NBA 2K26 modders expand Eras rosters with new face conversions

Why this thread matters deep into NBA 2K26

The best thing happening in NBA 2K26 right now is not a patch note or a shiny new mode. It is modders quietly filling in the holes that the base game still leaves behind, one face conversion at a time, so your Eras saves actually look like the league you remember.

That is the real value of the new conversion thread: it turns old assets into usable roster pieces for modern 2K26 builds, without the usual visual weirdness that can make imported faces look off. The project was built around a new tool that moves faces from NBA 2K18 into NBA 2K26, and the whole point is practical, not decorative. These are not trophy pieces for a mod folder. They are working parts for Eras rosters, throwback franchises, and offline saves that need believable player pools.

What the conversion project is trying to fix

The thread started with a clear goal: finish Eras rosters and eventually fold the work into a larger Eras mod, beginning with the LeBron era. That matters because it shows where the modding energy is going. Instead of treating classic faces like collectibles, the creator is using them to patch roster accuracy in a way that actually changes how a save plays.

That is the difference between a cosmetic upload and something you will use for months. A LeBron-era setup lives or dies on the little things: the right bench faces, the right rotation pieces, and the right obscure names showing up when you sim a season or take over a franchise. If you are building a throwback MyNBA universe, these conversions are the kind of detail that keeps the save from feeling half-finished.

The newest additions worth plugging into your roster

The thread got a fresh burst of activity when carnat63 posted a batch of new additions tied to players not currently covered well in the default game. The most notable names on that list are Thon Maker, Iman Shumpert, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, with their face IDs identified and unlocked on 2KShare. That alone is useful because it gives roster builders immediate access to recognizable players who help bridge eras and fill out lineups that otherwise look thin.

There was also new conversion work for Al Jefferson, Ronnie Price, and Jeremy Evans. Those updates came with images, file links, and overwrite information showing exactly which older players they replace in roster slots. That is the kind of detail modders live on, because it tells you where the asset belongs and what it will overwrite before you commit it to a save.

The practical result is simple:

• Thon Maker gives you another usable modern-era big for deeper roster builds.

• Iman Shumpert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson help round out wing rotations that often get weird in default retro setups.

• Al Jefferson brings a recognizable frontcourt name that belongs in era-specific builds.

• Ronnie Price and Jeremy Evans add depth, which is what most offline rosters actually need.

This is not about star power alone. It is about making sure a roster does not collapse the moment you start checking the bench or simming a season.

Why the LeBron era is the right place to start

Starting with the LeBron era is a smart move because it sits at the intersection of nostalgia and playability. It is recent enough that a lot of players still know the names, but old enough that default rosters can feel incomplete when you go back and try to recreate them in 2K26. That makes the conversion work more than a nostalgia exercise. It becomes a roster maintenance project for anyone who wants those seasons to feel authentic.

The appeal here is that the faces are being built to support the era, not the other way around. When you are loading up a LeBron-era save, a few missing or badly represented players can break the illusion fast. New conversions like these help restore that illusion by giving the roster the kind of visual consistency that makes a retro franchise feel deliberate instead of slapped together.

How to use these conversions without messing up your save

If you are working with Eras or a custom offline setup, the key is to treat each conversion like a roster slot decision, not just a face download. The overwrite notes matter because they tell you exactly where each player fits. If you ignore that and drop assets wherever they happen to land, you will end up with mismatched players, broken immersion, or a roster that does not reflect the actual era you are trying to build.

A clean workflow looks like this:

That last step matters more than people admit. A conversion can look perfect in a thread and still feel wrong in a live MyNBA file if the slotting is off.

Why this still matters months into the game’s life

Late in the cycle, the default game usually stops feeling like a full basketball sandbox and starts feeling like a foundation the community has to finish. This thread is proof that NBA 2K26 is still being actively built around by people who care about how the game actually plays over time, not just how it looks on day one. The work on Thon Maker, Iman Shumpert, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Al Jefferson, Ronnie Price, and Jeremy Evans is small on paper, but for the people running retro franchises, it is exactly the kind of update that keeps a save alive.

That is why these face conversions matter now. They do not just add better-looking players. They make classic rosters more complete, keep historical lineups coherent, and give Eras modders a stronger base to build on as the LeBron-era project expands. In a game like NBA 2K26, that kind of upkeep is what separates a temporary nostalgia trip from a roster setup you keep coming back to.