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NBA Player Rankings: Five Rookies Who Could Have Biggest Impact In 2024-25 Season

The 2024 NBA Draft was widely perceived as a weak one. Summer league did little to change that perception and so it's not surprising that preseason expectations, for even the most promising rookies, are measured to say the least.

Not a single rookie cracked the annual CBS Sports Top 100 NBA player rankings last week and simultaneously there are questions about whether any rookies will be in a starting lineup on opening night in a few weeks.

Nevertheless, history has shown us that virtually every draft class ultimately reveals a potential All-Star. Whom might that be in this 2024 group? Here are five rookies that we're currently most optimistic about heading into the 2024-25 season.

Sheppard's evaluation has been a complicated one, especially for those of us who tracked him when he was in high school. If you only saw him last year at Kentucky, the incredible shooting numbers, coupled by the defensive metrics lead to extreme enthusiasm. Supplement that with some encouraging on-ball reps in the summer league, and there's a very real case to be made that the No. 3 overall pick could be the best player in this draft.

Sheppard shot 52% from 3 last year at Kentucky. Not only was that the best in college basketball, but it was also very unexpected based on what he showed in high school. He made only 31% of his total 3s in his final two years on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, and was a comparable 34% in the seven games captured by Synergy Sports during his senior year at North Laurel High School. If the shooting gains he showed at Kentucky prove to be even mostly sustainable at the NBA level (because 50+% probably isn't realistic), that's a critical first domino in his attack. It forces opposing defenders to pick him up higher on the floor, run him off the arc on his catch, and prevents them from going under ball-screens anywhere within his shooting range. In other words, it literally makes every other part of his attack easier.

What did translate from high school to college, was the defensive playmaking. His hand-eye coordination is so elite, and his playmaking metrics so high, that it almost districts from the reality that his footspeed isn't ideal. How will the totality of that defensive impact translate, under a defensive-oriented coach like Ime Udoka will be a big key to just how many minutes he's able to earn this season.

Houston is a team looking to contend, or at least take another step forward, in the Western Conference. The Rockets return their starting backcourt of Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet. Green played the best basketball of his short NBA career down the stretch of last season, but it came when Alperen Sengun was out of the lineup. The Rockets lacked a consistent backup point guard behind VanVleet a year ago, so at minimum Sheppard can hopefully provide that, and at most complete a potentially potent three-guard rotation that needs to counterbalance with an assortment of young and talented wings in Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore, all of whom need time to develop next season.

The No. 9 overall pick was the most polarizing prospect in the draft. He dominated college basketball for the past two seasons at Purdue, but was often considered a less natural fit in the NBA game. The Grizzlies taking him in the top 10 was one of the biggest surprises of draft night, even if it came only after they were rebuffed by multiple teams in their attempt to trade up for Donovan Clingan. Memphis' pursuit of Clingan was based on the team's lack of a starting center. With Edey now in that place, he may have a better chance than any other rookie to be a full-time starter this season. It's that opportunity that has made Edey an early favorite to win Rookie of the Year, something that would have seemed improbable as recently as six months ago.

The role is going to be vastly different then what we saw in college though. While Purdue pounded the ball inside and built its offense around spacing off the post, the Grizzlies are going to be a pick-and-roll-based system with one of the most dynamic creators in the league, Ja Morant. In addition to being massive, the 7-foot-4 Edey is also an exceptional screener. The extent to which he can show progress playing out of short rolls and maybe even stretching the floor will ultimately dictate his offensive ceiling. He has also continued to make strides with his conditioning, an area we saw consistent growth in during college. The biggest questions though are on the defensive end of the floor, where he projects as strictly a drop-coverage pick-and-roll defender, and will need to prove he can keep more mobile rollers from getting behind him while simultaneously keeping the ball-handler in front of him.

