NBA: Ranking the top 20 rising stars under the age of 24 heading into 2024-25

5. Scottie Barnes

Age: 23

Scottie Barnes has evolved into one of the more polarizing young players in the league but through the first three seasons of his career, he's managed to improve every year and has emerged as the primary piece of a team build. That should tell you all you need to know about how his potential is viewed by the Toronto Raptors. As one of the most versatile young players in the league, Barnes' future is very bright. If he can continue to take another step forward in his development, there's a very good chance he ends up being a household name in the NBA sooner rather than later. This season will be a huge indication of that.

Now that Barnes has become the face of the Raptors, it'll be interesting to see how he's able to handle that over the course of an entire season. Those types of expectations can change a player, and sometimes for the better.

The secret is out; the Raptors view Barnes as their franchise cornerstone. Now it's time for him to make the complete jump to superstardom in the NBA. Can he do that?