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Predicting Every NBA Team's Best Player 3 Years From Now

Grant Hughes
Aug 20, 2026

The New York Knicks were the eighth different NBA champion in eight years, a good illustration of how extreme parity is only making it harder to guess at what each new season will bring.

At least if team performance is becoming impossible to project, the player side is a little more consistent.

That's the hope, anyway, as we look a full three years ahead to the dawn of the 2029-30 campaign and try to guess who'll be each team's top option.

We're not allowed to guess at who might arrive via the draft, or who a team might trade for or sign. We'll take the current roster and do the best we can based on aging curves, likely development (or slippage) and contract status.

Let's gaze into the future.

Atlanta Hawks: Jalen Johnson

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Atlanta Hawks v New York Knicks - Game Five

The Atlanta Hawks are a team that has nearly everything but a clear first-option superstar. Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker provide spacing and versatile defense at below-market prices, the books are very clean and rookie Kingston Flemings offers youthful upside.

Jalen Johnson still feels like more of a No. 2 on a dangerous team, but he's the man for now and has to be the pick in the absence of anyone with his level of proven production and growth potential. The best thing about the 24-year-old is the five-year, $150 million deal that'll keep him underpaid through 2029-30. With no one on the roster currently making more than that, there's room to add someone above him in the pecking order.

That said, Johnson made the All-NBA Third Team and averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists last year.

So the second-best thing about him is that there's a non-zero chance he becomes a true superstar while still only making $30 million per season.

Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum

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Boston Celtics v Philadelphia 76ers - Game Six

Though he'll be in his 30s by then, Jayson Tatum still pretty clearly projects to be the Boston Celtics' best player in three years. If it's not him, it'll be someone who's not currently on the roster.

That's no knock on guys like Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh, who should only be in their early primes by 2029, but those two are role players. Other options like Derrick White (32), Paul George (36) and Payton Pritchard (29) aren't at ages where you're expecting upward trajectories.

If Jaylen Brown were still on the team, maybe this would have been a more interesting exercise. Who's to say how Tatum might age in the wake of that 2025 Achilles tear?

Brooklyn Nets: Egor Dëmin

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2026 NBA Summer League - Brooklyn Nets v New York Knicks

Michael Porter Jr. probably has the distinction at the moment, and new addition Julius Randle is the one with multiple All-NBA nods on his resumé, but neither of those vets seem like big enough features in the Brooklyn Nets' long-term plans to be the team's best player in 2029.

Good. That allows us to consider the merits of far less-proven players, chiefly Brooklyn's last two top-10 picks: Egor Dëmin, who went eighth in 2025, and Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 6 pick in the most recent draft.

Brown is too much of a mystery to make him a responsible pick, while Dëmin shot 38.5 percent from deep last season and showed all the connective passing Brooklyn hoped for. A Summer League performance that saw Dëmin flash rapidly developing on-ball skills and scoring chops inside the arc puts him over the top.

The Nets have loads of young candidates who might only be a breakout away from changing this prediction. Ben Saraf, Nolan Traoré and Noah Clowney have all had their moments, and Clowney is the oldest of the group at just 22.

Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller

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Miami Heat v Charlotte Hornets - Play-In Tournament

The Charlotte Hornets only have two realistic candidates, but Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller both have so much promise that this is the toughest toss-up we've encountered so far.

Knueppel is coming off the best shooting season we've ever seen from a rookie and is three years younger than Miller. What's more, the plus-2.8 Box Plus/Minus Knueppel produced last year as a rookie (while averaging 18.5 points on a 63.3 true shooting percentage) was significantly better than anything Miller managed in any of his first three seasons.

It's still tough to downplay Miller's upside as a potential two-way superstar wing. He has the rangy frame, high-wire athleticism and self-sufficient scoring craft teams covet, along with the physical profile of a three-level scorer who, with some development, might be able to guard the opponent's top wing threat.

Knueppel's floor is exceptionally high, but it's hard to argue he has a ceiling like Miller's.

We're going with the riskier option and choosing Miller. The takeaway here should be that Charlotte has two great cracks at a cornerstone.

Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson

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2026 NBA Summer League - Los Angeles Lakers v Chicago Bulls

Caleb Wilson is a bold choice here, considering he hasn't played a minute of NBA action yet. Josh Giddey is a much more established stat-stuffer, and Matas Buzelis is sitting right there with two seasons of experience at age 21. He's coming off a very strong second campaign marked by averages of 16.3 points and 5.8 boards along with intriguing development as a three-point threat.

Wilson, though, has the high-end draft pedigree as the No. 4 pick in a loaded lottery. It also helps that he used Summer League to flash completely unexpected jump-shooting prowess to go with his top-one-percent athleticism at the forward spot.

Buzelis is far from a slouch in the open floor, but Wilson might be a game-changer. We're speculating pretty hard here, but plenty of early signs are emerging that Wilson is going to have some real offensive skills to pair with a high-revving motor and elite finishing.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley

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New York Knicks v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Four

The Cleveland Cavaliers need Evan Mobley to be their best player right now, so he'd better be their top talent three seasons into the future.

Mobley disappointed last year relative to expectations. Ahead of 2025-26, most believed he'd build on a brilliant 2024-25 that saw him nearly triple his three-point attempt rate while posting a career-best 37.3 percent accuracy mark. Burying the lede, the 6'11" big man also won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25 and made his first All-NBA team.

Put together a season like that, and people are going to be a little bummed when you only follow it up with similar per-game averages on reduced efficiency. The thought was that Mobley was leaving Earth's orbit as a superstar. Instead, he leveled off.

Ahead of his age-25 season, Mobley is still among the top two-way frontcourt players in the sport. He's entering his prime, has already been officially recognized as one of the NBA's premier defenders and is a good bet to continue the offensive growth he's flashed in the past.

Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg

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Chicago Bulls v Dallas Mavericks

Barring a return to form from likely Hall-of-Famer Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg is going to be the Dallas Mavericks' best player in 2026-27.

Those who are particularly high on Flagg after a rookie season that included more offensive competency than anticipated might believe he'll be Dallas' top talent regardless of what Irving does.

Flagg's capability as a distributor and scorer were surprises, even if the extra workload produced a worse defensive performance than expected.

Assuming he continues his growth trajectory as a first-option on offense while coming closer to the All-Defense status many took as a given, Flagg should be one of the 10 best two-way players in the league within the time horizon we're considering.

Unless Dallas somehow adds a player with even greater potential, Flagg is one of the easiest choices of this entire exercise.

Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokić

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DENVER NUGGETS VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES, NBA PLAYOFFS

Nikola Jokić will play his age-34 season in 2029-30, putting him outside his prime but still making him highly likely to be an All-NBA force. Maybe if you're convinced that his relatively limited athleticism means he doesn't have a half-step to lose, Jokić could suffer a steep decline.

More likely, his unsurpassed processing speed, passing eye and scoring touch will allow him to remain the top offensive option in the league deep into his 30s.

The only potential hiccup here is trusting Jokić will be a member of the Denver Nuggets three years from now. There were financial reasons for him to turn down extensions both last offseason and this past summer; he can get larger annual salaries and longer deals by waiting. There are certainly no signals the three-time MVP wants to play anywhere else.

That said, Denver has cut salary via trades and had trouble surrounding Jokić with the level of talent he deserves for several seasons since the 2022-23 title. It wouldn't be a shock if he determined the Nuggets don't give him the best chance to win another championship.

As it stands, Jokić can hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2027.

Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham

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Cleveland Cavaliers v Detroit Pistons - Game Seven

The question isn't whether Cade Cunningham will be the Detroit Pistons' top player three years from now. It's how big the gap will be between him and his team's second option.

Cunningham is only just now entering his prime after proving himself as a legitimate MVP candidate and postseason-minted superstar in 2025-26. He'll hold that level or improve on it through 2029.

Detroit is currently squeezing Jalen Duren in restricted free agency because he, unlike Cunningham, failed to maintain his value in the playoffs. Ausar Thompson is eligible for an extension, but his shooting and playmaking limitations are major hindrances to the Pistons' roster-building effort. If he can't get substantially better on offense, he'll take himself out of the running for Detroit's No. 2 spot behind Cunningham and might even wind up out of the team's plans entirely.

Golden State Warriors: TBD

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Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Clippers - Play-In Tournament

We're only copping out like this once because the Golden State Warriors are on a timeline that screams they'll be a completely different organization before three years have elapsed.

