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Ranking Every NBA Team's 3 Most Promising Prospects – Bleacher Report
The NBA galaxy is illuminated with stars of the past, present and future.
Those past hoopers give us the warmth and comfort of nostalgia. The present ones provide us with entertainment on a nightly basis. But basketball’s future stars might be the most exciting of any, since their potential is unrealized and, in theory at least, could expand any number of directions going forward.
What’s even better is that every team in the Association has young talent—at least to a certain extent. Some have legitimate building blocks, others have only long-shot contributors, but youth exists on every roster.
And it’s all going under the spotlight here in this ranking of each team’s top three prospects. To be considered for this exercise, players must be 25 or under, have no more than three seasons of NBA experience and can’t have made an All-Star roster yet (since that effectively graduates them from prospect status to full-fledged stardom).
Also, these rankings attempt to account for both potential and the possibility of it actually being realized. Having a sky-high ceiling doesn’t help much if a player has almost zero chance to ever approach it. Having an elevated floor can be helpful, but not if it leaves limited room for future growth.
All good on the particulars? Great, let’s get to the rankings, then.
1. Onyeka Okongwu
Opportunity seems to be the only thing standing in the way of a full-fledged breakout for Okongwu, and it might be knocking soon with Clint Capela on the trade block. Save for an outside jumper, Okongwu has just about everything you’d want in a modern big. He is immensely switchable on defense and reliable around the rim. This past season, he tallied the 10th-most blocks (107) and sixth-best field-goal percentage (63.8).
2. Jalen Johnson
Johnson needs to accelerate his development to justify this ranking, but I’m comfortable betting on his tools and talent, especially with power forward minutes readily available after the John Collins deal. Johnson is an explosive athlete with intriguing off-the-dribble abilities for a 6’9″, 220-pounder.
3. AJ Griffin
Kobe Bufkin and Saddiq Bey have arguments for this spot, but Griffin arguably offers the best blend of floor and ceiling. He is a knockdown shooter from distance—he shot 39 percent from range as a rookie—and he can zip around close-outs then finish in myriad ways off the bounce.
1. Jordan Walsh
Walsh’s placement here is due partly to his potential and more to Boston’s lack of long-term prospects. He is a rookie second-rounder, so the chances of his becoming more than a rotational reserve aren’t great, but his motor is elite, and his athleticism is electric. His offensive outlook is incredible murky—and will stay that way as long as he remains without a jumper—but his defense could be special.
2. Payton Pritchard
Pritchard’s minutes have trended down each of the past two seasons, and while Boston’s backcourt congestion is mostly to blame, he’s also easy to target on defense given his lack of size. He has been a good shooter to date (career 40 percent from deep), but he might need to demonstrate another strong skill to guarantee himself regular minutes.
3. Dalano Banton
Banton theoretically intrigues as a 6’9″ point guard with significant versatility on defense. But it just isn’t clear he has enough offensive juice to cut it. He’s a fun watch in the open floor, but when things slow down, his limitations as a shooter and scorer are hard to hide.
1. Cam Thomas
The 21-year-old Thomas boasts knockout power in his scoring punch. While a career can’t be made in a span of three outings, his trio of consecutive 40-plus-point performances rank high up the list of last season’s most eye-popping accomplishments. It’s tough to say what he brings beyond volume scoring, but that single skill is special enough to slot him here.
2. Noah Clowney
Clowney might be on the longer end of the league’s long-term projects, but that’s fine for someone who was still 18 at the time of the draft. He noticeably lacks offensive polish, but throw on some optimistic frames, and you can see the outline of a stretch big who protects the paint and switches onto perimeter players.
3. Dariq Whitehead
Whitehead’s one-and-done run at Duke was book-ended by foot surgeries, which makes it tricky to gauge his potential. If the explosiveness and shot-creation from his high school days ever returns, he could be a great asset. If they don’t, he’s probably a three-and-D role player who’s more three than D.
1. Brandon Miller
Charlotte’s decision to draft Miller over Scoot Henderson could be debated for years to come, but Miller’s prominent placement here won’t be. Since LaMelo Ball is out of the running as a past All-Star selection, the 6’9″ Miller is the obvious choice. His handle and creation will ultimately set his ceiling, but there’s a non-zero chance he takes a Paul George-type path to stardom.
