PHOENIX SUNS

Will Suns’ Kevin Durant and Devin Booker make the NBA All-Star Game? Should they?

Jan 23, 2025, 3:43 PM

Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the second half of the NBA game against the De...

Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the second half of the NBA game against the Detroit Pistons at Footprint Center on December 21, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images)

(Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images)

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have been bright spots for an underperforming Suns team in 2024-25. Both players are top-10 in scoring and vying for a spot in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

Durant is currently penciled in as a starter going by the latest fan vote announcement last Thursday. He sat third in voting among frontcourt players with 2,498,843 votes before starters were set to be revealed Thursday on national television.

Durant could be snubbed as a starter with some experts thinking Victor Wembanyama or Anthony Davis could leap-frog him with a late push over the past week.

Booker sat in ninth place in voting for Western Conference guards at 244,573 votes, meaning he should have the opportunity to make the All-Star team as a reserve player. The All-Star reserves will be announced on Jan. 30 on TNT.

Scanning the internet before Thursday night’s announcement of All-Star starters, the hype isn’t behind the Suns’ stars in either the predictions (who in reality could make the cut) nor picks (who individual writers believe should be included).

The 36-year-old Durant is still sixth in the league in scoring and leads Phoenix in scoring at 27.2 points per game. He is no stranger to defending at the rim; he is sixth in the league amongst forwards this season with 1.4 blocks per game.

Durant and Booker have led the Suns to 7-3 record in the last 10 games. Over that span, Booker is making a late All-Star case by averaging 28.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds.

Durant has also had equal success scoring 26.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists.


The Ringer’s Michael Pina — Pick

Should Kevin Durant make it? Yes (Reserve player)

Should Devin Booker make it? No

KD is still double-teamed constantly. Running him off a pindown remains one of the most effective actions a basketball team can run. It’s kinda shocking when he lets go of a basketball and it doesn’t go exactly where he intended. (In losses, Durant is averaging 30.3 points with a 65.7 true shooting percentage.) … KD, at 36 years old, ranks sixth in scoring, can still get to his spots, and still doesn’t even see whoever’s guarding him as he rises to shoot. There are no answers when he has it going.


Yahoo Sports’ Dan Devine — Pick

Should Kevin Durant make it? Yes (Reserve player)

Should Devin Booker make it? No

Devine has Durant making the team as a reserve player, despite not having him officially on his reserve players list. Devine explains he’s writing in players he thinks are worthy of an All-Star spot if Durant or LeBron James did not exist.

Despite Booker showing up in the latest official NBA All-Star voting results, Devine does not see him stealing a spot away from Kyrie Irving or De’Aaron Fox as a backcourt reserve.

Booker is tied for 10th in the league in scoring at 25.7 points per game, but his efficiency is down and stellar guard play around the league will make him a difficult argument for a reserve spot.

Devin Booker’s having a down season by his standards. Just 44.1% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point range, the fourth-worst effective field-goal percentage of his career.


CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin — Prediction

Prediction only for All-Star starters

Will Kevin Durant make it? No

Will Devin Booker make it? No

Fan voting makes up 50% of the final result while media and player voting accounts for 25% each of the final vote.

Botkin is aware that Durant is currently ahead of Wembanyama in fan voting for frontcourt players in the West, but Botkin thinks the popularity and rise of Wembanyama will outweigh Durant’s efforts.

 … I can’t see any way the media doesn’t make him the No. 2 frontcourt guy behind Jokic. That will bring it down to the players. It’ll be tight. Durant will have the inside track because of the fan vote, but I don’t see how the players and media don’t do the right thing and give the nod to the guy who is — barring injury — a lock to win Defensive Player of the Year while putting up huge offensive numbers as well. That’s while leading the Spurs, to this point, to the second-biggest win turnaround from last season, trailing only the Pistons.


Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel — Prediction

Will Kevin Durant make it? Yes (Reserve player)

Will Devin Booker make it? No

Siegel does not see both of Phoenix’s top scorers making the all-star squad. It’s a decision of Durant over Booker, as Durant is sixth in the league in scoring while doing so more efficiently than Booker, who is 10th in scoring.

As for Harden and Booker, they get left off the roster in place of their teammates of Powell and Durant, respectively.


Uproxx’s Robby Kalland — Prediction

Will Kevin Durant make it? Yes (All-Star starter)

Will Devin Booker make it? No

Kalland becomes our first writer to have Durant as a starter in the West. Kalland does acknowledge that Wembanyama could be ahead of Durant in the non-fan vote but ultimately thinks Durant edges out Wembanyama. For Booker, Kalland thinks the Suns play so far is not deserving of two all-stars.

Although I do think there’s a chance Victor Wembanyama is ahead of KD or LeBron in the non-fan vote. Even so, I don’t think this is the year he breaks through as a starter.

Devin Booker is well respected and has solid averages, but the Suns have just not been good enough.


The Athletic — Six writers make their picks

Joe Vardon

Prediction only for All-Star starters

Should Kevin Durant make it? No

Should Devin Booker make it? No


Eric Koreen

Prediction only for All-Star starters

Should Kevin Durant make it? No

Should Devin Booker make it? No


Josh Robbins

Prediction only for All-Star starters

Should Kevin Durant make it? No

Should Devin Booker make it? No


Sam Amick

Prediction only for All-Star starters

Should Kevin Durant make it? No

Should Devin Booker make it? No


Will Guillory

Prediction only for All-Star starters

Should Kevin Durant make it? Yes

Should Devin Booker make it? No


Fred Katz

Prediction only for All-Star starters

Should Kevin Durant make it? Yes

Should Devin Booker make it? No

Out of six writers at The Athletic, only two have Durant as an All-Star starter — Guillory and Katz. Both writers point to the Suns’ struggles, but Durant having a monster year outweighs the team’s performance.

Guillory on Durant:

Even though Durant has already missed 10 games because of injury, he’s having another monster year.

Katz on Durant:

At frontcourt, Durant has played enough (32 games) to warrant a nod. The Suns may be disappointing, but Durant is having another typically dominant season.

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