Start the rumor mill.
The 2019 NBA All-Star Draft was aired on Thursday night in a pre-recorded special on TNT. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo made their picks for the Feb. 17 All-Star Game in Charlotte, with James taking Kevin Durant first overall for the second straight year.
Antetokounmpo selected Durant's Golden State Warriors teammate Stephen Curry with the No. 2 pick.
| Team LeBron | Players in order of selection |
|---|---|
| F | Kevin Durant |
| G | Kyrie Irving |
| F | Kawhi Leonard |
| G | James Harden |
| F | Anthony Davis |
| G | Klay Thompson |
| G | Daman Lillard |
| G | Russell Westbrook |
| F | LaMarcus Aldridge |
| C | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| G | Bradley Beal |
| G | Dwyane Wade |
| Team Giannis | Players in order of selection |
|---|---|
| G | Stephen Curry |
| C | Joel Embiid |
| F | Paul George |
| G | Kemba Walker |
| G | Khris Middleton |
| C | Nikola Jokic |
| F/G | Ben Simmons |
| F | Blake Griffin |
| G | D'Angelo Russell |
| C | Nikola Vucevic |
| G | Kyle Lowry |
| F | Dirk Nowitzki |
Five of the first six players James selected - Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson - can become free agents over the next two summers.
In the spirit of Thursday's trade deadline, LeBron and Giannis quickly swung a trade, with James sending Russell Westbrook to Antetokounmpo for Ben Simmons.
The final two picks were reserved for the special veteran additions. James selected former teammate and longtime friend Dwyane Wade, while Antetokounmpo picked Dirk Nowitzki.
For the second straight year, both All-Star teams will play for community-based organizations, with donations directed toward outreach efforts that benefit the All-Star host city. The winning team's charity will receive a $350,000 donation from the NBA and the NBPA, while the losing team's organization will get $150,000.
James' team is playing for Right Moves for Youth, a school-based dropout prevention and student-support program in Charlotte. Antetokounmpo's team, meanwhile, is playing for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.
