NBA’s 25 under 25: Ranking the league’s top young talent based on future potential

Lists like this — 25 under 25 in this case — lists are not uncommon, especially heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. But instead of adding to the significant amount of discourse already in that area, we’re going to tweak that concept just a bit and rank the 25 best prospects in the NBA today. 

Ranking prospects can be vastly different than players because one is about forecasting for the future, while the other is an assessment of where they are today. In other words, this list is more about who are the best long-term assets, or who could be the best players when they reach their prime, and not who are the best today. 

Put it another way, if salary camp implications weren’t a consideration, which active NBA players under the age of 25 would you most like to have if you were building a roster. Let’s get to it.

1. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (21 years old)

This list is debatable at virtually every spot, except this one. The only way that Wemby isn’t the best long-term prospect in the NBA is if durability becomes a huge problem. Despite last year’s blood clot issue, we don’t have any evidence that is the case. To the contrary, prior to that, his availability had exceeded expectations. His unprecedented overlap of measurables and mobility allows him to change the game defensively unlike any other player in the league. Offensively, he’s been given the freedom to shoot threes and stretch his game over the last two years and, while some of his efficiency metrics could trend up, he showed more alpha potential than even most projected on draft night two years ago. The bottom line is that if he’s healthy, he’s every bit the generational talent that was promised. 

2. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (24)

Edwards may be one of the older players on this list, but he’s also one of the best players in the NBA right now. He put up 28 points per game last year while leading the association in made 3s. For those of us that have been tracking him since high school, it’s the escalation of his shooting that has proven to be the biggest surprise. The force with which he can create is not unsurprisingly, but couple that with the shooting and creation for others, and you have a player who looks poised to be one of the league’s best guards for the foreseeable future. Of course, nothing cements a player’s reputation like their production under the bright lights, and the 24-year-old has already developed a reputation for having that clutch gene come playoff time. 

3. Paolo Banchero, Magic (22)

The 22-year-old Banchero is coming off a shortened 2024-25 campaign in which he averaged nearly 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. So, while there are probably a handful of reasonable candidates to round out the top three, ultimately Banchero got the nod for two distinct reasons. First and foremost is the extreme rate of improvement. I’ve been watching him live since the spring of his freshman year of high school and seen him make notable jumps with each passing year. Second, despite being just 22-years-old, he’s already a proven offensive focal point. This year, he’s going to have the chance to prove he can do it on a contender as the addition of Desmond Bane should be critical to taking the Magic to the next level. 

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4. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks (18)

While I don’t expect Flagg to be better this season than everyone below him on this list, this ranking is on long-term potential. If I were starting a team today, I would choose to build around him rather than anyone else besides the aforementioned three. He can play multiple positions, change the game defensively, and has an ideal overlap of intense competitor and instinctive processor. If he proves he can be the type of offensive alpha who can lead a contending team, then this spot might even prove to be too low, but it’s relatively aggressive given some of the already proven prospects that are still behind him. He’s also 18 years old. In other words, he’s got a runway of the next 15-plus years.

5. Cade Cunningham, Pistons (24)

What we saw last season was essentially what most of us who have seen Cunningham since high school have been expecting for years. Cunningham became one of the best players in the NBA. He not only averaged 26 points, nine assists, and six rebounds per game, but he put up a career high 35.6% from 3 on a career high 5.3 attempts per game, all the while leading the NBA’s most-improved team. The shooting fell off a little bit in the playoffs, but everything else was just as good. Simultaneously, he was very solid on the defensive end of the floor. So, if the shooting keeps getting more reliable, especially in key moments, and most importantly he stays healthy, Cunningham should be poised to play the best basketball of his career for the next five or so years. 

6. Jalen Williams, Thunder (24)

SGA may have been the MVP, but Williams was just as valuable to OKC’s championship run. His versatility, two-way impact, and consistent improvement are all widely acknowledged, and rightfully so. Beyond that though was his toughness to play through injury and unselfishness to buy into his role and not allow any fraction or dissent to be formed around role allocation. The only knock is that he is more Robin than Batman on the offensive end, but that may be contextual. Not only did he put up 22 points per game on 48/37/79 shooting, but he averaged five assists per game and was one of the best iso scores in the NBA according to the advanced analytics. 

7. Chet Holmgren, Thunder (23)

Other than Wemby, Holmgren is the young center that I would most want to build my roster around for the foreseeable future. In a league that values two-way versatility and offensive spacing, Holmgren is a 7-footer who can stretch the floor and already an elite rim protector. The durability of his frame has been a talking point for years now, and after missing the 2022-23 season and 50 regular-season games last year, that’s going to continue to be a key variable in his future. However, he’s functionally stronger than almost anyone expected, provides optionality to their lineups because of his ability to play the four or five, and is still sacrificing some of his individual offense to build this young championship core. 

