Best NBA Players by Team
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is one of the NBA's rising stars.It’s not a guard thing. It’s not a post thing. It’s just the main thing. Being the best player on any NBA team is the type of rare air that only the game’s elite will ever get to breathe. And once they get there, that’s when things start to get really fun.
Some of these guys tear out the other team’s heart by raining 3-pointers. Some of them bring opponents to their knees with rim-shaking authority. Some of them have been around for over a decade. Some of them are already carrying the load for their team in just their first or second season.
What do they have in common? They all ball. These are the best individual players on each NBA franchise.
Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young, Point Guard
Trae Young made his first All-Star team in 2020.Born: Sept. 19, 1988 (Dallas, Texas)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
College: Oklahoma
Seasons: 2 (2018-present)
Teams: Atlanta Hawks
2019-20 stats: 29.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 9.3 APG, 43.7 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 1 (2020)
Bottom Line: Trae Young
Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has a bright basketball future.Trae Young, the No. 5 overall pick in 2018, shouldn’t have to shoulder this much of the load on such a bad team this early in his career.
But one positive, he’s already showing he can fill it up and dish it out as he leads the team in scoring and assists and made his first All-Star team in 2019-20.
One problem? The Hawks aren't even sniffing a playoff spot in Young's first two seasons. That's gotta change.
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum, Power Forward
Jayson Tatum is one of the NBA's best young players.Born: March 3, 1998 (St. Louis, Missouri)
Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds
College: Duke
Seasons: 3 (2017-present)
Teams: Boston Celtics
2019-20 stats: 23.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.0 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 1 (2020)
Bottom Line: Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum averaged a career-high 23.4 points in 2019-20.Jayson Tatum was one of the NBA's breakout stars during the 2019-20 season.
With the addition of free-agent point guard Kemba Walker and the subtraction of me-first point guard Kyrie Irving, Tatum thrived.
Tatum, in his third season out of Duke, made his first All-Star team in 2019-20, including a career-high 41 points in a nationally televised 114-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 23.
Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant, Small Forward/Power Forward
Kevin Durant sat out the 2019-20 season with a torn Achilles tendon.Born: Sept. 29, 1988 (Washington D.C.)
Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds
College: Texas
Seasons: 13 (2007-present)
Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (2007-08), Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-present)
Career stats: 27.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 49.3 FG%
Championships: 2 (2017, 2018)
All-Star: 10 (2010-19)
Bottom Line: Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.Ok, yes, we know Kevin Durant hasn't even played a game for the Brooklyn Nets. But the next time the team takes the floor, Durant will be out there after signing a mega-deal with the team before the 2019-20 season, then sitting out the entire year while rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon.
It wasn't hard to see what the NBA was missing in Durant's year away — he's been one of the league's marquee players for over a decade.
The anticipation for the return of the 10-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player is already running high.
Charlotte Hornets: Devonte' Graham, Point Guard
Devonte' Graham, with ball, was arguably the NBA's most improved player in 2019-20.Born: Feb. 22, 1995 (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
College: Kansas
Seasons: 2 (2018-present)
Teams: Charlotte Hornets
2019-20 stats: 18.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 7.5 APG, 38.2 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: None
Bottom Line: Devonte' Graham
Devonte' Graham's scoring average leaped from 4.7 points to 18.4 points.Devote' Graham stepped up and filled the void left by Kemba Walker's free-agency exit in a huge and unexpected way in 2019-20.
Graham's play in his second season shocked the entire league, going from averaging 4.7 points as a rookie to 18.4 points in his sophomore season. Graham's scoring wasn't the only part of his game that was elite. His assists jumped up to 7.5 per game.
But he still plays for the Hornets.
Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine, Point Guard/Shooting Guard
Zach LaVine is a two-time NBA slam dunk contest champion.Born: March 10, 1995. (Renton, Washington)
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 200 pounds
College: UCLA
Seasons: 6 (2014-present)
Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (2014-17), Chicago Bulls (2017-present)
Stats: 17.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 45.0 FG %
Championships: None
All-Star: None
Bottom Line: Zach Lavine
Zach LaVine experienced a career resurgence in 2019-20.Injuries seemed to have derailed Zach LaVine's career — maybe permanently — until he underwent a bit of a career revival in 2019-20.
LaVine, a two-time NBA slam dunk contest champion, averaged career highs in points (25.5), rebounds (4.8) and steals (1.5) and scored a career-high 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets in a 116-115 win on Nov. 23, 2019.
The Bulls still finished 11th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, three back of the final playoff spot.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Andre Drummond, Center
Andre Drummond has been one of the NBA's elite big men since he joined the league.Born: Aug. 10, 1993 (Mount Vernon, New York)
Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 280 pounds
College: UConn
Seasons: 8 (2012-present)
Teams: Detroit Pistons (2012-20), Cleveland Cavaliers (2020-present)
2019-20 stats: 17.7 PPG, 15.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 53.5 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 2 (2016, 2018)
Bottom Line: Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond has led the NBA in rebounding four times.Andre Drummond doesn't get talked about nearly enough as one of the NBA's premier big men.
But he's a dominant rebounder who we may not truly appreciate until his career is over. That non-appreciation comes from the fact that Drummond has played for some truly horrid teams.
Yet he's still led the league in rebounding four times, including three straight seasons from 2018 to 2020.
Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic, Small Forward
Luka Doncic made his first All-Star team in 2020.Born: Feb. 28, 1999 (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 230 pounds
College: None
Seasons: 2 (2018-present)
Teams: Dallas Mavericks (2018-present)
Stats: 28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 8.5 APG, 46.3 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 1 (2020)
Bottom Line: Luka Doncic
Whatever "it" is, Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic has it.The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft has taken the NBA by storm in his first two seasons as the Dallas Mavericks appear headed for the top of the NBA ladder again.
Outside-the-box thinking (and watching Luka play) might have you thinking he could be the best European player ever one day — a title currently belonging to former Mav Dirk Nowitzki.
Can Doncic be an MVP one day? Can he lead the Mavs to a title one day? His career boils down to those two questions.
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic, Center
Nikola Jokic is one of the NBA's elite big men.Born: Feb. 19, 1995 (Sombor, Serbia)
Height/weight: 7-foot, 260 pounds
College: None
Seasons: 5 (2015-present)
Teams: Denver Nuggets (2015-present)
Stats: 19.9 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 7.0 APG, 52.8 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 2 (2019, 2020)
Bottom Line: NIkola Jokic
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is one of the best big men in the NBA.Nikola Jokic responded to criticism of his five-year, $148 million contract signed in 2018 by making the All-Star team the next two seasons.
There aren’t a lot of big men like the 7-foot Serbian center, who is only 25 years old and leads the Nuggets in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals.
Jokic may have found a running mate in Michael Porter Jr., and the Nuggets could be another one or two players from being a consistent force in the Western Conference.
Detroit Pistons: Derrick Rose, Point Guard
Derrick Rose was the 2011 NBA MVP.Born: Oct. 4, 1988 (Chicago, Illinois)
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
College: Memphis
Seasons: 12 (2008-present)
Teams: Chicago Bulls (2008-16), New York Knicks (2016-17), Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18), Minnesota Timberwolves (2018-19), Detroit Pistons (2019-present)
Stats: 18.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, 49.0 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 3 (2010-12)
Bottom Line: Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose experienced a career rejuvenation with the Detroit Pistons.Derrick Rose's career rejuvenation in 2019-20 with the Detroit Pistons was a great story, but Rose becoming the team's best player speaks more to the franchise's overall struggles than anything else.
Rose, the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player, actually began playing better in 2018-19 with the Minnesota Timberwolves but had to take over a bigger workload with the Pistons after Blake Griffin only played in 18 games because of injuries.
