Power ranking the 17 most dynamic young cores in the NBA with the highest upside heading into the 2024-25 season.
The start of the 2024-25 NBA season is on the horizon and as we prepare for new storylines to emerge this year, it's only right to begin to look toward the future by digging deeper into some of the most talented young cores in the league.
In order to get some cohesion in ranking the league's best young cores, there was a bottom line that each team needed to meet in order to qualify for this list - and that was having at least three premier "young" core players with the potential for high upside on their roster. Also, to be considered part of a team's "young" core a player has to be 24 years old or younger. Let's get to the list.
17. Washington Wizards
Young core: Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington
The Washington Wizards young core has to be one that has the most question marks involved. However, at least on paper, there is a lot to like about the future of Washington. Even though there's no guarantee that any of these players will become stars in the future, the star potential is very much present with the likes of Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington. I wouldn't even put it past players like Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn Geroge to make huge strides in their games over the next few seasons.
In five years, could we look back at this core in disappointment? Absolutely. However, at the same time, we could look back at this offseason and think about how well the Wizards did to set up their future. This core certainly needs some developing, but there is plenty to like about Washington's future moving forward.