For the better part of the last decade, the NBA was headlined by three names: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. From 2010 to 2021, the NBA Finals included at least one (and all three in the case of 2017 and 2018) of these household names. The three players have a combined seven regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) and seven NBA Finals MVP awards.
However, during the last few seasons, young NBA stars such as the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, and the Oklahoma City Thunders’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) have taken over the conversation as the current best players in the league, as both Antetokounmpo and Jokic have multiple regular season MVPs and a Finals MVP while SGA is poised to win his first regular season MVP this campaign. Not only have those players taken the league by storm, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are seen as the top players for the defending World Champion Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic is seen as a top three player in the league.
Anthony Edwards for the Minnesota TimberWolves also had his breakout season last year, bringing the T-Wolves to the Western Conference Finals, against Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, for the first time in two decades while Victor Wembanyama is seen as a generational prospect who will someday bring the San Antonio Spurs back to their glory days of the 2000s, and Ja Morant is viewed as maybe the best highlight in the league for the Memphis Grizzlies.
All of these stars are 30-years-old or younger, and with James, Curry, and Durant all over the age of 35, the NBA is looking for a new Face of the League. It got us (Brandon and Josh) thinking about where these stars’ careers will be five years from now, so we decided to break down where each of these players will be in the association in half a decade.
Editor’s Note: All ages are in parenthesis
Brandon: When “The Greek Freak” won NBA Finals MVP during the 2020-2021 season with a decisive 50-point game in Game 6 of that year’s NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, he was viewed as the universal best player in the sport, and with a Bucks team that was loaded, and Antetokounmpo playing at his peak, the Bucks looked like they could become a dynasty. However, since becoming an NBA Champion, the team has been bounced in the second round and eliminated in the first round in back-to-back years. Some of the teams’ lack of success in the seasons that followed the championship has to do with Antetokounmpo’s health, as he has only played in 12 of the teams’ 20 playoff games, including only three of the last nine. However, players like Jokic, Tatum, SGA, and Doncic have seemingly passed Antetokounmpo by, as he isn’t even viewed currently as the best player in his own conference by some.
If he stays in Milwaukee, he’s likely to be viewed as a guy who was expected to be a generational player, yet didn’t have the accomplishments of the likes of James, Curry, and Durant. However, I predict he will win more championships, just not in the state of Wisconsin, as he will join a big market (New York, Golden State, or Los Angeles) sometime within the next half decade, win more championships, get on television more, and restore his image as one of the all-time greats. I also predict his outshot shot (including his 3-pointer) will improve because as good as his inside game is, the “build a wall” narrative around him still exists.
Josh: After coming back from down 2-0 to defeat the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals, capped off by a dominant 50-point performance in Game 6 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, it certainly felt like Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were going to stay on top of the NBA. However, that hasn’t been the case, as the team has come up short in their bid to get back there, as they’ve gotten bounced by the Boston Celtics (2022, second round), Miami Heat (2023, first round), and Indiana Pacers (2024, first round).
When the Bucks made their run to the championship in ‘21, Antetokounmpo was able to stay healthy and play throughout the playoffs, but that hasn’t been the case in the following years, as he’s had to deal with a variety of injuries that have robbed him, as well as the Bucks, of a chance to get back into title contention. Despite Jrue Holiday being a big part of Milwaukee’s success, the Bucks still decided to make a franchise altering trade, as they acquired Damian Lillard and sent Holiday to Portland (who then sent him to the Celtics). This move was made partially because the Bucks wanted to get more firepower alongside Antetokounmpo but also because Milwaukee wanted to show “The Greek Freak” that they’re willing to make big moves in order to convince him to stay rather than go to a team like the Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, or maybe even the Rockets to win another championship or two.
But the biggest problem that Antetokounmpo is facing right now is he’s still chasing that same feeling from 2021 — the feeling of being on top of the basketball world, of carrying a franchise on his back and delivering in the biggest moments. Since that magical playoff run, everything has felt just a little off. Injuries have taken a toll not only on his body, but on the continuity and chemistry of the Bucks as a whole. And now, with Lillard aging and Khris Middleton no longer the same player he once was, questions are swirling about how much longer Milwaukee’s window to contend remains open.