2. Mark Williams
Interior bigs aren’t valued as they once were, but a rim-running, glass-cleaning, shot-blocking center can still be an impact player. Williams is a long ways away from ever wearing that label, but he got off to an encouraging start once Charlotte finally decided to play him. His per-36-minutes stat line this past season included 16.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
3. Nick Smith Jr.
With 2021 first-rounders James Bouknight and Kai Jones failing to impress, the third spot instead goes to Smith, this summer’s No. 27 pick. He had a disappointing, injury-impacted season in college, but he was the top-ranked preps hooper in his class, so he could still offer significant potential as a scoring guard with an ignitable outside shot.
1. Patrick Williams
Bulls fans might be growing impatient for Williams’ leap year, but the 21-year-old still looms as the obvious choice here. He hasn’t disappointed so far—he owns a career 47.7/41.4/77.9 shooting slash—he just hasn’t taken off the way his tools and talent suggest he could. There’s still time for that big jump to happen, though.
2. Dalen Terry
The No. 18 pick in 2022, Terry seldom saw the floor as a rookie and could continue struggling to find minutes until his offensive game comes along. He is an energetic, disruptive defender, but that will only matter once he proves he’s more than a non-factor on offense.
3. Julian Phillips
Phillips wouldn’t crack most teams’ prospect rankings right, but Chicago’s shortage of high-end youth gave him an opening. He seems ready to defend NBA wings right now, but he might have the Bulls playing four-on-five at the other end, as he needs serious seasoning with his handle and jumper.
1. Evan Mobley
Stardom might have eluded Mobley to this point, but he’s clearly on the launch pad and counting down to take-off. He just earned the first of what should be many All-Defensive team honors, while also averaging 16.2 points on 55.4 percent shooting. And that was while logging major minutes alongside a ball-dominant backcourt and a shooting-starved frontcourt.
2. Isaac Okoro
Okoro’s defense is tenacious, but his offensive limitations have really cut into his floor time. As a rookie, he averaged 32.4 minutes while making 67 starts. As a third-year player, he was down to 21.7 minutes and 46 starts in 76 appearances. Bucking this trend could be tricky with Cleveland clearly prioritizing shooting at the forward spots in free agency (Max Strus, Georges Niang).
3. Emoni Bates
Maybe this is wishful thinking, but it’s hard to abandon hope on a 6’9″ teenager who could be both a shooter and a shot-creator. It’s debatable if he’ll ever provide more than erratic, inefficient shooting, but there are ways he could make this work.
1. Josh Green
Green probably doesn’t offer high-end upside, but he has enough of a safety net to hold this top spot regardless. He has been a reliable three-and-D wing to this point—40.2 three-point percentage this past season—while showing enough off-the-dribble flashes to hint at having even more to offer.
2. Dereck Lively II
This is admittedly aggressive for a 19-year-old who just averaged 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds as a freshman, but Lively’s tools and talents seem easily translatable. At worst, he’ll be a bouncy rim-runner who perennially ranks among the Association’s leaders in blocks and field-goal shooting. At best, he’ll add a jumper to his arsenal and establish himself as a top-10 player at his position.
3. Jaden Hardy
It’s possible Hardy has the highest ceiling of any of the young Mavericks, but his archetype might be the hardest to make work at this level. He is essentially a 6’4″ scoring specialist who isn’t an elite athlete. His scoring punch is powerful, and his three-ball is potent, but his decision-making and defense needs a ton of work.
1. Christian Braun
Braun may never be a star in this league, but he just made tangible contributions to an NBA champion as a rookie. That doesn’t happen often. He may not have a standout skill (unless possessing insatiable energy counts), but he does a lot of little things that lead to winning. Maybe that’s why his past two seasons (including his final campaign at Kansas) both ended with championships.
“He’s a very rare rookie,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon told reporters after Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes of Game 3 of the NBA Finals. “From Day 1, he’s been on top of it. This is a real winner right here.”
2. Peyton Watson
If Braun was Denver’s safe selection as the No. 21 pick in 2022, then Watson was the team’s home run hack in the No. 30 spot. He didn’t play a ton at UCLA and seldom hit the hardwood during his first NBA go-round, but the Nuggets clearly think they can mold his 6’8″, 200-pound frame into something interesting. If they do, they could have a wing creator who defends all over and wreaks havoc in the open court.
3. Zeke Nnaji
Because Nnaji has failed to crack the regular rotation through his first three NBA seasons, serious consideration was given to putting Julian Strawther in this spot. Ultimately, though, Nnaji still got the nod for his combination of size (6’9″, 240 lbs), shooting (38.2 career three-point percentage) and defensive versatility.
