Predicting the 30 Best NBA Players in 2030
Determining the hierarchy of individual NBA players has become a pastime that generates heated debates all over the world.
Seemingly every year, and at pretty much any time of the year, you can be sure to find someone arguing about this very topic online.
But it's a little less common to wonder what the breakdown will be in the future. And that's today's endeavor.
Based on recent numbers, leaguewide trends and philosophies, age (if your favorite isn't here, it's likely because he'll be in his mid- to late-30s in 2030) and plenty of subjectivity, we're here to predict who'll make up the NBA's top 30 players in 2030.
30. Paolo Banchero
1 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 27
Paolo Banchero fans may be surprised to see him this low, but having him on the list at all is a bet on his upside.
Banchero has now played four NBA seasons. His team's point differential has been better when he's off the floor in each of them. His effective field-goal percentage (and true shooting percentage) has been way below average in each of them.
His shot selection seems to oscillate between bad and terrible. His defense can be spacey. And he turns the ball over too much.
But, even in the face of some concerning statistical indicators, it's easy to remain high on Banchero's chance to make more All-Star games.
For a ball-handling forward, he's huge. The giveaways aren't great, but they're an expected part of the learning curve for a playmaker.
There's still a good chance he develops into a dominant point forward. It'd just be nice if his first four years had given clearer signs that'll happen.
29. Caleb Wilson
2 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 23
This might seem a little optimistic for a fourth overall pick who's yet to play a real NBA minute, but Caleb Wilson has already shown real superstar upside at North Carolina and in Las Vegas.
Now, Summer League stats and highlights always have to be taken with grains of salt. The level of competition isn't close to what it is in the regular season. Plenty of the players in action are trying to prove their own worth more than win games.
It's just not even close to the ideal environment for evaluating a player's upside.
And yet, we're still going to overreact a bit to the 35-point performance Wilson had in Vegas last week.
We already knew he had a freakish combination of size and athleticism. The question was whether he'd develop enough skill to maximize the physical tools.
If that night at Summer League is any indication, he's already ahead of schedule. Wilson was hitting threes. Some were off the dribble. Some were stepbacks. He looked very much like a wing.
And if that's his reality (and not just a hot night), Wilson will be competing for All-Star appearances by the end of his rookie contract.
28. Jalen Williams
3 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 29
Injuries have sort of driven a lot of attention and analysis away from Jalen Williams over the last 12 months, but he'll still be in the middle of his prime in four years. And when healthy, he's one of the best wings in the game.
During the 2025 Finals, he averaged 23.6 points. He dropped 40 in a critical Game 5. He was the second-best player on a championship team and looked primed to secure a second consecutive All-NBA nod.
At 25 years old, it's obviously not too late for him to rediscover that track.
Williams is an elite secondary creator, and he's also shown he can carry an offense on his own (a big reason OKC has typically won the non–Shai Gilgeous-Alexander minutes in recent seasons). When his three-point shot is falling—and it did at a decent rate prior to 2025-26—he's particularly dangerous.
27. Stephon Castle
4 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 25
Stephon Castle is already a ferocious defender and burgeoning playmaker. His abilities on those two fronts alone should have him competing for All-Star games for the foreseeable future.
But superstar upside likely depends on whether Castle develops a consistent jumper. And the good news for San Antonio Spurs fans is that he's already trending that way.
Castle's season-long three-point percentage improved from 28.5 in 2024-25 to 33.2 in 2025-26, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The volume wasn't all that high, but in his last 27 regular-season games, Castle canned 42.2 percent of his three-point attempts.
There's far from a guarantee that trend will continue, but if it does, Castle could start contending for All-NBA nods before we get to the end of the four-year period in question.
26. Franz Wagner
5 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 29
Banchero's teammate, Franz Wagner, certainly doesn't get as much attention, but he's been the better (or at least more positively impactful) of Orlando's star forwards over the last four years.
So it stands to reason that he may remain in that lead over the next four.
Wagner is a steady-handed playmaker, especially relative to other 6'10" forwards. His slashing puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses. And his awareness and switchability on defense are key ingredients of the Magic's success on that end.
Injuries and an inconsistent three-point shot are very real concerns, but not to the degree Wagner can be kept out of the top 30.
25. Kon Knueppel
6 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 25
Kon Knueppel quietly just had one of the best rookie seasons we've ever seen.
