NBA All-Star Snubs Spark Debate Over Roster Expansion

SAN FRANCISCO – Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, one of several high-profile NBA All-Star snubs, believes it’s time for the league to expand rosters for its midseason showcase. Despite teams being allowed 15 active players since the 2020-21 season, All-Star rosters remain capped at 12 players per conference.

“I think there’s enough talented guys out here that are deserving,” Booker said after Friday’s shootaround at the Chase Center. “You look at Kyrie Irving, Norman Powell, those guys are having unbelievable, efficient years and winning games. On the East, I’m sure there’s guys too like Trae Young and LaMelo Ball that are just putting up unheard-of numbers. So the more talent in there, the better I think.”

Booker, a four-time All-Star averaging 25.5 points and 6.7 assists per game, was among seven of the league’s top 20 scorers not selected for the Feb. 16 game. Other notable snubs include Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, the NBA’s rebounding leader, and Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, who leads the league in assists with 11.4 per game.

Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball, who ranks fourth in scoring (28.2 points per game) and ninth in assists (7.3), also missed the cut despite leading Eastern Conference backcourt players in fan voting. Ball became the first player since 2016-17 to lead his position in fan votes but not make the All-Star team, as media and player voting now factor into starter selections.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, a reserve throughout his 15-year playing career, opposes expanding rosters. “I kind of like it at 12. It makes it unique. It makes it special,” Kerr said. “But I was never the odd man out. It didn’t bother me. I made my All-Star plans in October.”

Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer, however, defended Booker’s credentials. “Book is one of the great two guards in our league right now,” Budenholzer said. “What he’s done this season as a scorer, as a playmaker, as a leader. He’s clearly in our minds an All-Star.”

Booker, whose Suns are ninth in the Western Conference at 24-22, said the team has “bigger things to worry about” than All-Star selections. “We’re figuring out playing the right way consistently and stacking some wins,” he said.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant suggested expanding rosters to 15 players per conference. “When I’m playing NBA2K, they give you the option,” Durant said. “I chose that every time. It should be 15 guys to a team. We have 15 on the roster. So many great players going out there impacting their team in a positive way that are being snubbed.”

The NBA has already made changes to this year’s All-Star format, replacing the traditional East vs. West matchup with a four-team mini-tournament. The shift aims to reinvigorate the game, which has faced criticism for lacking competitiveness in recent years.

Young, who missed the All-Star cut despite averaging 22.5 points and 11.4 assists, took to social media to address his snub with humor. “It’s no longer getting ‘snubbed,’ it’s getting ‘Traed’ at this point,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

As the debate over roster expansion continues, Booker remains focused on his team’s performance. “Whatever it does to get it back to how the All-Star game used to be and how people saw it at that moment and that weekend, anything to keep the business high,” he said.