1. Cade Cunningham
Shin surgery effectively erased Cunningham’s sophomore season—he played just a dozen games—but it did nothing to dethrone him as Detroit’s top prospect. And most important player over all. It’s too early to tell how (or if) his jumper will come along, but he’s already a stat-sheet stuffing swingman who can initiate offense, pick apart defenses and defend multiple positions.
2. Jaden Ivey
Ivey is already in possession of top-notch burst, and he’ll get even harder to handle as he continues learning how to leverage that burst against opposing defenses. He had some rough moments as a rookie, but his growth from the season’s start to its finish was staggering. At this rate, his trajectory is an arrow pointed all the way up.
3. Ausar Thompson
Detroit has no shortage of candidates for this spot—Jalen Duren waves hello—but if Thompson lives up to his pre-draft billing, he’s more likely to climb up these rankings than lose his spot. He is a turbo-charged athlete and potentially a four-position defender, and if he finds consistency with his outside shot, he would be without any glaring weaknesses.
1. Jonathan Kuminga
The Warriors have slow-played Kuminga to this point, but that shouldn’t be taken as a knock on his potential. It’s just that he might need more polish to consistently help a contender, which might be true of all 20-and-under players. He boasts an incredible blend of size (6’8″), length (6’11” wingspan) and bounce, which makes it easy to let your imagination run wild when he dips into his shot-creation bag.
2. Moses Moody
A perimeter logjam has slowed Moody’s ascension a bit, but he is approaching 300 career playoff minutes already, so it’s not as if he’s been completely passed over. He became a rotation regular during the latest postseason run—providing steady shooting, reliable defense and loads of energy—and he could be eyeing a further role expansion with Donte DiVincenzo out of the mix.
3. Brandin Podziemski
Talent-wise, Podziemski looks like a clean fit for Golden State’s read-and-react offense. He can pass, shoot and dribble, making him an option to potentially play with and in relief of Golden State’s stars. But he faces some pretty steep obstacles from a physical standpoint, since he isn’t particularly long or explosive.
1. Jalen Green
Houston’s hierarchy is tough to set, due both to its abundance of young talent but also some question marks surrounding its marquee prospects. Green, the No. 2 pick in 2021, still holds top billing for his explosive athleticism and scoring prowess, but his efficiency needs a major boost. This past season, he became only the 34th player to average 22-plus points at age 21 or younger, but he ranked just 26th among that group with a 53.8 true shooting percentage.
2. Jabari Smith Jr.
Smith, last summer’s No. 3 pick, holds a sky-high ceiling as a 6’10” shot-maker who can switch on defense and potentially excel in pick-and-roll coverage. As a rookie, though, he shot a disappointing 30.7 percent from distance (40.8 percent overall), including a dismal 29.4 percent mark on catch-and-shoot threes.
3. Amen Thompson
While Alperen Şengün, Tari Eason and even No. 20 pick (and summer league MVP) Cam Whitmore all garnered consideration for this spot, Thompson’s two-way potential earned him this slot. Even with major concerns about his shooting stroke, this year’s No. 4 pick could be special as a 6’7″ playmaker with jaw-dropping hops, incredible quick-twitch athleticism and towering upside as a versatile stopper.
1. Bennedict Mathurin
It took Mathurin all of one game to net his first double-digit effort as a pro, two outings to clear the 20-point plateau and seven games to notch his first 30-point outburst. The 21-year-old is a bucket, scoring off of isolations, long-range looks, transition attacks and numerous trips to the foul line.
2. Jarace Walker
Versatility is a buzz word in modern basketball, and it’s the reason Walker wound up here (and at the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft). He projects as an all-purpose stopper who could find his way onto multiple All-Defensive teams. On offense, he should be a fun pick-and-roll partner for Tyrese Haliburton, since Walker can rumble to the rim, create out of the short roll and even flashes some pick-and-pop potential.
3. Andrew Nembhard
The race for No. 3 pick fittingly came down to a photo finish with Obi Toppin, Isaiah Jackson and Ben Sheppard all pushing for this spot, but Nembhard’s ability to orchestrate an NBA offense as a 23-year-old rookie proved too hard to overlook. He nearly tripled his 1.7 turnovers with 4.5 assists while compiling a respectable 44.1/35/79 shooting slash.
