NBA All-Star snubs: Trae Young, Domantas Sabonis, LaMelo Ball miss the cut for 2025

Yahoo

30-01-2025

The NBA always has more stars than All-Star spots and that was once again clear when the league revealed the full rosters of the 2025 All-Star Game on Thursday.
Among those to make the cut are first-timer Victor Wembanyama and 21st-timer LeBron James. Six teams had multiple selections, while only two teams above .500 — the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings — had none. The game is once again stacked with recognizable talent, but there were plenty more players beyond the 24 players selected.
That includes the NBA's leaders in assists, rebounds and East All-Star fan votes.
Here are the most notable names to miss out on the honor, though let's make something abundantly clear: These are not snubs in the sense that these guys are clearly more deserving than someone who made the cut. We're just talking about guys who at least seemed worthy in a league with more All-Star worthy players than spots.
At least one of those players might also here there name called soon, depending on how serious Anthony Davis' injury is. The 2025 All-Star Game is scheduled for Feb. 16 in San Francisco.
No player has averaged more assists per game than Young's 9.7 since his NBA debut, a span of time in which he has averaged 25.2 points per game (12th in the NBA). That certainly sounds like a perennial All-Star, but Young has now missed out on the game for the fourth time of his seven-year career.
Young currently leads the NBA in assists per game with a career-high 11.4, but his lack of efficiency (40.2% shooting, 34.2% from deep, 4.7 turnovers per game) and the Hawks' lack of success (22-25 record, ninth in the East) once again left him off the roster.
Sabonis has played 44 games this season. He has recorded a double-double in 42 of them. For a third-straight year, he is leading the NBA in rebounding with 14.5 per game. The Kings have taken a step back this year, as evidenced by the firing of head coach Mike Brown, but Sabonis is a three-time All-Star playing as well as he's ever done.
This is the guy who probably gets the call if Davis can't make it to San Francisco.
Take Young's case then add some scoring and social media followers and remove some passing and team wins, and you have Ball's case. The 23-year-old has taken a step forward this year with 28.2 points per game, but the Hornets have done him no favors at 12-32.
Ball led the league in fan voting for the starter ballot, but has now missed the game all together. He is also currently dealing with an ankle sprain, so his availability for the ASG was already in question.
Kawhi Leonard has played nine games this season and remains on a minutes restriction. The Clippers are still 27-20, good for sixth in the West. A resurgent James Harden was recognized as a reason why with his 11th career All-Star selection, but just as important has been Powell.
The 33-year-old is starting regularly for the first time in his four-season Clippers career and is averaging a career-high 24.0 points per game, which leads the team. He raised eyebrows with his "addition by subtraction" comment about Paul George, but he has more than backed it up.
Had he played a few more games, Wagner would probably be preparing to suit up for his first career All-Star game. The German missed 20 games due to a torn oblique, but he was All-Star-worthy in the 28 he's played.
The 6-foot-10 wing has added more facilitation to an already well-rounded game, which is a key component of the one of the NBA's top defenses. As long as he can stay healthy, he's well on track to hear his name called for multiple All-Star Games down the line.
The Suns remain a bit of a mess, but Booker ain't the problem. Just like when Phoenix was winning 50-plus games per season, Booker is scoring at a high clip while chipping in more than his fair share of assists.
The NBA has made pretty clear it doesn't think much of big numbers on bad teams, but that doesn't really hold with Booker, whose Suns are still 24-22 thanks to primarily him and Kevin Durant.
The Cavaliers already had three All-Stars with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. There is an argument they deserved a fourth, prime Golden State Warriors-style. Allen is the team's defensive stalwart, Cleveland's leading rebounder and the East's leader in effective field goal percentage at .703.
It's hard to make an All-Star Game when you're averaging fewer than 15 points per game, but Allen is the type of player who can still make a case.
Nikola Vučević, Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks