The NBA is currently deep into one of the most explosive waves of young talent it has ever seen. More players are now legitimate franchise pillars, MVP candidates and championship contributors all under the age of 25. 

As the OGs and the superstars of the 2010s and early 2020s — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant — are fading, a new era has arrived. A new class of franchise cornerstones and MVP-level talents is emerging, bringing “alien” ability and the kind of positional versatility rarely seen in previous generations.

The 2025–26 season has made that changing of the guard unmistakable. The standings tell the story clearly, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons sitting atop their respective conferences, each behind a 24-year-old rising superstar. This ranking prioritizes playoff control over box-score production. Shot creation under pressure, defensive scalability, and lineup independence matter more than scoring averages. A player who needs the perfect roster drops. A player who elevates any roster rises.

First, we must understand the breakdown of the list. The top 25 is broken into four distinct tiers.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

What to expect from this ranking…

• This ranking is not a review of this season only; it considers both total body of work and future projections.
• This is EssentiallySports’ subjective but not biased ranking; we strive for inclusive meritocracy
• This ranking considers the overall context of today’s NBA and the players we believe will most impact the next generation.

The Top 25 Under 25

Tier 4: Stars Knocking on the Door

1. Ausar Thompson (22) | SF | Detroit Pistons 

2025-26 Stats: 10.2 PPG | 6.0 REB | 2.7 AST

Thompson may be the most impactful player at No. 25 on any of these lists in recent memory, and that is why he is one of the most fascinating players in the league to watch right now. After a couple of role-adjustment seasons and a blood clot problem, Thompson looks to be settled as a starter for the Detroit Pistons and the defensive anchor on the wing. 

Fans miss the point when they look at Thompson’s 10.2 points average and 25.7 minutes per game and assume he’s a bench piece. However, he is a big part of why the Pistons are No. 1 in the East. For the 22-year-old guard to reach higher up the list, his offensive game has to develop, starting with his jump shooting, which is below average at best. He is averaging just 8.2 field goal attempts, and at the moment, he cannot be deployed as a lead option or even a heavy rotation scorer when defenses load up on Cunningham.

1. Jabari Smith Jr. (22) | PF | Houston Rockets

2025-26 Stats: 15.2 PPG | 7.1 REB | 1.8 AST 

Smith Jr. went third overall in 2022. The Rockets passed on Mathurin, Shaedon Sharpe, Keegan Murray, and dozens of other names to take Smith Jr. from Auburn. The Rockets believed he had All-Star written all over him. They are committed to the project and went all in to sign a five-year $122 million extension last summer.

Houston is establishing a championship core of Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, which in turn means that Smith’s role is defined. He averages 35.1 minutes per game using his 7-foot-1 wingspan to make life genuinely difficult for opposing bigs and perimeter scorers. It helps Durant and Sengun to operate at their best. 

1. Keyonte George (22) | G | Utah Jazz

2025-26 Stats: 23.8 PPG | 3.9 REB | 6.5 AST 

George is having an underrated breakout season that has largely flown under the radar because the Utah Jazz are in rebuilding mode. But the Jazz have given George every chance to prove himself as a franchise-caliber guard — which he is doing, averaging career-highs in points, assists, rebounds and steals.

There were questions about whether he could hold down a starting role after his first two years were inconsistent, but he is now thriving for his team as an off-ball scorer. He is one of the best scorers in this list, however, Utah is one of the poorest teams defensively in the league and as such, it counts for nothing when his performances don’t match most results on the board.

1. Deni Avdija (24) | F | Portland Trail Blazers

2025-26 Stats: 25.2 PPG | 7.2 REB | 6.6 AST

No one saw Avdija’s leap this season, and it’s one of the most surprising developments in the absolute best way possible. The Portland Trail Blazers were heavily criticized in 2024 for giving up meaningful assets for Avdija, who never managed to average double digits in points per game until his fourth and final year for the Washington Wizards. 

Currently, he is leading the Blazers in scoring and assists and is the leading candidate for Most Improved Player in the league. Portland is almost certainly going to build around his IQ and elite attacking threat. He is getting to the line at a career-high rate and is second in the entire NBA in free throws attempted, just behind Luka Doncic.

1. Alex Sarr (20) | C | Washington Wizards

2025-26 Stats: 17.2 PPG | 7.8 REB | 2.8 BPG

Just like Avdija, Sarr is having a very much improved season. If first appearances were judged, then Sarr would not be on an NBA roster as he went 0-for-15 in his debut at the 2024 summer league. However, that is now a distant and forgettable past for the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NBA draft. He steadily improved throughout his rookie season and has built on that foundation emphatically in his second season as a seven-foot rim protector, leading the team in rebounds and blocks.

