The NBA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. The Star power of players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James is what drives the NBA, but what will the NBA landscape look like in 5 years from now? Many fans already know that the NBA is chalk full of young talented players that are ready to step in as some of the current greats retire. The real question should be, who will be the best of the best in the NBA in 5 years from now? To addresses this question and the future of the NBA I have put together a way, way, way to early Top 25 list of NBA players 5 years from now. Be aware that age played a big factor in many of these players’ rankings, and obviously this list is only comprised of current NBA players. Though I wouldn’t doubt there will be future players to come into the league and put themselves into this conversation in the next 5 years, it would just make this list even more of a blind guess if I included future NBA players into the equation.
Honorable Mentions:
Isaiah Thomas (31)
Kemba Walker (29)
Hassan Whiteside (30)
Nikola Mirotic (29)
Joel Embiid (26)
Jabari Parker (25)
25. Nerlens Noel AGE IN 5 YEARS: 25
This might be the first Kentucky Big man on this list, but it’s not the last trust me. Noel in his short time has really impressed many people around the league. This shows just how much potential he has remembering that he was injured for a large amount of time in college and he basically missed his whole first year in the NBA. In 5 years from now look for him to be one of the better big men in the league at only 25 with the ability to score and defend very well in the post.
24. Bradley Beal AGE IN 5 YEARS: 26
Beal being only 21 currently and already one of the bigger threats from deep in the league has nowhere but up to go. He will only be 26 in 5 years from now and will most likely have developed an even better all-around game by then. His ability to spread the floor and hit from deep on a consistent basis in the current NBA plus the fact that he is so young gets him a spot on this list.
23. LeBron James AGE IN 5 YEARS: 35
LeBron will be 35 years old 5 years from now and honestly he is lucky I left him on this list. I am a strong believer that his playstyle will not lend itself towards a career that will go deep into his late 30’s, but since so many people make the argument that due to his freakish athleticism he will beat the odds and not finish his career the same way people with similar playstyle as him have finished theirs I decided to give him the 23rd spot. If it’s any consolation I feel like his ability to play make might earn him a top 25 ranking more than his scoring ability 5 years from now.
22. Elfrid Payton AGE IN 5 YEARS: 26
If you have not seen Elfrid Payton play this year then shame on you. His all-around ability to stat sheet stuff and his great perimeter defense reminds me of the glove Gary Payton. The main part of his game he has to work on is his free throws and long range shooting, but that shouldn’t be to big of an ordeal since he is only 21 at this time. When he’s 26 in 5 years look for him to be a lock down defender at the point and still stuffing the stat sheet even more with the likely hood of a much improved ft%.
21. Enes Kanter AGE IN 5 YEARS: 27
Since being traded to the Thunder Kanter has done nothing but make the Thunder’s GM look like a genius. Though many people around the league should have seen this coming. Kanter played his first couple years with the Jazz who were not able to exactly capitalize on his ability to score down low due to the fact that their front court has been filled with great post players and Kanter just never really got his chance to be “the guy”. Though now seeing what he has done with the Thunder in such a short time makes me believe that he has the potential to be a force down low and at the young age of 22 it’s pretty impressive that he plays like a seasoned veteran in the post.
20. Draymond Green AGE IN 5 YEARS: 30
Draymond has been giving 110% since his Michigan St. days, but now people are finally recognizing one of the hardest working players in the NBA. Since he was given the starting job with the Warriors he has put up the numbers to gain the recognition he deserves. Though many hustle guys are over looked most their careers and never get the credit they deserve I feel like 5 years from now Draymond will have stuffed enough stat sheets to the point that people will think it’s ridiculous to not consider him a top 25 player in the league.
19. Rudy Gobert AGE IN 5 YEARS: 27
Gobert has insane blocking ability already at age 22. Many players his height might be exactly that just height, but Gobert has skills to go along with his amazing standing reach of almost 10 feet! I feel like not only will Gobert be a top 20 player in 5 years, but will be in tons of conversations of possibly breaking many of the current NBA records for blocks.
18. Victor Oladipo AGE IN 5 YEARS: 27
Oladipo can score going to the basket, he can play defense around the perimeter as good as any one, and by the way he’s only 22. Oladipo has such an amazing skill set that you don’t see in many guards coming into the NBA these days. 5 years from now look for Oladipo to be doing something special, I would tell you what it will be, but he’s a Swiss army knife and I don’t know which tool hell be using at that point in his career.