Among players with at least 500 minutes and a 22-plus usage percentage, Knueppel's 2.8 box plus/minus is the 15th highest ever in an age-20 (or younger) season. Among players who took at least 100 threes, he had the second-highest effective field-goal percentage in an age-20 (or younger) season. And perhaps most impressively, his 273 triples is a whopping 53 clear of any other age-20 (or younger) season in league history.
Those numbers are merely the representation of something we all already know after watching Knueppel as a rookie: He's one of the most dangerous shooters in the entire NBA, regardless of age. And that skill alone could carry him to top-30 status.
But Knueppel also has some playmaking upside. And while he's not likely to ever compete for All-Defense nods, he has the size and know-how to at least be passable on that end.
If he shows even moderate development in some of his lower-tier skills, he could develop into a top-20 player.
24. Jalen Brunson
7 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 33
The number above is a little misleading, since Jalen Brunson's birthday is in August. By the time the 2030-31 season starts, Brunson will actually be 34.
So, his inclusion on this list might offend some fans of other guards in his age range.
But unlike those other guards, Brunson has already had to learn how to dominate at both a size and athleticism deficit. He's done it with skill and craft.
And neither trait is likely to abandon Brunson over the next four years. In fact, there's a real chance he only sharpens those between now and 2030.
We just witnessed Chris Paul remain very effective well into his 30s, and the similarly built Brunson could do the same.
23. Evan Mobley
8 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 30
We're still waiting for some things to click for Evan Mobley on the offensive side of the floor. The jump shot, in particular, needs to be more consistent. He shot 37.0 percent from deep in 2024-25, but his career mark is 30.9.
Increased playmaking volume is another potential source of improvement, but that could be tough to find on a team with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
Even without dramatic steps forward, though, Mobley has a great shot to be a top-30 player in 2030 by being one of the best defenders in the NBA.
The 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year is a good rim protector who's also capable of surviving when switched onto the perimeter. And he's capable of positively affecting a defense as either a power forward or center.
22. Alperen Şengün
9 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 27
Like Brunson, Alperen Şengün has a summer birthday. So, he'll actually be 28 when the 2030-31 season tips off. But that difference is negligible. He'll still be smack-dab in the middle of his prime. And by this point, he figures to be one of the best and most important playmaking bigs in the league.
He may already have that distinction. Over the last three years, he's averaged 20.1 points and 5.4 assists. His willingness to merely try things as a passer and finisher that others aren't puts added pressure on defenses. And he's been ahead of his age in terms of feel for the game from the moment his career started.
But there's still some work to do. Şengün could take a little better care of the ball. His jump shot and the touch on some of those adventurous finishing attempts need improvement. Defensive mobility may never get better, but his awareness can.
If he does zero in and make those improvements, several more All-Star appearances are likely on the way.
21. Amen Thompson
10 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 27
There was a real internal struggle on the decision between Şengün and his teammate, Amen Thompson.
The big man is clearly better now. And they're roughly the same age, so it's hard to say Thompson clearly has more upside.
But Thompson's athleticism can be genuinely shocking. He already uses it to great effect on the defensive end. If he spends the next four years figuring out how to do so on the other, Thompson could be a perennial All-NBA contender.
Of course, that's easier said than done. And a shaky jump shot complicates the equation.
But there are just so many moments over the course of a game or season when Thompson does something that looks physically impossible. Closing a gap with ridiculous top speed. Blocking a shot or stealing a pass that looked too far away. Flushing an offensive rebound that was seemingly out of reach. Thompson, almost routinely, does it all.
20. Chet Holmgren
11 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 28
Chet Holmgren just had a devastating end to his third full season, both for his team and himself.
With Williams and Ajay Mitchell out for the close of the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed Holmgren to quickly show some of the offensive upside that has long been promised.
In a Game 6 loss, he had 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. And in Game 7, he had just four points on 1-of-2 shooting.
Chet was absolutely erased by his longtime nemesis, Victor Wembanyama, to the point that some analysts immediately wondered if the performance would send him on a Ben Simmons-like tailspin.
His placement in this top 20 is obviously a suggestion that something else will happen.
Holmgren can (and should) use the embarrassment of the 2026 playoffs as a springboard toward growth as a player, particularly on the offensive end.
He needs to speed up the delivery on his jump shot a bit. He can be better off the bounce, both as a shooter and driver. And he can absolutely do more as a passer.
There's more than enough time for him to develop on all of those fronts.
And if he does that while maintaining his consistency as a rim protector and all-around defender, the top 20 in 2030 is well within reach.
19. Deni Avdija
12 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 29
We're already getting into "tough decision" territory, because this feels a little low for Deni Avdija, who'll be right in the middle of his prime in 2030 and just capped off an eye-opening sixth season.