He also brings a good offensive game, with his field goal percentage going up 10% and his 3-point percentage also increasing this season. Sarr is not there yet offensively, but the trajectory is promising, and the physical tools to develop into a two-way anchor are there. 

1. Shaedon Sharpe (22) | SG | Portland Trail Blazers

2025-26 Stats: 21.4 PPG | 4.4 REB | 2.6 AST

Portland drafted Sharpe seventh overall in the 2022 draft based entirely on pre-college evaluations and workout tape. It was a swing, but it looks to be paying dividends as the Blazers now have an unquestioned lead guard and offensive focal point. Sharpe is averaging a career-high 21.4 points per game this season. 

At 22, Portland may just have its starting guard position locked in for years. However, Sharpe’s outside shooting has been on a low, and it’s a major reason he is not high up the list. He is shooting at just 34.0% this season, up from 31.1% last year. These aren’t strong numbers for a guard. But then again, he is still at a developmental age with room to improve.

1. Stephon Castle (21) | G | San Antonio Spurs

2025-26 Stats: 16.5 PPG | 7.0 AST | 5.0 REB

The Spurs took Castle 4th overall in 2024, one year after drafting Victor Wembanyama, which was a clear indication of what direction the franchise wanted to take. Castle was named Rookie of the Year, but the general consensus is that it was a relatively weak draft class. The trophy was at least partly a product of circumstance, limited competition in a down rookie year. 

But that’s not to take anything away from Castle; he is a huge part of why San Antonio is almost certainly going to make it back to the playoffs and potentially go deep. He has all the tools and potential to go higher up this list, but his 3-point shooting has been below average at a career 28.6%. If he polishes that shot, he will become one of the most dangerous young guards in basketball.

1. Kon Knueppel (20) | G | Charlotte Hornets

2025-26 Stats: 18.9 PPG | 5.5 REB | 3.6 AST

Knueppel makes a compelling case to sit much higher in this ranking. And honestly, if his season continues at this pace for the remainder of the year, revisiting that conclusion will not seem far-fetched. The Duke product came fourth overall last year for the Hornets and is a strong contender for the Rookie of the Year.

Knueppel has attempted the most 3-pointers by any first-year player this season and almost doubles the attempts of the closest player. He is also making 43.1% of the shots from outside the arc. The early returns look promising beyond his outside shooting; the Hornets want to flow their offense through him. However, how much of his game extends beyond shooting cannot be judged in just his first year

Tier 3: Rising Stars 

1. Dyson Daniels | Age 22 | Atlanta Hawks

2025-26 Stats: 11.6 PPG | 6.5 RPG | 6.2 AST

At 22, Daniels is one of the most disruptive defenders in the league. He averaged 3.0 steals last year, made the All-Defensive First Team, and has continued on that path even though that number has dropped this season. He is still top five in steals per game.

However, his elite defense cannot mask the offensive limitations holding him back. After a breakout 14.1 points per game last season, he has regressed to 11.6 this year with an abysmal 13.3% from the 3-point line. Although he is shooting a career-best 49.8% from the field, it is not enough of an offensive threat. Any improvement on his offense and Daniels may be one of the top guards in the league.

1. Josh Giddey | Age 23 | Chicago Bulls

2025-26 Stats: 18.6 PPG | 8.8 AST | 8.6 RPG

Giddey seems to have been around for a long time, but he is only 23, and his ceiling has been high from day one. His production for a Bulls team that lacks cutting-edge offense is admirable. Chicago is one of the few teams not to have a player averaging over 20 points this season, spreading the offense to almost everyone. Fourteen players on the roster are averaging double digits in points, which is the most in the league.

Giddey is the best player on that roster, having improved his scoring output as well as assists and rebounds, but he has no playoff resumé to brag about. He never played in the playoffs for the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and Chicago was eliminated in the play-in last season. It remains to be seen whether he elevates the team towards postseason contention, but it’s beginning to look like he can.

1. Jalen Duren | Age 22 | Detroit Pistons

2025-26 Stats: 17.7 PPG | 10.4 RPG | 1.8 AST

Duren was selected 13th overall in 2022, and his first three seasons hovered somewhere between intriguing and frustrating. But this season, he has answered every question about the doubts about him by averaging a double-double for the Pistons. He had averaged a double-double for each of the last three seasons, but he has upped his offensive game this year. 

Duren is shooting at 63.1% — and that isn’t even close to his career best of 69.2% — and he has the Pistons atop the league as the anchor of that historic turnaround. He is one of only four players in NBA history to reach 2,500 career points and 2,000 career rebounds before turning 22. The only thing keeping him out of the top 10 is playmaking, as he is averaging just 1.8 assists this season.