Odds are, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr will have retired by the start of the 2029-30 season. The franchise will have either pivoted to a full rebuild or, more likely, lured an in-prime star in free agency. Maybe they'll have done both by then. Life cycles around the league are only accelerating, so anything's possible.

The only certainty here is that nobody on the current roster appears to be a cornerstone capable of holding up through three more seasons. Whoever takes the mantle from Steph isn't on the team yet.

Houston Rockets: Alperen Sengün

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Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers - Game Five

Alperen Sengün is only five months older than Amen Thompson and already has a 2-0 lead in career All-Star games. You'd have to possess a very strong belief in Thompson's ability to grow as a shooter to choose him over his more accomplished teammate.

Defensively, Thompson is at a level Sengün is unlikely to reach. But for Thompson to become Houston's best player, he will need to improve substantially on the 21.9 percent he shot from three-point range. Elite wings generally need at least a credible perimeter shot, and his shooting currently presents a major obstacle to that outcome.

Reed Sheppard should get a smidgen of consideration here, but he needs to prove he's a full-time starter before we project him as the Houston Rockets' alpha by 2029. Last year's 13.5 points per game, 39.4 percent shooting from deep and sixth-place finish in Sixth Man of the Year voting were a good start, but the No. 3 pick from the 2024 draft has a ways to go.

Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton

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2025 NBA Finals - Oklahoma City Thunder v Indiana Pacers

Pascal Siakam is probably a year too old to make him a safe fallback choice for those too concerned about Tyrese Haliburton's health to make him the selection for the Indiana Pacers.

Three years from now, Siakam will be entering his age-35 season. He's held up well so far and was an All-Star in each of the last two years, but the aging curve comes for everyone eventually.

Haliburton is only 26, six years younger than Siakam. Considering the heights he reached before tearing his Achilles, it feels safe to assume he'll still be in his prime (and that his prime will resemble the last few seasons) by 2029.

Lest we forget, Haliburton led Indy to within a win of a championship, already has an assist crown to go with his two All-NBA nods and is on the very shortest list of the league's most singularly transformative offensive forces.

He'll still be a superstar three years from now.

LA Clippers: Keaton Wagler

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2026 NBA Summer League - Minnesota Timberwolves v LA Clippers

We're getting bold here by going with LA Clippers' recent lottery pick Keaton Wagler over two-time All-Star Darius Garland.

After coming aboard in the James Harden trade last year, Garland looked like the same guy who played a major role on some excellent Cavs teams. In 19 games with the Clips, he put up 19.9 points and 6.4 assists on a 47.1/43.8/86.0 shooting split. Entering his age-27 season, he could make this prediction look bad by simply holding onto that level of production.

Garland is set to earn $44.9 million in 2027-28 before his contract expires. Do the Clippers intend to extend him for what seems certain to be at least $50 million per year when they just drafted someone who plays his same position?

Wagler will only be 22 and still on his rookie-scale deal in three seasons. He could either surpass Garland in effectiveness or simply be the better value by then.

Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Dončić

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Los Angeles Lakers v Oklahoma City Thunder

Luka Dončić's current contract is set to expire after 2028-29 if he plays it out all the way through his player option that season. Technically, he's not guaranteed to be on the Los Angeles Lakers in three years.

Dončić didn't choose to join the Lakers and has never really had control over his destination. It's possible he'll want to test free agency.

More likely: Dončić will decline his player option and sign a five-year deal worth over $400 million in the summer of 2028. Assuming that outcome, he'll be one of the half-dozen best players in the league as he enters the later stages of his prime—more than qualifying him for "best player on the team" status.

The bar Dončić set early in his career by making five straight All-NBA First Teams from his age-20 to age-24 seasons will be difficult to clear, but he could regress from that level and still be Los Angeles' obvious top threat.

Memphis Grizzlies: Cam Boozer

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2026 NBA Summer League Championship - Golden State Warriors v Memphis Grizzlies

If he makes good on the statistical profile that suggested he should have been the top draftee in his class, Cam Boozer might be the Memphis Grizzlies' best player when he debuts in October. Three years from now, the gap between him and Memphis' No. 2 option may only be wider.

