The NBA is beaming with young talent, from blazing fast speed demons like De'Aaron Fox to deadeye shooters like Jamal Murray, to high-flying studs like Zion Williamson. All three of these players have one thing in common — they're all promising, budding stars under 24 years of age.
Here at ClutchPoints, we'll give you the best 24 players under 24:
Honorable mentions: PJ Washington, 21 (Charlotte Hornets); Tyler Herro, 20 (Miami Heat), Jarrett Allen, 22 (Brooklyn Nets), Malik Beasley, 23 (Minnesota Timberwolves).
24. Marvin Bagley III, 21 — Sacramento Kings
2019-20 stats: 14.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.9 blocks per game
Bagley has been the victim of circumstance during his first two NBA seasons — playing for a coach who didn't fully believe in his abilities during his rookie year and dealing with a wave of injuries in 2019-20. Yet there is some potential for increased minutes and production if he manages to develop with the Kings.
Bagley barely cut this list, but he's 21 years old and still has time to right the ship and show why he was the No. 2 overall selection two years ago.
23. Eric Paschall, 23 — Golden State Warriors
2019-20 stats: 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game
Paschall was at one point a contender for Rookie of the Year during the early stretch of the season. A healthy Draymond Green eventually shifted him to the bench, yet the New Yorker has shown a natural knack for scoring and a seamless fit with a championship organization.
The Villanova standout might not be starter-caliber material just yet, but he's a surefire piece of the puzzle for Steve Kerr and company.
22. Dejounte Murray, 23 — San Antonio Spurs
2019-20 stats: 10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals per game
Murray is back on the floor after missing the entire 2018-19 season with a torn right ACL and he's started to show signs of why Tony Parker once ceded the point guard position to his former backup. Murray is fast, explosive, and a dynamic athlete with unique defensive instincts.
His 3-point shot is slowly developing and once his minutes rise, he should see plenty of other opportunities to become the next face of the franchise.
21. Lonzo Ball, 22 — New Orleans Pelicans
2019-20 stats: 12.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.4 steals per game
Ball is finally starting to come out of his shell, attempting more field goals, threes, and free throws than in his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. His shot selection and efficiency still leave a lot to be desired, but the upside is surely still there for the former No. 2 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
20. Mitchell Robinson, 22 — New York Knicks
2019-20 stats: 9.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks per game
Robinson teased the NBA with some ruthless shot-blocking ability during his rookie season, but his propensity to foul often led to him playing fewer minutes than intended. Now bound for a bigger role, Mitch is leading the league in field goal percentage efficiency (.742) and doing so with emphatic put-back dunks and timely tip-ins.
19. Markelle Fultz, 22 — Orlando Magic
2019-20 stats: 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals per game
Fultz has finally started to break out of his shell after two seasons mired in injury woes. Now with a clean slate in Orlando, he's started 59 of 64 games for the Magic and begun to show flashes of why he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2017.
The hope is that with a full season under his belt, the Maryland native can take the next step and develop into a more well-rounded shooter and a sturdier defender.
18. Jaren Jackson Jr., 20 — Memphis Grizzlies
2019-20 stats: 16.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.6 blocks per game
Jackson has stepped up in the scoring and defensive departments in his second season, playing a perfect partner to Ja Morant. He near-tripled his 3-point attempts from his rookie season and he hasn't disappointed with this change — shooting a crisp 39.7% from beyond the arc.
If he steps up his rebounding, he could become a Rasheed Wallace-type star in the league as one of the most diverse talents at the power forward position.
17. John Collins, 22 — Atlanta Hawks
2019-20 stats: 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.6 blocks per game
Following a strong second season in the league, Collins made the expected jump to become a 20-10 big man on a nightly basis. The Wake Forest product missed 25 games early on after violating the NBA's drug protocol but has bounced back remarkably through 41 games, mixing offense with the shot-blocking that had eluded him his first two seasons.