14 Amen Thompson | Age 22 | Houston Rockets

2025-26 Stats: 17.6 PPG | 7.6 RPG | 5.4 AST

Thompson has spent his first three seasons in the NBA being exactly what scouts feared, which is a freakish athlete who could not shoot. His career 3-point percentage is a very low 21.5%. However, what has been noticeable in his third season is that the former No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft has improved his production especially offensively, averaging career highs in points and assists.

His usage has improved as well, with his free-throw percentage increasing by 10% this season, and he is now shouldering more responsibility on a Rockets team navigating Fred VanVleet’s ACL injury. With Durant and Sengun on the floor drawing attention, he has enough room to operate. If Thompson’s shooting mechanics improve even just along the league average, the ceiling here is genuinely an elite two-way wing.

1. LaMelo Ball | Age 24 | Charlotte Hornets

2025-26 Stats: 19.3 PPG | 4.9 RPG | 7.4 AST

At his age, Ball is certainly one of the most talented offensive players the NBA has seen. He reached a career high last season for the Hornets but has dipped a bit this season, averaging just 19.1 points per game. On a positive note, most of the scoring responsibility this season has been shared between him, Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges.

Ball was always the main man for the Hornets, but his availability has always been a big red flag. He has played above 55 games just once in his entire career, resulting in the Hornets never being to escape mediocrity. The franchise hasn’t yet been able to count on him being there consistently. But so far this season, Charlotte holds a play-in spot and has a shot to ascend. Ball may have just found the supporting cast he needed to share the responsibility, and the Hornets are always better with him on the floor. 

1. Cooper Flagg | Age 19 | Dallas Mavericks

2025-26 Stats: 20.4 PPG | 6.6 RPG | 4.1 APG

Flagg was the consensus top prospect in the 2025 Draft class. He stepped into a roster shaken up by injuries to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. But despite all that, the 6-foot-9 rookie has held his own exceptionally well.

Flagg is leading all rookies in points per game and is also the leading candidate for the Rookie of the Year award. It hasn’t been an easy first year with the Mavericks, who boast just a 19-35 record and are out of even a play-in spot in the West. However, the positive to take is that Flagg has shown that he can lead the team if and when it gets surrounded by the right pieces. Flagg set the record for most points by a teenager in the NBA, breaking LeBron James’ 22-year record. He is a talent that Dallas shouldn’t have any problems building around for the next decade-plus.

1. Franz Wagner | Age 24 | Orlando Magic

2025-26 Stats: 22.7 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 3.7 APG

Wagner was selected as the eighth pick in 2021 and has been exactly what the Magic needed him to be — a versatile, high-motor wing who does the hard things and goes unnoticed. He is one of the most underrated stars in the NBA, being a 20+ points per game player despite stepping into a secondary scoring role with the arrival of Paolo Banchero.

Injuries have limited his game time this season, but with him on the floor especially in games where he is the primary offensive threat, the Magic have played well. Wagner manufactures his offense and loves getting to the free-throw line, shooting at 85% from the charity stripe over his career. With him and Banchero, Orlando is positioned to be one of the best teams in the East in the coming years.

Tier 2: Bonafide Stars

1. Jalen Johnson | Age 24 | Atlanta Hawks

2025-26 Stats: 23.3 PPG | 10.6 RPG | 8.2 AST

Johnson has no doubt been one of the most improved players in the last three seasons. He spent his first two seasons as a developmental project after being selected 20th overall by the Hawks in 2021. He was the front-runner for the Most Improved Player award last year before his season was cut short due to injury. However, he seems to have picked up on where he left off.

Johnson is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds and assists per game this season, leading the team in all those categories. He made his first NBA All-Star appearance, and with Trae Young gone, he will be the new face of the franchise moving forward. So far, he has shown that he is more than capable of wielding the mantle.

1. Chet Holmgren | Age 23 | Oklahoma City Thunder

2025-26 Stats: 17.4 PPG | 8.7 RPG | 1.6 AST

Holmgren’s NBA career started on a lower note when he had a season-ending injury before playing a single regular-season minute. He missed what was supposed to be his rookie year but entered as a rookie the following year, playing in all 82 games as the Thunder reaped the rewards.

Injuries hampered his second year, but he was still immensely vital for Oklahoma City’s run to the title. When he is on the floor, he is one of the best big men in the league and allows among the lowest opponent field goal percentages at the rim. He is also a legitimate offensive weapon as a stretch-five, shooting at a career-high 56% from the field and a worthy 34.9% from 3. Defensively, Holmgren will remain a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate for many years. His availability for much of this season is a big reason why the Thunder are the best in the league.

