Unless you’ve been under a rock the past couple of months, as he singlehandedly took over Madison Square Garden en route to knocking off the Knicks, you know that Young is one of the best players under the age of 25 the NBA currently has to offer. Young is coming off his first playoff appearance, leading the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Young was drafted fifth overall by the Dallas Mavericks out of Olkahoma in 2018, then was immediately traded to the Hawks for Luka Dončić. It’s safe to say both teams are winning this trade so far.

Coming out of Duke in 2017, there was talk about Tatum potentially being the first or second pick in the draft. He would eventually be taken number three to the Boston Celtics, which has turned out to be a good situation. Tatum has already played in multiple conference finals series and has shown the potential to be a top-five player in the league soon.

Most people wouldn’t wish being drafted by the Sacramento Kings on their worst enemy, yet this is the fate that has befallen Mr. Fox. Despite the dysfunction within the organization Fox has been an amazing young player to watch during the first few years of his career. Fox posted a career-high 25.2 points per game last season. The future is bright for Fox, regardless of the franchise he plays for.

Porter, now playing in Denver for the Nuggets, may have the most upside of the bunch. Drafted 14th overall in 2018, Porter missed his rookie season due to a back injury. Since his return, he’s seen some ups and downs where his playing time is concerned. If he ever decides to pay as much attention to the defensive end of the floor as he does his offense, we could be looking at one of the next all-time great wing players in the league.

Trent has been used mostly as a rotational player thus far during his career. For the past couple of years, Trent spent his time as a key player off the bench for Portland. The Blazers traded Trent to Toronto this past season, where he went on to finish the season averaging just over 16 points per game for the Raptors. Trent has the talent and the pedigree to have a long and successful career in the NBA.

Giles hasn’t seen the same early individual success as some of his contemporaries, but the raw untapped potential he possesses is noticeable whenever he touches the floor. His 6-foot-11 size and athleticism should guarantee him a spot on a roster for quite some time. Giles looks to break into Portland’s regular rotation and clock more minutes moving forward.

Monk came into the league playing for Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets. In his first four seasons, Monk averaged just under 18 minutes per game, chipping in 9 points per contest. A change of scenery may do Monk well, as he signed with the Lakers in the offseason and looks to contribute to what they hope can be another championship season.

Playing in Orlando for the Magic, it has got to be tough to get noticed on a national level. Isaac has shown potential and progress in an increase of both points and minutes each of his first three years in the NBA. Standing 6-foot-11 and weighing 230 pounds, Isaac has the size and ability to be one of the better big men in the league at some point. He isn’t even near hitting his prime yet but he’s improving every year in Orlando.

Another Hornet from this group, Bridges has the athleticism to be one of the best high-flyers the NBA has seen in a long time. His dunking ability was on full display last season when he posterized Clint Capela for daring to try and stop him from getting to the rim. Bridges and LaMelo Ball should be quite the tandem in Charlotte for a long time.

Carter, a Duke product, was drafted seventh overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2018. The young big man has shown promise over his first four years in the league. Carter was part of a deal that sent him to the Orlando Magic last season where he finished strong averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Have you noticed a theme here yet? The Orlando Magic have a very young team. Another Magic player, Bamba is a 7-footer who has seen limited playing time in his first three years. Bamba has the size and range to be a top rebounder in the NBA, he just needs to put it all together now.

Vanderbilt may be the rawest most unpolished of this collection of young talent. He was drafted in 2018 by the Orlando Magic then traded to the Denver Nuggets that summer before ever playing in a regular-season game for Orlando. Vanderbilt played one year with the Nuggets and was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Vanderbilt had his best season so far during the 2020-21 campaign, playing in 64 games and starting 30 of them, logging close to 18 minutes apiece. Looks like Vanderbilt may have found a home in Minnesota.