NBA Rookie Ladder: The Top 10 Rookies This Season

Joel Piton
2 hours ago
8 min read

by Joel Piton

Sportz Nation - 4/14/2026

The 2025 draft class came into the NBA with some serious hype and the massive expectation to exceed the group before it—it's safe to say this crop of first-year players are doing just that. From polished scorers to pure shooters and defensive pests, this class has already produced a handful of young talents who look more than capable of becoming long term prospects. More importantly, these rookies have given fans a real reason to believe in the future. Fifty point games, game winning shots, these are the players carrying the torch for the 2025 draft class and making it look stronger by the day. With All-Rookie honors approaching, it is time to take a closer look at the first and second team locks who have already made this class one of the most promising ones in basketball.

All-Rookie First Team

Jeremiah Fears (G) — New Orleans Pelicans

2025-26 Stats: 14.3 PPG · 3.7 RPG · 3.4 APG · 43.4% FG

Jeremiah Fears is has establishing himself as one of the premier young guards in the league. To close out the regular season, he put up 40 points against the Utah Jazz, setting the Pelicans franchise record for most points scored in a game by a rookie, as well as the record for youngest guard to score forty points in an NBA game. Who's the only other rookie to score forty this season? None other than perennial number one overall pick Cooper Flagg. Despite the Pelicans struggles, Fears stepped into a massive role with Dejounte Murray sidelined, essentially taking over primary scoring and playmaking duties. He delivers in the clutch, has raw scoring outbursts, and has just looked NBA ready from day one.

VJ Edgecombe (G) — Philadelphia 76ers

2025-26 Stats: 16.0 PPG · 5.6 RPG · 4.2 APG · 43.8% FG

VJ Edgecombe’s rookie campaign has been a masterclass in high-motor play, and it all started with one of the most historic NBA debuts the game has ever seen. Among rookies, Edgecombe sits third in points with 1,200, second in assists, and fifth in rebounds (as a 6'4" guard). Edgecombe has also played the most games for the 76ers this season with 74. With a near forty inch vertical leap, a quick trigger from beyond the arc, and the confidence to finish on anyone standing in his way, VJ could be a seriously problem in the Eastern Conference and maybe even Philly's centerpiece. A tactical scorer who continues to refine his game, VJ's ceiling could be higher than what any of us think it to be right now.

Kon Knueppel (F/G) — Charlotte Hornets

2025-26 Stats: 18.5 PPG · 5.3 RPG · 3.4 APG · 47.5% FG

It should shock no one that Kon Knueppel is the front-runner for ROY over his former collegiate teammate. Kon leads all rookies in points as well as three pointers (the runner up would need to make over 120 threes to catch him), but his impact from long range goes so much deeper. Knueppel actually shattered the previous record for most three-pointers made by a rookie (formerly held by Keegan Murray at 206), currently sitting at 270 made threes, a number so high it actually exceeds the single-season career high of Hall-of-Famer Ray Allen (269). He is the youngest player in NBA history to reach 250 made three-pointers in a single season and he joined Stephen Curry and Larry Bird as the only rookies in NBA history to record 1,000+ points, 300+ rebounds, and 200+ assists while shooting over 40% from three-point range. He also currently ranks 11th overall in the NBA in offensive net points, wedged between guys like Anthony Edwards and Brunson. Statistically speaking, Knueppel is, quite simply—a star.

Cooper Flagg (F) — Dallas Mavericks

2025-26 Stats: 21.0 PPG · 6.7 RPG · 4.5 APG · 46.8% FG

For a guy as highly touted as Cooper Flagg was, he's answered the call. Flagg is second among rookies in scoring, first in assists, third in rebounds, fourth in blocks, and third in steals as an all-around stat sheet stuffer. The Mavericks literally put the franchise on his shoulders and he sits in the Top 20 for usage rate league-wide. Flagg scored 51 points against the Magic, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 in a game, surpassing LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He then proceeded to drop 45 points on the Lakers, and his 96 points over two games is the most by any NBA rookie since Wilt Chamberlain. In February, he became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to post 30+ points and 5+ rebounds in four consecutive outings. As an 18-19 year old kid, Flagg is on pace to finish the season leading his team in every major statistical category, something only MVP caliber players typically do.

Ace Bailey (F) — Utah Jazz

2025-26 Stats: 13.8 PPG · 4.2 RPG · 1.8 APG · 44.3% FG

Ace Bailey has had a season of two halves, but his trajectory is currently pointed straight up. Since the All-Star break, he has transformed from a promising lottery pick into a primary offensive engine, averaging 19 points per game, 2 rebounds and 4 assists and making a late-season surge into the top 5 of the NBA’s Rookie Ladder. He currently ranks 7th among all rookies in scoring but led all first-year players in PPG during the month of March. He's also only the fifth rookie in Utah Jazz history to score multiple thirty point games. Flagg and Knueppel can get buckets, there's no doubt about that, but Ace emerged as the best "pure scorer" in the draft and he's been showing that he's exactly that. His defense is no slouch either, and with a 7'1" wingspan, he's the only small forward in this class to record a 5-block game this season. In general, I think his impact goes well past the box score.

