ESPN recently put out their annual list of the top 25 NBA players under the age of 25. And as with their 100 Best NBA Players of the 2023-24 season #NBArank list they put out before the season, it’ causing a bit of an uproar. Not only were there the normal discussions about X player not making the list, but the forums and comment sections have been lit up with how a certain player is ranked above another. This is particularly true for rookies; specifically if that said player is Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and especially Scoot Henderson.
It’s not difficult to come up with a list of candidates for this list; it’s really knowing the ages of those players. As an NBA fan, I likely could guess the age range of a player, but the exact age? Not so much. Like is Shai Gilgeous Alexander too old for this list? (yes) It seems like Luka Doncic has been in the NBA for yeaaaaaaars, but somehow the Slovenian superstar is still under the age of 25 so it’s not hard to argue that the 24 year old Luka Doncic isn’t the #1 “prospect” under 25 considering his Mavs are currently #1 in the West, leading the NBA in scoring after 10 games, and a concensus top 5 player in the league. That’s an easy pick, it’s the ones that follow him that are in question. On that, here is ESPN’s
| # | Player | Age (2023) | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Doncic | 24 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2 | Anthony Edwards | 22 | Minnseota Timberwolves |
| 3 | Victor Wembanyama | 19 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 4 | Tyrese Haliburton | 23 | Indiana Pacers |
| 5 | Ja Morant | 24 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 6 | Cade Cunningham | 22 | Detroit Pistons |
| 7 | Zion Williamson | 23 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 8 | Darius Garland | 23 | Cleveland Cavs |
| 9 | LaMelo Ball | 22 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 10 | Jaren Jackson Jr | 24 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 11 | Tyrese Maxey | 23 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 12 | Evan Mobley | 22 | Cleveland Cavs |
| 13 | Chet Holmgren | 21 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 14 | Paolo Banchero | 21 | Orlando Magic |
| 15 | Scottie Barnes | 22 | Toronto Raptors |
| 16 | Franz Wagner | 22 | Orlando Magic |
| 17 | Jalen Williams | 22 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 18 | Josh Giddey | 21 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 19 | Jalen Green | 21 | Houston Rockets |
| 20 | Walker Kessler | 22 | Utah Jazz |
| 21 | Jalen Duren | 20 | Detroit Pistons |
| 22 | Tyler Herro | 23 | Miami Heat |
| 23 | Scoot Henderson | 19 | Portland Blazers |
| 24 | Keegan Murray | 23 | Sacramento Kinds |
| 25 | Alperen Sengun | 21 | Houston Rockets |
Outside of Sacramento, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Miami and Oklahoma City the players on this list are the lynchpins for their teams. You don’t have to look much further than the 1-8 Memphis Grizzlies. Their fortunes and NBA odds have completely tanked without Ja Morant, who is serving a 25-game suspension to start the season. The Grizzlies are currently the worst team in the league and the only franchise with one win. As much of a fan as we are of Zion Williamson and as talented as a player he is; seeing him at #7 on this list feels low, but being aware of his injuries and how unproven he’s been in the league (in terms of leading his team to the playoffs or deeper) we can’t really argue his position.
ESPN’s top 25 under 25 based on future potential:
1. Luka Doncic
2. Anthony Edwards
3. Victor Wembanyama
4. Tyrese Haliburton
5. Ja Morant
6. Cade Cunningham
7. Zion Williamson
8. Darius Garland
9. LaMelo Ball
10. Jaren Jackson Jr.
11. Tyrese Maxey
12. Evan Mobley…— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 7, 2023
We know that ESPN says that this list is “ranked by future potential” and that Scoot Henderson came into the league as a top rookie. There were very quiet whispers that Scoot was the most NBA-ready player. All that said, we still wouldn’t have included the 19-year old, 6-2 guard on our list of players under 25. Not that he won’t get there or that he’s not talented, but we think there are a handful of younger players that have proven they can play in the league that didn’t make the list including his fellow teammates Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, Brooklyn’s high scoring Cam Thomas and Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr.
Outside of some arguable snubs, we like their list. Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Alperen Sengun, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner – there’s some real upcoming stars son this list. You may have qualms with ESPN’s list, but outside of including Henderson their 25-under-25 list isn’t looking all that bad. At least they didn’t include Nic Claxton on their list as CBS Sports did.