1. Kenyon Martin Jr.
The Clippers entered the offseason in need of youth, athleticism and long-term potential, so they checked all three boxes in a trade for Martin. The bouncy 22-year-old is unproven as a shooter, but he shines as a disruptive defender and powerful finisher.
2. Bones Hyland
An All-Rookie second-teamer in 2021-22, Hyland fell out of favor during his sophomore season in Denver and landed in L.A. at the trade deadline. He’s a shifty handler and confident scorer with a streaky three-ball, but he needs to become more consistent in all facets.
3. Brandon Boston Jr.
Incoming rookies Kobe Brown and Jordan Miller could challenge for this spot, but for now it goes to Boston. He seldom saw the floor as a sophomore—22 appearances after 51 in his rookie season—but there’s still upside attached to the lanky 21-year-old. It’s hard to give up on a 6’7″ wing who has flashed enough shot-making skills to keep hope alive.
1. Austin Reaves
It feels strange including Reaves on this list, as he’s become both L.A.’s third-best player and a $56 million contract recipient, but as a 25-year-old with two seasons under his belt, he meets our criteria. And for all that he’s shown already, he clearly hasn’t exhausted his potential. His post-All-Star surge neared All-Star territory (17.6 points, 5.5 assists, 57.8/44.3/85.6 shooting), and that production mostly held up in the postseason.
2. Max Christie
Maybe this is giving too much credence to Christie’s strong summer league showing, but it’s hard not be excited about the 20-year-old. He shot 41.9 percent from distance in limited minutes as a rookie, then went a blistering 11-of-20 (55 percent) outside in summer league play.
3. Jalen Hood-Schifino
This summer’s No. 17 pick, Hood-Schifino has a greater draft pedigree than L.A.’s two young hoopers ranked ahead of him. Maybe he’ll make this ranking look foolish—there’s always plenty to like in a 6’6″ playmaker—but he needs to prove himself as a finisher and three-point shooter to ascend these ranks.
1. Desmond Bane
Bane is the most established and productive (and richest) player of any in this exercise, but he qualifies nevertheless. His career has played out like a space ship that took a little time to launch but is now blasting out of the atmosphere. After a solid, but statistically subtle rookie season, he made a big leap as a sophomore and another in his third season. No one would bat an eye if his fourth campaign included his first All-Star selection.
2. Ziaire Williams
Williams remains more interesting in theory than reality, which is a bummer given the Grizzlies’ longstanding need for a big, two-way wing. Still, he’s only 21 years old with 99 NBA outings on his resume, so time remains on his side—for now.
3. GG Jackson
David Roddy, Jake LaRavia and Kenneth Lofton Jr. might all be giving me the side-eye here, but I’m simply more intrigued about what Jackson’s future could hold. The 18-year-old already has an NBA frame (6’9″, 215 lbs) with shot-making and shot-creation to boot. He lacks polish—”His game needs buffing,” as The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor put it—but I’m willing to give this draft’s youngest player time to grow.
1. Jaime Jaquez Jr.
As a 22-year-old with less than elite athleticism, Jaquez doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but his versatility and apparent readiness are enough to snag the top spot in South Beach. He looks like a seamless fit for the #culture, and he could wind up logging major minutes if he can get his three-ball to fall with regularity.
2. Nikola Jović
After seeing just 204 minutes of floor time as an NBA freshman, Jović is basically a blank slate. And that’s fine. He just turned 20 this summer, meaning he has plenty of time to round out his game. If he maxes out his potential, he could be a jumbo-sized shot-maker (at 6’10”) and secondary creator.
3. Orlando Robinson
Undrafted out of Fresno State in 2022, Robinson wound up twice signing two-way contracts with the Heat this past season. He then snagged a standard contract this summer, making Miami look wise for that investment with a strong showing in summer league. He controlled the interior, looked comfortable shooting from distance and wound up with an All-Summer League first team selection.
1. MarJon Beauchamp
Because the Bucks have been playing championship-or-bust ball for a while, they haven’t had much time to draft and develop young talent. Beauchamp, the No. 24 pick in 2022, is the best of the bunch. His best traits are his physical tools and motor, but he has utility as a multi-positional defender and downhill attacker.
2. Andre Jackson Jr.
Jackson sees and plays the game at a great place, and you could argue his processing skills are even more valuable than his anti-gravity bounce. He doesn’t have a jumper, which could make it tricky to slot him alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Jackson offers so much as a defender and distributor that he makes you want to believe he’ll be one of the non-shooting wings who finds a niche in the modern NBA.
