Trust me, a LOT can change in five years. Five years ago from today, the Bucks were the NBA champions, Joel Embiid and Chris Paul finished top 5 in MVP voting, and Ben Simmons nearly won Defensive Player of the Year.
So most likely, trying to predict the top 10 players in the NBA five years from now is going to age very poorly, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.
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10) Jayson Tatum
Tatum will (somehow) be 33 years old in 2031; even if his athleticism slows down following his Achilles injury, his length, playmaking, shot creation, and defensive IQ won’t.
9) Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton feels like a riskier bet than Tatum, due to how much of his game relies on fast-paced offense and quickness off the dribble. But just like Tatum, Hali’s IQ, shot-making, and pick-and-roll playmaking will take him far – and hopefully at some point, back to the NBA Finals.
8) Luka Doncic
Luka has never had to rely on foot speed to dominate offensively – don’t overthink this one; at 32 Luka will still be one of the best offensive orchestrators the sport has ever seen. He’ll just have a few more 30-point triple-doubles under his belt.
7) Cade Cunningham
I’m giving Cade the edge over Luka because he’ll be two years younger with a significant edge defensively. I also think Cade will reach a new level if/ when Detroit can surround him with more offensive talent; another scorer one the wing would allow Cade to play more off-ball and not be forced to shoulder the entire offensive load.
6) Anthony Edwards
Will Ant ever put it all together? Truthfully, I’m not convinced. He obviously has all the talent in the world and is already a top 5–10 player in the league, but he still has too many defensive lapses and occasional poor performances for me to be confident he’ll reach a true MVP level. Regardless, he’ll absolutely remain in the top 10 conversation for the next half-decade.
5) AJ Dybantsa
One of the players in the 2026 Draft class will be on this list – the question is just which one (or two (or three)). As big a fan of Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, and Caleb Wilson as I am, I’m putting my chips into the 6’9 wing Dybantsa, due to his unique combination of athletic gifts and scoring skillset – his footwork, shot-making, and handle at that size are arguably already as advanced as any prospect ever.
4) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Will Shai’s streak of 20+ point regular season games end by 2031? Maybe, but no reason to believe his game will be any worse. If anything, don’t be surprised if Shai takes the Kobe route and begins developing a low-post game as he enters his 30s to take some wear off his body and get even more easy buckets.
3) Nikola Jokic
The only concern I have about Jokic entering his 30s (he’ll be 36 in five years) is his durability. He’s already missed as many games this season as he has the last three seasons combined, and he carries a lot of weight to be putting pressure on his lower body/joints. Offensively though, he’ll continue to be arguably the greatest talent ever on that side of the ball.
2) Cooper Flagg
Flagg has been everything the Mavs could’ve wanted as a rookie and more, and, again, he’s still only going to be 24 in five years. 20/7/4 with two stocks per game, and the jumper isn’t even falling at a high level yet; Flagg will be one of the best all-around players in the game sooner rather than later.
1) Victor Wembanyama
I’m too scared thinking about what a 27-year-old Wemby is going to look like to write anything here. Brace yourselves, people.
Explore more from Drew. Click here for his opinion on ‘David Stern’s leadership’.
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