25-and-Under NBA Players Who Should Stay with Their Current Teams Forever
You know these guys. They're the Dirk Nowitzkis, Manu Ginobilis, Tim Duncans and Dwyane Wades of the world.
At their core, these players are NBA lifers who have only known one franchise, and their existence has gradually become defined by commitment to a single team and city.
So after LeBron James recently told reporters that Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson is "a guy who should probably be a Cavalier his entire career," according to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, we started pondering the next generation of players who should stick with a single club for the duration of their professional lives.
Now, a few things before we get rolling.
Since Thompson's 24 going on 25, qualification was restricted to players 25 years old or younger. That means no Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry or Russell Westbrook for the purposes of this exercise. Had age limits been stripped away, the list would have been endless.
And, of course, foundational franchise pieces like James Harden—who have already suited up for multiple squads—were eliminated right off the bat.
Using players' career track records, teams' financial commitments to them and general organizational stability as baseline indicators of career arcs, here are the NBA's shining examples of future franchise staples.
Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
1 of 7
Age: 22
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 24.4 PTS, 10.2 REB, 2.9 BLK, 2.2 AST, 1.5 STL, 30.8 PER
Anthony Davis just turned 22 years old, which means every NBA franchise residing outside of New Orleans is effectively doomed.
While most normal 22-year-olds just graduated from college, Davis wrapped up his third NBA season by posting the league's highest player efficiency rating. In doing so, The Brow became the eighth player in league history to record a PER over 30. He was also the only player last season to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
Again, he's 22. And soon, he'll be a 22-year-old flush with cash.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein explains:
"With star forward Anthony Davis eligible for a contract extension this summer, Pelicans officials plan to be as aggressive as possible in presenting him with a maximum five-year deal that could exceed $140 million, according to league sources.
The exact figures will depend on how much the NBA salary cap actually rises in 2016, but sources told ESPN.com that the Pelicans indeed intend to present Davis with the biggest offer they can once the window for negotiations opens July 1.
The Pelicans would then have until Oct. 31 to convince Davis to sign a five-year deal that makes him their designated player.
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That's a monster commitment, and it's one that signals the New Orleans Pelicans intend to shell out whatever it takes to keep Davis in the fold for as long as possible.
With his prime still frighteningly years away, Davis is the prototypical example of a single-squad stud.
Paul George, SF, Indiana Pacers
2 of 7
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats (six games): 8.8 PTS, 3.7 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.2 BLK, 13.0 PER
The Indiana Pacers made their feelings regarding Paul George clear when they inked him to a five-year extension before the 2013-14 season that could wind up being worth up to $90 million.
George—who missed all but six games after fracturing his left leg prior to last season—remains one of the league's most dynamic wing players, even if he was pushed to the NBA's collective back burner during a season in which the Pacers experienced harsh regression.
But if we use the two-time All-Star's 2013-14 season as a way to gauge what his future holds, it's clear the Pacers got a good deal—particularly with a cap spike on the way in 2016.
If George can return to form and average in the neighborhood of 20 points, six boards and 1.5 steals, while shooting upward of 36 or 37 percent from three and playing lockdown defense, his deal will look like peanuts compared to what stars are eyeing 13 months from now.
George's full-time return to action will also be fascinating to watch as the Pacers seek to mold smaller lineups around him.
"David [West] is our starter, but when we go smaller we'd like to see Paul maybe play some 4, and you know everybody says, 'You'll have a problem on the defensive end,' well, I don't think so," Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said, according to the Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner. "He can guard about anybody, and then on the other end, it's a major plus for us."
Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
3 of 7
Age: 23
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 21.7 PTS, 5.2 AST, 3.2 REB, 1.5 STL, 0.3 BLK, 21.5 PER
Kyrie Irving's been a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers for four seasons, and the franchise made it clear it wants him in the fold for the foreseeable future after inking him to a five-year, $90 million extension last summer.
But despite signing a lucrative deal, Irving still won't rank among the top five earners at point guard next season in terms of base salary ($14,746,000), according to Spotrac.
That's a coup for Cleveland considering Irving is just now coming into his own as an off-the-dribble and catch-and-shoot threat.
During the first season of what's proved to be a fruitful partnership with LeBron James, Irving watched his player efficiency rating (21.5) and three-point field-goal percentage (41.5) hit career highs.
Now the 23-year-old floor general enters his first NBA Finals with a chance to start lining his legacy with Larry O'Brien Trophies.
"This series is a big one for Irving, who hadn't even been to the postseason until this year, and whose best performances to this point had come in All-Star Games and three-point contests," Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes wrote. "Stepping up at this juncture could give the Cavaliers a puncher's chance against the heavily favored Warriors."
Irving's on track to rank as one of the league's premier point guards in no time, but stealing a title from Stephen Curry and Co. could do wonders for his Cleveland legacy long-term.
Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs
4 of 7
Age: 23
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 16.5 PTS, 7.2 REB, 2.5 AST, 2.3 STL, 0.8 BLK, 22.0 PER
Kawhi Leonard may be considered the future of the San Antonio Spurs, but if the 2014-15 season was any indication, the 23-year-old is already operating as the team's focal point on both ends of the floor.
Not only did Leonard lead the league in steals at 2.3 per game, but his post-All-Star break offerings also pointed to rapid development as a scorer. After returning from a hand injury, Leonard went nuts, averaging 17.2 points and 7.0 boards, while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three.
