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2019 All-NBA Teams Announced

The 2019 All-NBA Teams are here. The three MVP Finalists headline the selections, while a King in the West fell to the lowest selection of his career.

The NBA announced the 2019 All-NBA Teams Thursday afternoon. The selections are much more than just recognition, though. They also dictate whether or not players are eligible for supermax extensions in the future.

2019 All-NBA Teams

The announcement came with a few surprises and a handful of potential snubs. Without further ado, here are the 2019 All-NBA selections.

All-NBA First Team

MVP finalists Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, and Paul George earned first-team honors alongside Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic. Voters selected Antetokounmpo and Harden unanimously.

Antetokounmpo, George, and Jokic are First Team selections for the first time in their careers, while Curry and Harden return to the list for the third and fifth times, respectively.

Jokic is the newest member of the elite group that can claim All-NBA status.

All-NBA Second Team

The argument that the second team is better than the first team has already made rounds on social media. Some consider Kevin Durant (nine All-NBA selections) the best player in the league, while Kawhi Leonard (three) is challenging that narrative. Joel Embiid (two) is arguably the most dominant big man in the game while Kyrie Irving (two) and Damian Lillard (four) fight for the title of second-best point guard in the league.

All-NBA Third Team

LeBron James has now tied Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most All-NBA selections in history with 15. James has claimed First Team honors 12 times, Second Team twice (2005, 2007), and now a Third Team spot. Voters have selected him to an All-NBA team every season since his rookie campaign (2003-04).

Russell Westbrook (eight) was also relegated to the Third Team for the first time in his career, despite nearly averaging a triple-double for the third-straight year. Kemba Walker notched his first-ever All-NBA selection after eight seasons in the league.

Payday

The All-NBA team determines which players are eligible for a supermax extension. Without diving into NBAPA jargon, if a player is named to an All-NBA team in the season prior to their contract expiring, they can get a boatload of money. This also applies if a player is selected to two All-NBA teams over the final three years of their contracts. However, if a player leaves in free agency or gets traded after their rookie deal expires, they are ineligible for a supermax extension.

The biggest winners are the players that can now ink a supermax deal in the near future. Antetokounmpo fits the bill, and could potentially sign the biggest contract in NBA history next summer, a five-year deal worth $247 million.

Walker is now eligible to make an extra $80 million if offered the supermax by the Charlotte Hornets, while Lillard can now sign either a four- or five- year extension worth either $190 million or $250 million, respectively.

Snubs

A few notable snubs include Klay Thompson (who found out during an interview), Karl-Anthony Towns, and Bradley Beal. None of the three will be eligible for supermax extensions during their next contract negotiations.

Main Photo:

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 18: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of Team Stephen goes for the lay up in the third quarter, during the 2018 NBA All-Star Game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on February 18, 2018. (Photo by Philip Pacheco/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

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Chase Gage

Chase is an Arkansas State graduate and lifelong Boston Celtics fan. He spends his free time contemplating why all of his favorite teams love hurting him so much.

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