Boozer has limitations. He doesn't have the run-and-jump burst many teams prioritize in their forwards. In college and during a brief Summer League showing, he did what his believers expected by compensating for those shortcomings with uncommon feel, passing acumen, ball-handling and shooting potential.

What Boozer lacks in speed and bounce, he can make up for with cleverness, power and skill.

Miami Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo

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Miami Heat Introduce Giannis Antetokounmpo - Press Conference

To justify the price they paid, the Miami Heat had better hope Giannis Antetokounmpo is still their best player in three years.

If he's not—either because he left after choosing not to extend his contract or because his skills and health declined substantially—the Heat will be in a brutal spot. Though Antetokounmpo's desire to land in Miami may have slightly diminished the trade package headed back to the Milwaukee Bucks, his onboarding came at the cost of an entire lineup's worth of useful players and four first-round assets.

If this roster build doesn't work, the Heat don't have many good outs. Though they could trade Bam Adebayo or Giannis (at reduced value in the hypothetical where he's no longer a superstar), a move like that might not even put them back to neutral from a rebuilding perspective.

Milwaukee Bucks: Brayden Burries

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2026 NBA Summer League - Philadelphia 76ers v Milwaukee Bucks

The recent set of 2026 draftees, AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. (for now), are the only players ticketed to collect salaries from the Bucks in 2029-30. That makes No. 10 pick Brayden Burries the easy choice.

Burries' eye-opening Summer League work is doing all the lifting here, but it's hard not to be encouraged by a guy who came into the draft cycle billed as a good defender who could shoot, only to watch him show unexpected on-ball utility. As the Bucks start over, he's the highest-upside piece they have.

Ryan Rollins is a better guard right now and is only heading into his age-25 season. Because his current deal is too team-friendly to make an extension realistic, he's almost assured of hitting unrestricted free agency after the upcoming season. Betting on him to stay in Milwaukee is a risk.

In good news for the Bucks, they also have Kasparas Jakucionis and Kel'el Ware in the up-and-coming category. The former will be a restricted free agent after 2028-29 and could develop into a high-end starter by then.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards

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San Antonio Spurs v Minnesota Timberwolves - Game Six

Here's hoping this pick eases the minds of Minnesota Timberwolves fans who don't love the barely audible whispers that Anthony Edwards is the latest big star other teams are starting to circle.

The Wolves aren't quite all-in on this core after trading assets for LaMelo Ball, but they're running out of ways to change course if this build doesn't work. We've seen this movie before, and it often ends with the incumbent star moving on after several years of banging into a sub-Finals ceiling.

Edwards is fresh off his fourth straight All-Star campaign and has improved his scoring average and true shooting percentage in every season of his career. He could level off right where he's at and pile up top-10 MVP finishes through our three-year time cutoff.

That said, only entering his age-25 season, Edwards should be expected to keep improving.

Nobody Minnesota adds will be a better player than Edwards. Whether or not he's still on the team is the only question.

New Orleans Pelicans: Derik Queen

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Utah Jazz v New Orleans Pelicans

Choosing Derik Queen here is a bet that the knack he showed for creative and relatively efficient scoring in college will return as he gets further into his pro career. It'll have to.

Queen is undersized at 6'9" for the center spot and doesn't seem likely to excel as a back-line option. That means his craft, passing and foul-drawing will need to improve as he works to turn himself into a power forward through whom the offense runs.

Last year's 79.5 free-throw percentage is a hopeful sign Queen might someday feature a three-point shot worth honoring, and he'll have to be a threat from deep to make any of this work.

Jeremiah Fears has the athletic burst to warrant consideration, and if Trey Murphy III is still on the team in three years, he's easily the safest choice.

New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson

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2026 NBA Finals - New York Knicks v San Antonio Spurs

The New York Knicks are a veteran team with no projectable youth, unless you think Mohamed Diawara is in for a leap or two. The unlikelihood of a 20-something reaching stardom makes Jalen Brunson the clear choice from among the championship-winning core.

An All-NBA honoree three years running and coming off a no-brainer Finals MVP, Brunson will play his age-30 season in 2026-27. Given his craft and shooting ability, he should age well for a small guard. Decline can come early for that player type, but Brunson isn't dependent on a lightning-quick first step or the ability to rise over larger defenders at the rim. His pivot game, deft touch and herky-jerky style will still be flummoxing defenders as he heads into post-prime territory.

