Top 10 NBA Rookies to Watch This Season

The 2024 NBA draft class didn’t have the star potential of the 2023 class, nor will it likely match up to some of the big names of 2025.

But even still, some serious new talent is now part of the association, with plenty of names to watch.

Some playoff contenders will rely heavily on mid-round pick rookies, while some of the top lottery picks will try to propel their teams into playoff conversations for the upcoming season.

We’re going to take a look at some names worth keeping an eye on as they settle into their rookie seasons. Here are Heavy’s Top 10:

10. Bronny James, Los Angeles Lakers

2023-24 stats at USC:

4.8 points
2.8 rebounds
2.1 assists
0.8 steals
36.6% FG

Bronny James is not likely to see the court all that much during his debut season with the Lakers. But when you’re the son of and teammates with arguably the greatest player of all time, there will be a lot of attention on you. Bronny’s game still appeared a bit raw at times during the preseason, but he did show some flashes on the back-half. He won’t play long bursts of minutes on a contending Lakers team, but whenever he is on the court, it will be a must-see event.

9. Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers

2023-24 stats at Cal:

All-Pac-12
19.6 points
6.8 rebounds
3.5 assists
1.2 steals
46.5% FG
36% 3PT

Jaylon Tyson did not get a chance to showcase his talents in March Madness as his Cal team failed to qualify. But he proved his value as an All-Pac-12 first-teamer. He possessed strong ability to both rebound and score, and should fit in nicely as a wing with the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers. Tyson can spread the floor for Cleveland while bringing energy on both ends of the ball.

8. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

2023-24 stats at Baylor:

Big-12 All-Defense
All-Freshman
10.7 points
5.6 rebounds
1.5 blocks
61.4% FG

Who doesn’t love a big man that can be a big-time rim protector, and a solid rim-runner on the other end? Yves Missi wasn’t a hot commodity coming out of Baylor but will have a significant role off the New Orleans Pelicans bench. He was an All-Defensive selection, as well as an All-Freshman performer during his lone season with Baylor. Looking for a lob-threat that can replace the production Larry Nance Jr. gave the team last year? Look for Missi.

7. Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers

2023-24 stats at Duke:

NCAA All-Region
ACC All-Freshman
14.3 points
5.0 rebounds
1.9 assists
1.1 steals
46.2% FG
41.4% 3PT

Minutes may be tough to come by at first, but Jared McCain should have no problem getting on the floor with Philadelphia. He started vlogging about his early experiences in Philadelphia and had some playful banter with veteran Kyle Lowry.

McCain upped his draft stock with some stellar March Madness play and wound up being selected at No. 16. His ability to shoot should force head coach Nick Nurse to get him into the rotation before too long.

6. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers

2023-24 stats at Tennessee:

NCAA All-Region
Consensus All-American
SEC Player of the Year
21.7 points
4.9 rebounds
1.8 assists
45.8% FG
39.7% 3PT

Picked just one spot after Jared McCain, Dalton Knecht is looking to show people why he could be a star in the league. Earning one of the coolest nicknames in the league already, Knecht 4 should be locked in. He had a monster season with Tennessee, including being the SEC Player of the Year. With incredible scoring ability and being able to play both on and off ball, he’ll have no problem getting touches. He joins fellow Lakers rookie Bronny James on the list.

5. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

2023-24 stats at Purdue:

NCAA All-Tourney team
All-Region
Big-Ten Player of the Year
Big Ten Tournament MVP
John Wooden Award
25.2 points
12.2 rebounds
2.2 blocks
2.0 assists
62.3% FG

When you’re standing at 7-foot-4, there aren’t many things bigger than you. Zach Edey helped guide Purdue all the way to the title game a year ago. They fell short against mighty UConn, but that was no fault of the team’s giant.

The NBA will be a big adjustment for the big fella, as similarly tall guys in the past have struggled to adjust. Yao Ming, Shawn Bradley and Victor Wembanyama are a few examples of guys 7-foot-4 or taller who turned out to be dominant.

Playing in Memphis, there should be plenty of touches for him in the low-post. The future of the Canadian big man looks to be bright.

4. Donovan Clingan

2023-24 stats at UConn:

NCAA Champion
All-Region
All-Tourney team
13.0 points
7.4 rebounds
1.5 assists
2.5 blocks
63.9% FG

A one-year starter for the Huskies, Donovan Clingan made an instant impact. Two championships in two years is also pretty, pretty, pretty good. Landing in Portland, Clingan expects to play backup minutes behind former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton to start.

But with the team rebuilding, there should be plenty of opportunities for him. He can protect the rim extremely efficiently and finish lobs on the other side. Clingan’s value will only increase as his rookie season goes along.

3. Alex Sarr

2023-24 stats with the Perth Wildcats:

9.7 points
4.4 rebounds
0.5 steals
1.3 blocks
52% FG
29.8% 3PT

It won’t be instant domination for Alex Sarr, who had an 0-15 outing in Summer League. But the good news for the No. 2 overall pick is that there are some quality veteran bigs he can instantly learn the game from. Jonas Valanciunas, Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes all have experience in the league and can bring a lot of pointers to Sarr this season with the Wizards.

His rim protection should get him on the floor early while he looks to improve upon a 3-point shot that wasn’t all that great in the NBL.

Being the No. 2 pick will bring its own set of expectations. It remains to be seen if Sarr can live up to the expectations in his debut season, but he should get a lot of playing time on a rebuilding Wizards squad.

2. Reed Sheppard

2023-24 stats at Kentucky:

All-SEC
12.5 points
4.1 rebounds
4.5 assists
2.5 steals
53.6% FG
52.1% 3PT

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Reed Sheppard only averaged 12-4-4. Take a closer look at those percentages. He was a knockdown shooter at Kentucky, hitting over 52% of his 3s during his lone season for John Calipari.

He will be coming off the bench in Houston behind veteran Fred VanVleet and the up-and-coming Jalen Green, so playing big minutes might not be a regular thing. But the way Sheppard can get hot as a shooter will ensure he is on the floor for every game he’s healthy for. Watch for those scoring explosions.

1. Zaccharie Risacher

2023-24 stats with JL Bourg-en-Bresse:

EuroCup

13.1 points
3.6 rebounds
1.1 assists
0.8 steals
56.6% FG
56.1% 3PT

LNB Élite

10.1 points
3.8 rebounds
0.9 assists
43.9% FG
35.2% 3PT

When you’re the No. 1 pick in the draft, you will be the top player to watch. It’s just how it goes. There wasn’t all that much hype on Zaccharie Risacher, but he was taken with the top pick for a reason.

He is coming off the bench for the Hawks to begin 2024 but should be able to find his way into the starting lineup before too long. Sharing the floor at times with Trae Young will allow him to get a lot of easy baskets. His length on the wing is going to help him tremendously, making him a problem on the defensive end.

Learning from veteran head coach Quin Snyder and sharing the floor with veterans like Bogdan Bogdanovic and DeAndre Hunter should also allow for maximum learning for the Frenchman.

He will take over the league at some point. The Rookie of the Year race is pretty open, and the top pick will have plenty of moments to show us why he’s deserving of it.

Think other rookies might have been more deserving of making this list? Weigh in with your top 10 in the comments.

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