In keeping with tradition of years past, our Top 100 list doesn’t rank rookies. You’ll find some of them listed here, as well as some notable second- and third-year players to keep an eye on moving forward. The immediacy of a player’s contributions were slightly prioritized here, as we couldn’t pick every young player in the NBA. Older players who just missed the cut can be found on the Snubs list.
Rookies
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Banchero’s powerful face-up game and creative skills made him the No. 1 pick, and that framework should fast-track him into next year’s Top 100 if all goes well. Improved shooting will be the key to stardom here, and the Magic will give him tons of leeway to figure it out.
Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
The other rookie who could have immediately warranted Top 100 consideration is Murray, who was arguably the best player at Summer League. He can make a difference with or without designed touches and should thrive across lineup contexts as a result, making him a potentially very good supporting piece for the Kings right away.
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets
It’s basically a matter of time with Smith, who has the physical and technical skill set to be one of the league’s best 3-and-D players, and the makeup to be much more than that. Stardom hinges on how comfortable he gets putting the ball on the floor, but he’s a special jump shooter and tough defender already.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Holmgren is slated to miss the entire season due to a Lisfranc injury, but the hope is that it’s simply a minor setback for one of the more unique prospects in the league. The stretch big label doesn’t quite do him justice, but how his ball skills and jumper ultimately translate in the pros will be fascinating to watch. His defensive impact should give him a pretty high value floor regardless.
Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons
It may be two or three seasons before Ivey pulls it all together, but he’ll be one of the NBA’s best athletes on arrival and could be very hard to stop. He’s going to have to make better decisions and turn up his effort on defense, but good luck trying to keep him away from the rim.
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
Mathurin had a promising showing at Summer League and has a prototypical two-guard skill set, capable of scoring at all three levels. He’s going to benefit greatly from playing next to Tyrese Haliburton, and he’ll get pretty much all the shots he wants as the Pacers retool.
Dyson Daniels, New Orleans Pelicans
Daniels may not have a huge role this season, but keep him on the long-term radar as a multipositional utility wing who’s quite advanced for his age. His jumper remains the primary hurdle on the way to being a highly valuable complementary player.