8. Amen Thompson, Rockets (22)

There is a case to be made that Thompson is both the best athlete and non-Wemby defender in the NBA. He’s also one of the more versatile, and maybe even positionless, players in the NBA. In just two seasons, we’ve seen him guard everyone from opposing big men to guards. Now, to start Year 3, with Fred VanVleet going down with injury and Ime Udoka experimenting with some jumbo line-ups in the preseason, we may get a chance to see if Thompson has some of that point guard potential that was talked about a couple of years ago when he was going through the pre-draft process. 

9. Evan Mobley, Cavaliers (24)

The reining Defensive Player of the Year was also named second team All-NBA last year, while pushing his numbers to nearly 19 points and nine rebounds per game on a Cavs team that won 64 games. Essentially, it was the realization of the vast potential that has been easily recognizable since his days in high school. The 24-year-old is poised to be the hub of a top-notch defense for years to come, but it will be the progression of his offensive game that ultimately dictates his ceiling. Based on the early reviews this preseason, when Mobley has been handling the ball and extending his range more, his two-way versatility appears to be still ascending. 

10. Alperen Sengun, Rockets (23)

Sengun is the most polarizing player among the top 10, even among NBA decision-makers. His supporters cite his interior skill, playmaking from the 5 spot, and surprising durability. His doubters the limited athleticism, lack of defensive versatility, and rim protection. He is starting this season in the best shape of his career so far, with an opportunity to be even more of a playmaker in VanFleet’s absence, and alongside a generational scorer like Kevin Durant. It’s also worth noting that Sengun doesn’t rely on athleticism to be productive, so the 23-year-old’s style should age well. 

11.  Tyrese Maxey, 76ers (24)

Maxey is the oldest player on this list and will turn 25 in less than a month. Put another way, while some players project to be trending up for the foreseeable future, he’s now probably in his prime. The 2023-24 season was one in which he showed real potential stardom. Last year wasn’t just riddled by injuries, but also declining efficiencies and a 3-point percentage that was almost 10% lower than two years prior. With Maxey’s ability to make on-ball reads having dramatically improved over the years, he can be virtually unguardable when the 3s are falling. Increased physicality and durability are other points of emphasis, as he steps into more of a true leadership role for the Sixers. 

12.  Scottie Barnes, Raptors (24)

Is he or is he not a true No. 1 option on offense? That is one of, if not the, biggest question that faces the Raptors moving forward. Getting a definitive answer to that question is also one of the major subplots of this season. Barnes was a 22-year-old All-Star a couple of years ago, but saw his numbers drop across the board last year as his volume increased. Even if he proves to be better suited as a secondary option though, he still has the potential to impact the game in a multitude of ways, on both ends of the floor. The key variable hasn’t changed since he was in high school though … so much of it comes down to the shooting. 

13.  Franz Wagner, Magic (24)

We’re now at the point on the list where we’ve exhausted all the probable lead creators. In Orlando, Wagner has been slotted as the secondary option behind Banchero, and yet he still put up 24 points, six boards, and five dimes last season. The combination of wing size at 6-foot-10 and playmaking off the dribble, makes him a true mismatch problem, while his defensive value is often understated as well. For a non-primary though, the floor spacing is going to have to keep coming. He’s been under 30% from behind the arc for two consecutive years, despite being above 85% from the free-throw line, and needs to be able to create more space off the ball. 

14.  Dylan Harper, Spurs (19)

What we said on draft night four months ago remains true today. Harper is a big lead guard with size, strength, length, and terrific natural instincts. His long-term success is going to come down to three key variables: shooting, durability and defense. He’s battled nagging injuries for years, historically has had a bit of a flatter shot, and never had to truly commit to maximizing his defense. But he has all the tools and talent and now looks like he could be the best sub-20 point guard prospect in the league. 

15.  Jalen Johnson, Hawks (23)

Johnson finally started to turn potential into production as a 21-year-old back in the 2023-24. Last year, came the full breakout before he was derailed by a shoulder injury. A high-level athlete on the wing with positional size and playmaking for others, he now looks like a real building block for Atlanta. The only caveat is that this optimism is based on two seasons in which he has played only a combined 92 games. So, like others on this list, shooting and durability are key pieces. Alongside an ultra-skilled shot-maker like Trae Young though, he’s found an ideal fit to maximize what he does best. 