Antetokounmpo has remained loyal — publicly reaffirming his commitment to Milwaukee on multiple occasions — but there’s an unspoken tension hanging over the franchise. Every early playoff exit brings more pressure, more whispers, more national media speculation. The Bucks made the big swing with the Lillard trade, but with limited draft capital and aging pieces, there may not be many more cards left to play.
Now, at 30-years-old and still in his prime, Antetokounmpo finds himself at a crossroads. He’s no longer the wide-eyed 21-year-old rising star. He’s a two-time regular season MVP, a Finals MVP, and one of the most dominant players of this generation, but legacies in the NBA are shaped by titles, and fair or not, one ring just isn’t enough in today’s NBA discourse.
So what comes next for the Bucks — and more importantly, for Antetokounmpo? Is Milwaukee willing to do whatever it takes to retool the roster again even if it means letting go of familiar faces? Or will “The Greek Freak” eventually feel that the only way to recapture glory is to leave the only NBA home he’s ever known?
Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: Until Antetokounmpo gets back to the NBA Finals, the hunger will remain, and if the Bucks can’t feed it, someone else surely will.
Brandon: “The Joker” is now entering LeBron James territory where he probably should win the MVP award every regular season. He’s just too good. The problem for Jokic is two-fold:
With that said, I think Jokic is the current undisputed best basketball player on the planet, and if he can continue to produce video game-like numbers and add to his regular season and postseason trophy cases, in five years, there is a chance he is viewed as the greatest big man in the history of the NBA.
Josh: Jokic is in a really interesting spot right now. He’s a three-time regular season MVP, including taking home the award this past season — though I personally believe SGA was more deserving. Nonetheless, he remains firmly in the conversation as one of the top players not just in the Western Conference, but in the entire league. Jokic’s trophy case is already starting to fill up, and yet, it feels like he still has to do more, especially in the postseason, to truly validate his spot at the top.
It’s really interesting that we’re talking about Antetokounmpo and Jokic back-to-back in this article because I believe they’re both in similar situations. Since winning their respective championships and Finals MVPs — Antetokounmpo in 2021 and Jokic in 2023 — neither has been able to make it back to the top of the mountain. Despite continuing to put up elite numbers and remaining dominant forces in the league, both stars have seen their teams fall short in the postseason. Whether it’s due to injuries, roster changes, or the growing competitiveness of their conferences, they’ve each faced obstacles that have kept them from reclaiming the throne. Now, with expectations as high as ever, the pressure is mounting — not just to stay relevant, but to prove that their title runs weren’t just one-time moments, but the foundation for dynasties that could’ve been.
Brandon: At 26-years-old, SGA is likely to win his first regular season MVP this year. He would be a little bit older than James (24), Derek Rose (22), Durant (25), Antetokounmpo (24), and Jokic (25) when they won their first (or only) MVP’s and the same age as Curry. SGA has had a meteoric rise to stardom, as his points and assists per game have increased almost every single year he’s been in the association and the same can be said for his teams. Since SGA entered the league as a member of the Clippers in 2018, the win totals for his teams by year have gone 48 (Clippers), 44, 22, 24, 40, 57 and 68. The problem for SGA is he’s going to have to win multiple championships to get himself in the conversation for best player in the world because he’s in the same conference of Jokic and Doncic, and unless SGA has as many or more championships as those two players, he will always be viewed as the third-best player out of the three, even if his team has more wins because of what Jokic and Doncic have already done in the postseason. In the next five years, however, he will be viewed as a Top 3 player in the sport, bar-none.
Josh: SGA should’ve won MVP last year, as he was a HUGE factor in the Oklahoma City Thunder catapulting themselves to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder ultimately fell to Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals, but you could see that SGA and OKC had arrived and are here to stay. Look at what the Thunder are doing this season. They finished 68-14, 15 games better than the second place Houston Rockets in the Western Conference.
If the Thunder can break through and win the championship this season, SGA won’t just be in the Top 3 in the West, he’d be Top 2 right alongside Jokic. However, if SGA continues the ascent he’s on right now, he’ll be No. 1 in the Western Conference, and he’s got a golden opportunity to become THE top player in ALL of the NBA despite playing in Oklahoma City, which is a relatively small market in the NBA.
Brandon: Jayson Tatum is a conundrum. He is viewed among the NBA Media as a Top 5 player, and his metrics back it up. The problem is the eye test does not. There’s no denying Tatum’s ability on both ends on the court, but he just has not shown that killer ability the greats have, and there are nights where his teammates outshine him. However, if Tatum does compete in his third Finals this year and more beyond, his legacy for those that just started to watch him play will grow. Five years down the line, it’s likely Tatum is viewed as a Top 5 player in the sport, with those who like him more than others trying to place him within the Top 3.
Josh: At this point, I don’t know what else Tatum has to do to convince my colleague Brandon that he is indeed already a Top 5 player in the NBA at this point. Alongside Brown, Tatum has guided the Celtics to two NBA Finals in four years (2022 and 2024), and he’s been in the MVP conversation over the last few seasons. Sure he hasn’t always shown that killer mentality, and there have been nights where his teammates have had to pick up the slack, but that’s just the nature of the NBA.
On April 8, in a crucial game between the Celtics and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, guess who hit the game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation?! It was Tatum! When the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics were tied 123-123 with 8.6 seconds left in overtime, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer? It was Tatum!
Brandon: Out of all the players on our list, Brown’s future is pretty clear. He’s going to be viewed as the 1B to Tatum in Boston, who on some nights outplays the former. His status won’t change much.
Josh: This narrative that Tatum and Brown have to be compared to each other and one has to be 1A and the other has to be 1B, as Brandon did, has got to stop! The Boston Celtics don’t become the perennial championship contender that they are if they don’t have both Tatum and Brown. Go back and watch the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown harassed Doncic on the defensive end of the court. Over the next half decade, Brown will win at least one Defensive Player of the Year award, and he, alongside Tatum, will propel the Celtics to two or three more championships.
Brandon: Doncic taking the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last year and then getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February changed his whole career trajectory. Now, because of the brand he’s built and because of the brand of the team he is on, his Superstar status has risen even further. He’s currently undeniably a Top 3 player, and if he can win a championship for the Lakers, he will be viewed right up there with Jokic as the best player in the NBA. In a half decade, we may be talking about Doncic as right behind Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the third best shooting guard ever and maybe even the third best Laker of all time behind Bryant and Magic Johnson. If Doncic (with or without James) wins the Lakers a championship (or multiple), he will be viewed as the new king of Los Angeles for basketball, and his popularity will only continue to rise. If he does not win a title for LA by 2030, it will be viewed as a disappointment.
Josh:
Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, where they lost to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors, and then just three years later, Doncic, alongside Kyrie Irving, led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Mavs fans and the city of Dallas embraced Doncic, and it seemed like his career was gonna play out like Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki, who spent his entire 21-year career in Dallas (1998-2019), which culminated in the Mavericks winning their first championship in franchise history in 2011. However, that rug got pulled out from underneath Doncic and Mavs fans in February when Doncic was sent to Hollywood to link up with James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now that he’s paired with James in Hollywood, Doncic is being thrust right into the spotlight. The Lakers are one of the most historic teams in the NBA, and if they don’t win a championship, the season is considered a failure. Since Doncic is a Laker, he’s got to try and follow in the footsteps of some of the greats like Bryant and Johnson, who each led LA to multiple championships during their time. Doncic has lofty expectations now that he’s with the Lakers, but if he can meet and/or exceed them, then he’ll be in a dog fight with SGA and Jokic for who’s the top player in the Western Conference.
Brandon: At 22-years-old last postseason, Anthony Edwards was oh so close to pulling a James 2007 Cavs and taking the Minnesota TimberWolves to the NBA Finals at such a young age. However, Doncic clipped Edwards in the Western Conference Finals, and Minnesota redid their roster in the offseason, sending Edwards’ running mate in Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks to signal to “Ant Man” that this is his team now. Edwards is on record that he does not want to be the Face of the League, though he certainly could be. He has some Jordan mentality in him, and he is so young. In the next five years, he’s not going to be lost in the spotlight, as once James, Curry, and Durant retire, he’s going to be in that group with Jayson Tatum (and Cooper Flagg?) as the best American-born NBA player.
I believe there’s too much competition out west for Ant to win Minnesota a title within the next half decade, but his game will only become more fun to watch.