If there was ever a year that a team didn't want to win the lottery, it was 2024. Not just because there were no clear-cut budding stars atop the draft, but because landing the top pick comes with built-in expectations, from both fans and ownership alike. Risacher is not your typical first overall pick. He's much more of a 3-and-D style role player than the type of creator or high upside prospect that typically goes number one. Additionally, he had some very substantial ups and downs last season in France. The reality is that he might not have even gone number one had Alex Sarr not forced Atlanta's hand. So, it's clear, that Risacher shouldn't be measured by the same standard that typically accompanies this pick.

Even still, if the shooting and the defense prove to be reliable, there could be an opportunity. Atlanta is obviously Trae Young's team and with Dejounte Murray now in New Orleans, after being unable to form any chemistry with Young, the majority of minutes on the two respective wings are likely to be divided between Bogdan Bogdanovic, De'Andre Hunter, Dyson Daniels, and Risacher. There is also a non-zero chance that Atlanta opts to blow this whole thing up at some point, move Young, and start their rebuild around young pieces like Risacher, Daniels, and Jalen Johnson, which is a proposition that would surely increase Risacher's role and projected statistical output.

Sarr was the player most people expected to be the first pick in the draft when the lottery order was decided. When Atlanta ultimately got the number one pick though, Sarr and his representatives pretty much dictated that he end up in Washington. The rationale seemed clear enough. The Wizards are rebuilding, making no real effort to win right now, and thus should theoretically have more minutes and opportunity for Sarr to get on the floor next season. The decision to sign Jonas Valanciunas to a three-year $30 million dollar deal was a bit contradictory to that line of thinking though, considering the 32-year-old has been primarily a starter in the league for more than a decade. Of course the Wizards also return Kyle Kuzma, arguably their best player and projected starter at the 4.

Where does that leave Sarr? There's a case to be made that it's an ideal scenario for his development. Right now, Sarr may be too physically weak to play the 5 against NBA starters, yet his lack of reliable offense makes him limited at power forward. Playing behind Valanciunas, against the opposition's second-unit center, is his best chance to get game reps at that position, take advantage of his quickness on the offensive end, and continue to accentuate the defensive potential that scouts were most enthusiastic about coming into the draft. So for now, he looks most likely to develop off the bench, until he's ready to take on a more significant role alongside other young pieces like Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington.

Because opportunity may be the biggest requisite for early success of NBA rookies, Castle gets the final spot on this list. The Spurs have a generational talent to build around in Victor Wembanyama, and while he was every bit as good as advertised last season, the rest of the roster was not yet ready to compete for the playoffs. The most glaring hole on the roster was at the point guard position. Jeremy Sochan actually started there at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, pivoting from his normal position at the four.

This year, they drafted Castle, who played exclusively on the wing last year at UConn, and signed future Hall of Famer Chris Paul to help mentor their new rookie. Tre Jones is also back and in the final year of his contract. The bottom line is that it appears Castle will have an opportunity to prove he's capable of being the Spurs big lead guard of the future this season, and even if he ends up being best off the ball, he's still expected to be a long-term building block because of his perimeter size, strength, physicality, and defense. If the shooting, which has been an Achilles' heel to date, ever truly clicks, it unlocks much higher upside outcomes.

Honorable Mention: Dalton Knecht, Lakers; Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers; Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls

10 NBA Superstars That Were Traded On Draft Night, Ranked

There's no doubt that the NBA Draft is a great avenue for NBA teams to upgrade their roster with the bevy amount of young talent. But while drafting promising players is a great way for making key roster additions, that isn't the only way for teams to change up their roster.

In fact, teams can also use their drafted rookies as trading chips. However, by doing this, teams are also risking the chance of giving away future superstars that could've altered the course of a franchise for the better. Here's the 10 NBA superstars that were traded on draft night, ranked.

In one of the most balanced trades in NBA history, the Mavericks drafted Trae Young with the fifth-overall pick and then subsequently traded him in return for Luka Doncic.

