Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis was one of the most surprising players not to be selected for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
The three-time All-Star had stiff competition to represent the Western Conference. Sabonis ranked among the West’s top 10 frontcourt players in fan, player and media votes.
That put him ahead of Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns in the weighted rankings, but reserves are chosen by the NBA’s 30 coaches. Towns made the team (perhaps surprisingly) while Sabonis was not chosen.
But his omission was the most costly of the potential candidates. As noted ESPN’s Bobby Marks, failure to participate in the All-Star Game will cost him a $1.3 million bonus from the Kings.
Not getting selected to the All-Star game will cost Domantas Sabonis a $1.3M bonus. https://t.co/YBg8p3jK5O
– Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 2, 2024
Sabonis currently ranks fifth among all NBA players in win shares, an advanced metric that measures a team’s overall value. He is behind only MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
Perhaps Sabonis could get an All-Star Game call-up, and a bonus, as a potential replacement in case of injury to Anthony Davis (who has missed multiple games in a row due to injury) or another West player who cannot play in Indiana.
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