Josh:
The 2024 Playoffs were a coming out party for “Ant Man”, as he led the Minnesota Timberwolves all the way to the Western Conference Finals. The biggest problem Edwards is facing right now is that he’s in same division as Jokic and SGA, plus he’s in the same conference as Doncic (who took out “Ant Man” in the Western Conference Finals last season), Morant (if he can get his off court antics under control), and the Rockets young studs.
The T-Wolves haven’t had a lot of star players in their history. In fact, I can only think of three: Kevin Garnett, Towns, and Edwards. Neither Garnett nor Towns delivered a championship to the Twin Cities, and it remains to be seen whether or not Edwards can do it.
As Brandon said, he’s on record saying that he does not want to be the Face of the League, which is very surprising to me because he is more than capable of carrying that responsibility. After reaching the Western Conference Finals this past season, which included taking out the then-defending champion Nuggets in the second round, Minnesota has shown that they are capable of making a deep run, but many of the top teams, as well as players, are in the West, so unfortunately, there might not be room for Edwards to break through. Nonetheless, he’s going to be in MVP discussions and be in the conversation alongside Doncic, SGA, and Jokic for who the top player is in the West.
Brandon: Morant may be the fun player to watch in the NBA. At 6’2, he can jump out of the building and is maybe one of the most athletic point guards in the history of the sport. Morant has carried the Grizzlies to great regular season records the last few years, but his off the field antics will prevent Morant from being totally marketable from a league prospective. In the next half decade, it’s likely Morant will be viewed the same way he is now: A talented player with off the court issues and not a ton of postseason success.
Josh: Morant has all the potential in the world, and alongside Jaren Jackson Jr, he’s helped turn the Memphis Grizzlies into a playoff contender. As Brandon said, Morant might be one of the most athletic point guards in NBA history, though I’d argue that Russel Westbrook would be No. 1 on that list, and if it weren’t for the injuries, Rose would at least be No. 2 on that list. Nonetheless though, I can’t simply erase all of the off-court issues that have followed Morant and so over the next half decade, Morant will be viewed as a player who could’ve turned into a true Superstar but wasted that opportunity.
Brandon: When you have a nickname before you enter the league, and when ESPN sends Brian Windhorst to France just to cover your reaction to the NBA Draft Lottery, you’re going to be a star. At 7’3 at only 21-years-old, “Wemby” is a unicorn who can quite literally do it all. He’s unguardable and his skillset at his height is something we have never seen. He also has the personality to be marketable and be viewed as a top player in the association. By 2030, he’ll be in the conversation with Doncic and Joker as the best player in the world, as the Lakers, Nuggets, and Spurs battle for Western Conference supremacy for years to come.
Josh:
The Spurs have a tremendous history with drafting international players. Look at what happened with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli. Furthermore, they’ve had great success when it comes to drafting big men at No. 1 overall. Look no further than both David Robinson and Tim Duncan. So that truly bodes well for “Wemby”, as he fits into both of those categories. He has a skillset that we haven’t seen yet, especially at 7’3 and only 21-years-old. I love the addition of De'Aaron Fox to go alongside him, but I think it’s a little early to say that the Spurs are going to battle the likes of the Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets, and Lakers for Western Conference supremacy. The potential is certainly there for the Spurs to enter that conversation but not quite yet.
Brandon: At 23-years-old Cunningham had his breakout year during this season, leading the Detroit Pistons back to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. He won’t be in the same eschalon as the other stars mentioned on our list, but he will be a really good player in five years, potentially cracking the Top 10.
Josh: Though we didn’t include him in the conversation mentioned above about star players who are under 30, I still want to include him as an honorable mention since the Detroit Pistons are in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. After being drafted No. 1 overall in 2021 out of Oklahoma State, Cade Cunningham has finally started to show why he was so highly touted coming out of college. Though his first couple seasons were marred by injuries and inconsistency, this year he’s been the heartbeat of a young Pistons squad that’s finally turned the corner.
His blend of size, vision, and poise has made him one of the more unique young guards in the league, and while he might not have the national spotlight just yet, his impact in Detroit has been undeniable. Averaging career highs across the board and leading the team in both scoring and assists, Cunningham has proven he can be the face of a franchise when healthy.
So while he might not be in the top tier just yet alongside guys like Doncic, Tatum, or Edwards, Cunningham’s rise has been one of the better under-the-radar stories of the season—and if the Pistons keep building around him the right way, this won’t be their last playoff run anytime soon.
