All-Star Weekend has been a tradition in the NBA for 72 years, recognizing the greatest players in the league each season. The NBA All-Star Game has taken place every season since its debut at the Boston Garden in 1951. The only exception was in 1999, when a league-wide lockout caused the game to be canceled.

Each year, the best players on the hardcourt come together for the All-Star Weekend, serving as a showcase for the greatest talent the league has to offer. However, sometimes there are players who miss out, and some have missed out for longer than others.

When are NBA All-Stars Announced?

The NBA All-Star selections are announced in January, with the starters named first and the reserves named a few days later. Under the current format, in effect since 2018, the two team captains draft their teams from the pool of available players.

How many players make the NBA All-Star Game?

A total of 24 NBA All-Star selections are made, including 10 starters and 14 reserves. That number can increase due to injuries, with replacement players being selected by the commissioner to fill in the spots of anyone who might be injured and unable to attend All-Star Weekend.

Ranking the Top 10 Best Current NBA players to never be on an All-Star Team

The NBA has seen some incredibly talented players grace its courts over the years, many of whom have been selected to the play in the prestigious All-Star Game multiple times. However, there are some players who, despite their undeniable talent and skill, have never been given the opportunity to participate in the All-Star Game. These players are often overlooked and underappreciated, but their contributions to the league are no less significant. In this article, we will be ranking the top 10 best current NBA players who have never been an All-Star team, taking into account their stats, impact on their team, and overall talent. So, without further ado, let's take a look at some of the most talented NBA players that didn't make the All-Star team in 2024 or in the past.

10. Evan Mobley

Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley is in only the third year of his NBA career, but has become one of the key reasons the Cavs are among the strongest teams in the NBA over the past couple of years.

At just 22 years old, Evan Mobley has his NBA career off to an impressive start and has the potential to become an All-Star in the coming years. He has already showcased his skills at All-Star Weekend by winning the Skills Challenge alongside fellow Cavaliers players Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen in 2021.

Despite not having made an All-Star Game appearance, Mobley's stats have significantly improved year on year, establishing him as one of the league's up-and-coming talents expected to receive the recognition he deserves in the near future.

Mobley has missed some time so far in the 2023-2024 season, but is still putting up career high numbers in rebounding and field goal percentage.

9. Deandre Ayton

Deandre Ayton is now in his sixth year in the NBA, and a member of the Portland Trail Blazers after a trade away from Phoenix. He is yet to receive his first selection to the NBA All-Star Game, despite many believing he deserved one.

The former first overall draft pick was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2019, having come out of college as one of the pro game’s hottest prospects.

The former Suns big man averaged over 10 rebounds per game in all six of his seasons in the NBA and has scored at least 14 points per game in each season too. He has, however, missed some time each year, only playing in 38 games in the 2019-20 season.

Ayton helped the Phoenix Suns reach the NBA Finals and was a key member of the 2022-23 roster that attempted another run. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in September 2023, and could be on the move again if the Blazers decide to head for a full rebuild.

8. Alperen Sengun

One of the biggest snubs of the 2024 All Star game is Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun. His development has been outstanding, and he’s far outplaying what was expected of him so far this season.

The third year pro is setting career highs with over 21 points per game, five assists, 9.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He’s improved in every area of his game, and his passing and scoring contributions as a big man are going to be crucial for the future of the Rockets franchise.

Many believe that if Sengun had been playing for a better team this season, he’d have got a call for the All Star game, but for now, he’ll have to stay patient. There is no doubt however that on his current trajectory, he’ll be there one day.

7. Anfernee Simons

Anfernee Simons is a budding star for the Portland Trail Blazers and made a key contribution to one of the more surprising teams last season.

The Blazers guard took a giant leap over the past couple of years, stepping into the Portland starting rotation and jumping from 7.8 points per game in 2020-21 to 17.3 in 2021-22, while also shooting 40 percent from 3-point range.

Simons averaged over 21 points per game in the 2022-23 season, and now that Damian Lillard is in Milwaukee, the young guards scoring numbers have improved even further.

So far in the 2023-2024 season, Anfernee Simons is averaging career highs with 23.3 points per game and 5.3 assists. He could be the long term future for the Blazers, and there should be an All Star call up or two in that future somewhere too.

6. Jerami Grant

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant had a great year in 2023, shooting a career high 40% from three point range and helping the Blazers exceed expectations. He’s once again clearing 40% from deep in 2024, and this year averaging even more points per game.

The former Pistons forward was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Eastern Conference in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft, but he didn’t become a key starter until he moved into the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was in his sixth season in the league -- and third with the Thunder -- that Grant finally got starting minutes. Since then, he has improved year over year. Grant had a career high 22.9 points per game in the 2020-21 season while playing in Detroit. Currently in his first season with Portland, he’s quickly become a fan favorite.