The Pistons seem like a franchise with no clear direction.
Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry, Point Guard
Steph Curry is one of the greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history.Born: March 14, 1988 (Akron, Ohio)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
College: Davidson
Seasons: 11 (2009-present)
Teams: Golden State Warriors
Stats: 20.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.6 APG, 40.2 FG%
Championships: 3 (2015, 2017, 2018)
All-Star: 6 (2014-2019)
Bottom Line: Steph Curry
Anything you can do, Steph Curry can do better.The Warriors’ leading scorer and highest-paid player in the 2019-20 NBA season at $37.5 million was the one who triggered Golden State's current dynasty, and still is the heart and soul of the team.
He continues to change the way basketball fans understand what an elite shooter is capable of. Hits almost 50 percent of 3-point attempts.
And his range is when he steps out of his car in the parking lot.
Houston Rockets: James Harden, Shooting Guard
James Harden is an eight-time All-Star.Born: Aug. 26, 1989 (Los Angeles, California)
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 220 pounds
College: Arizona State
Seasons: 11 (2009-present)
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-12), Houston Rockets (2009-present)
2019-20 stats: 34.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.5 APG, 44.4 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 8 (2013-20)
Bottom Line: James Harden
James Harden. Elite baller.The Beard is the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and averages a mind-boggling 36.2 points and 8.1 assists per game.
He’s impossible to guard, but his team doesn’t always rise to his level of play. And that’s the rub.
Can he consistently make other players better? And will he ever deliver in the postseason?
Indiana Pacers: T.J. Warren, Small Forward
T.J. Warren, right, was one of the breakout stars in the NBA Restart.Born: Sept. 5, 1993 (Durham, North Carolina)
Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds
College: North Carolina State
Seasons: 6 (2014-present)
Teams: Phoenix Suns (2014-19), Indiana Pacers (2019-present)
2019-20 stats: 19.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 53.6 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: None
Indiana Pacers: T.J. Warren
T.J. Warren has become a star with the Indiana Pacers.Go ahead and accuse us of recency bias. It's fine. Probably true as well.
T.J. Warren shot his way into the top spot as the Pacers' best player in the NBA Restart of the 2019-20 season, most notably with his 53-point performance in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Pretty impressive for a player who the Phoenix Suns traded to the Pacers for a bag of Pop Rockets and some Pepsi.
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clippers before the 2019-20 season.Born: June 29, 1991 (Los Angeles, California)
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 225 pounds
College: San Diego State
Seasons: 9 (2011-present)
Teams: San Antonio Spurs (2011-18), Toronto Raptors (2018-19), Los Angeles Clippers (2019-present)
2019-20 stats: 27.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.9 APG, 47.0 FG%
Championships: 2 (2014, 2019)
All-Star: 4 (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020)
Bottom Line: Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA Finals MVP.The balance of power shifted to the Los Angeles Clippers after they signed free agent Kawhi Leonard before the 2019-20 season.
Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, led both the Spurs and Raptors to NBA titles and had another high-profile free agent join him on the Clippers with All-Star Paul George.
The kicker? Both of them signed two-year contracts.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James, Guard/Forward
LeBron James led the NBA in assists in 2019-20.Born: Dec. 30, 1984 (Akron, Ohio)
Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 260 pounds
High School: St. Vincent/St. Mary High School
Seasons: 17 (2003-present)
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present)
2019-20 stats: 25.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 10.2 APG, 49.3 FG%
Championships: 3 (2012, 2013, 2016)
All-Star: 16 (2005-20)
Bottom Line: LeBron James, Guard/Forward
It's good to be The King — though it doesn't guarantee another ring.LeBron James is not just the best player on the Lakers, but the best player in the entire NBA for most of the last two decades.
Even with that, it's not impossible to see him ceding that title to teammate Anthony Davis at some point in the near future.
Nevertheless, James did something pretty incredible in 2019-20, his 17th NBA season. He led the league in assists for the first time in his career by clocking in at 10.2 per game.
Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Point Guard
Ja Morant was a breakout rookie for the Memphis Grizzlies.Born: Aug. 10, 1999 (Daizell, South Carolina)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3 174 pounds
College: Murray State
Seasons: 1 (2019-present)
Teams: Memphis Grizzlies
Stats: 17.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 7.3 APG, 47.7 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: None
Bottom Line: Ja Morant
Ja Morant is a superstar in the making for the Memphis Grizzlies.Ja Morant was a revelation in his final year at Murray State in 2018-19 and became the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
His rookie season showed he could actually be the savior the middling franchise has been looking for since its inception.
Morant led all NBA rookies in scoring (17.8 points) and assists (7.1) in 2019-20 and guided the Grizzlies all the way to the NBA Restart's play-in game.
Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler, Small Forward
Jimmy Butler turned the Miami Heat into a playoff contender.Born: Sept. 14, 1989 (Houston, Texas)
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 230 pounds
College/high school: Marquette
Seasons: 9 (2011-present)
Teams: Chicago Bulls (2011-17), Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-18), Philadelphia 76ers (2018-19), Miami Heat (2019-present)
2019-20 stats: 19.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 45.5 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 5 (2015-18, 2020)
Bottom Line: Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat are Jimmy Butler's third team in three seasons.Jimmy Butler brought a new attitude to the Miami Heat in 2019-20 after leading the Philadelphia 76ers within one last-second shot from making the NBA Finals.
Butler's addition turned the Heat into an Eastern Conference contender, and he was awarded with the fifth All-Star appearance of his career.
After several years of bouncing around teams, Butler seems to have found a home in South Beach.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first NBA MVP award in 2019.Born: Dec. 6, 1994 (Athens, Greece)
Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 242 pounds
College: None
Seasons: 7 (2013-present)
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks
2019-20 stats: 29.5 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 5.6 APG, 55.3 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 4 (2017-20)
Bottom Line: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo has gone from "Who's That?" to "Mr. Popular." Coming soon: "The Champion"?Giannis Antetokounmpo went from the NBA's best young player to the NBA's best player in the blink of an eye, winning his first NBA MVP award in 2019 and turning the Milwaukee Bucks into NBA championship contenders.
There's no cap to how good Giannis can be and the evolution of his game is a scary thought for opponents.
He'll likely be the NBA's dominant force over the next decade or longer. Watch.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, Center
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the NBA's elite big men.Born: Nov. 15, 1995 (Edison, New Jersey)
Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds
College: Kentucky
Seasons: 5 (2015-present)
Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves
2019-20 stats: 26.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 50.8 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 2 (2018, 2019)
Bottom Line: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket against the Denver Nuggets.Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most talented players in the NBA and is already a two-time All-Star. That doesn't change the fact the Timberwolves are a tiresome, tough sell for any basketball fan.
Towns, maybe unfairly, has been labeled as being too sensitive — because former teammate Jimmy Butler told everyone who would listen that the T-Wolves' young stars were too sensitive.
Funny how that worked.
New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, Power Forward
Zion Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.Born: July 6, 2000 (Salisbury, North Carolina)
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 284 pounds
College: Duke
Seasons: 1 (2019-present)
Teams: New Orleans Pelicans
2019-20 stats: 22.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 58.3 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: None
New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson battled injuries his rookie season.Zion Williamson's rookie season was pretty hit-and-miss, but in the short time he was actually on the floor with the Pelicans, he left little doubt as to who was the franchise's best player.
Williamson can dominate opponents with his size and strength, but he showed up to the NBA Restart overweight and out of shape, begging the question: Is he going to be able to have sustained success in the league?
We'll see.