One year removed from capturing his first-career NBA Finals MVP trophy, Leonard nabbed Defensive Player of the Year honors by holding opponents to a league-best 96.4 points per 100 possessions.
Now Leonard enters the summer a restricted free agent with a max contract on the horizon.
"Leonard wants to be a Spur, and the Spurs are expected to come calling on July 1 with the max offer that they resisted delivering Leonard in the preseason, a move born out of preserving cap space to bring on a star free agent this summer," Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski wrote.
That's an encouraging first step toward making Leonard a Spur for life. But the second phase of his prospective lifer status has to do with the support of a system that will allow him to flourish.
Point guard Tony Parker explained, per Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News:
"It's like me and Manu back in the day. You have to share and wait your turn. Sometimes I don't see the ball for a long time but Kawhi is playing unbelievable. And it's going to be Kawhi's team anyway. Like Timmy transitioned to Manu, Manu transitioned to me, now it's going to be transitioned to Kawhi.
I'll try to do my best to stay aggressive and be involved, but Kawhi's going to be the man. He's playing great and sometimes I'll have nights like this where I have the ball, but most of the time it's going to be Kawhi.
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Leonard's a perfect star for the Spurs' selfless scheme, and the last two seasons proved he'll be able to follow in the footsteps of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili once they call it quits.
Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers
5 of 7
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 21.0 PTS, 6.2 AST, 4.6 REB, 1.2 STL, 0.3 BLK, 20.7 PER
Damian Lillard's game is still rounding into form after his third year in the Association, but that small sample size has provided a glimpse of the game-changer he's capable of evolving into.
While Lillard has struggled with consistency on defense and as a jump-shooter inside the arc, he can fill it up in a hurry thanks to a quick outside release and a nose for the rim.
"My first year, people weren't sure what type of player I was gonna be," Lillard said during exit interviews, according to the Oregonian's Sean Meagher. "My second season they tried to take certain things away, and I was good enough to adjust on the fly and do other things. This year it was a lot more attention than I got in my first two years. Once again, over the course of the season I learned different ways to be effective."
Lillard will play out the fourth year of his deal at $4.2 million next season, but as ESPN.com's Marc Stein noted, the 24-year-old should soon receive a generous extension that kicks in when the 2016-17 season gets underway:
"Lillard is eligible for a contract extension of his own this summer and will surely command a massive five-year offer as soon as the negotiating window (July 1 through Halloween) opens. How massive?
According to the league's most recent salary cap projections, Lillard is in line for a five-year deal in the $120 million range. Will the Blazers max him out to ensure that at least one of their two cornerstones is firmly locked in? All the signals we're getting point to yes.
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Portland may be approaching an uneasy negotiating period with impending unrestricted free agent LaMarcus Aldridge, but the Blazers control their own destiny when it comes to keeping Lillard in tow for the remainder of the decade.
"For me, this is where I want to be," Lillard said after the season, according to the Oregonian's Mike Tokito. "So whatever we need to do to make that happen and figure that out, then that's what I'm going to do."
Klay Thompson, SG, Golden State Warriors
6 of 7
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 21.7 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.8 BLK, 20.8 PER
After draining more three-pointers (545) than any other player during the first three years of his NBA career (broken this year by Damian Lillard), Klay Thompson was rewarded with a four-year contract extension from the Golden State Warriors worth roughly $70 million.
Thompson then proceeded to maintain that historic pace during the 2014-15 regular season, draining a career-high 239 threes in 77 appearances. Along with fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry, Thompson already ranks No. 2 overall with three seasons of at least 200 made threes. Ray Allen occupies the top spot with five.
Suddenly, last summer's trade speculation regarding a Thompson-for-Kevin Love swap feels a bit foolish, doesn't it?
Comprising half of the most prolific three-point shooting backcourt in NBA history, Thompson has entrenched himself as the perfect complementary weapon for the league MVP.
And with those two inextricably linked as the Warriors kick off what promises to be one of the most successful stretches in franchise history, Thompson should continue to roam around the arc so long as Curry's slotted in beside him.
John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards
7 of 7
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.6 PTS, 10.0 AST, 4.6 REB, 1.7 STL, 0.6 BLK, 19.9 PER
John Wall joined Chris Paul as the only players to average at least 17 points and 10 assists this season, and it was that swishing and dishing prowess that earned him a five-year, $80 million extension from the Washington Wizards two summers ago.
"Wall is a remarkable playmaker, able to see the development of a play in a way few can, and he's physically capable of executing truly spectacular sequences," Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney wrote in January. "He's a marvel."
But Wall's more than an offensive savant.
One of the driving factors behind Wall's cornerstone status is the development he's displayed on defense. At the conclusion of the regular season, Washington ranked No. 2 overall among Eastern Conference clubs in defensive efficiency (100.0).
Throughout that 46-win process, Wall tied Marcin Gortat with a team-high 4.2 defensive win shares. And when Wall was on the floor, the Wizards allowed 6.7 points fewer per 100 possessions. That point differential is the difference between the league's best and eighth-worst units.
Wall, in turn, was selected to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team.
Washington's made the Eastern Conference Semifinals in back-to-back seasons, but it will be on Wall to push the Wizards over that hump and compete for more esteemed honors as all eyes shift to the franchise's marquee talent.
"We haven't been to the promised land of winning a championship for years," Wall said upon signing his new deal, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I know we're a long way from there, but that's my main goal before my career is done, to win one here."
Stats are courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.
