Ranking The Young Cores Of EVERY NBA Team Right Now

NBA fans tend to only focus on what's happening immediately in the moment, but the people that are actually running these organizations need to keep the long view in mind in order to build sustainable long-term success. Obviously, every team goes into the season wanting to compete for championships, but not every team has the resources to build an immediate contender, so they have to organically develop young talent to hopefully get to the point down the line. This brings us to today's video where we will be taking a look at the young cores from all 30 NBA teams, and we will be ranking them based on a combination of their current production and talent, along with their level of potential and upside for down the line. Also, the players that are taken into consideration for each team on this list are those that are under the age of 25 years old, plus I also didn't include current 24 year olds that will be turning 25 before the new season begins. Now with that being said, let's begin. We'll go in reverse order, working our way up to the number one spot, so starting us off at number 30 with the worst young core in the NBA right now, we have the Miami Heat. The Heat are a team that will go into this season very much expecting to be in the mix at the top of the Eastern Conference after having traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but in the process, they shipped out almost all their good young players to acquire him. The only two left that actually qualify as a part of their young core are Nikola Jovic and newcomer Ryan Conwell, who they drafted in the second round, and Jovic is coming off of a dreadful season, so unfortunately there just isn't much to be excited about in this regard for them. Next at number 29, we have the New York Knicks. The Knicks are the reigning NBA champions, so their priorities are clearly set on winning right now, without much interest in the future at the moment, and I don't think they're too worried about it based on the success that they just experienced. Still though, with all of their chips being in championship contention, they don't have much young talent on this roster at all, with Pacome, Dadier, and Mohamed Diawara being the only two that qualify as such, and both are extremely raw talents without a whole lot of experience under their belts yet. Next at number 28, we have the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves are yet another team currently focused on building for the present, with most of the young talent that they've been developing having already aged out of this conversation, so all they have left are Yohan Baranjay and newly drafted Isaiah Evans. Baranjay, I truly believe, has a ton of upside as a center prospect, as an athletic, mobile big man with a ton of length, and outstanding shot-blocking instincts, he just doesn't have many opportunities to show it yet. Evans is coming in hoping to provide some use as a pure shooter, but as a second-round pick, there's no guarantees of that. Next at number 27, we have the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers' young core is largely made up of players that haven't made much of an actual impact at the NBA level yet. Cameron Carr is a rookie with major upside as an explosive score, and Jaden Hardy is a solid three-point shooter off the bench, but Brani James and Adu Thiero are just not proven enough to push this group any further up the list. Next at number 26, we have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are preparing for a major bounce-back season this year after making it to the finals back in 2025, because Tyrese Halliburton will be back on the floor leading the way for them, and they've built a rock-solid roster with a ton of depth at every position right now. Most of that depth is experienced, championship-ready talent though, not young guys. Jairus Walker has been slowly developing through three years as a versatile forward with floor spacing and defensive upside, but he hasn't been very consistent with it yet. Then Johnny Furphy and Braden Smith aren't exactly expected to be major factors, so this is yet another contending group that lacks high-end young talent. Next at number 25, we have the Denver Nuggets. I've got to acknowledge the elephant in the room for this group. If Peyton Watson does re-sign with the Nuggets this summer, then they would definitely be ranked higher today, but with Watson still receiving a good amount of interest in free agency from other teams, so I have to go based on what is actually here, not what could happen. What's left of their young core is Julian Strother, who broke out as a useful two-way bench piece for them last season, Deron Holmes, who was eased into action last year after coming back from injury as a rookie, and new second-round pick Trevon Brazil, who could be used sparingly for defensive purposes. Next at number 24, we have the Boston Celtics. You're probably picking up on a bit of a theme here by this point. The teams that will more than likely be at the top of the standings are the ones with more experienced rotations built on established star talent and role players, so they don't spend as much time developing the youth as rebuilding teams. The Celtics are another group in that