New York Knicks: Julius Randle, Power Forward
Julius Randle joined the New York Knicks before the 2019-20 season.Born: Nov. 29, 1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 250 pounds
College: Kentucky
Seasons: 6 (2014-present)
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (2014-18), New Orleans Pelicans (2018-19), New York Knicks (2019-present)
2019-20 stats: 19.5 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 46.0 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: None
Bottom Line: Julius Randle
Julius Randle is the Knicks' de facto best player.Picking the Knicks' best player is like picking the best Steven Seagal movie.
Picking the Knicks best player is like picking your favorite way to serve broccoli.
Picking the Knicks best player is like picking the best way to make yourself wake up for an early flight.
Picking the Knicks best player is actually pretty simple. It’s Julius Randle, who has been there for all of one season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Chris Paul, Point Guard
Chris Paul is a 10-time All-Star.Born: May 6, 1985 (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds
College: Wake Forest
Seasons: 15 (2005-present)
Teams: New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-present)
Stats: 17.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.7 APG, 48.9 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 10 (2008-16, 2020)
Bottom Line: Chris Paul
Chris Paul was drafted out of Wake Forest in 2005.Some people threw dirt on Chris Paul's career after his contentious stint with the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019, where he clashed mightily with star guard James Harden.
Even though those two couldn't co-exist, Paul more than proved his worth after being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he guided the team to the NBA playoffs and made his first All-Star team since 2016.
Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic, Center
Nicola Vucevic averaged a double-double in 2019-20.Born: Oct. 24, 1990 (Morges, Switzerland)
Height/weight: 7-foot, 260 pounds
College: USC
Seasons: 9 (2011-present)
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (2011-12), Orlando Magic (2012-present)
2019-20 stats: 19.6 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 47.7 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 1 (2019)
Bottom Line: Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic got game.Nikola Vucevic finally figured it out in the 2017-18 season, and it’s continued into the next two years.
The 7-foot center was a first-time All-Star in 2019 and came back in 2019-20 to average a double-double and help lead the Magic into the NBA playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid, Center
Joel Embiid is one of the NBA's best big men.Born: March 16, 1994 (Yaounde, Cameroon)
Height/weight: 7-foot, 280 pounds
College: Kansas
Seasons: 6 (2014-present)
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers
2019-20 stats: 23.0 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, 47.7 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 3 (2018-20)
Bottom Line: Joel Embiid
The sky's the limit for Joel Embiid.Joel Embiid sat out every game for two seasons after being drafted in 2014, but that seems like a lifetime ago.
Now, the joking, smiling, dunking, shot-blocking center from Cameroon is one of the NBA’s most dominant players, most recognizable faces and has a social media presence Fortune 500 companies and rock stars would kill for.
Questions still dog Embiid about his dedication to the game — they won't be answered until he delivers an NBA title.
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, Shooting Guard
Devin Booker was one of the breakout stars of the NBA Restart.Born: Oct. 30, 1996 (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 206 pounds
College: Kentucky
Seasons: 5 (2015-present)
Teams: Phoenix Suns
2019-20 stats: 26.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 48.9 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 1 (2020)
Bottom Line: Devin Booker
Beware of Devin Booker, left, who averages over 20 points a game in his career.Devin Booker is very, very good and is slowly turning the Phoenix Suns into a playoff team.
At 6-foot-5, he is a prototype NBA shooting guard and already one of the best young scorers in NBA history, as evidenced by his 70-point game against the Celtics.
But without a good supporting cast, that talent will be wasted. Or used somewhere else when he strikes it rich in free agency.
Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, Point Guard
Damian Lillard is one of the best guards in the NBA.Born: July 15, 1990 (Oakland, California)
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
College: Weber State
Seasons 8 (2012-present)
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers
2019-20 stats: 30.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 8.0 APG, 46.3 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 5 (2014, 2015, 2018-20)
Bottom Line: Damian Lillard
They don't call Damian Lillard "Big Game Dame" for nothing.The five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA pick is already one of the Trail Blazers’ all-time greats.
Playing in the Western Conference, Lillard's efforts were largely lost on a national audience until he took over during the NBA Restart.