3. A.J. Green
Some might argue that Chris Livingston belongs here because of his size, length and bounce. But his skills lack polish to the point that he might never put it all together. Green, meanwhile, offers an established, effective NBA skill as a movement shooter. He buried 44 triples in 35 games this past season while connecting on those looks at a 41.9 percent clip.
1. Jaden McDaniels
Since Anthony Edwards’ All-Star selection took him out of consideration, McDaniels snagged the top spot with ease. His defense is already elite (91st percentile in defensive estimated plus/minus, per Dunks and Threes), and his offensive output hit personal-best levels nearly across the board this past season.
2. Leonard Miller
Miller lacks high-level experience, and his shot needs work, but if Minnesota is patient with his development, it could have a real find here. He is a 6’10” face-up scorer who can attack off the dribble and finish in myriad ways at the basket. He flashes some intriguing passing and defensive chops, too, he just needs more time to flesh those areas out.
3. Wendell Moore Jr.
Taken 26th overall last summer, Moore wound up logging the second-fewest minutes of any player picked in the top 35. And the only player who saw less floor time was Chet Holmgren, who lost the entire season to a foot injury. That’s a long-winded way of saying Moore has proven almost nothing to this point, though the hope is he’ll grow into a three-and-D role.
1. Trey Murphy III
The Pelicans have amassed quite the collection of young talent—if Zion Williamson could ever stay healthy, they’d be a force—but Murphy gets top billing for the giant leap he made last season. After serving as a part-time reserve in his rookie year, he wound up averaging 31 minutes and making 65 starts as a sophomore, shining as a shooter, finisher and disruptive defender.
2. Dyson Daniels
Last year’s No. 8 pick, Daniels didn’t get a ton of chances to show what he could do as a rookie. That might be for the better, since his offensive arsenal needs some more juice. Still, you’re looking at a potential two-way connector with great size (6’8″) and explosiveness.
3. Herbert Jones
The 35th pick of the 2021 draft, Jones snagged a starting spot as a rookie and held onto it as a freshman. That’s reason enough to give him the nod over incoming lottery pick Jordan Hawkins (even though I really like Hawkins). Jones is a known commodity, for better and worse. His defense is as good as it gets, but his shooting woes (career 33.6 percent on low volume) could start cutting into his floor time if New Orleans’ younger players develop quickly.
1. Immanuel Quickley
Like a Wheel of Fortune winner, Quickley solved the puzzle this past season. Long a solid source of two-way activity, the combo guard managed to pair his trademark frenetic defense with (by far) his best efficiency to date. His 57.8 true shooting percentage dwarfed his previous best (55.7), and he also hit career-high levels in player efficiency rating (16.3) and win shares per 48 minutes (.137).
2. Quentin Grimes
The Knicks didn’t play Grimes enough as a rookie in 2021-22, but they didn’t make that same mistake this past season. He tallied New York’s fourth-most starts (66) and fifth-most minutes (2,121) while serving as both a knockdown shooter from distance (157 triples on 38.6 percent shooting) and a defensive pest.
3. Jericho Sims
Often barricaded behind Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, Sims has yet to pave his path to consistent playing time. Still, it feels like his NBA identity is already established. The bouncy big man is an active rim-runner who can rebound, protect the paint and finish above the rim.
1. Chet Holmgren
One could argue Holmgren’s lack of NBA experience should cost him the top spot, particularly on a team with as much high-end young talent as Oklahoma City. His ceiling is simply too high to deny him this ranking, though. He already offers the unicorn blend of shooting and shot-blocking, and the flashes of his off-the-dribble game send his potential skyrocketing.
2. Jalen Williams
Williams came into the league with glue-guy potential and needed just one season to raise his ceiling several stories higher. Stardom seems doable (if not likely) for the 22-year-old who was the silver medalist in last season’s Rookie of the Year voting. Over his final 19 outings, he averaged 19.2 points on 54.8/44.4/88.3 shooting with 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists (against 1.9 turnovers) and 1.7 steals.
3. Josh Giddey
Giddey could hold the top ranking on a (big) number of other teams, but in OKC, he has to settle for third place. Finding an outside shot would be hugely helpful to his long-term outlook, but even without one, he has become one of the league’s better young backcourt players. He is only the seventh player ever to post 1,900 points, 1,000 rebounds and 800 assists over his first two seasons.