tier, with a handful of young guys who may not have the upside of others, but they do at least contribute some positive minutes in the roles that they are in. Jordan Walsh played his way onto the court last year by being a hound of a defensive presence, Hugo Gonzalez flashed quite a bit of intriguing versatility as a rookie, and newly drafted Chris Sennac comes in as more of a project, but he has the size, athleticism, and shooting upside to potentially be a pretty good two-way stretch big man over time. Next at number 23, we have the last year hitting 45% of his threes while scoring about 13 points per game overall. He's a useful secondary threat on offense with a strong frame that would help any team's rotation. Tyrese Proctor is pretty much just a depth piece at point guard who can fill in for injuries when needed, and newcomer Malik Thomas, who they drafted in the second round, has a ton of pure shooting talent that could earn him some minutes this year, but again, they're yet another top group without much high-end young talent. Next at number 22, we have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings' young core just added Darius Acuff in the draft this year, and they're hoping he can be the pillar of the next generation of Kings basketball as an explosive playmaker who can absolutely stuff the stat sheet both as a scorer and as a passer, and there isn't a single spot on the floor that Acuff isn't confident pulling up from. Acuff's defense isn't very good, but he does still have that star upside. Maxime Reynaud is another very solid young talent in this group, for them, as a big man that averaged about 13 points and 88 rebounds per game as a rookie last year, and his skill as a paint scorer, where he also hustles as hard as anybody, makes him someone that the team may view as DeMantis Sabonis' replacement soon. Next at number 21, we have the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are also currently waiting on the situation with Benedict Matherin to play out in free agency, so if they do re-sign him this summer, they would also get a nice bump up a few spots on this list, but again, there's a chance he could leave. The Clippers did just draft Keaton Wagler 5th overall, coming in looking like a fluid combo guard with good size, excellent body control, and top tier shot making ability, but we'll have to wait and see just how good he really is when the season starts. They also have more young depth than any team we've discussed yet, with Yannick Niederhauser, Cam Christie, Isaiah Jackson, and Kobe Sanders all being useful role players too. Next at number 20, we have the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors mark the beginning of the next tier up on this list where they have quite a few fully established and productive role players in the fold. Brandon Pajemski may frustrate Warriors fans at times, but he is still a relatively efficient secondary scoring option whose scoring output has gone up in each of his first three years. Moses Moody is a quality 3 and D wing that just shot 40% from 3. G Santos and Will Richard both work incredibly hard in that second unit they've got, and newly drafted Yax Olendeberg is an NBA ready wing player with a smooth shooting stroke and versatile defensive upside that should see him playing some big minutes from day one. Next at number 19, we have the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans can't seem to make up their mind on if they want to rebuild or not, but in the meantime, they do have a decent starting point for one with the young players that they have. Jeremiah Fierce has ridiculously high playmaking upside as someone with a tight handle, a quick trigger on his jumper, and a daringness to try to make plays that most won't even try. He needs to bulk up, improve as a defender, and improve his efficiency overall, but the upside in his game is there. Derrick Queen is an immensely skilled big man who abuses Mitch mismatches and is even a pretty good passer for the center position too, but unfortunately, he's slow-footed and a poor defender, which for a center can be tough to overcome. Eve Meesey looks like someone that can be a high-end backup center, but the rest of the players they have here are fringe NBA talent, so they're in this middle tier of young cores. Next to number 18, we have the Toronto Raptors. Quite a few of Toronto's young guys played a pivotal role in helping the team make it back to the playoffs this season. Colin Murray-Boyles came in as a rookie and may not have been putting up numbers in the box score that wow you, but he consistently brought some elite defensive impact as a versatile, switchable big man that can anchor small ball lineups and take on a bunch of different matchups. Jamal Shedd is also a terrific perimeter defender and a very good secondary playmaker, dishing out about five assists per game. Jacoby Walters is a sharpshooter that comes in and ignites the offense, and incoming rookie Alan Graves is a stretch for that projects to be a nuisance on the defensive end as well, as someone that can generate a ton of turnovers. Next at number 17, we have the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have been dominating headlines this summer for the big flashy moves they've been making, but a lot of their depth