Watch him play once, and you’ll understand why No. 0 (hat tip to hometown Oakland, college town Ogden, current state Oregon) will never take a backseat to anyone.
Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Point Guard
De'Aaron Fox is trying to help turn things around for the Sacramento Kings.Born: Dec. 20. 1997 (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
College: Kentucky
Seasons: 3 (2017-present)
Teams: Sacramento Kings
2019-20 stats: 21.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, 48.0 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: None
Bottom Line: De’Aaron Fox
Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox has raised his game.De'Aaron Fox, the Kings’ first-round pick in 2017, is starting to separate himself from the team’s 2016 first-round pick, Buddy Hield, a player who is almost the exact same size and essentially plays the same position.
Fox scores at a similar clip as Hield at 21.1 points per game, but his assists and steals usually more than double Hield's output.
San Antonio Spurs: DeMar DeRozan, Shooting Guard
DeMar DeRozan and the Spurs missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 seasons in 2019-20.Born: Aug. 7, 1989 (Compton, California)
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
College: USC
Seasons: 11 (2009-present)
Teams: Toronto Raptors (2009-2018), San Antonio Spurs (2018-present)
2019-20 stats: 22.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 53.1 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 4 (2014, 2016-18)
Bottom Line: DeMar DeRozan
San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, left, is tough to defend.DeMar DeRozan could end up being best known as the player the Spurs swapped for Kawhi Leonard, which enabled the Raptors to win their first NBA title in 2019.
One thing you can point to that gives DeRozan the edge — he’s on pace to double his career high in assists.
Side note: DeRozan saved $8.5 million in taxes in the 2018-19 season after being traded from high-tax Toronto to a team in no-state-taxes Texas.
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam, Power Forward
Pascal Siakam made his first All-Star team in 2020.Born: April 2, 1994 (Douala, Cameroon)
Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 230 pounds
College: New Mexico State
Seasons: 4 (2016-present)
Teams: Toronto Raptors
2019-20 stats: 22.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 45.3 FG%
Championships: 1 (2019)
All-Star: 1 (2020)
Bottom Line: Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam was named NBA Most Improved Player in 2019.Pascal Siakam was a revelation for the Raptors during their run to the NBA championship in 2018-19, proving to be a worthy running mate to NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Siakam showed he was able to shoulder the load as a franchise's star player in 2019-20 when he made his first All-Star team and kept Toronto in the hunt for a second straight Eastern Conference title.
Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell, Shooting Guard
Donovan Mitchell is one of the NBA's best young stars.Born: Sept. 7, 1996 (Elmsford, New York)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
College: Louisville
Seasons: 3 (2017-present)
Teams: Utah Jazz
2019-20 stats: 24.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, 44.9 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 1 (2020)
Bottom Line: Donovan Mitchell
Young or not, Donovan Mitchell has become a Jazz leader.Donovan Mitchell is only 23 years old and being asked to put an entire franchise on his back.
Jazz fans were despondent after Gordon Hayward decided to leave for the Boston Celtics via free agency, but "Spida" injected hope with his play as a rookie in the 2017-18 season.
The Jazz, smartly, are surrounding him with the right kind of talent, and he could be one of the NBA's best players for the next decade.
Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal, Shooting Guard
Bradley Beal is one of the NBA's most underrated players.Born: June 28, 1993 (St. Louis, Missouri)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
College: Florida
Seasons: 8 (2012-present)
Teams: Washington Wizards
2019-20 stats: 30.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.1 APG, 45.5 FG%
Championships: None
All-Star: 2 (2018, 2019)
Bottom Line: Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal is getting better every season.Bradley Beal has been a model of consistency since 2017, avoiding the injuries that dogged him early in his career.
In that time, he’s overtaken John Wall as the Wizards’ best player and joined Oscar Robertson as the only players to have multiple 40-point, 15-assist, 10-rebound double-doubles in the same season in 2018-19.
He's also the NBA's version of Rodney Dangerfield. He gets no respect.