1. Evan Mobley | Age 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers

2025-26 Stats: 18.9 PPG | 9.1 RPG | 1.7 BPG

Mobley arrived as the No. 3 pick in 2021 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he has been slowly building one of the most complete defensive profiles in the last five years. In 2025, he became just the third player in 30 years to win Defensive Player of the Year before turning 24. He also secured the All-NBA Third Team honors by anchoring the defense for a Cleveland team that had the best record in the East a year ago.

This season hasn’t been all rosy. The Cavaliers have lost 21 games already, three more than they managed the entire of last season, and Mobley’s field goal percentage has dipped to his lowest since his rookie year. However, his scoring is close to his career high, and his assists are at a career high, which shows that he has moved to focus more on his offensive game to complement the elite defense. With the addition of James Harden at the February trade deadline, Mobley has a legitimate superstar playmaker whom he can play off of to elevate his impact in the postseason. 

1. Scottie Barnes | Age 24 | Toronto Raptors

2025-26 Stats: 19.3 PPG | 8.4 RPG | 5.6 AST  

Barnes came in hot, winning the Rookie of the Year in 2022, but spent the next three seasons navigating a frustrating developmental pattern. The Raptors were in the doldrums, making it impossible to evaluate the 24-year-old swingman in a competitive context. However, the season is different. Toronto is in pole position to make the playoffs for only the second time in the last six seasons — the last time was in Barnes’s rookie year.

Brandon Ingram may be the team’s leading scorer, but Barnes is the unquestioned leader of the resurgence. His efficiency has improved this year, averaging a career-high in field goal percentage, and is leading the team in rebounds and blocks per game. He is the Raptors’ defensive anchor and a huge reason why the franchise ranks near the top in defensive rating this season.

1. Paolo Banchero | Age 23 | Orlando Magic

2025-26 Stats: 21.3 PPG | 8.4 RPG | 4.8 AST

Before Banchero, the Magic made the postseason just twice in 10 seasons. They have now made it twice in the last three years and are in position to make another this year. Such has been the impact of the 23-year-old face of the franchise. Banchero has been a 20+ points per game player from day one and has averaged 28 points per game across 12 career playoff games. On pure talent, ceiling and what he can become, the 6-foot-10 forward might have the highest upside of any player in this tier. 

Efficiency is the only reason Banchero doesn’t rank higher on this list. He ranks near-bottom in true shooting percentage among the league’s highest-volume offensive initiators since he entered the league. But notwithstanding, his output, especially in the postseason, demands respect.

Tier 1: Franchise Cornerstones

1. Jalen Williams | Age 24 | Oklahoma City Thunder

2025-26 Stats: 17.5 PPG | 5.4 AST | 4.7 RPG

Injuries have not been kind to Williams this season; he is sidelined for at least the next two weeks and has only played 26 games. But one thing for sure is that if the Thunder want to maximize their chances of defending their title this year, Williams will have to be on the floor and playing his best.

Everything about his path to this point has been underrated. He was drafted 12th in 2022 from a mid-level program not known to produce NBA stars. By his third year, Williams was an All-Star, a member of the All-NBA Third Team and an NBA champion. In the NBA finals, he posted  23.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game — including a masterful 40-point outing in Game 5 that gave OKC a 3-2 series advantage — to help the Thunder win their first-ever championship.

Williams has been the second option to perennial MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander since draft day on the Thunder roster, but that hasn’t shielded him from exceeding expectations and earning a massive new contract. “JDub,” as he is affectionately known, has a realistic shot of developing into a top two or three forward in basketball by the time he enters his prime.

1. Alperen Sengun | Age 23 | Houston Rockets

2025-26 Stats: 20.7 PPG | 9.4 RPG | 6.3 AST

It took a while, but the Rockets can finally convince themselves that they have an actual franchise face for the future. Drafted 16th overall in 2021, the Houston front office may have drafted him not fully understanding what it had. After an adjustment period in his first season, Sengun earned a starting role and almost averaged a double-double in his second year, leaping from 14.8 to 21.1 points per game by his third season, and he averaged a double-double in his fourth season. 

The Rockets have been elevated as one of the best in the West, and they kept adding talent in Durant, VanVleet, Jalen Green and Thompson. Sengun absorbing every addition without losing is what makes him special. His assists have seen a significant jump from 4.9 per game last year to 6.3 per game this year, which shows that he is contributing immensely to the offense. 

