Top 5 Young Cores in the NBA Right Now, Including the Detroit Pistons
These five NBA teams have built foundations that could put them in title contention for years to come. Here's a look at the 5 most exciting and promising young cores set up to dominate the future of the NBA.
Honorable Mention: Indiana Pacers
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Notable young talent: Tyrese Haliburton (25), Andrew Nembhard (25), Aaron Nesmith (25)
Advertisement
Given the Pacers' impressive run to this year's NBA Finals, they had to be mentioned. With their superstar in Tyrese Haliburton being only 25 years old, this team has an immensely bright future. With a young core as a supporting cast, we likely haven't seen the Pacers' best basketball yet. But with significant contributions from NBA vets Pascal Siakam (31) and Myles Turner (29), the Pacers fall just outside the list.
Also Read: NBA insider explains why Sacramento Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana Pacers instead of De'Aaron Fox
5. Orlando Magic
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Notable young talent: Paolo Banchero (22), Franz Wagner (23), Anthony Black (22)
Advertisement
With back-to-back playoff appearances, the Magic are set up for future success. Led by a future All-NBA talent in Paolo Banchero, the Magic have a talented surrounding young core that will only get better with time. The upcoming season will be a huge test for the Magic as they will look to advance further than the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season.
4. Detroit Pistons
Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Notable young talent: Cade Cunningham (23), Jalen Duren (21), Ausar Thompson (22), Jaden Ivy (23),
After a league-worst 14-68 record last year, Pistons star Cade Cunningham led the team to the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference and gave the New York Knicks a great battle in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. With four legitimate foundational players in Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Jaden Ivy all being 23 or younger, this roster has the potential to be scary good. The future is bright in Detroit.
3. Houston Rockets
Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Notable young talent: Jalen Green (23), Amen Thompson (22), Alperen Şengün (22), Jabari Smith Jr. (22)
Advertisement
Despite a disappointing playoff showing, the Houston Rockets finished as the 2 seed in the tight Western Conference race. This team is a deep, athletic scoring threat that has immense young talent on the defensive side of the ball as well. Şengün has drawn comparisons to Nikola Jokić, proving that the upside for him and this team could be at a championship level. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back after being upset in the first round of the playoffs by Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
2. San Antonio Spurs
Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Notable young talent: Victor Wembanyama (21), Stephon Castle (20), Devin Vassell (24), De'Aaron Fox (27)
Advertisement
The Spurs are nearly number one on the list based on Victor Wembanyama alone. He is a generational talent with future MVP upside. As he develops, there is no limit to the ceiling of this team's success. The Spurs also have this year's Rookie of the Year in Stephon Castle. With back-to-back Rookie of the Year's in San Antonio, a strong supporting young cast, and this year's number 2 pick in the NBA draft, the Spurs' future will be exciting to watch.
Related: Philadelphia 76ers rumors suggest big move coming in 2025 NBA Draft
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Notable young talent: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26), Jalen Williams (24), Chet Holmgren (23), Cason Wallace (21)
Advertisement
The heavy favorites to win this year's NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are arguably the most talented team in the league, regardless of age. With SGA winning the MVP at only 26 years old, and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren being 24 and 23 years old, respectively, the Thunder have a legit big three that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Not to mention, they have one of the deepest benches in the league. And are tied for the youngest average player age in the league at 24 years old. The Thunder will be a premier championship contender for years to come.
Also Read: 50 Best NBA players right now: Where do Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton land?
Related Headlines
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
21 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Thunder vs. Pacers Game 4 Odds, Picks, Best Bets: OKC Looks To Even Series
Regular season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are favored over Bennedict Mathurin and the Pacers in Friday night's crucial Game 4. Regular season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are favored over Bennedict Mathurin and the Pacers in Friday night's crucial Game 4. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. If it wasn't clear after Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, there's no denying it now: the Pacers have a real chance to win this series, regardless of how skeptical oddsmakers remain of Indiana. I had major doubts that the Eastern Conference champs could keep up with the heavy betting favorites before this series tipped off. But against the rare opponent that is just athletic as OKC -- and just as deep -- the Thunder are in a very different type of battle than the ones they went through in the Western Conference playoffs. Going forward, OKC has a lot of tough questions to answer, including: Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play at an MVP level against unrelenting pressure from a long list of athletic Pacers defenders? What is the answer in the frontcourt? Chet Holmgren has played well the last two games after a clunker in Game 1, but Thunder coach Mark Daigneault is still struggling to figure out how much and when to play Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Has OKC finally run into a team that can hold its own -- if not top the Thunder -- in the turnover battle? NBA Finals Game 4 Betting Odds: Spread, ML DK FD bet365 OKC spread -6 (-110) -6 (-110) -6 (-110) IND spread +6 (-110) +6 (-110) +6 (-110) IND ML -230 -235 -230 OKC ML +190 +194 +190 Total 227.5 (o-112; u-108) 227.5 (o-114; u-106) 227.5 (o-110; u-110) How to Watch NBA Finals Game 4: Thunder vs. Pacers Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. ET Channel: ABC NBA Finals Winner Odds: OKC Favored Despite 2-1 Deficit DraftKings : OKC -220; IND +185 FanDuel : OKC -230; IND +190 NBA Finals Game 4 Betting Picks, Analysis With all due respect to the Pacers, of course, writing off Game 1 slipping away from the Thunder was defensible. This time last