16. Jamal Murray, 23 — Denver Nuggets
2019-20 stats: 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals per game
“The Blue Arrow” has had an unforeseen trajectory. The lauded shooter out of Kentucky went from potential shot-making presence to missing his first 16 shots as a pro in what was a miserable start to his career. Now Murray is considered a building piece in Denver and one of the keys to the franchise next to Nikola Jokic.
15. Jaylen Brown, 23 — Boston Celtics
2019-20 stats: 20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals per game
Brown made a much-needed jump after struggling and regressing in his third season with the Celtics. Now that he's secured a job as the team's starting shooting guard, Brown is part of a three-pronged 20-point per game attack that should make the Celtics a dangerous enemy in the NBA playoffs.
14. Michael Porter Jr., 22 — Denver Nuggets
2019-20 stats: 7.5 points, 4.1 rebounds per game
Porter is the only name in this list without the numbers to back it up, so context is required to properly address his No. 14 ranking.
Buried in an ultra-deep Nuggets roster, Porter; who is coming off sitting out his rookie season, has carved a spot in Mike Malone's rotation. Once Paul Millsap vacates that power forward spot next season, it should MPJ all the way and those numbers will look a lot more like those of his counterparts in this list.
Don't believe me? Just take a look at his numbers from Jan. 12 to the end of the month: 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in a 10-game stretch. Now imagine what those numbers would look with some decent minutes.
13. De'Aaron Fox, 22 — Sacramento Kings
2019-20 stats: 20.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.4 steals per game
The third-year guard has taken a major step up this season, reaching the 20-point per game milestone and showing he's one of the best young scoring point guards in the league. Fox still has some turnover woes to address, but the young speed demon has all the makings of great talent at his position.
12. Deandre Ayton, 21 — Phoenix Suns
2019-20 stats: 19.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 blocks per game
Deandre Ayton was already a double-double giant sneaking under our noses during his rookie year, overshadowed by the eventual Rookie of the Year — the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.
He's posting even better numbers in his second season, despite facing a 25-game suspension early on. Ayton is finally putting together the offensive and defensive combination that made him the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
11. Brandon Ingram, 22 — New Orleans Pelicans
2019-20 stats: 24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals per game
Ingram made the jump many Los Angeles Lakers fans had hoped he'd make by his second season. Now in a new environment and tasked with the bulk of the scoring while Zion Williamson was out with a meniscus tear, Ingram has found his scoring chops and he's bound to get significant offers this offseason.
The man couldn't have had better timing to put up a career year.
10. Donovan Mitchell, 23 — Utah Jazz
2019-20 stats: 24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals per game
Mitchell has continued to take the league by storm as a rabid scorer, now putting career-high offensive numbers across the board. The New York native is shooting the ball confidently and it has shown in his percentages. Already an All-Star by his third season, the Jazz will only go as far as Mitchell can take them.
9. Bam Adebayo, 22 — Miami Heat
2019-20 stats: 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.3 blocks per game
Adebayo notched his first NBA All-Star nod now that he's finally away from the shadow of Hassan Whiteside. As the full-time center for the Heat and with the full confidence of coach Erik Spoelstra, Bam has become a dynamic big man — one that will soon join the likes of Nikola Jokic as the next generation of hybrid pivot men.
8. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 21 — Oklahoma City Thunder
2019-20 stats: 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3,3 assists, 1.1 steals per game
The Thunder saw some potential when they saw a young Gilgeous-Alexander play his first playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, turning in 25- and 22-point efforts in Games 4 and 6, respectively.
Since being acquired in the trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, SGA has thrived playing next to Chris Paul and while his assists have yet to pick up, his rebounding and scoring prowess has left the Thunder brass with no reason to complain.
7. Devin Booker, 23 — Phoenix Suns
2019-20 stats: 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists per game
Booker snagged his first NBA All-Star selection as an injury replacement, but the fifth-year shooting guard was long overdue for the consideration.
