A pair of first-time All-Stars got the call on Monday.
Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Spurs guard Dejounte Murray were named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as injury replacements for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland.
Ball will replace captain Kevin Durant and Murray will replace Durant's former teammate Draymond Green in the game.
Jayson Tatum who was originally selected as a reserve by the league's coaches will replace Durant as a starter.
Ball is averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds in his second season in the league. The 20-year-old is one of five players in the league averaging at least 19 points, seven assists and seven rebounds per game this season. The others are Murray, Luka Doncic, James Harden and Nikola Jokic.
Ball was also selected to play in the Rising Stars game on Friday night during All-Star weekend.
Murray is averaging career-highs of 19.6 points, 9.2 assists and 8.4 rebounds per game this season. He leads the NBA in steals per game at 2.1.
Why Will Kevin Durant miss the All-Star Game?
Kevin Durant will miss the 2022 NBA All-Star Game because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. He's been sidelined for the last 11 Nets games. Since he was selected as a starter and team captain for the NBA All-Star Game, Durant will still conduct the team's draft.
Durant is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 36 games.
Who's playing in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game?
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic and Andrew Wiggins were the five players who were named starters for the Western Conference. DeMar DeRozan, Trae Young, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid joined Durant as starters from the East.
With Durant out, Jayson Tatum will be a starter in the game.
| East | Position | West |
| DeMar DeRozan | Guard | Stephen Curry |
| Trae Young | Guard | Ja Morant |
| Kevin Durant (C) | Frontcourt | LeBron James (C) |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Frontcourt | Andrew Wiggins |
| Joel Embiid | Frontcourt | Nikola Jokic |
The league's head coaches selected the reserves. Each coach voted for seven players in their respective conferences, selecting two guards, three frontcourt players and two "wild card" players at either position.
Coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their own team.
| East | Position | West |
| Zach LaVine | Guard | Devin Booker |
| James Harden | Guard | Chris Paul |
| Jimmy Butler | Frontcourt | Rudy Gobert |
| Khris Middleton | Frontcourt | Draymond Green |
| Jayson Tatum | Frontcourt | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| Darius Garland | Wild Card | Luka Doncic |
| Fred VanVleet | Wild Card | Donovan Mitchell |
| LaMelo Ball | Injury Rep. | Dejounte Murray |
Who names the NBA All-Star injury replacements and how does it work?
Short answer - NBA Commissioner.
Whether it's a starter or a reserve, who becomes unavailable due to injury, it's the NBA Commissioner - Adam Silver - that names a replacement. The stand-in player is most likely selected from the same conference.
To replace a fan-voted starter, the All-Star Game coach of that team selects a player from the team's reserves and this selection is not restricted to the NBA Commissioner's replacement for the starter.
The 71st NBA All-Star Game featuring Team LeBron vs. Team Durant will take place on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. ET.