17. Giannis Antetokounmpo AGE IN 5 YEARS: 25
Giannis is not just called a freak because it rhymes well with Greek. He is one of the strangest, abnormal, brightest future stars in the NBA and he is only 20 years old. He has length and handles that most have never seen before in one player. Giannis looks like he can do some very special things in his career if he can continue to develop. The only reason he is only at 17 is because he will only be 25 and still pretty young compared to other players that will have a couple years of experience on him.
16. Andrew Wiggins AGE IN 5 YEARS: 25
Yea, I understand that this is probably the biggest shot in the dark on this whole list, but Wiggins has done what was expected of him this season. The first step to living up to the hype that he has coming out of high school and one year of college is to just come in his first year and play well and work on his weak points of his game. I feel like he has done this well increasing his ability to hit from longer range. Also he can check off his first thing on his NBA check list, because he is definitely rookie of the year this year. In 5 years from now if he continues progressing the way he has this year I don’t see why he wouldn’t be right on the cusp of being a top 15 player in the league at the age of 25.
15. John Wall AGE IN 5 YEARS: 29
Wall has takin the biggest step in his career and that is improving his deep ball. With the addition of a ranged shot in his arsenal Wall takes his explosive game to the next level. 5 years from now he will still be under 30 and considered by that time a veteran in the league. His ability to play make and his diverse offense game will allow him to play at a top 15 level probably into his early 30s.
14. Nikola Vucevic AGE IN 5 YEARS: 29
Vucevic is a monster down low and has a ton of double doubles this season to show for it. He is a much needed anchor down low on a young Magic team and lacks the help of another good big man which makes his accomplishments that much more impressive. In 5 years I see Vucevic as being one of the top 3 or 4 centers in the league and most definitely deserving of the 14th spot on this list.
13. Damian Lillard AGE IN 5 YEARS: 29
Lillard has ice water in his veins and he is only 24 years old. His ability to be so clutch in big time situations at such an early point in his career show you what kind of player Lillard will become. I can only imagine what he will be doing once his defensive game catches up to his offense game later in his career. He will be the 13th best player and arguably a top 5 guard in the NBA 5 years from now, which is saying a lot with the amount of guards still to be named on this list.
12. Jimmy Butler AGE IN 5 YEARS: 30
Jimmy has completely broken out this season which is amazing news for Bulls fans who in the past relied solely on Rose for offense. Jimmy is a rare breed of a guy that use to play hustle ball and 48 minutes a game to a guy now that is a nice scoring option from all over the floor while still being a lock down defender. Butler will be 30 in 5 years from now, but with the addition of his new playstyle he will not have to worry about losing steam late in his career since he doesn’t have to rely on his old hustle 48 minutes a game playstyle.
11. Andre Drummond AGE IN 5 YEARS: 26
Probably one of the most eye opening things I saw when looking up ages for this list was the fact that Andre Drummond is only 21 years old. I would almost say that his young age almost hurt him a little on this list. He already destroys defenders in the paint out in Detroit, but in 5 years from now I expect to see an even more developed post game from him. The only thing keeping him out the top 10 is the fact of sheer lack of experience even 5 years from now since he will only be 26.
10. Klay Thompson AGE IN 5 YEARS: 30
If there is one thing that stands the test of time in the NBA is that a good jump shooter can play for a very long time in this league. In Klay’s case it will not only be about his jump shot that he will continue to sink from deep for years to come, but his amazing defense that he will be able to fall back on later in his career. Even at age 30 in 5 years from now Klay will have a jump shot that not many other players can match and his defensive prowess will make him a top 10 player in the league.
9. Kyrie Irving AGE IN 5 YEARS: 28
Kyrie is probably one of the most talented scorers in the NBA currently, and he is only 23. The one thing working against Kyrie is his ability to play a true point guard role due to his lack of play making ability. Though with the high number of small forwards with handles coming into the league this might be an afterthought 5 years from now. Kyrie’s insane ability to score gets him the 9th spot on this list alone, and who is to say that he won’t develop a better play making game as he gets more mature with age.
8. Russell Westbrook AGE IN 5 YEARS: 31
Westbrook has put on a show since day one of his career, and even with critics who say he needs the ball to much for someone who is not even the best player on his team does not take away from the fact that he is one of the best athletes the league has ever seen. Though I believe his reckless abandonment and his extreme usage and minutes will come back to get him later in his career he still deserves a spot in the top 8. A good argument for his case is the fact that he might be just as good or an even greater athlete then LeBron James who doesn’t look like he will be declining drastically when he turns 31 next year. I would say look for a drastic fall off when it does happen, but in 5 years expect Westbrook to still be doing some amazing stuff that the point guard position has never seen.
