Three All-Stars who could make NBA Finals or miss playoffs

The NBA has never been more competitive. A surge of young talent, reloaded rosters and league-wide parity have made several established All-Stars face greater uncertainty. This season, three veterans — Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James — find themselves in a unique position: capable of leading their teams on a title run, yet at risk of missing the playoffs entirely. Let’s explore their situations.

Jimmy Butler

In 2020, Butler propelled the fifth-seeded Miami Heat to the NBA Finals, averaging 22.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 6.0 APG and 2.0 SPG in the playoffs while playing stifling perimeter defense. A few years later, in 2023, he did himself one better, averaging 26.9 PPG and hitting a handful of crunch-time daggers as he dragged the seventh-seeded and severely undermanned Heat to the Finals once again in one of the most surprising postseason displays in recent memory.

Butler is the rare player who revels under the bright lights of the playoffs. A hostile road crowd? Perfect. The national spotlight? Even better. With millions of eyes from across the world tuned in, he’ll hit a late-game dagger in your face, mad-dog you the entire length of the court and then do it again on the next play. A true postseason hero, Butler has been a huge boon for Miami. Yet, surprisingly, after the Heat’s first-round loss to the Celtics in the 2024 playoffs, team president Pat Riley criticized him for being too relaxed in the regular season and hasn’t offered him a contract extension.

Butler has two paths ahead of him heading into 2024-25. He could sulk through the first half of the season, tanking Miami’s record and sending them spiraling toward another unpredictable, single-elimination play-in game. Or, he could enter the year with a chip on his shoulder, driving a solid roster that includes All-Star big man Bam Adebayo, vacuum scorers Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier and up-and-coming Jaime Jaquez Jr. It's a group that could push for a top-4 seed in the Eastern Conference— and perhaps one more deep playoff push.

Kawhi Leonard

Most NBA fans know Leonard’s story. He was a key piece in the Spurs’ 2014 championship run. Later, as Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker aged past their primes, he became the headline superstar in San Antonio. However, things soured in 2018 when Leonard, recovering from a quad injury, felt disrespected after Gregg Popovich publicly questioned his commitment. Seeking a fresh start, he requested a trade, and the Spurs obliged by sending him to Toronto. Once in Canada, Leonard made the term “load management” one of the most discussed topics in sports before he led the Raptors on an unexpected title run, averaging a dominant 30.5 PPG while showcasing an unstoppable midrange game.

Instead of staying in Toronto, Leonard left after just one campaign, choosing to team up with Paul George on the Clippers. While he’s shown flashes of brilliance in L.A. — finishing fifth in MVP voting in 2020 and earning All-NBA First Team honors in 2021 — untimely injuries have consistently derailed his postseason runs.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, with George now on the 76ers and expectations low for the Clippers, there’s an interesting twist: this L.A. squad bears a striking resemblance to Leonard’s 2019 Raptors championship team. James Harden fills the Kyle Lowry role as the veteran point guard who can hit threes and run the offense. Ivica Zubac mirrors Marc Gasol as the rugged, paint-protecting big man. Meanwhile, Derrick Jones Jr., Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, and Norman Powell slot in as three-and-D wings, much like a young Pascal Siakam, Danny Green and (the same) Powell did in Toronto.

The experts might be correct, and Leonard’s Clippers could quietly slide into the lottery this year. But if L.A.’s superstar can stay healthy, we could witness another remarkable Finals appearance.

LeBron James

With James, anything is possible. Last season, even after turning 39, he led the Lakers to an impressive 24-9 record in crunch-time games — the best mark in the league. James might have orchestrated yet another deep playoff march if not for Jamal Murray’s two clutch game-winners over Anthony Davis in the Lakers’ first-round series against the Nuggets.

At this stage in his career, James might still hold the unofficial title of “The Player Nobody Wants to Face in a Close Playoff Game.” With a solid Lakers roster around him, he could have one final push left, using his unparalleled physicality and savant-level basketball I.Q. to steer L.A. through the ridiculously deep Western Conference.

At the same time, age could finally catch up with James. If he slows down or suffers a significant injury, the Lakers could find themselves outside the playoff picture.