1. Cade Cunningham | Age 24 | Detroit Pistons

2025-26 Stats: 25.3 PPG | 9.6 AST | 5.6 RPG

The fact that the Pistons are No. 1 in the Eastern Conference and have lost the fewest games this season should have been enough to land Cade Cunningham as the best player under-25. The expectation placed on him from day one was enormous. As the consensus No. 1 pick in 2021, he was to become the franchise’s savior for a team that had not sniffed relevance all throughout the 2010s.

His first couple of years were rough and an injury in his second season limited him to 12 games. But in the last three seasons, he has more than shown that he can lead the franchise by not just leading, but by making it a serious contender. Detroit moved from being one of the worst teams to the top team in the East, and this is exactly what the franchise had hoped for when it took Cunningham first overall five years ago.

1. Anthony Edwards  | Age 24  |  Minnesota Timberwolves

2025-26 Stats: 29.3 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 49. 3 FG%

Drafted No. 1 in 2020, Edwards has turned the Timberwolves into one of the best in the West and at least a fringe contender in the postseason. Minnesota went from being a lottery team to playing in back-to-back conference finals. 

Edwards’ playoff track record was achieved through genuine star-level performances, which separates him from almost every other player on this list. He is currently averaging a career high in points per game as the third highest in the league. His field-goal and 3-point shooting percentages are at a career-best level. He has always been one of the most physically gifted players in the league as his combination of explosiveness, strength and shot-making ability is something not manufactured.

1. Victor Wembanyama | Age 22 | San Antonio Spurs

2025-26 Stats: 24.4 PPG | 11.1 RPG | 2.8 AST | 2.7 BLKs

Despite missing a good number of games this season, Wembanyama’s impact has been felt by the entire world. Even though it took his third year for the team to look like a force in the West, the Frenchman has always performed on the floor. He blocks like the 7-foot-4 alien he is, controls play like a floor general and can handle it like a guard. 

Drafted No. 1 in 2023, he has already changed how a modern big man can play. Wembanyama made the All-Defensive First Team in his first year when he led the entire league in blocks. By his second year, he was already an NBA All-Star. Right now, he deserves some MVP recognition and is certainly a Defensive Player of the Year candidate once again.

He is the most impactful player under-25 in the league, contributing to winning on both ends more than anybody else, and the Spurs will be built around him for a surplus of seasons. San Antonio sits No. 2 in the West and has lost just 16 games this season, which is a huge contrast to a couple of years ago the team was one of the worst in the association. 

Just Missed the Cut

Dylan Harper (19, San Antonio Spurs): Drafted No. 2 in 2025 by Spurs, Harper is still just a rookie getting bench minutes on a competitive roster. But the 6-foot-5 guard has shown immense potential when called upon, averaging 11 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in just 21.8 minutes per game. If he locks in a starting role, he can certainly make an appearance on the list.

VJ Edgecombe (20, Philadelphia 76ers):  No. 3 pick also in 2025, Edgecombe became an immediate starter for the Philadelphia 76ers and the athletic guard is already logging 35.4 MPG across 50 games. He is one of the most influential rookies this season and narrowly misses out on the top 25.

Reed Sheppard (21, Houston Rockets): Sheppard has seen a leap in his second year in the NBA. He is still a bench player but has seen an increase in minutes and in turn, production. He is averaging career-highs in almost every metric. However, he is not a primary creator yet and his physicality and rebounding even at a career high are still catching up. 

Jonathan Kuminga (23, Atlanta Hawks): Kuminga’s career has been marred by uncertainties over his future when he was with the Golden State Warriors. That has hindered a lot of game time that came with a lot of promise as the next player to take over in the post-Steph Curry era.  However, the Warriors traded him at the trade deadline which could be a fresh start for him when he recovers from injury.

Bennedict Mathurin (23, Los Angeles Clippers): Mathurin tied his career high of 38 points in just his second game after being traded to the Clippers, and it is starting to look like he has captured the perfect system for him. He didn’t always appear settled with the Indiana Pacers despite recording some good numbers and being a key piece on a team that was one game away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Currently in his fourth year in the league, he has started fewer than 45% of the total games he has played.

The Next Era is Well Underway, and it is Revealing the Trajectory of Basketball

The message from this under-25 class is unmistakable. The league has become the future before our very eyes. From Wembanyama’s already-revolutionary display to Kon Knueppel redefining the category of the greatest rookie 3-pointer shooters ever, today’s players are fazing out every thing vintage basketball.

This generation is not replacing stars. It is replacing archetypes. The league is shifting from isolation creators to possession controllers. The teams that win the next decade will not be the ones with the most talent, but the ones with the most decision-makers. The future is not coming. It has already taken over.