16.  Dyson Daniels, Hawks (22)

Staying in Atlanta, we have one of the best up-and-coming perimeter defenders in the league. Daniels’ defensive playmaking metrics were off the charts last year with 3.7 stocks per game and nearly six rebounds leading to the Most Improved Player award. Not only is he a playmaker on that end, but he protects Young, and simultaneously made notable strides with his offense. If he can sustain, or continue, the gains he made as a floor spacer and keep providing some secondary creation, his value should only continue to ascend this year for the Hawks. 

17.  Christian Braun, Nuggets (24)

Just three years removed from being the 21st pick, Braun has already proven to be one of the best picks of his draft class. He moved into the starting lineup last season and more than doubled his production, averaging 15 points, five boards, and nearly three assists on 58/40/83 shooting. What’s a little misleading is that he attempted only three threes in his roughly 34 minutes per game, so his gravity will increase with his volume, but he’s an extremely efficient transition finisher to complement Nikola Jokic‘s open court passing, and also a plus defender. In short, he may not be a star, but he looks like a long-term NBA starter. 

18.  Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers (24)

After four seasons in Washington, Avdija’s new zip code brought a breakout year with the Blazers. He averaged 17 points, seven boards, and four assists while sustaining the notable jump in 3-point shooting that he posted the year before with the Wizards. The best part was that he continued to raise the level of his game as the season went on. At 6-foot-9, he combines strength and physicality with playmaking off the dribble to create a definite mismatch problem, not to mention a solid positional defender. Now he looks like a core building block moving forward for Portland.

19.  Dereck Lively, Mavericks (21)

Lively exceeded expectations right out of the gate as a rookie in Dallas, and maintained those numbers, albeit in an injury-plagued sophomore year. Still just 21 years old, the hope is that he will establish himself as the Mavs’ clear-cut top center this season. He has immense defensive potential with his size, length, shot-blocking, and relative mobility. Offensively, he’s a lob threat and extremely efficient finisher, although life without Luka Dončić may be a bit different. That niche alone gives him the potential to be a starting center in this league for the next decade, so long as he can stay healthy. 

20.  Brandon Miller, Hornets (22)

Miller was recently tabbed by league GM’s as one of the favorites to have a breakout season. While he played just 27 games last season, we saw some clear evidence of where his game was trending. He was taking a high-volume approach from behind the arc and basing the rest of his attack around the threat of his jumper. There was growth as a passer for others, but continued struggles as a finisher, and defender. This year, it feels like Charlotte is at a crossroads and needs to decide if they’ll continue to build around Miller and LaMelo Ball.

21.  Stephon Castle, Spurs (20)

Last year’s Rookie of the Year is a big guard with size, strength, athleticism, on-off ball versatility and two-ways tools. He was already one of the Spurs’ best perimeter defenders last year, not to mention a consistent scoring threat at 15 points per game. The question this year is whether or not he can take the next step in a perimeter rotation that is both young and collectively strained from a spacing perspective. In other words, how are all these driving playmakers going to coexist if they can’t space the floor for each other. 

22.  LaMelo Ball, Hornets (24)

This is bound to be the most debated spot on the list. To be clear, this isn’t about sheer talent. Ball’s natural ability with the basketball, creativity, and vision, coupled by his tremendous positional size, form the profile of a truly elite prospect. Through five NBA seasons though, there are two glaring problems and a looming question. First, he can’t stay healthy. He’s played more than 51 games just once and hasn’t eclipsed 47 games in any of the last three years. Second, he’s one of the most lackadaisical defenders in the league. Put it together, and despite his gifts, Charlotte has to be wondering if he can ever drive winning at a consistent level. 

23.  Ace Bailey, Jazz (19)

The case for Bailey is simple — he’s a high-level athlete with wing size and tough shot-making ability. The case against him has to do with his overall feel and efficiency. The summer league provided evidence for both perspectives. What has been encouraging though are the early returns in the preseason as Bailey has already made real strides with his understanding of how to get to spots, not waste dribbles, and move without the ball. You never want to overvalue the preseason, but the signs of growth are real and his upside has always been undeniable. 

24.  VJ Edgecombe, 76ers (20)

Anyone who followed last year’s draft knows Edgecombe is an elite athlete, has a ton of defensive upside, and a consistently developing offensive game. What most people don’t yet have a full appreciation for is his competitiveness and drive to improve. It’s that, and not just the physical tools, which could fuel his development in the coming years. There’s clearly plenty of work to be done, but Edgecombe is poised to be an overachiever. 

25.  Josh Giddey, Bulls (23)

There’s a case to be made that Giddey is one of the more undervalued young players in the league. He’s been a starter in all four years in the association. Last year, his first in Chicago, he averaged 15 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 47/38/78 shooting. After the All-Star break, he put up 21 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists per game. Those all-star caliber numbers earned him a new 100-million-dollar contract, but still arguably not enough respect across the league.