24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists are the kind of numbers you might've expected from LeBron James, but that's what Deni did in 2025-26.
And if he can recapture his jump shooting form from the previous two seasons (he shot 36.9 percent from deep in those ones, compared to 31.8 in this one), Avdija will be among the most dangerous offensive forwards in the league.
Combine that with the consistent perimeter defense he already provides, and we could be looking at three or four more All-Star appearances on his resume between now and 2030.
18. Jalen Johnson
13 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 28
Speaking of playmaking forwards, the leap Jalen Johnson took in 2025-26 should be pretty alarming for the rest of the league.
In just his second mostly healthy season in the NBA and his first without Trae Young operating as the lead playmaker, Johnson put up 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists.
He was a force of nature with the ball in his hands. And as you can see by the rebounding number, he often took the ball to get it there.
Having a forward like Johnson who can shut down the opposing star, start the break with a board and then handle it as the point man is a game-changer. And all the skills that allow Johnson to do that already are only going to get better between now and 2030.
He, like several others on the list, can improve as a jump shooter. More time as the primary facilitator should help him learn how to better take care of the ball too.
But we're already in nitpicking territory with a sub-25 forward who just put up the numbers above.
17. Jayson Tatum
14 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 33
This is another ranking that might cause fans of Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell or even Karl-Anthony Towns to scratch their heads. And unlike Brunson, Tatum also has the torn Achilles asterisk in his history.
He looked solid at the close of the 2025-26 regular season, but there's still no way to fully know how that injury will impact the rest of his career.
Still, Tatum is huge for a wing. He can easily shift to power forward if a slight decline in athleticism requires it. And whether he's there or at the 3, his rebounding, shooting and playmaking will be important.
Plus, though he's not quite on Brunson's level in terms of craftiness, there is a lot of that to Tatum's game too. Good burst is important to be able to sell things, but Tatum's footwork and pump fakes should help him remain effective well into his 30s.
Think of it this way. The post-Achilles tear Tatum still has a chance to be something like a souped-up version of Paul Pierce.
16. Tyrese Haliburton
15 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 30
The 2024-25 NBA season, in so many ways, was very cruel to the fans. Not only did it take Tatum and Damian Lillard away from us with torn Achilles tendons, it did the same to Tyrese Haliburton in Game 7 of what was shaping up to be an all-time great NBA Finals.
Instead, it'll likely always be known as the one marred by that injury. Even in OKC's home arena, the life was completely sucked out of the building the moment Haliburton went down.
And now, it'll be well over a year between his NBA appearances when he finally sets foot back on the court in 2026-27.
If Tatum's long-term outlook is questionable, Haliburton's is a total mystery.
On the bright side, he wasn't dominating with athleticism before the injury. Haliburton put up gaudy playmaking numbers because of his awareness, passing ability and timely shooting.
His game was more the product of skill than physicality. And that skill isn't going to abandon him between now and his 30th birthday.
There may be an adjustment period after he returns, but Haliburton is still going to be one of the best point guards in the NBA for years to come.
15. Dylan Harper
16 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 24
There were prolonged stretches of the NBA Finals in which 20-year-old Dylan Harper looked like the best player on the San Antonio Spurs.
Yes, even better than Victor Wembanyama.
By the end of the series, he'd averaged 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 31.0 minutes. Mitch Johnson not fully committing to him as a starting guard may have been a big part of why San Antonio lost (or at least lost as quickly as it did).
After that performance, and even with De'Aaron Fox still on the roster, it's hard to imagine a justification for keeping Harper out of the starting five now. Even if it means moving Castle to the 3, it's time to embrace Harper's forthcoming stardom.
He already has the steely nerves of a 10-year vet. He's a patient, smart creator. His finishing around the rim is shockingly good for a player his age. And he's already a reliable perimeter defender.
Considering the fact he's just at the start of his developmental curve, having him 15th on this list might actually be a little conservative.
14. Giannis Antetokounmpo
17 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 35
This might seem a little aggressive, given Giannis Antetokounmpo's reliance on athleticism and his recent injury history, but when he's available, he still produces like a supercharged Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Over the last four seasons, he's put up 30.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. And even if he's producing around 90 percent of that level in 2030, he'll be a fringe top-10 player.
Of course, it would help if his jumper became a little more reliable and he added a few more interior counters that weren't just muscle-based over the next four years. But even if he doesn't, 35-year-old Giannis figures to be a force.
