Every NBA team's best player under 25, ranked
25. F Cam Reddish, Los Angeles Lakers (24)
Cam Reddish's career has been on a weird trajectory. He was a lottery pick in 2019, yet he's already on his fourth team, all without turning 25. The bust label always hovered nearby, but he seemed to carve out a legitimately important spot in Darvin Ham's rotation before injuries caused his level of play to fall down. Despite his post-injury underperformance, a healthy Reddish could still be a difference-maker in the play-in tournament.
24. C Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks (20)
After what seemed to be an underwhelming college season at Duke, it was a bit surprising for the Dallas Mavericks to take Dereck Lively II in the lottery last year, But the team thought they identified their next Tyson Chandler and Lively has done plenty this season to justify that.
He averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during his rookie year. A knee injury has ended his regular season, though the playoffs aren't out of the question yet.
23. G Miles McBride, New York Knicks (23)
Since there was no opportunity for Immanuel Quickley to get paid in New York, he was shipped off to Toronto during the season, forcing Miles McBride into the backup point guard role. The New York Knicks arguably haven't missed a step.
McBride has shown he can do a little bit of everything, from shooting three-pointers to giving the Knicks more than 40 minutes night after night. The presence of Jalen Brunson will always cap McBride to an extent, but the three-year, $13 million extension McBride landed during the season is both richly deserved and an incredible bargain for New York.
22. F Deni Avdija, Washington Wizards (23)
It feels like the Israeli small forward has been around forever, but Deni Avdija is only 23 years old and he's having a breakout season for the Washington Wizards, making a legitimate push for Most Improved Player honors. Having Tyus Jones facilitate has helped Avdija average 14.6 points per game, as well as 7.2 rebounds per contest. He's a bright young bright spot on a Wizards franchise in sore need of one.
21. C Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz (22)
Walker Kessler was a revelation as a rookie, but has been disappointing in his second year as the hopes of a breakout have given way to a sophomore slump. His field goal percentage and scoring are down to 65.4 percent and 8.1 points per game, respectively. Kessler's defense, on the other hand, has remained a steady and consistent force for the Utah Jazz. He's still just 22, so the Jazz shouldn't lose hope in Kessler yet.