Every year, there are several players who have played at an All-Star level but ultimately don’t get invited to attend the game. This year was no different.
After fans, players, and media selected the 10 starters, coaches filled out the remaining 14 reserves on Thursday. There weren’t enough spots to go around, and some very deserving players missed out on the honors.
Here’s who made the cut and who were this year’s biggest snubs.
MORE: Full rosters, voting results for 2025 NBA All-Star Game
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson | Stephen Curry |
| Donovan Mitchell | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | LeBron James |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Kevin Durant |
| Jayson Tatum | Nikola Jokic |
| Damian Lillard | James Harden |
| Darius Garland | Anthony Edwards |
| Evan Mobley | Victor Wembanyama |
| Pascal Siakam | Anthony Davis |
| Jaylen Brown | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
| Cade Cunningham | Jalen Williams |
| Tyler Herro | Alperen Sengun |
Starters listed in bold
LaMelo Ball
Ball should have been an All-Star, point blank. The game was meant for exciting young players like him, and fans want to see him. He finished No. 1 in the fan vote and No. 3 in the player vote, but he missed out on being a starter due to a poor showing in the media vote. Now, he’ll miss the game entirely.
Coaches ultimately held the Hornets‘ poor team record against Ball, but they have been even more horrendous in games that he’s missed, winning only one of those 13 games. He has been carrying that team with an extremely high usage and great offensive production.
MORE: Why NBA fans, media are so split on LaMelo Ball
Tyrese Maxey
It’s not Maxey’s fault that the Sixers have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments. He’s had to carry the team on several nights with Joel Embiid and Paul George unavailable.
His 27.1 points per game is actually an improvement over last season’s 25.9 total, which got him into the All-Star Game. His 3-pointer hasn’t been quite as accurate, but he’s been statistically better than several of the guards who made it in ahead of him — and he’s taken another leap in the middle of the season.
Trae Young
Young always puts up crazy numbers, and this year is no different. He was averaging 22.7 points and a league-leading 11.4 assists for a surprisingly feisty Hawks team but failed to make his fourth appearance. His shooting numbers are a bit down, but he has increased his facilitating while looking better than usual defensively.
Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton had a tough start to the season and was seemingly still limited by the nagging injuries that hampered him at the end of last year. He and the Pacers both started turning it around after the first month of the season. He has been averaging a stellar 19.8 points and 8.7 assists on 49.5 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from 3 since Nov. 24. That was too little, too late in the eyes of the coaches.
Zach LaVine
What a comeback season for LaVine. After many proclaimed him an inefficient, injury-prone, overpaid scorer, he proved his critics wrong by returning to his previous All-Star form.
LaVine has been one of the deadliest 3-point shooters in the league, hitting 44.6 percent from deep, and he’s missed only five games on the year due to injury (he’s currently out on paternity leave). He’s been keeping the Bulls in the Play-In Tournament picture with his elite shot creation.
Derrick White
White is always going to be on this list of snubs. He doesn’t score enough to gain much consideration for these teams, mostly due to the immense talent that Boston has on its roster. He also hasn’t been quite as good as last season, but he’s still one of the best glue guys in the league and a two-way force.
Jarrett Allen
The Cavs very conceivably could have had four of their players make the All-Star team. A recent losing skid may have cost them a spot or two.
Allen has continued to be one of the most reliable big men in the league. He’s a great lob threat, a much-improved passer, and a terrific rim protector. These selections often boil down to points per game, and Allen’s 13.8 per game sadly weren’t enough.
MORE: The case for each Cavaliers core player to join Donovan Mitchell at All-Star game
Jalen Johnson
Johnson is one of the league’s breakout stars. He has done a little bit of everything for the Hawks, playing good defense at the wing, hitting open 3’s, playmaking for others, and using his superb athleticism to get to the rim.
Johnson’s season was cut short by shoulder surgery after just 36 games. He was averaging 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He still probably should have been named to the team before being replaced.
Franz Wagner
Wagner has turned into one of the best point forwards in the league. He’s been the engine for the Magic‘s offense, averaging 24.7 points and 5.4 assists per game, and he’s a good defender, as well. Had he stayed healthy the whole year, he’d be a lock for this team. Unfortunately, an adductor injury that kept him out of 20 games cost him his first All-Star berth.
Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis is averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game this season and leading the league with 14.5 rebounds. He also remains an important passing hub for the Kings, chipping in 6.6 assists per game. And if that weren’t enough, he has become a dynamite 3-point shooter, hitting 48.1 percent of his attempts from deep. This has been the best season of his career.
Norman Powell
Harden gets credit as the Clippers’ best offensive player, but it has really been Powell, who is averaging a team-high 24.0 points per game.
Powell prognosticated before the season started that other players could step up and fill the void left by Paul George. He backed that up by turning into one of the league’s premier tough shot-makers. He’s hit a scorching 43.5 percent of his 3’s this year and come up with some huge buckets to help them to their No. 6 standing in the West.
Kyrie Irving
Like Doncic, Irving had his case weakened due to injuries. He’s already missed 10 games this season, but he was at a very high level when he was on the floor, averaging 24.2 points per game. He still has one of the best handles in the league, is a great shot creator, and can make the toughest shots look easy.
Ivica Zubac
He’s not close to the team’s leading scorer, but Zubac has quietly been the best player on a surprisingly good Clippers team. He’s become a good post-up threat, a great roller alongside James Harden, and a solid passer.
Zubac is also quietly one of the better defensive centers in the league. He’s a fantastic rebounder and a heady player who is good at patrolling the paint. There aren’t many more solid two-way centers in the league than Zu.
De’Aaron Fox
Fox never seems to get the respect that he deserves. This is the second straight year where he put up All-Star numbers but failed to make the team. His 25.1 points per game is leading the resurgent Kings, and he’s become a solid defender after struggling on that end of the floor earlier in his career.
MORE: The Victor Wembanyama championship window is now: Why Spurs need to trade for De’Aaron Fox
Petre Thomas
Ja Morant
Morant has had a decent comeback season after everything that could go wrong did go wrong last year. He’s still one of the most electric athletes in the league despite his empty threats of not dunking anymore, and he can get to the rim at will.
Morant hasn’t been quite as good as his box score stats suggest though. His lack of availability has also ultimately hurt his case. He’s already missed 19 games due to multiple injuries.
Devin Booker
Booker had made the All-Star game in four of his previous five seasons. This hasn’t been a particularly great year for him or the Suns, though. He is scoring an impressive 25.5 points per game, but his efficiency is way down. His 51.5 effective field goal percentage is the lowest that it’s been since his third year in the league.
Booker had begun to heat up, scoring 30 or more points for five consecutive games in January and averaging 29.0 points over his past 10 games. That ultimately wasn’t enough to earn him the nod.
Luka Doncic
Doncic was having an MVP-level season when he was healthy, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. He hasn’t played in enough games though after injuring his calf on Christmas.
Doncic already has missed too much time to meet the 65-game qualification for All-NBA teams and MVP honors. He previously had a five-year stream of First-Team selections and All-Star appearances that will end this year. He was brilliant enough in his 22 games that he may have had a chance of making the game, but the coaches thought otherwise, and he may not have been able to play even if he had been selected.
Fred VanVleet
VanVleet has been Ime Udoka’s most trusted player on the No. 2 team in the West. He’s leading the team in minutes and assists while helping to totally change the culture as a gritty undersized guard.
VanVleet has always been a pesky defender, and the Rockets are one of the top defenses in the league thanks to that toughness. Houston deserved more representation in this game, and he had a strong case for his second All-Star appearance.