Grant is averaging over 20 points-per-game for the third time in his career and has been superb defensively. The 11-year veteran might not be one of the flashiest names in the NBA, but one could certainly understand giving him his first All-Star opportunity based on how he’s been playing these past couple of seasons.

5. Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield is one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters. He competed in the All-Star Weekend 3-Point Contest in 2023 for the third time, having won the event at Chicago in 2020.

In his tenth year in the NBA and at 31 years old, Indiana Pacers guard Hield boasts an impressive career 3-point percentage of 40 percent. He achieved a career-high average of 20.7 points per game during his time with the Sacramento Kings in 2018, demonstrating his scoring prowess and ability to make an impact on the court.

Although he has been invited to participate in the 3-Point Contest on three separate occasions, he’s definitely one of the best current NBA players to never make an All-Star team.

Buddy is making an early impression with the Philadelphia 76ers following a deadline trade with Indiana. He’s hoping to help Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and co. make a push for a title this season, which would be far more satisfying than the All Star call.

4. Terry Rozier

One of the more surprising players never selected to play in an All-Star Game is now Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Now 29, Rozier is getting a fresh start with the Miami Heat after being traded prior to the deadline in the 2023-2024 season. So far in Miami, things haven’t quite clicked for Rozier, struggling with his shooting, but that doesn’t take away the career he’s had and the potential All Star nod he should have received.

Together with LaMelo Ball, Rozier helped to form one of the league's most exciting backcourts in Charlotte, and was considered an All-Star snub in back to back seasons over the past two years with the Hornets.

In 2022-23, Rozier set new career-highs, with 23.2 PPG and 6.6 assists. Many Hornets fans wondered if he’d ever get the call to be an All-Star, and the answer turned out to be no. At least not yet. Maybe if Rozier can settle in with the Heat, the 2024 season will be his year…

3. CJ McCollum

CJ McCollum might be the best non-All-Star NBA player in the league right now. The 32-year-old guard is now in his third season with the New Orleans Pelicans, having spent the first nine years of his career in Portland with the Trail Blazers.

Blazers fans believe McCollum was ignored for years because he played for a small-market team in Portland, which is perhaps the same fate Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant now face.

After a slow start to his career, McCollum won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award for the 2015-16 season. In each of the three seasons from 2015 to 2017 he played 80-plus games and scored a then-career-high 23 PPG in 2016-17.

CJ McCollum has maintained a remarkable level of consistency throughout his nine-year career as an NBA starter, averaging at least 20 points per game every year during that span. In his first full season with the New Orleans Pelicans, he continued to demonstrate the same level of productivity he showed during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. With a career 3-point percentage of 39.7 percent, McCollum is widely recognized as one of the league's most dependable scorers. It would be well-deserved for him to receive an All-Star selection before he concludes his NBA career.

2. Mikal Bridges

Mikal Bridges is one of the league's up-and-coming stars, who has now established himself in Brooklyn after a midseason trade from Phoenix in 2023. He’s a great perimeter shooter who is also proving to be one of the best wing defenders in the NBA.

While the Brooklyn Nets traded away Kevin Durant, they got one of the best young forwards the league has to offer in return, and Bridges proved it with a 45-point performance in just his third game with his new team last season. The future is bright for Mikal Bridges, but he’s not had a call up to the All Star game just yet.

The former Suns forward has been improving year over year. Don’t be surprised to see him in the All-Star game in the not so distant future.

1. Jamal Murray

Jamal Murray is certainly one of the most talented players in the NBA who has yet to be named to the All-Star Game. Considering he’s now an NBA Champion and has been playing point guard on one of the best teams in the NBA for multiple seasons, it’s stunning at this point that he’s not got the call.

The Canadian guard is in his seventh season with the Nuggets -- and his third averaging over 20 points per game.

Murray’s issue in previous years has been staying on the court, having played 59 games in the 2019-20 regular season and just 48 in 2020-21. While he has steadily improved as a player in the NBA, he started to spend less and less time on the hardcourt as his career went gone on. In 2023 Murray helped Denver win in the NBA Finals, and while he might not be an All Star, he’s happy with being a champion.

His team mates have been lobbying for him as an All Star, with Aaron Gordon calling out that he deserved it this year more than ever.

Parameters for Ranking

These best non-All-Star NBA players have been ranked based on their production and contribution in the NBA, while also considering the longevity of their careers thus far. For example, when considering the current top non-All-Star NBA players, CJ McCollum has secured the No. 1 position on the list due to his consistent scoring ability and impressive talent in the league, even though he has never been selected for an All-Star game. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson was possibly the biggest snub in the 2022-23 season, but since it was only his second year in the league, he falls behind McCollum in the rankings.

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