Summarize this content to 100 words: Updated Feb. 5, 2026, 7:55 a.m. MTShai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss next week’s NBA All-Star game due to injury, which may open the door for Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks to make his first All-Star appearance.The Oklahoma City Thunder announced that Gilgeous-Alexander will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break for an abdominal strain.That leaves Team World with seven players, one shy of the minimum eight needed under the new All-Star format. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to sit out the Feb. 15 game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., with a right calf strain.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver selects the replacement players. Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was added to the player pool and is slated to play for USA Stripes.With Gilgeous-Alexander down, Silver will have to make another selection.Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Enter Brooks, who, like Gilgeous-Alexander, is from Canada.The NBA announced the three rosters for its new All-Star format of U.S. versus World. The format will feature two teams comprised of U.S. players (USA Stars and USA Stripes) and one international squad (Team World) competing in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute quarters.In addition to Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander, Team World selections include Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers), Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers) and Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks).Brooks should be considered based on the Suns (31-20) nearly matching their win total from last season (36) before the All-Star break, his impact on the team’s culture and his individual numbers. Brooks is averaging a career-high 20.9 points in his first season with the Suns. Houston Rockets big Alperen Sengun is also a strong replacement candidate. He and Brooks were teammates in Houston. The Suns landed Brooks from the Rockets in the Kevin Durant deal before the 2025 draft.Sengun received his first All-Star nod last season and is putting up similar numbers this season. He’s averaging 21.4 points on 50.1% shooting, 9.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists this season as the Rockets (31-18) are fourth in the West.Last season, Sengun averaged 19.1 points on 49.6% shooting, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Houston finished second in the West last season.Suns All-Star Devin Booker landed on the USA Stars roster as a reserve along with Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Chet Holmgren (Thunder), Jalen Johnson (Atlanta Hawks) and Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers).Team Stripes has Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Miami Heat), Durant and Leonard.Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
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