NEW YORK — Atlanta’s Trae Young is going back to the All-Star Game after all, and Toronto’s Scottie Barnes will play in the NBA’s showcase event for the first time.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver picked Young and Barnes as injury replacements on Tuesday, adding them to the Eastern Conference roster for the Feb. 18 game in Indianapolis. Young — who was second in fan voting that played a role in determining the All-Star starters — is now an All-Star for the third time and Barnes is making his debut in the game.
They replaced Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and New York’s Julius Randle, both of whom are unable to play because of injury. Embiid had knee surgery on Tuesday and Randle is dealing with a dislocated shoulder. By NBA rule, the commissioner chooses replacements should an All-Star not be able to play because of injury.
Young entered Tuesday eighth in the NBA in scoring at 27.3 points per game and second in assists at a career-best 10.9 per game. Barnes, the NBA’s rookie of the year in 2022, is averaging career-highs of 20.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.