1. Paolo Banchero
When the Magic landed last summer’s top pick, the board broke just right for Banchero to be the obvious choice as both the top player on the board and the one who best filled their need. They had to find an offensive focal point, and the 6’10” forward proved up to the task. By season’s end, he was a near-unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year and just the 12th freshman ever to average 20 points, six rebounds and three assists.
2. Franz Wagner
Wagner looks incredibly comfortable (and more than capable) as second-in-command of this young Orlando squad. While most pre-draft projections pegged him as a glue guy in 2022, he has already cleared that bar and then some. A smattering of All-Star selections could absolutely be a part of his future.
3. Anthony Black
The Magic have multiple candidates for the third spot, but I’m banking on Black making a quick transition to the league. This summer’s No. 6 pick could be their new head of the snake at both ends, as a 6’7″ teenager who can initiate offense, attack off the dribble and defend multiple positions.
1. Tyrese Maxey
Maxey’s exponential growth through three NBA seasons have effectively pushed him out of prospect territory, yet it’s hard to imagine the 22-year-old has already offered the best he has to give. He is a dart with the basketball, a live-dribble passing threat and a wildly improved outside shooter. As a rookie, he made 31 threes at a 30.1 percent clip; this past season, those numbers jumped to 160 and 43.4, respectively.
2. Paul Reed
Philly let the restricted free agent market set Reed’s rate, then smartly matched the three-year, $23 million offer sheet he inked with the Utah Jazz. He blossomed as a rotation regular in his third NBA season, posting some impressive per-36-minutes marks that highlight his activity level, like his 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.2 steals.
3. Jaden Springer
Springer has shown next to nothing in his first two NBA seasons, so he basically lands here by default. Maybe Filip Petrusev or Terquavion Smith winds up pushing Springer for this spot, but the latter gets this spot for his potential as an athletic, tone-setting defender.
1. Jordan Goodwin
Sneaking Goodwin into the Bradley Beal blockbuster followed Phoenix’s offseason blueprint of finding potential bench contributors at bargain prices. It also scratched itches for both a pass-first point guard and a feisty perimeter defender.
2. Toumani Camara
Expectations should be tempered for Camara, this summer’s No. 52 pick, but there’s a non-zero chance he cracks Phoenix’s rotation at some point. If he finds consistency with his perimeter shot (30.7 percent over four college seasons), he could be a solid stretch 4 who can switch on defense.
3. Saben Lee
Phoenix only has three players who qualify for this exercise, so the spotlight lands on Lee, a three-year pro who parlayed a couple of 10-day contracts in January into two-way deals for this past season and the upcoming one. He struggles as a shooter, but he takes care of the basketball (career 3.2 assists against 1.0 turnovers) and plays hard at both ends.
1. Scoot Henderson
Whenever the Damian Lillard saga comes to an end, Henderson will slide into the vacated spot as the face of this franchise. That’s a lot to put on a 19-year-old, but he might be up to the challenge. He is an athletic, energetic floor general who leads his team at both ends. If his jumper comes around, his potential is limitless.
“He is chasing greatness, and when he gets there, he is going to find something else to chase,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “That is already who he is. That is his mojo. That is his superpower.”
2. Shaedon Sharpe
Even in a league littered with world-class athletes, Sharpe might be the bounciest of the bunch. He is more than just a source of viral highlights, though. He did a lot more than dunking while averaging 23.7 points on 46/37.8/77.3 shooting over the final 10 tilts of his rookie season.
3. Kris Murray
The twin brother of Sacramento Kings swingman Keegan Murray, Kris brings a similar batch of NBA-ready skills to the pros. While not quite as dynamic of a shot-creator as Keegan, Kris can score in a variety of ways, plays solid team defense and contributes on the glass.
1. Keegan Murray
Murray did everything Sacramento wanted this past season and then some—including playing a pivotal role in the club’s first playoff trip since the George W. Bush administration. Some might debate whether Murray has All-Star-level upside, but his impact on winning is already apparent and impressive.
2. Davion Mitchell
Mitchell has mostly lived up to his “Off-Night” moniker as a defensive pest, but the 24-year-old remains a work in progress on offense. His shooting rates saw big jumps from the field (41.8 to 45.4) and at the line (65.9 to 80.6), but his improvement hasn’t reached the perimeter yet (career 31.7 percent).
