Sacramento snubbed: Kings’ De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis left out of NBA All-Star Game

Domantas Sabonis looked like he might be heading back to the Hoosier State as a homecoming King in two weeks when the NBA showcases most of its biggest and brightest stars in Indianapolis.

Some even expected Kings teammate De’Aaron Fox to go with Sabonis in another show of force from Sacramento, but somehow both missed the cut Thursday when All-Star reserves were announced.

Fox and Sabonis will be viewed as two of the biggest snubs for the Feb. 18 All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the arena Sabonis called home for nearly five seasons with the Indiana Pacers. Sabonis was beaten out by the likes of Anthony Davis, who joins LeBron James as one of two All-Stars from the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are currently ninth in the Western Conference, 4 ½ games behind the No. 5 Kings.

Fox missed the cut in a crowded Western Conference field that featured starters Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker were selected as reserves. The Suns are sixth in the West and the Warriors are 12th. The Kings are the only top-six team in either conference without an All-Star.

The Kings were in Indianapolis on Thursday, preparing to visit the Pacers on Friday, when All-Star reserves were announced. The omission of Fox and Sabonis will be a topic of conversation going into Friday’s game against the Pacers, but Fox probably won’t complain. He told The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday he would rather go to San Diego to enjoy the All-Star break this year.

“I don’t really care about being an All-Star, plus Indiana’s cold,” Fox said.

Asked to elaborate on his position, Fox said: “I don’t really have an answer for that. I can’t control how I feel about things.”

Starters for the All-Star Game were chosen by fans, players and a media panel. Reserves were selected by coaches. Injury replacements will be selected by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Fox and Sabonis could still be chosen as injury replacements if any are needed in the West.

For now, the only player representing the Kings at All-Star Weekend will be Keegan Murray, a second-year forward from Iowa who was chosen to compete in the Rising Stars tournament. The Rising Stars games will be played Feb. 16 followed by All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 17 and the All-Star Game the next day.

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) and guard De’Aaron Fox (5) celebrate during the pregame ceremony for their home opener at Golden 1 Center on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.

Domantas Sabonis

Sabonis, 27, came out of Gonzaga as the No. 11 pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He spent one year with the Oklahoma City Thunder and nearly five seasons with the Pacers before coming to Sacramento.

Sabonis made his first two All-Star appearances while playing for the Pacers in 2020 and 2021. He returned to the All-Star Game and earned his first All-NBA Third Team selection in 2023 following his first full season with the Kings.

Fox and Sabonis have formed one of the NBA’s most dynamic duos since the Kings made the blockbuster trade to acquire Sabonis in the deal that sent Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield to Indiana in February 2022.

Sabonis is having a career year in his eighth NBA season. He is averaging 19.9 points and career highs of 13.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists. According to Will Z. Stats, Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player in league history to average 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight rebounds.

His scoring average is nearing his career high of 20.3 points per game in 2020-21. He is shooting a career-best 61.9% from the field and 44% from 3-point range on 1.1 attempts per game.

Sabonis leads the league in rebounding and double-doubles (42). He is tied with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic for the league lead in triple-doubles with 14. Sabonis has recorded 29 consecutive double-doubles, tying Oscar Robertson’s single-season franchise record.

In July, Sabonis agreed to renegotiate and extend his contract with the Kings, signing a new deal that will be worth $217 million over the next five seasons. Sabonis, who is signed through the end of the 2027-28 season, has recently discussed his love for Sacramento and its surrounding regions, and his desire to spend the rest of his career with the Kings.

Team Giannis center Domantas Sabonis (10) dunks the ball as Team LeBron forward Paul George (13) looks on during the first half in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game Feb. 19, 2023, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

De’Aaron Fox

Fox, 26, has been the face of the franchise since the Kings selected him from Kentucky with the No. 5 pick in the 2017 draft. He endured five losing seasons in Sacramento before the Kings ascended last season, winning 48 games to secure the No. 3 seed in the West, ending the longest playoff drought in league history after 16 years of futility.

Fox went to the All-Star Game for the first time last season as an injury replacement. He also joined Sabonis in earning his first All-NBA Third Team selection.

Fox is averaging a career-high 27.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals. He is shooting 46.7% from the field and a career-best 38% from 3-point range on 7.9 attempts per game. Fox is currently ninth in the NBA in scoring. The eight players ahead of him all made their respective All-Star teams, five of them as starters.

Fox played like an MVP candidate in October, November and December. He slowed down in January, averaging 22.5 points while shooting 43.4% from the field and 32.6% from beyond the arc. That might have been a factor for coaches.

Fox is in the third year of a five-year, $163 million contract with the Kings. He reportedly turned down a two-year, $105 million extension last summer, presumably in hopes of qualifying for a four-year, $245 million supermax extension with another All-NBA selection this summer.

Team LeBron guard De’Aaron Fox (5) shoots against Team Giannis forward Jayson Tatum (0) in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game Feb. 19, 2023, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Keegan Murray

Murray, 23, will make his second Rising Stars appearance. He is expanding his game in his second season with the Kings after coming out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft.

Murray was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection last season after averaging 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.8 steals while making a rookie record 206 3-point goals. This season, he is averaging 16.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals. Murray has also made tremendous strides on the defensive end, emerging as Sacramento’s most effective and versatile defender.

Murray is viewed as a potential All-Star and a key piece of Sacramento’s core along with Fox and Sabonis. Murray is coveted around the league as the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline nears, but sources told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have been unwilling to include him in those discussions.

NBA All-Star 2024 schedule of events

Friday, Feb. 16

12:30 p.m. ET: Panini Rising Stars Practice | NBA TV | Gainbridge Fieldhouse

5:30 p.m. ET: Basketball Hall of Fame News Conference | NBA TV & NBA App

7 p.m. ET: Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game | ESPN | Lucas Oil Stadium

9 p.m. ET: Panini Rising Stars | TNT | Gainbridge Fieldhouse

▪ Rising Stars: Semifinal 1

▪ Rising Stars: Semifinal 2

▪ Rising Stars: Final

Saturday, Feb. 17

11 a.m. ET: NBA All-Star Practice presented by AT&T | NBA TV | Gainbridge Fieldhouse

2 p.m. ET: HBCU Classic presented by AT&T | NBA TV/TNT/ESPN2 | Gainbridge Fieldhouse

▪ Winston-Salem State vs. Virginia Union

7 p.m. ET: Commissioner Adam Silver news conference | NBA TV & NBA App

8 p.m. ET: State Farm All-Star Saturday Night | TNT | Lucas Oil Stadium

▪ Kia Skills Challenge

▪ Starry 3-Point Contest

▪ Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge

▪ AT&T Slam Dunk

Sunday, Feb. 18

11:30 a.m. ET: NBA Legends Awards | NBA TV & NBA App

1:30 p.m. ET: G League Up Next Game presented by AT&T | NBA TV | Indiana Convention Center

8 p.m. ET: 73rd NBA All-Star Game | TNT | Gainbridge Fieldhouse

▪ East vs. West