 24.2 points per game last year. He was on the outside of the All-Star conversation but likely would have been named by the coaches if not for his injury in early December.
Orlando has two All-Stars on the roster, no matter how anyone shakes it out and no matter how the league makes these rosters.
There will be changes to the All-Star Game once again this year. And those changes seem to be to the Magic's benefit once again.