NBA All-Star draft: Which starter will be picked first in 2023?

For the first time in NBA All-Star Game history, the captains will draft their teams live immediately before the contest tips off Sunday. This will add more immediacy to the draft, and potentially create more drama among the players. There's another wrinkle to this draft, as the captains will be picking the reserves first and then moving to the starters.

LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as captains for this year's draft. James has been a captain every year since the new format was introduced, while Antetokounmpo's playing status is up in the air after he sat out Saturday's Skills Challenge with a wrist sprain.

Fans and bettors can make a pick on which starter will be drafted first once the reserves have been taken off the board. Here's a look at those odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

If James gets the first pick among the starters, Irving is the natural bet at +260. In our mock draft, we have Antetokounmpo with the first starter selection and the Bucks forward going with Nikola Jokic. Jokic is a strong contender even at +800 to be the first player taken, as he's the MVP frontrunner once again.

Luka Doncic is the odds-on favorite and Antetokounmpo could go that way but there are no position restrictions which makes it a bit more interesting. If there were, Doncic would've been a more natural choice over Jokic.

  
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