Natural wear and tear will probably mean Brunson is no longer in the MVP conversation by 2029, but he should still be a clear All-Star.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

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San Antonio Spurs v Oklahoma City Thunder - Game Seven

The gap between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder's other options—principally Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren—is wide enough today to price in growth for the youngsters and still go with the two-time MVP.

Williams is a tremendous two-way force when healthy, but he's not all that far removed from real questions about his fitness as a first option during OKC's non-SGA minutes. It feels safe to assume that Gilgeous-Alexander, who'll be starting his age-31 season in 2029, will remain an MVP candidate and still be arguably the best offensive weapon in the league.

Holmgren is like Williams in that he's going to make several more All-NBA appearances but almost certainly never reach the MVP tier of difference-makers that SGA has belonged to since 2022-23.

The only real question here is how many more of those trophies Gilgeous-Alexander will collect over the next three seasons. Let's put the over-under at 1.5.

Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero

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Orlando Magic v Detroit Pistons - Game Seven

The pendulum has swung pretty far toward the negative on Paolo Banchero, whose production slipped last year in a second-straight non-award-worthy season.

After winning Rookie of the Year and making the All-Star team in his sophomore follow-up, Banchero has battled declining efficiency and faced questions about his fitness as an alpha offensive weapon.

All this just as his supermax extension kicks in.

Maybe Banchero's star has dimmed, but he's only 23 and is still quite clearly the Orlando Magic's highest-ceiling player.

He's a foul-drawing machine whose combination of strength and skill should only make him harder to guard without hacking as he gains experience. And at 31.7 percent from deep for his career, he's not a hopeless case from long range.

Assuming these last two relatively tough seasons encourage Banchero to move the ball more freely and cut the junk food from his shot diet, he should be the Magic's top talent in 2029, when he'll be entering his age-27 season.

Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey

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New York Knicks v Philadelphia 76ers - Game Four

VJ Edgecombe's standout rookie season and clear fitness for playoff competition give some pause here, but we can't overthink things in the wake of Tyrese Maxey piling up 28.3 points per game and making an All-NBA team last season.

Skeptics might note that Maxey, 25, might be a candidate for early slippage when his blinding speed starts to go. Given his heavy minute totals (he led the league at 38.0 per game last year), the loss of his peak athleticism is a concern. Fortunately for Maxey, he's a high-volume three-point shooter who sits at 37.7 percent for his career and has been much better than that when not tasked with taking so many tough ones.

Perhaps just as importantly, Maxey has tremendous touch on his floater and doesn't need to get all the way to the basket to remain a serious paint-scoring threat.

Edgecombe could make an All-Star game by 2029, and maybe Jaylen Brown will still be hanging on as a star by then. But Maxey is pretty clearly the pick for Philly.

Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker

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Oklahoma City Thunder v Phoenix Suns - Game Four

In an ideal world, the 2029 version of Khaman Maluach would be a dominant defensive center who also spreads the floor as a long-range shooter. When players with his immense size and work ethic pick up the game at 14, it feels slightly less irresponsible to make such wild projections.

Maluach is a very long way from meeting those optimistic forecasts. Devin Booker, meanwhile, is an established star who seems interested in finishing his career with the Phoenix Suns.

Booker will almost assuredly be overpaid on a $69 million salary for 2029-30, his age-33 season. But he's such a polished and professional scorer that he should retain plenty of effectiveness between now and then.

One other factor in Booker's favor: Phoenix is among the teams most bereft of future picks that might bring in a young, high-upside star. It's hard to imagine the Suns adding someone through the draft who'll overtake Booker as he declines.

Portland Trail Blazers: Deni Avdija

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Portland Trail Blazers v San Antonio Spurs - Game Five

Deni Avdija came into the league and established himself primarily as a defensive forward who could chip in just enough offense as long as you didn't ask him to shoot too much. Flash forward and he's now one of the best downhill attackers and offensive self-starters in the league.

If you think a guy who could transform himself like that is done growing at 26, you've got another thing coming.

Though new Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon is pinching pennies all over the place, he seems willing to spend on the roster. He'll have to if he wants to keep Avdija around when his dirt-cheap contract expires after 2027-28, when he'll earn a laughably low $11.9 million.