All-Rookie Second Team

Dylan Harper (G) — San Antonio Spurs

2025-26 Stats: 11.8 PPG · 3.4 RPG · 3.9 APG · 50.5% FG

Harper can't really score at the volume of his draft peers just yet, largely in part to him trying to fit into the Spurs backcourt puzzle. Still, he's become a high value role-player for the second winningest team in the NBA as a rookie due to his ability to dominate games in a condensed role off the bench. It's a tough bet between Harper and Ace Bailey, and I think Harper could potentially make the All-Rookie First Team when it's all said in done simply due to his efficiency; shooting over 50% from the field as a rookie guard is incredibly rare. Over the final 35 games of the season, Harper recorded a 64.6% eFG%. This is the highest effective field goal percentage by a rookie guard in NBA history (minimum 7 attempts per game), surpassing marks set by absolute legends. Harper's shot IQ is clearly higher than any other rookie this year.

Will Riley (F) — Washington Wizards

2025-26 Stats: 10.3 PPG · 2.9 RPG · 2.0 APG · 43.9% FG

Will Riley’s rookie season has been a slow burn that slowly turned into wildfire. While he spent the early months of the season as a catch and shoot no one paid much attention to, he's caught fire since the All-Star break and has legitimately been a top 5 rookie if you're looking at February to now. Will Riley ranks 2nd among all rookies in total points scored since February 1st (310 points), trailing only Kon Knueppel. He also became the first Wizards rookie since Calbert Cheaney in February 1994 to record consecutive 30-point games, and at just 19, he is one of only three players his age to record a 5-steal, 30-point game. Insane. This kid is also just about as versatile as they come, recording games with elite playmaking, defense and rebounding. In a redraft, Riley just might go top ten.

Maxime Raynaud (F) — Sacramento Kings

2025-26 Stats: 12.5 PPG · 7.5 RPG · 1.4 APG · 57.1% FG

Raynaud has been a solid outlier for the Kings. While Sacramento has weathered a difficult 22–59 campaign with the loss of Domantas Sabonis and LaVine to injury, Raynaud has emerged as the most productive second-round pick in the Western Conference. He's putting up 12 and 7 on 56%: for context, the last second rounder to match those numbers was Marc Gasol in 2008. Raynaud is the 6th rookie in NBA history to average 12+ PPG and 7+ RPG while shooting 55% or better. The other five? Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Deandre Ayton, Buck Williams, and Jeff Ruland. He's also leading all rookies in double-doubles this season due in large part to his relentless motor on the offensive glass. Maxime was touted as a stretch four and not much else coming out of Stanford—it's safe to say everyone was wrong, he's proven capable of so much more.

Derik Queen (C) — New Orleans Pelicans

2025-26 Stats: 11.7 PPG · 7.1 RPG · 3.7 APG · 47.3% FG

At times, Queen looks like a mini-Jokic, getting praise from the Joker himself. Despite being labeled undersized at the center position, he has utilized his elite basketball IQ and playmaking to prove that the Pelicans got a lottery-level steal with the 13th overall pick. He is one of only two 2025 draftees (along with Jahmai Mashack) to record a triple-double this season, and is the only rookie to record two. He also joined an elite list of only five rookies in the last 20+ years to post a 30-point triple-double, joining Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, Blake Griffin, and Austin Reaves. Queen was also the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead a single game in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks simultaneously. In terms of pure Skill and versatility, Derik Queen ranks Top 3 in this class. The Pelicans were heavily criticized for the trade that brought him to New Orleans, but his season has turned that narrative on its head.

Ryan Kalkbrenner (C) — Charlotte Hornets

2025-26 Stats: 7.6 PPG · 5.5 RPG · 1.5 BPG · 75.3% FG

If you haven't given Ryan Kalkbrenner's game a glance, you're missing out. While he doesn't have the high-volume scoring of a Jeremiah Fears or VJ Edgecombe, he's arguably provided the most mistake-free basketball of any rookie in the 2025–26 class. Kalkbrenner’s 74.9% is the highest field goal percentage ever recorded by a rookie (minimum 250 attempts) in NBA history; he effectively broke the record previously held by bigs like Mitchell Robinson and Dereck Lively II. And this kid has had numerous games where didn't miss at all—granted he scored through layups, but no other play has pulled off the efficiency. He's the first rookie in the tracking era to record 100+ blocks while shooting over 70% from the floor, and I think right now it's safe to say he's the number one "value pick" of the 2025 Draft.

No matter how you slice it, the 2025 rookie class has given basketball fans a lot to be excited about. From breakout scorers to underrated glue guys, this year’s first-year talent has some fascinating careers ahead. Of course, when it comes to building out the All-Rookie First and Second Teams, not everyone is going to agree on the order in light of the 65 game rule. That is where the debate gets good. Did these rankings match the way you see this year’s rookie race, or do you have a different group leading the pack?

The 2025-26 NBA season has been a wild ride, and playoffs are right around the corner 🚨 Can't keep up with the games? Be sure to stay tuned into Sportz Nation for your sports updates on all things basketball.

Thanks for reading!

-Joel Piton

(@jpiton7)