this year is going to be made up of this young core. VJ Edgecombe exceeded all expectations as a rookie last year, demonstrating that he is a fearless young talent with legit star upside as an aggressive slasher and a better shooter than anticipated, while also being unfathomably clutch as a teenager, hitting quite a few game winners at the end of games. LeBaron Phylon is looking like another steal in the draft for this team too, as a crafty scoring guard coming in as a rookie that will be running that second unit. Dominic Barlow is a great energy guy, crashing the offensive glass and defending hard. Adem Bona is a shot-blocking machine as a backup center, even if he does need to learn how to be more disciplined at times. And every now and then, Justin Edwards catches fire from three for this group as well. Next at number 16, we have the Phoenix Suns. A lot of the Suns' current rotation can be found in this group, but it's largely just their rotational pieces and role-players. Jalen Green was riddled with injuries last year, so we're still waiting to see if he can break out to be a more consistent go-to scoring threat. Mark Williams is an above-average starting center in the league today. Kamon Malowatch was a highly-touted center prospect from last year's draft that is looking poised for a big breakout season this year. Koa Pete is a strong-bodied athletic rookie coming in looking to prove himself after sliding down the draft board. And both Oso Iguodoro and Ryan Dunn are just hard-working, reliable defensive role-players that do the dirty work for this team. Next at number 15, we have the Brooklyn Nets. The ranking of the Nets on this list is powered almost purely on quantity, not necessarily quality. They have nine players under the age of 25 on their roster right now, and the talent level varies quite a bit. Incoming rookie Mikel Brown Jr. is probably the player that I think will end up being the best of this bunch, but at the current moment in time, he has yet to step on an NBA court. Yegor Geomin shot the ball very well as a rookie, but figuring out exactly what his role should be long-term is still up in the air. They also have some players that seem to be verging on bust status like Ben Sharaf and Drake Powell, so even though they have a lot of young talent, I don't think their group necessarily stacks up with the best that this league has to offer, leaving them right in the middle of the pack. Next at number 14, we have the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have a good mix of guys producing in different capacities in this group. Shaden Sharp is already becoming an established volume scoring threat, having just averaged 21 points per game. He just needs to continue to work on becoming more efficient from three to really take his game to the next level. Scoot Henderson finally started showing some signs of life down the stretch of last season, and can still be a good starting point guard down the line. Donovan Klingon is one of the better defensive big men in the game right now, blocking a ton of shots and rebounding the ball at an elite rate. Then Young Hansen is the guy who could swing this collective either way as a first-round pick from last year's draft, who looked kind of bad as a rookie but still has a ton of skill to tap into at the center spot moving forward, and it's still far too early to give up on him. Next at number 13, we have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have finally entered a much-needed rebuild, having traded away and already they find themselves at the starting line with a pretty strong young group as a result of that trade. That deal brought in Kal-El Ware, who I think is in for a big breakout season in a bigger role on this team as an athletic stretch big man that rebounds well, plus the trade also brought in Kasperus Jakuchonis. Ryan Rollins emerged as a legit starting point guard this year, averaging an efficient 17 points and 6 assists per game. Then they just also drafted two players this year in Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, who could both be some of the better players in this class, with Burries looking more NBA-ready as a scoring guard and Ament being more raw on the wing with the physical tools to develop over time. Next at number 12, we have the Orlando Magic. The Magic are carried here by Paolo Bancaro being an all-star caliber player, but Bancaro is also someone that was rightfully facing a bit of criticism this season because of his pretty bad inefficiency and shot selection. He needs to reel that stuff in if he wants to live up to his potential as someone with superstar upside. Anthony Black is an outstanding Swiss Army knife of a guard who gives you a little bit of everything and can serve in whatever role you ask of him from a backcourt spot. I'm looking forward to seeing more from Jace Richardson this season as well after he barely got to play at all as a rookie, but overall, the Magic standing on this list will be fully determined by how Paolo Bancaro responds in the upcoming season after a down year. Next at number 11, we have the Detroit Pistons. Cade Cunningham turns 25 years old before the new season begins, so he no longer gets to be qualified in this conversation of the young cores and what remains is still objectively