NBA: Power ranking the 17 most dynamic young cores with the highest upside

Who are the best young cores in the NBA heading into the 2024-25 season?

San Antonio Spurs v Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs v Dallas Mavericks | Ron Jenkins/GettyImages
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13. Memphis Grizzlies

Young core: Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, GG Jackson II, Vince Williams Jr.

Taking a year off the limelight this past season, for a myriad of reasons, it wasn't all just a lost year for the team. The Grizzlies gained some valuable developmental time for a few of the younger players on their roster. It wasn't ideal for Ja Morant to miss an entire season but it did help the Grizzlies get a bit more clarification on some of their young players. Specifically, there were two that showed great promise this past season for Memphis - GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr.

I'm not sure if either of these players is going to be considered foundational pieces for the Grizzlies this season, but there's a good chance their performance this past season will lead to opportunities this year. In addition, you can't talk about the Grizzlies' young core without mentioning Jaren Jackson Jr. who is still just 24 years old.

In addition, the Grizzlies also made a huge move at the 2024 NBA Draft in which they selected Zach Edey with their top 10 pick. With such an aggressive move for Edey, the expectation is that he's going to be the long-term answer for the team at the center position.