Which young NBA stars have the brightest future?
With Luka Doncic aging out of contention for this list, a new name is at the top for the first time in five seasons. Will it be Victor Wembanyama after he debuted in third as a rookie on last year’s compilation? What about ascendant stars Anthony Edwards and Paolo Banchero? And where do oft-injured but supremely talented stars LaMelo Ball and Zion Williamson land?
ESPN NBA Insiders Tim Bontemps, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Jeremy Woo set out to answer those questions, ranking the top 25 players under the age of 25 based on potential.
Here’s a look at where all of those players check in right now and what could be next for the league’s most exciting young stars:
25. Bilal Coulibaly, SG, Washington Wizards
Age: 20 years, 129 days
2024-25 stats: 12.6 PPG | 5.4 RPG | 2.8 APG
Coulibaly was the other draft prospect alongside Victor Wembanyama two years ago in France, but Coulibaly’s combination of length and explosiveness made him the No. 7 pick in the 2023 draft by Washington. After playing last season at 19 (and looking every bit his age), Coulibaly has made real strides on offense, including improving his field goal percentage from 43.5% to 48.2%. If he continues to develop in the same manner, he could easily make leaps up this list in future campaigns. — Bontemps
24. Tari Eason, PF, Houston Rockets
Age: 23 years, 206 days
2024-25 stats: 11.4 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 2.1 SPG
Quietly, Eason has been as valuable as any reserve this season, earning his first appearance on this list in his third NBA campaign. Alongside Amen Thompson, Eason has wreaked havoc with his active defense. Eason’s 3.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per 36 minutes have produced the NBA’s best defensive rating in Basketball-Reference.com’s box plus-minus metric. And after a leg injury limited him to 22 games last season, Eason has made strides as a finisher. His 57.5% accuracy inside the arc is easily a career high. — Pelton
23. Dyson Daniels, PG, Atlanta Hawks
Age: 21 years, 260 days
2024-25 stats: 13.5 PPG | 3.1 APG | 3.0 SPG
After coming to Atlanta as part of the Dejounte Murray trade this offseason, Daniels has turned himself into one of the NBA’s elite perimeter defenders, averaging 3.0 steals per game. He has repeatedly had huge moments late in games at the defensive end, including stripping Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox in the final seconds of a Nov. 19 win at Sacramento, and is a clear difference-maker at that end. The thing that will determine Daniels’ ceiling is his offense; Daniels is shooting 29.5% from 3, and his shot remains a real question. But even if it never comes around, his defense is enough to make him a real force in Atlanta. — Bontemps