The Michigan native is averaging 22 or more points since he got the nod to start for the Suns at the start of his second season, showing he's one of the most dynamic offensive talents. Couple that with a robust 48.7% from the floor and a league-leading 91.6% from the foul line and you have yourself a dynamite scorer that only gets better every year.
Booker is just getting started as a talent in this league and it won't be long before he pulls the Suns out of the bottom of the West.
6. Jayson Tatum, 22 — Boston Celtics
2019-20 stats: 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks per game
Tatum finally took the leap the Celtics had long anticipated now that he's stepped out of Kyrie Irving's shadow and seen his role grow along with his minutes.
The third-year guard out of Duke is averaging career highs across the board and doing so with studly efficiency — once again nearing 40% from deep. The scariest bit is that Tatum still has plenty more room to grow now that he's captured his first All-Star nod.
5. Ben Simmons, 23 — Philadelphia 76ers
2019-20 stats: 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.1 steals per game
Simmons almost doesn't make the list here, as he turns 24 on July 20 — but let's not forget that the Aussie point guard has already racked up two All-Star nods in his three seasons in the league.
While his shooting has yet to come around, Simmons' defense has been the most striking improvement he's made coming into his first season. If he keeps it up, the 6-foot-10 floor general could wind up with an All-Defensive team nod this early into his career.
Not bad for a player with boundless potential.
4. Ja Morant, 20 — Memphis Grizzlies
2019-20 stats: 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists per game
The likely 2020 Rookie of the Year, Morant has done great things since bursting into the league after two electric collegiate seasons. The Murray State product has been a welcome addition to a rebuilding Grizzlies team that found its rebuild phase to be rather short with this floor general at the helm.
Morant isn't filling up the stat sheet as much as others here, but he has shown some otherwordly maturity, shooting a robust 49.1% from the floor in his first NBA season. That will only come in handy as he flourishes into one of the best talents at the point guard position.
3. Trae Young, 21 — Atlanta Hawks
2019-20 stats: 29.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.1 steals per game
Ice Trae didn't waste any time proving he belongs in the league, slapping his doubters with a strong second half of the 2018-19 season and a much-improved second campaign in the league. Young is the league's fourth-leading scorer and the second-best assist man in his second season – something many pointed as unthinkable for a player that had so many questions coming out of the draft.
Young will always be linked to Luka Doncic due to that infamous draft night trade, but that isn't keeping him from defying expectations and carving out a very exciting NBA career.
2. Zion Williamson, 20 — New Orleans Pelicans
2019-20 stats: 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game
Zion has only played 19 games in the league, but it took no longer than four quarters for him to announce his arrival as the next one coming to LeBron James.
Despite missing the first half of his rookie season with a torn meniscus, Williamson took over in the fourth quarter against a veteran San Antonio Spurs team, going off for 17 of his 22 points in the few minutes he saw in his debut.
A mix of otherworldly athleticism, superhuman strength, and a knack for highlight-reel finishes make Williamson one of the most exciting prospects to watch and one of the most promising. If he ever gets a solid jumper, watch out.
1. Luka Doncic, 21 — Dallas Mavericks
2019-20 stats: 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.1 steals per game
Doncic is undoubtedly the most well-rounded player in this list and the most decorated as well, already with a Rookie of the Year award and an All-Star nod in less than two full seasons in the league. Doncic has singlehandedly accelerated the Mavs' rebuild, taking the baton right from Dirk Nowitzki's hands and leading Dallas to the playoffs.
Luka has it all — the deft ability to get past defenders, natural nose for rebounding, vision to create for others, and uncanny scoring ability that's coupled with his maturity as a player. Luka had already won championships in Europe and even a EuroLeague MVP award before he touched down in Dallas, and well before he could get an alcoholic drink in the United States.
Perhaps the scariest part of his game is that he's just scratching the surface of how good he can become once he maximizes his potential as a star in this league.
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