Despite initial doubts, Young turned out to be a respectable franchise player for the Hawks. He became a three-time All-Star and an All-NBA Team player. Furthermore, he has also led the Hawks to competitive playoff campaigns.

9. Chris Webber

It's quite rare to use the top-overall pick as a trading chip. However, that's what the Orlando Magic did to Chris Webber in order to acquire All-Star guard Penny Hardaway. The move didn't bother Webber, as he went on to become an NBA Rookie of the Year. Years later, he garnered five All-Star Game appearances.

After drafting him with the 13th-overall pick, the Denver Nuggets immediately sent him to Western Conference rival the Utah Jazz. Although the Nuggets would've added a formidable guard to their rotation along with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets turned out fine by winning an NBA championship in 2023.

On the other hand, Mitchell starred for Utah for several seasons, leading them into deep playoff runs and some of the best Jazz records in franchise history.

7. Luka Doncic

As stated previously about the balanced trade back in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Hawks and the Mavs swapped lottery picks, which turned out okay for both teams.

As for Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, the team has been to a string of competitive playoff appearances, including all the way to the 2024 NBA Finals where they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. Moreover, Doncic has been penciled in to be the face of the Mavericks franchise. It won't be surprising if Luka becomes the face of the NBA in the near future.

6. Ray Allen

After the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Ray Allen with the fifth-overall pick at the 1996 NBA Draft, they immediately shipped him to the Milwaukee Bucks. Years later, the Seattle SuperSonics traded Allen at the 2007 NBA Draft in a deal that landed him in Boston. After that, Allen went on to win his first NBA championship with the Celtics.

5. Cliff Hagan

In a championship-laden deal, the Hawks traded away Bill Russell after drafting him in return for Cliff Hagan. Although Hagan didn't win as many NBA championships as Russell, the former did manage to lead the Hawks to an NBA title in 1958. Hagan was also a five-time All-Star.

Back in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Spurs found a way to steal Kawhi Leonard away from the Indiana Pacers in return for George Hill. Leonard went on to lead the Spurs to the 2014 NBA championship.

Had the Pacers refused the trade, who knows how far the team could go with Paul George as the star at that time. Fast-forward to 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers managed to get both All-Stars together, although they rarely played together due to injuries, so they had little playoff success.

3. Dirk Nowitzki

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At the 1998 NBA Draft, the Bucks were keen on looking for an established big man. As a result, after drafting Dirk Nowitzki in the first round with the ninth-overall pick, the Bucks sent him to Dallas in return for Robert Traylor.

Nowitzki became the face of the Mavericks for several seasons, highlighted by their 2011 NBA championship conquest at the expense of the Miami Heat's Big Three. Nowitzki is also the franchise leader in terms of points, rebounds, and blocks.

Today, the late Kobe Bryant is considered to be in the GOAT conversation. He took the Lakers to five NBA championships, earned two Finals MVPs, an NBA MVP, and 18 All-Star Game appearances.

In hindsight, the Charlotte Hornets made a terrible decision trading their draft pick away in return for the Los Angeles Lakers' Vlade Divac. Had they kept Bryant, the franchise might've been more than just a cellar dweller in the NBA.

1. Bill Russell

Arguably the biggest superstar to be traded on draft night, Red Auerbach made a wise decision to give Cliff Hagan and Ed McCauley to the Hawks in return for Bill Russell. Of course, the unstoppable Russell led the Celtics to 11 NBA championships, arguably the most dominant dynasty in NBA history.

NBA Fantasy: Expectations For Top Rookies In 2024-25

Zaccharie Risacher (right) and Alex Sarr are scheduled to face off on Oct. 28 for the first time.

Several experts have labeled this year's draft class as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, and the talk around league circles is that this is one of the weakest classes over the last 10 years. However, that doesn't mean that we can't expect some kind of fantasy contribution from first-year players, regardless if you're playing in a category or points league, or a season-long or a dynasty format.

