With the 2024-25 NBA season right around the corner, there are plenty of candidates ready to break out as burgeoning stars throughout the league. In this piece, we’ll look at four players worthy of such a denotation.
Scottie Barnes
For those participating in Fantasy Basketball, Barnes is a hot commodity in that world. We’ve seen flashes of a guy who could be a perennial all-star one day. Listed at 6’7″, Barnes has point forward skills, off-the-dribble ability, and the defensive chops to guard virtually every position on the floor. He’s been tearing it up during the preseason. Also without a doubt, he will be Toronto’s No. 1 option offensively. At only 23 years of age, Barnes’s best basketball is ahead of him. He should eclipse the 20 PPG mark this season without breaking a sweat.
Chet Holmgren
In what was technically his rookie year, Holmgren certainly didn’t disappoint. He averaged 16.6 PPG on 53 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from behind the arc. For good measure, Holmgren also averaged 7.9 RPG and 2.3 BPG. With Isaiah Hartenstein coming over from the Knicks, Holmgren’s game should expand even further. He’ll be able to showcase more of his perimeter range farther away from the basket. There’s a universe in which he’s the No. 2 scoring option on this team alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Now in Year 3 with the Thunder, and his second actually on the court, we should see Holmgren blossom for the team many are picking to win the Western Conference this season.
Jalen Johnson
Jalen Johnson looks like a budding star in this league. After a somewhat underwhelming stint at Duke, the former highly decorated prospect out of Milwaukee has found a home with the Atlanta Hawks. In Year 3 of his career, Johnson flashed some real upside as a potential core member of this franchise. He set career highs in points (16.0), rebounds (8.7), assists (3.6), steals (1.2), and three-point percentage (.355). At 6’9″, Johnson offers nice versatility. He can toggle back and forth between both forward spots. Johnson isn’t even 23 years old yet — which furthers the thought he could be a real fixture for this franchise moving forward.
Andrew Nembhard
Nembhard flashed big time in the postseason. During the regular season, he averaged nine points per game. In the playoffs, that got bumped up to 14.9 PPG. Nembhard shot a blistering 56 percent from the field and 48.3 from three-point range. Cat-quick and decisive, he’s very difficult to keep out of the lane. Nembhard is a nice foil for Tyrese Haliburton, primarily because both can play off the ball and also initiate the offense as primary ballhandlers. As he approaches his 25th birthday, Nembhard will be tough to keep out of the lineup if he continues to shoot an exceptional percentage for a guard.