Reports: NBA team governors pushing against extra All-Star selections to save money on bonuses

Under the current NBA All-Star game format, 24 players are divided into teams of two, selected by captains, who are the leading vote-getters in each conference. Analyst Brian Windhorst recently shared that team governors are against expanding All-Star rosters due to bonuses tied to All-Star appearances.

Speaking on his podcast, Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, Windhorst stated:

"I think that they should go to a thirteenth player because there's always a guy, usually there's a guy, on each side that's a little banged up and doesn't want to play that much or a veteran that doesn't want to play that much. I see no reason why the roster has to stay at twelve."

Windhorst continued:

"I know that the reason, or one of the reasons, that that doesn't happen is that there's bonuses in contracts that are tied to All-Star appearances, and the owners are like, 'why would I help you to make an All-Star then you have to get paid more money'. 'I'm an All-Star now, you must pay me.'

"The owners have pushed against it. They don't want there to be an extra All-Star or more All-Stars, but there should be a thirteenth All-Star on each team."

While the team governors may have a case against expanding All-Star rosters, their reasoning doesn't make much sense. Although several NBA players do have All-Star bonuses tied into their contracts, most of those guys are All-Star locks signed to big-money extensions.

Furthermore, bonuses are a small percentage of their annual salary, and if team governors feel that a player is a fringe All-Star, they can simply refuse to include a bonus tied to the selection.

Watch Brian Windhorst discuss expanding the All-Star roster below (starting at the 51:45 mark):

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Should NBA All-Star Game rosters expand?

While the team governor's reasoning for being against the expansion of NBA All-Star rosters doesn't make much sense, it is fair to question the necessity of such an expansion. While there are always players who feel like snubs, adding an extra All-Star spot will not affect that. Generally, the twelve most deserving players from each conference make the All-Star roster, which has been the case for decades.

As Windhorst pointed out, seemingly every year, there are players who hardly see the floor. Sometimes, however, that is not a decision made by the player. While expanding the roster would allow an additional player to suit up in the game, it would also cut into the minutes of the twelve players that have already made the team.

Whichever way the NBA leans on the matter, the All-Star Game will continue to entertain fans. By the time the game begins, fans are unlikely to be thinking about the roster size or players that did not make the team.