7. Kawhi Leonard AGE IN 5 YEARS: 28
Kawhi Leonard is an amazing player who many people would not even know if it was not for his play on the biggest stage of the NBA Finals. He already is a lock down defender who can go 1 on 1 with almost anyone in the league and completely shut them down. With his defensive capabilities and his offensive game becoming more and more diverse with his ability to pull up and sink a shot and drive and thrown down a thunderous dunk Kawhi is quickly setting himself up to make a giant mark on the NBA. At only 23 he will be right in his prime at 28 years old 5 years from now. This makes him as qualified as anyone to hold the 7th spot on this list.
6. Kevin Durant AGE IN 5 YEARS: 31
Kevin Durant is dealing with a major foot injury and that is by far the only reason that he is not in the top 5 of this list. Though his current injury might be pretty bad I still feel like with so many similarities in his game to Dirk Nowitzki he will be able to still score at an elite level due to his flawless almost impossible to contest jump shot. Durant is by no way injury prone since this is his first major injury in recent memory. Look for Durant at age 31 to still be playing at the peak of his career which might not reach an end until his late 30s.
5. Paul George AGE IN 5 YEARS: 29
Paul George is only 24 right now and after seeing him the little bit of time that he has been back from his scary injury this past summer it is clear that he will be back at an elite level soon. With George being so young this shows that he still has time to develop the weak parts of his game. He has already played at some of the biggest stages in the NBA in the Eastern Conference finals and has even gone head to head with LeBron who is considered the best player currently. In 5 years look for Paul George to be 29 and at the peak of his career. Age, skill level, and experience at such an early age easily earn him the 5th spot on this list.
4. James Harden AGE IN 5 YEARS: 30
Well, according to this list the Thunder made a pretty big mistake trading away Harden over the rest of their players. Harden is already in the MVP conversation this year and will most likely be one of the best players in the NBA for years to come. The lack of defense is an eye opener, but he has worked extremely hard to improve over the past year, but none of that honestly matters with his knack for scoring. Harden not only can shoot from anywhere on the court, but can draw a foul and get to the line better than anyone in the entire NBA. His uncanny ability to get to the line for free throws will allow for longevity in his career that other players may not benefit from. Harden even at age 30 will be one of the league’s best scorers and allow for him to still at that age earn the right to be called the 4th best player in the NBA.
3. Stephen Curry AGE IN 5 YEARS: 32
Stephen Curry just like Harden is in the running for MVP this season, but MVP or not Curry is and will be one of if not the best shooters of all time. His ability to shoot the three at an unbelievable rate combined with the fact that he is one of the top playmakers and the leader of the best team in basketball makes him a no brainer for this list. Yes, age 32 is one of the oldest people on this list, but Curry’s game also probably involves the least amount of ware and tare of any of the players on this list. The fact that he is able to rest and play only around 30 minutes a game due to his team’s success really helps too. At age 32 look for Curry to still be blowing people’s minds from the 3 point line and expect him to be the best point guard and one of the best leaders in the NBA.
2. DeMarcus Cousins AGE IN 5 YEARS: 29
Surprise, Surprise, a center is number 2 on the list even though the NBA is supposedly becoming a guards league. Cousins is already the best center in the NBA, and for people that don’t realize that already, I say that they need to watch more King’s games. The fact that Cousins is almost the last hope of a dying breed of big men in the NBA along with the fact that this makes him even more of a dominate force down low due to this lack of legit competition at his position allows for no argument that he shouldn’t be in the 2nd spot on this list. Cousin’s size will allow him to almost dominate similarly to the way Shaq dominated when he came into the league. In 5 years Cousins will only be 29 and that is still a solid age even for a big center, so look for him to be one of the best two players in this league come 5 years from now.
1. Anthony Davis AGE IN 5 YEARS: 27
Was it really ever in question who would be 1st on this list? Davis is already so dominate at only 22 years of age people already bring up the question of who would you rather have if your building a franchise between himself and the top players in the league currently. Anthony Davis is the real deal and after dealing with some slight injury problems his first couple years he has bounced back to show that he deserves all the hype that came with him out of Kentucky. The scary thing is that Davis is only 22 and in 5 years will only be 27, which means that if this list were to become a list of top 25 players 10 years from now I’m pretty confident in saying that Davis at only 32 years of age could still crack the top 10 on that list. People always say to enjoy something while it last, well in that case NBA fans you have over a decade to watch Anthony Davis and enjoy his amazing talent as he puts his mark on the NBA.
The 5th Quarter 
Great article, thanks.
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