13. Scottie Barnes
18 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 28
Scottie Barnes isn't quite on the Giannis trajectory (very few players in history have been), but you can see shades of the Greek Freak there.
And while Giannis will be aging into his mid-30s and well past his prime in 2030, this potential successor will be right in the middle of his prime.
Barnes is already one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA. He's an underrated creator and distributor. And if he ever adds a consistent three-point shot, he could be a perennial All-Star.
Over his last three seasons (which already included two All-Star nods), Barnes has put up 19.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks.
12. AJ Dybantsa
19 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 23
Now we're getting real aggressive. AJ Dybantsa has yet to play a single NBA game, and this is suggesting he'll be a fringe top-10 player by the end of his rookie deal.
But that's not far from where Cade Cunningham, Mobley and Barnes are now, and those players are already starting to pile up accolades.
Dybantsa is entering the league surrounded by more hype than any of them, and he's already shown flashes of franchise point forward upside in college and at the Las Vegas Summer League.
If he develops as expected and comes anywhere close to living up to the Tracy McGrady comparisons, 23 is around the time when he'll start looking like an All-Star lock.
11. Darryn Peterson
20 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 23
This isn't necessarily suggesting that Darryn Peterson will be better than Dybantsa long term, but he does seem better set up for success within the first four years of their careers.
Dybantsa will have to hope for touches in lineups with Trae Young and Anthony Edwards (barring trades of either or both). Utah looks excited to put the ball in Peterson's hands right away.
Keyonte George will obviously have something to say about that. And veterans Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. will need to be fed.
But this could very well be the best individual prospect ever drafted by the Jazz. He's at his best as a primary creator (for himself or others), and Utah will give him plenty of opportunities to do so.
10. LaMelo Ball
21 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 28
The Charlotte Hornets are betting that we may have already seen the best of LaMelo Ball, or that the injury problems will resurface, or both.
But over the last five seasons, regardless of what you think about how he puts up his numbers, the fact is that LaMelo produces in a way we've rarely seen.
In that stretch, he's averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 threes, while shooting 36.7 percent from deep.
Getting that from a 6'7" playmaker who can theoretically slide all over a lineup (something we may see more of with the Minnesota Timberwolves) gives teams optionality that a smaller guard wouldn't.
And if he reigns in some of the wild shots and passes a bit (though not all the way, because that's a big part of what makes him special) over the next four years, Ball has "best creator in the league" potential.
9. Tyrese Maxey
22 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 29
He's sort of been overshadowed by Joel Embiid and the "will he or won't he?" nature of his career, but Tyrese Maxey has quickly developed into one of the best and most dynamic guards in the world.
In his age-25 campaign, Maxey just averaged 28.3 points, 6.6 assists and 3.1 threes.
His end-to-end speed is nearly unmatched. He clearly has no fear in the game's biggest moments or on its biggest stage. And unlike some of his peers, an increase in on-ball responsibility hasn't necessarily coincided with a big jump in turnovers.
Maxey's size (6'2") will always be a bit of a concern on the defensive end, but he's already proven to be one of the best offensive players in the NBA. And four years from now, he'll be right in the middle of his prime.
8. Cameron Boozer
23 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 22
Surprise!
Not only do we have all three of this summer's top three picks in the top 12 of this exercise, but we also have the player taken third ranked higher than Dybantsa and Peterson.
The reasoning is similar to what's found on the Peterson slide. Cameron Boozer should get more opportunities to show off his abilities and more time to develop on the floor than either of the players taken before him.
But it's more than that. Boozer might also have the highest floor of any of the three prospects. Because he does so many little things so well (like rebounding, passing and shooting), it's hard to envision the world in which Boozer is ever a negative-impact player.
7. Cade Cunningham
24 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 28
Cade Cunningham has broken out as a legitimate superstar over the last two seasons, averaging 25.1 points and 9.5 assists.
And what has to be truly terrifying for opponents around the league is the fact that Cade has some very obvious areas for improvement.
In the same stretch, he's averaged 4.1 turnovers and shot a below-average 34.9 percent from deep.
Over the next four years, he can absolutely figure out how to take a little better care of the ball and more consistently hit from the outside.
Fine-tuning that, while maintaining his volume playmaking could have Cunningham in some pretty heated MVP discussions.
6. Cooper Flagg
25 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 23
Cooper Flagg's processing speed is pretty alarming. And we've seen it on stunning display in each of the last two seasons.
In his freshman campaign at Duke, Flagg averaged 16.3 points and shot 25.0 percent from deep in his first 12 games. From that point to the end of the season, he was at 20.5 points with a 45.1 three-point percentage.