Scoot Henderson could still pop, and Donovan Clingan will become more interesting if he continues his development as a spacer. But if Avdija comes back on a new deal, he'll still be the man in Portland.

Sacramento Kings: Darius Acuff Jr.

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2026 NBA Summer League - Sacramento Kings v Brooklyn Nets

Say it with me, Sacramento Kings, so that we may speak it into existence and avert another several seasons of irrelevance: Darius Acuff Jr. will not be a bust.

Feel free to repeat that as many times as it takes to manifest an outcome Sacramento hopes for but is far from guaranteed to see.

Acuff has work to do if he's going to make a positive impact on winning. The rookie's small frame and inefficient showing in Summer League did not quiet concerns about his future. But if not him, who even profiles as a realistic option on the Kings roster?

Keegan Murray, who's somehow declining in his mid-20s? Domantas Sabonis, who's already on the wrong side of 30? Nique Clifford?

It's Acuff or bust.

San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama

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2026 NBA Finals - New York Knicks v San Antonio Spurs

So let's spend a few paragraphs making the case for Harrison Barnes. See, the thing you're really not considering about locker-room sages is...

OK, we all know there's no point in choosing anyone but Victor Wembanyama. That was just an attempt to make this mildly interesting. A better and much more realistic head-fake would have involved talking up Dylan Harper as an alternative based on Wemby's occasionally concerning health issues and Harper's pretty clear future as an All-NBA force.

Even that would be too disingenuous to maintain for more than a sentence or two.

Wemby is the reigning Defensive Player of the year and should win that award every season for the next decade or so while adding layers upon layers to his offensive game. If he doesn't have an MVP or two by 2029, it'll be a surprise.

Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes

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Toronto Raptors v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Seven

Scottie Barnes would have to endure a bizarre slide as he enters what should be his prime, and one of the Toronto Raptors' intriguing youngsters would need to develop far beyond role-player status to make this pick interesting.

Considering Barnes is coming off his most complete regular season and a stunningly good playoff performance (24.1 points, 8.6 assists, 6.1 rebounds), he doesn't seem like a candidate for slippage. And while Collin Murray-Boyles and rookie Allen Graves are going to figure prominently in Toronto's success going forward, those two don't come with obvious star upside.

Barnes has already made a couple of All-Star games, finished fifth in DPOY voting last year and may now be moving into a phase where he can be his team's offensive engine in a postseason setting. At 25, he's also not done improving.

Utah Jazz: Keyonte George

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New York Knicks v Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz have two immensely promising younger options in rookie Darryn Peterson and second-year wing Ace Bailey. Either could become stars in three years.

Complicating matters, they also have two much more established in-prime options in Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.

It's tempting to go with JJJ here. He's got three All-Defensive nods, a DPOY award and multiple seasons shooting at least 37.0 percent from long range. He's making an average of $51 million through 2029-30 for a reason.

We still haven't discussed Keyonte George, though, and he falls somewhere between Utah's speculative prospects and the more established Jackson.

In his age-22 season, George exploded. He put up 23.6 points per game, hit 37.1 percent from deep on good volume and compromised defenders often enough to shoot 7.1 free throws per game, making 89.2 percent of them. He might be a bigger, more aggressive, craftier Darius Garland, which is basically a perennial All-NBA candidate if he can stay healthy.

The risk with George is that his breakout came in 54 mostly meaningless games last year. It's impossible to be sure what he did was real, but we're going with him anyway.

Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa

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2026 NBA Summer League - Utah Jazz v Washington Wizards

Unless it's an unusually weak class (hey there, 2024!), the team that selects first should be deeply disappointed if the guy they pick doesn't wind up atop their depth chart in three years' time.

The Washington Wizards don't have to worry about that. AJ Dybantsa is going to be a star.

Maybe he'll have some flaws if his long-range shot doesn't develop as hoped, but huge, athletic wings who know how to win one-on-one matchups and have every defensive tool a team could want don't tend to flop.

Dybantsa has obstacles in vets like Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and the former is locked into a deal that'll keep him on the team through 2029 barring a trade. The Wizards are also stocked with other prospects like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson who could all theoretically ascend.

In the end, Dybantsa is a No. 1 pick in a strong draft class who is supposed to take over this team sooner than later. He will.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.