3. Colby Jones
Jones could (should?) push for a rotation role right out of the gate. He may not have a standout skill, but he doesn’t have a glaring weakness, either. He could find his niche as an energetic stopper, a spot-up shooter, a secondary creator or any combination of the three.
1. Victor Wembanyama
It’s hard to say anything about Wembanyama without sounding like you’re speaking in hyperbolic superlatives. He has once-in-a-generation upside with a never-before seen blend of size, skill and mobility. If he shoots consistently from three, he might break the sport of basketball.
2. Jeremy Sochan
If there’s any downside to teaming up with Wembanyama, it’s that a ranking like this will never put you on the top rung. Sochan could easily hold down that spot for a number of other teams, though, as a 6’9″ playmaker with Defensive Player of the Year potential.
3. Devin Vassell
Vassell has made a significant leap each of the past two seasons, and he just might continue that pattern in the upcoming campaign. Shots could be harder to come by in this now Wembanyama-centric attack, but maybe that merely boosts Vassell’s efficiency. This past season, he put up 18.5 points on 43.9/38.7/78 shooting with 3.6 assists against 1.5 turnovers.
1. Scottie Barnes
Barnes didn’t have the sophomore season Raptors fans wanted to see, but nothing really went according to plan in Toronto. He also hasn’t turned 22 yet. It’s far too early to raise anything beyond slight concerns, but he needs to level up sooner than later. If he isn’t going to be a major scoring threat, then the Raptors need to know whether he can serve as a primary playmaker.
2. Gradey Dick
Dick didn’t have a great run in summer league, but he still looks like a potential solution to Toronto’s nearly team-wide shooting problem. In his lone season of college ball, he buried 83 triples at a 40.3 percent clip. Those are good numbers for anyone, but wildly intriguing ones for a 6’8″ swingman.
3. Precious Achiuwa
Achiuwa’s second season in Toronto (and third in the NBA) was a bumpy one that featured ups, downs, a long absence with an ankle injury and even a few healthy scratches. It was disappointing, but not necessarily damning. He did make big strides as a finisher (73.4 percent shooting within three feet), made more frequent trips to the foul line and shot better at the stripe.
1. Walker Kessler
Theoretically, Kessler entered Salt Lake City with immense pressure to perform as Rudy Gobert’s replacement. Turns out, Kessler might already be up to the task. He already bettered Gobert’s career-highs in blocks per 36 minutes (3.7 to 3.4) and field-goal shooting (72 to 71.3) while nearly matching his predecessor in defensive estimated plus/minus (87th percentile to Gobert’s 92nd).
2. Taylor Hendricks
Hendricks may not have the highest ceiling of the 2023 draft class, but he seems among the likeliest to contribute at this level. He is tailor-made to fill a complementary role, since he can hit catch-and-shoot threes, defend in space and rotate to the right place at the right time. If he expands his off-the-dribble game, he could make a legitimate push toward stardom.
3. Ochai Agbaji
Serious consideration was given to All-Summer League first-teamer Keyonte George, but I’m sticking with Agbaji for now. I’m not sure how long it will take George’s shot-creation to show up, at least with reasonable efficiency. I am, however, pretty bullish about Agbaji’s chances of pushing for 30-plus minutes per night (a number he nearly cleared after the All-Star break) in the always helpful three-and-D role.
1. Bilal Coulibaly
The Wizards may have snatched up Coulibaly earlier than expected (No. 7), but given their need for star power in the post-Bradley Beal era, it was arguably the right dart to throw. Coulibaly is only slightly more seasoned than a bag of frozen veggies, but he hasn’t even turned 19 yet. Between his age, physical tools and off-the-dribble flashes, his potential is enormous.
2. Deni Avdija
Before Coulibaly’s arrival, Avdija was the face of the “Washington doesn’t have any blue-chip prospects” criticism. The 22-year-old hasn’t been a disaster by any stretch, but there just isn’t anything special about his game. He competes on defense, contributes on the glass and throws some interesting passes for a 6’9″ swingman. He’s also a non-shooter and limited scoring threat.
3. Corey Kispert
By draft pedigree, this spot should belong to Johnny Davis (last summer’s No. 10 pick), but holy smokes was his rookie season brutal. By upside alone, you could maybe argue for newcomer Patrick Baldwin Jr. But Baldwin’s potential is all theoretical. Kispert, meanwhile, is already making tangible contributions as an outside shooter (career 39.1 percent) and will help pull some defensive attention away from Coulibaly, Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma.
Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference, Cleaning the Glass and NBA.com.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