As it always happens, some first-year players will gain big roles early in their careers. Let's discuss which rookies will emerge as fantasy contributors ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks

Risacher was the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft for a reason. He's an athletic player who can guard multiple positions and offers decent value on the offensive end of the floor, both as a slasher and as a shooting threat. However, he doesn't fall in the same category as Alex Sarr in terms of upside due to his fit with the Hawks and his playing style.

There's no question that Risacher has enough talent to be a solid starter at the NBA level sooner rather than later, but it might take him a season or two to be relevant in fantasy. Aside from the fact that he's not known to be a stat-stuffing machine, it's worth noting that his fit with the Hawks is a bit complicated from a fantasy perspective.

He'll open the year as the team's third-best scoring option in an absolute best-case scenario, sitting behind Trae Young and Jalen Johnson in the pecking order.

Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards

Sarr wasn't the first pick in the draft, but there's a strong case to say he could be the rookie with the biggest upside. He'll likely open the season as a starter and on a Wizards team that could give him as many minutes as he can handle as a rookie.

Sarr needs to improve his offensive game, but there's nothing that suggests that it won't be the case as the season progresses. At his best, Sarr could have double-double upside with a high field-goal percentage and solid defensive numbers as a floor. His 3-point shooting is a work in progress, but don't rule him out from trying his luck from deep.

In a class that doesn't have many star-caliber players on paper, Sarr could start separating himself from the rest, at least from a fantasy perspective, in his first year in the NBA.

Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

Edey was an unstoppable player in college, which should explain why he enters the league as the two-time reigning Naismith Player of the Year. He's also one of the tallest and biggest players in the draft, standing at nearly 7-foot-4 with a 7-foot-10 wingspan and weighing 299 pounds. Opposing players will have a tough time trying to score against him, but there have been several doubts about whether his game can fully translate into the NBA.

Edey might lack the mobility to defend big men at the NBA level, and his offensive game is not as developed as one would have hoped. However, he'll get fantasy stats as long as he stays on the court on a regular basis. If he opens the 2024-25 season as the Grizzlies' starting center, he could be a nightly double-double threat with excellent defensive numbers, particularly in the blocks department.

His fantasy upside will depend on how the Grizzlies use him, but if he finds a steady role in the rotation, he could be a solid option in most fantasy formats.

Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers

Knecht was a First-Team AP All-American and SEC Player of the Year in 2023-24, averaging 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range for Tennessee last season.

Many talent evaluators believed he would be a lottery pick, but he fell to the 17th pick largely because he's 23 years old. However, that age and his advanced development could prove to be beneficial for the Lakers. Los Angeles needs reliable shooters who can be ready to contribute right away, and Knecht fits that mold almost to perfection. Even though he won't be a starter right away on a contending team, Knecht could benefit from being a scorer off the bench.

While drafting Knecht in late rounds could be a stretch, he's a player worth keeping close tabs on, particularly in category-based leagues due to his above-average shooting ability.

Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

Finally, it's hard not to look at Missi and understand that he could be one of the most productive rookies in this class, at least from a fantasy perspective. Sure, Missi is still very raw on the offensive end of the court and might not have a lot of touches while playing alongside Brandon Ingram (if he stays in New Orleans), Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray.

But the Pelicans do not have another reliable option to start at center. Unless they decide to play Williamson at the five, which would give opposing teams a significant advantage on the glass, or journeyman Daniel Theis, expect the Pelicans to give Missi a shot at winning the starting role as a rookie. If that's the case, he could be an option to deliver a high field-goal percentage with ample rebounds and defensive stats, particularly blocks.

His role on this team plays to his advantage. Missi's two-way upside could make him worthy of a late-round flier, particularly in deeper leagues or dynasty formats.

Other rookies to consider: Cody Williams (Jazz), Matas Buzelis (Bulls), Ron Holland II (Pistons), Donovan Clingan (Trail Blazers), Jared McCain (76ers)

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