week, it was hard to imagine OKC not having decisive advantages on the bench and in the turnover battle. But since forcing the Pacers into 19 first-half turnovers in the first 24 minutes Game 1, the Thunder have only been able to force Tyrese Haliburton and Indy into 35 turnovers in the last 120 minutes (including the third and fourth quarters of Game 1, plus Games 2 and 3). Rick Carlisle is getting massive contributions from his bench, with Bennedict Mathurin, TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin all coming up huge in Game 3. Versatile Pacers bigs Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam have also held their own against the OKC frontcourt of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein -- so well, in fact, that Hartenstein has come off the bench in all three games of this series while logging under 20 minutes in each of Games 1 and 3. OKC's historically good regular season by metrics like net rating -- plus the 1-2 punch of SGA and Jalen Williams -- makes it easy to understand why this team remains heavily favored by sportsbooks. But it hasn't faced a team like Indiana -- which can match, if not exceed the Thunder's athleticism and physicality -- all year, and it's getting harder to shake the feeling that in this matchup, the Pacers' supporting cast might have the advantage over the role players for the Thunder. Thunder vs. Pacers Game 4 Best Bets If we haven't yet given this away, this feels like a situation where oddsmakers have been slow to adjust to what's happening on the court. If you had no idea about what the Thunder accomplished in the regular season and how heavily favored they were to win this year's Final, you would be expecting this series to go seven games based on Games 1, 2 and 3. Obviously, doubting Gilgeous-Alexander and one of the best regular-season teams in recent memory would be bold, but at this point, so would ruling out the Pacers winning this series. For what it's worth, the all-time NBA Finals record of teams that held a 2-1 series lead is 50-13 (79.3 winning pct). In a series that has been impossible for me to figure out (outside of Game 2, when we predicted that the Thunder won big at home), let's go outside the box tonight for both of our best Thunder vs. Pacers Game 4 best ATS bets. The first one we like is the Thunder to win the first quarter. OKC has outscored Indiana by 9, 6 and 8 points in the first three games of this series. I expect the favorites to start tonight hot after being outscored 32-18 in the fourth quarter of Game 3. The other trend I expect to continue tonight is the Pacers' domination of the fourth quarter. Indy has outscored OKC 35-25, 33-30 and 32-18 in the final frames of the first three games of this series. There's also a real chance that the Pacers could win the fourth quarter tonight even if OKC builds a big lead after 36 minutes -- case in point: Game 2, when Indiana outscored OKC down the stretch despite entering the fourth quarter down 93-74. Thunder 1Q -3 (-105 at DraftKings) -- 1 unit Pacers 4Q ML (+120 at DK) -- 1 unit Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
San Francisco Chronicle
24 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Russell Westbrook won't exercise $3.5 million option for next season, AP source says
Russell Westbrook will not be exercising his $3.5 million player option with the Denver Nuggets for next season and will instead become a free agent, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Friday. The decision doesn't necessarily mean that Westbrook won't be back with the Nuggets, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because neither side revealed the decision publicly. NBA reporter Marc Stein first reported Westbrook's decision, which was later confirmed by ESPN and The Denver Post, among others. Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists for the Nuggets this season — his 17th in the NBA — and helped Denver reach the second round of the playoffs, falling in seven games to eventual Western Conference champion Oklahoma City. He underwent surgery after the season to repair multiple ligament tears in his right hand, an issue he played through during the season. At that time, Westbrook posted in his newsletter than he was 'grateful for everyone's support all year and I can't wait to be back out there at 100% soon. The comeback is already in motion.' That would indicate that he is planning to play somewhere next season. Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA selection and won the MVP award after the 2016-17 season. He's also part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team and has averaged 21.2 points and eight assists per game over his career. ___
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sabrina Ionescu Had One Word for Vanessa Bryant
Sabrina Ionescu Had One Word for Vanessa Bryant originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Toward the end of his legendary NBA career, Kobe Bryant adopted a new role amid the Los Angeles Lakers' struggles. Utilizing a wealth of experience forged through five NBA Finals wins, Bryant became a mentor for young men and women who grew up enraptured with the superstar scorer's "Mamba Mentality." Advertisement Before Bryant died in 2020, he lent his expertise to many rising NBA stars, including Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum. His influence extended to the WNBA. Diana Taurasi's "White Mamba" nickname came from Bryant himself, and he helped Jewell Loyd and Candace Parker become WNBA stars. Though Bryant knew Sabrina Ionescu for only a year before his death, the New York Liberty star has done what she can to uphold the Lakers legend's legacy. She has maintained a close connection with his widow, Vanessa. So, on Thursday, when Vanessa Bryant posted a picture of herself on Instagram, Ionescu wasted no time reacting to it. She commented "Queen" on the post to affirm her presence and support. Ionescu leaves a comment on Vanessa Bryant's Instagram post on Ionescu met Bryant in January 2019, more than a year before she was picked first overall by the Liberty in the first round of the 2020 WNBA Draft. That summer, Ionescu worked out with Kobe and Gianna Bryant in preparation for her senior season at Oregon, where she became the first NCAA player ever to accumulate 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Advertisement After an ankle injury limited her to three games as a WNBA rookie, Ionescu emerged as an All-Star in 2022 and established herself as one of the league's premier shooters. She played through a painful high-grade UCL tear in her shooting hand during the 2024 WNBA Finals, but her team held off the Minnesota Lynx to win its first title in franchise history, an accomplishment that Bryant would have been proud of. Related: WNBA Makes Sabrina Ionescu Announcement After Liberty-Sky Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