strong with talent, but there are some major question marks surrounding them. Jalen Duren is an all-star center who looked like he was finally turning a corner in the regular season, averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, but then in the playoffs he was rendered nearly useless. Asar Thompson is one of the best defenders in the entire NBA right now bar none, but offensively he's a liability with zero ability to threaten the opposition from outside of the paint. Ron Holland has good size and he defends well, but he's just not been able to become the scoring threat that many thought he was going to be when he was drafted. Then they drafted Ibuka Okori this year and he projects to be an impactful sixth man as a scorer, but in the end they're the ones that just miss out on the top 10 until some of those questions get answered. Now to start off the top 10, we have the Atlanta Hawks. The rise of Jalen Johnson as an individual talent at his age has almost single-handedly propelled this group up the list and propelled the Hawks into the post-Trey Young era. He's nearly a walking triple double that just averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. Then alongside him, Dyson Daniels is one of the very best perimeter defenders in the whole league who plays a very unselfish brand of basketball. Asa Newell is looking to move past his rookie year injuries this upcoming season, and incoming rookie Kingston Flemings is a tough-nosed guard that plays good perimeter defense, is shifty on the ball as a playmaker, and has a knockdown mid-range jumper, so this group starts off the tier featuring star talent and useful depth. Next at number nine, we have the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are starting to put together a strong young core to carry them forward through this rebuild that they're undergoing. Josh Giddy has been an excellent addition ever since they traded for him, and now he's on the verge of breaking out as a potential all-star caliber guy as a triple double threat every night. Caleb Wilson is coming in as a rookie with legit two-way star potential in what was a highly touted draft class at the top this year. Daylon Swain is another first-round pick that they added from this year's draft. Matas Bezelis is an incredibly skilled six-foot-ten shot creator, and once he starts to fill out more with muscle, he could be definitely a 20-point scorer on the wing. And then guy like Rob Dillingham may not have found success yet early in his career, but Chicago took him in viewing him as a worthwhile reclamation project because there is real playmaking upside still to tap into in his game. Next at number eight, we have the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have one of the best young prospects in the entire NBA in Cooper Flagg, who does a lot of the heavy lifting for this core. Flagg just won rookie of the year behind a season where he showed he could not only be a dominant scorer as a teenager, but he also flashed the kind of defensive upside that should land him on several all-defense teams by the time his career is over. Derrick Lively is an athletic mobile big man who protects the rim well, but he just needs to find a way to stay healthy more often. They just brought in former number one pick Zachary Resache in a trade as well to try to turn his career around, and while he may not be the star you would hope to be from a number one pick, you could at least still have him become a high-level two-way wing. Incoming rookie Sergio Delaria has intriguing playmaking skills as well, so overall this is a group with talent at every level, solidifying a top 10 spot on this list. Next at number seven, we have the Utah Jazz. The Jazz have a ton of young talent across the board, and after a few years of getting experience under their belts, this may be the season that we see them take a leap back into playoff contention. It starts with Darren Peterson who they just drafted number two overall this year, and if he can put those cramping issues behind him, he was pegged as one of the best guard prospects we've seen in years for a reason. Keontae George is also coming off of an incredibly productive year, averaging 23 points per game, and going into his fourth season he has matured a lot while still being just 22 years old. Ace Bailey has pure shooting skills at six foot eight, Isaiah Collier is an outstanding passer at point guard, and Bryce Sensabaugh is a microwave scorer off the bench, so overall this is a pretty rock solid foundation. Next at number six, we have the Memphis Grizzlies. As we make our way closer to the top of this list, all of these teams now have a combination of high-end talent and tons of young depth. The Grizzlies also landed what they hoped to be a pillar to build around in the draft this year, when they took Cameron Boozer who is a well-rounded forward that can shoot, score in the post, make the right reads, and dominate the glass. They've also got Zach Eady and his gargantuan size roaming the paint blocking shots and causing havoc with his length. Cedric Coward, Taylor Hendricks, and Jalen Wells are all promising 3&D wing guys, and Kareem Lopez is another big-bodied forward prospect with intriguing skill to tap into that they just drafted in the first round of this