Dallas Mavericks: Derek Lively
Now entering his fourth year, injuries have prevented Lively from truly breaking out. Foot surgery limited him to just seven games last season, where he averaged 5 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes. If he can make a full recovery before the start of the season (there's been no official report yet), Lively has elite rim protection potential at 7'1" and should become a favorite lob target of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving
Denver Nuggets: Julian Strawther
Strawther could be on a similar trajectory to Watson, another former late first-round pick by Denver who didn't truly shine until the final year of his rookie deal. The 24-year-old has improved his three-point shooting year over year (to 38.7 percent last season) and averaged 14.8 points in his 14 starts. With Watson, Hardaway and possibly Bruce Brown Jr all gone, minutes on the wing should be lots for him who's also playing for a new contract.
Golden State Warriors: Brandin Podziemski
No Jimmy Butler to begin the year means more scoring opportunities for the 23-year-old guard who's eligible to sign an extension before the season begins. After Butler tore his ACL on Jan. 19, Podziemski averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and shot 38.0 percent from three after moving into a full-time starting role. Stephen Curry's minutes (30.9) were his lowest in 14 years (not counting his five-game 2019-2020 season) as Steve Kerr loads to manage the 38-year-old's workload. The Golden State Warriors will need Podziemski's scoring and playmaking to help keep their offense afloat while waiting for a healthy Butler to return.
Houston Rockets: Reed Sheppard
Yes, Fred VanVleet is back from a torn ACL and will eat into the guard minutes in this rotation. The 32-year-old is best suited in a backup role at this point in his career, especially coming off such a major injury. Sheppard should be the starting point guard for the Houston Rockets, as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft has a ton of upside as a multifaceted scorer, ball-handler and floor-spacer when players like Kevin Durant or Amen Thompson are running the offense.
LA Clippers: Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser is still recovering from foot surgery he suffered in March. When he returns, however, the second-year pro could be in line to be the Los Angeles Clippers' starting center. Veteran Brook Lopez will keep the position warm for now, although the 23-year-old Niederhäuser is the Clippers' bench option for a long-term solution. At nearly seven feet, Niederhäuser has excellent rim protection potential and averaged 11.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent overall in the six games where he played 20 minutes or more. The 30th overall pick of the 2025 draft, Niederhäuser should have a big role this season for a Clippers team that's pivoting to a younger core.
LA Lakers: Jaden Hardy
Picking a breakout candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers is difficult, as most of the talent on the roster is already in their mid-to-late 20s. Jaden Hardy, 24, still has some upside, although there's no guarantee he'll even be in the rotation. Some reason for optimism stems from his late-season run with the Washington Wizards last season, where Hardy shot 42.0 from three while averaging 12.6 points in 20.4 minutes off the bench. This kind of hot shooting from deep will pair nicely alongside Luka Dončić, although there would be some defensive concerns.
Memphis Grizzlies: Walter Clayton Jr
The frontcourt will be a little crowded now with Cameron Boozer, Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart all joining the fold. However, the backcourt should come with plenty of opportunity, especially if Ty Jerome fails to stay healthy again. Walter Clayton Jr. saw an increased role following a trade to the Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal and even started six games as a rookie. The former Florida star averaged 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting 41.9 percent from three on a healthy 31 attempts during those starts.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Cody Williams
It's tempting to go with Jonathan Kuminga here, although the sixth-year forward has already topped 16 points per game in a season. Cody Williams is more of a deep cut. He should have a rotation role on a Minnesota Timberwolves team that's thin at forward. Williams was the 10th overall pick in 2024, although a horrible rookie season with the Utah Jazz put his career in doubt. Williams was better last year, even averaging 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals over his final 19 games.
New Orleans Pelicans: Derik Queen
Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears are both reasonable breakout candidates here. Fears may have to wait a year for the backcourt to clear up a bit, as Jordan Poole enters the final year of his contract and Dejounte Murray has a player option for 2027-28. Queen may have the best path to minutes, especially since Zion Williamson played in 60 games last season. Williamson has never been healthy in back-to-back seasons, averaging just 15 games in the years following a 60-plus-game season.
OKC Thunder: Cason Wallace
Trading Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins to shed salary means more opportunity for some other guards and wings on a loaded Oklahoma City Thunder roster. The main beneficiary will be Cason Wallace, who should slide into Dort's former starting spot. Wallace's defense has already earned recognition, as the 22-year-old was named to the All-Defense second team in his third season.
Pheonix Suns: Khaman Maluach
Khaman Maluach didn't make much of an impact as a rookie for the Phoenix Suns, despite being the 10th overall pick of the 2025 draft. A strong summer league showing, combined with an injury to starter Mark Williams, could open the door to a big second year for Maluach, the former Duke star.
Portland Blazers: Donocan Clinagan
Scoot Henderson would be a wishful thinking pick here, though the number of guards on this roster could limit his opportunities as long as Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday are all healthy. Instead, a path is already in place for Donovan Clingan to make a leap for the Portland Trail Blazers. Clingan is locked in as the team's starting center after becoming a full-time starter last season. His minutes jumped from 19.8 as a rookie to 27.2 as a sophomore. There's still room for another leap, especially since Clingan has largely stayed out of foul trouble in his young career.
Sacramento Kings: Maxime Raynaud
Maxime Raynaud was a huge surprise for the Sacramento Kings last year, making a big impact despite being selected 42nd overall in the 2025 draft. An injury to Domantas Sabonis opened up the starting center job for the 7'1" Raynaud, a role he thrived in. In a hot stretch to finish the year, the 23-year-old averaged 19.0 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 58.0 percent overall and 48.1 percent from three over his final 13 games.
San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
As much as I want to say Castle, I gotta lean Harper. Yes, There may be some awkwardness when the San Antonio Spurs eventually bench veteran guard De'Aaron Fox in favor of Dylan Harper. It would absolutely be the right move for the franchise to make both now and in the future. Harper logged just 22.6 minutes as a rookie, starting four of his 69 total games. Per 36 minutes of play, however, the No. 2 overall pick averaged 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.2 steals and only 2.3 turnovers. His play in the NBA Finals screamed future star, which is a path the Spurs need to carve out for him alongside Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey
Skill met opportunity down the stretch for Ace Bailey, as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 draft averaged 20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks over the final 12 games of the season. The Utah Jazz will look different this year, although that may not be a bad thing for Bailey's career arc. Yes, Darryn Peterson and Jaren Jackson Jr. will need their share of shots and touches, even though Cody Williams is gone and Utah will actually be trying to win games.