As an NBA rookie, he averaged 15.7 points and shot 26.4 percent from deep in his first 19 appearances. Over the rest of the campaign, he put up 23.0 points and shot 30.8 percent from three.
His assist numbers saw similar upticks too. And when you watched him play, it was clear that things were sort of clicking for Flagg with each successive appearance.
At this rate, the three-point shot is bound to come along at some point. His playmaking is only going to keep getting better too.
And with his competitiveness, the thought of being the sixth best player in the league in four years would only make him push even harder to be first.
5. Anthony Edwards
26 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 28
Already one of the most explosive scorers and finishers in the NBA, Anthony Edwards has averaged 26.6 points and 4.5 assists over the last four seasons. His career playoff scoring average of 25.9 ranks 19th all time.
He's drawn favorable comparisons to Michael Jordan. Yes, Michael Jordan.
There's a very real chance that Edwards, with his three-level scoring and still-developing playmaking, could be the best player in the NBA in 2030.
But there are just a few more questions with him than there are with the players yet to come on this list.
For one thing, he has to get a little better off the ball, on both offense and defense.
It's good to be able to break an opponent down off the dribble and hit a pull-up three or get to the rim, but you can also pressure a defense by making it move when you don't have the ball.
On the other end, staying engaged when your matchup doesn't have the ball is critical.
If Edwards can improve on those fronts while also upping his assist-to-turnover ratio a bit, he'll absolutely be in the "best in the world" mix.
4. Nikola Jokić
27 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 35
The gap between Nikola Jokić and the second-best player in the world (whoever that may be) over the last six seasons is absolutely massive.
The distance between his wins over replacement player in that stretch and second place is the same as the distance between second place and 26th.
Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the only other players in modern NBA history who may have separated from their peers as clearly and dramatically as Jokić has in this era.
But he's already been at this for over a decade now. And by the time 2030 rolls around, he'll be 35.
There are plenty of fans who've already moved past the numbers and awarded the "best in the world" crown to others as Denver has fallen short of a title in three straight years. And when he's in his mid-30s, that reality will probably be undeniable.
But Jokić isn't going to shrink over the next four years. And his game is famously non-reliant on athleticism. If there was a player who could somehow maintain all-time great production at 35, it could very well be Jokić.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
28 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 32
The two-time reigning MVP may be just past his prime in 2030, but he's another superstar who produces as much with skill and guile as he does athleticism.
Thirty-point nights may not be as effortless as they are now, but SGA will still be baiting defenders into bad spots, drawing fouls and scoring about as well as anyone for the next four seasons.
If he continues to hone his three-point shot (the volume went down in 2025-26, but the efficiency climbed to 38.6 percent), he'll be in even better shape.
And given the way he's mastered so much else about the offensive side of the game, it's almost a given that he could become an excellent outside shooter too.
2. Luka Dončić
29 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 31
No one's ever really started a career quite like Luka Dončić.
Through his age-26 season, he already has six First Team All-NBA nods. Tim Duncan is the only player in NBA history who had as many at the same age. Luka has 12,087 points. No one had more at the same age. He has 3,418 assists. Only Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson had more at the same age.
And oh, as if all of that wasn't impressive enough, Luka has averaged fewer than 65 appearances per season for his career.
Again, what he's already done is truly unprecedented.
And over the next four years, barring injury, it's hard to imagine it slowing down. On the contrary, Luka may have another level get to.
He can focus a little less on officiating. He could reign in the turnovers a bit. His shot selection could be slightly more judicious. He could focus more consistently on defense.
Even if he manages to improve in just one of those areas, while maintaining everything else he already does so well, he could win multiple MVPs between now and 2030.
1. Victor Wembanyama
30 of 30
Age Four Years from Now: 26
Was there ever any doubt?
Even with the excellent cases you could make for Luka, SGA, Jokić or a handful of others to top this list, the answer ultimately has to be Victor Wembanyama.
Just three seasons into his career, he's already led his way-too-young San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals and is the most feared and impactful defensive player in the league.
His size and shot-blocking instincts legitimately shrink the size of the floor that the rest of his teammates have to defend.
And on the other end, he's an older brother dominating the younger one on the bedroom-door nerf hoop.
Those traits alone make him an MVP contender, but you still have to layer on the ball-handling, jump shooting and emerging passing ability.
All that extra stuff is what gives him a real shot to crash conversations with the likes of Jordan, LeBron, Jokić and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Given the way he's started, something would almost have to go wrong for Wemby to not be the best player in the league in 2030.
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