Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, despite leading the NBA in assists with an impressive 11.4 per game, was surprisingly left off the 2025 NBA All-Star roster. While he's racked up impressive stats, including 22.5 points per game, Young's performance wasn't enough to secure him a spot among the league's top 24 players in the eyes of the coaches, who vote for the All-Star reserves.
Young expressed his disappointment on social media, suggesting he felt "Traed" by the decision. He later softened his tone, apologizing to his fans and expressing optimism for future selections.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder, while acknowledging the deserving nature of the selected All-Stars, voiced his disappointment for Young, emphasizing that he believes Young has had his best season yet.
This marks the second consecutive year Young hasn't been directly voted into the All-Star game. He served as an injury replacement for last year's game, chosen by Commissioner Adam Silver. He was previously an All-Star three times.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, a four-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, was another notable omission from this year's roster. Booker, while acknowledging his desire to participate, expressed acceptance of the outcome and looked forward to spending time with his family.
Adding to the intrigue, Hornets' guard LaMelo Ball, who garnered significant fan votes, also missed the cut. Despite leading fan voting in the Eastern Conference backcourt, Ball's lower rankings among players and media, coupled with insufficient votes from coaches, prevented his selection, even as a reserve. Ball currently ranks fourth in the league in points per game, averaging 28.2. This situation marks the first instance under the current voting system where a player leading the fan vote at their position was ultimately not selected for the All-Star game.