year, as well along with Boozer. Next to number five, we have the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have an all-star young talent leading the way in Alperin Shangun, who has become one of the best players at the center position already. His work both as a scorer inside and out, along with his court vision and passing talent, have had him compared to Nikola Jokic, just to a lesser extent. Eamon Thompson is one of the most athletic freaks of the NBA right now, who is a menace on the defensive end, while also averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. His jumper may be a liability, but he's an exceptional cutter and still finds a way to make his presence felt regardless. Reid Shepard can be one of the best six men in the NBA because offensively he is a lights-out shooter with crisp handles, it's just tough to trust him in major minutes because he's a pretty bad defender. Then they've got Jabari Smith Jr. doing the dirty work on defense in their frontcourt, providing a secondary source of offense when needed, so all in all this is a pretty strong young group. Next at number 4, we have the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets may not have an established star in this group, but they have a few guys that are very close, and a lot more quality young depth than most. Con Canipple nearly won the Rookie of the Year award this year over Cooper Flag, and is already one of the best shooters in the entire NBA. Brandon Miller just put together an efficient 20 point per game season last year, and now without LaMelo Ball on the team anymore, both Miller and Canipple will both be featured way more. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sion James were both very good role players as rookies last year, their incoming rookie class of Hans Steinbeck and Christian Anderson provide a lot to like too, and while Tijan Salon and Liam McNeely haven't panned out yet, it's way too early to label them and write them off yet either. Next at number 3, we have the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are quietly establishing a pretty amazing culture built around hard work and growing together as a young group, and this squad is pretty loaded. They of course just drafted AJ DeBanca number 1 overall in the draft this year, and DeBanca has the makings of someone that could be winning scoring titles in his prime. Alec Saar is one of the best shot blockers in the league, Keyshawn George is gradually becoming a dangerous 3 level scorer, Trey Johnson is a microwave shooter with deep range, Will Riley is one of the most underrated wing talents right now, and Bilal Kulibaly is an outstanding wing defender with ridiculous length to throw at opposing ball handlers. The Wizards are going to get their first taste of basketball with playoff aspirations this year after they traded for Trey Young and Anthony Davis, and I think these young guys are ready for it. Next at number 2, we have the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have held claim to the number 1 spot on this list for a while because they had MVP Shea Gilgis Alexander leading the way, but now both SGA and Jalen Williams are too old to qualify for this list, and yet, the Thunder still find themselves near the top even without counting those two. Chet Holmgren is one of the best and most versatile defensive talents in the NBA today while also giving you 17 points per game, Kayson Wallace is the ultimate role player as an elite defender that can handle ball handling duties in spurts and space the floor as a shooter, Jared McCain is one of the best young movement shooters, and he started to find his groove again after his injury when he was traded to the Thunder, AJ Mitchell should be in the mix for the Sixth Man of the Year award many times throughout his career moving forward, and incoming rookies Ade Mara and Bennett Sturtz just add to the abundance of riches that this team already has. Now, coming in as the NBA's number one ranked best young core right now, we have the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs not only have the best young prospect in the entire NBA in Victor but they also surrounded him with a ton of other high-level young talent. Wemby just won the Defensive Player of the Year award and helped lead this team to the NBA Finals, Stephan Castle just averaged 17 points and 7 assists per game while being one of the best perimeter defenders in the league too, Dylan Harper is a sleeping giant with genuine superstar upside as we saw from him in the playoffs this year, he just needs to be fully unleashed and trusted in a bigger role, Carter Bryant is another incredibly promising young defensive talent that they're hoping can develop into a reliable 3 and D wing, then they just drafted two insurance pieces to back up Victor Wemby in Terrace Reed and Jaden Quaintance who are both centers that have terrific rim protection skills. This is a legit contender led by their youth and their claim to the top spot on the list today was undeniable. And with that being said, that's all I have for you today. Make sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and comment down below what you think of the young cores around the league right now. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you all next time.