Five NBA rookies to watch this season: Zach Edey, Bronny James and more

CNN
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It’s that time again.

At the end of June, 58 young basketball players were drafted into the NBA. They’ve met their new teammates, competed in Summer League and now await their official NBA regular season debut after playing a few preseason games.

While this year’s NBA Draft may have lacked the standout superstar that most draft classes are blessed with, there are still a number of extremely talented prospects to watch out for this season.

Here are five NBA rookie storylines to keep an eye on in 2024-25.

The first thing you notice about Canadian rookie Zach Edey is his impressive size: 7 feet 4 inches and 305 pounds.

The 22-year-old finished his Purdue career with two dominant seasons, leading his team to the 2024 NCAA Men’s Championship Game, where they lost 75-60 to UConn. Edey is also a two-time Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year – only the third men’s player to win the award twice.

It may surprise some that Edey was considered by many to be an undrafted free agent after his junior year – in which he averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

There were doubts as to whether his style of play would translate to the professional game, as he would not receive the same amount of touches as he did in college, and there were doubts about his mobility against elite big men in the NBA’s faster pace.

Edey chose to return to Purdue for his senior season, where he posted dominant stats across the board – 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. After nearly leading Purdue to NCAA glory, the doubters cleared up and he was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the ninth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The doubts about his ability to adapt to the highest level already seem misplaced: He scored 23 points, nine rebounds and one assist in his final preseason game against the Indiana Pacers, beating two-time NBA blocks leader Myles Turner took over.

Edey will play alongside the electrifying Ja Morant, whose explosive speed and playmaking ability will certainly provide Edey with great opportunities in the team.

If the Canadian can maintain the consistency he showed at Purdue, the Grizzlies are sure to be an exciting player to watch this season.

Former Duke guard Jared McCain, one of the most high-profile rookies to enter the league this season, has become a social media sensation due to his larger-than-life personality.

A viral content creator with nearly four million followers on TikTok, McCain has gained a huge following with his dance routines and also playfully defends himself against any criticism he’s received for wearing nail polish in games.

None of this matters in court.

McCain is a tough combo guard and a prolific three-point shooter who knocked down 41.4% of his attempts from distance against Duke in the 2023-24 season. He has a knack for excelling in big moments and doesn’t shy away from responsibility.

He became the first Duke freshman to score more than 30 points in multiple games in a single NCAA Tournament, while also tying the tournament record set by Duke legend and two-time All-Star Zion Williamson in 2024.

Comparisons have been drawn with new teammate Tyrese Maxey, who also combines a positive and carefree attitude to life off the field with an undeniable work ethic.

McCain will likely fill in for Maxey early in the season, but he has already shown signs of being able to impact games when the starters are rested, scoring 20 points against the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics early in the preseason.

The 16th overall pick joins a very strong Philadelphia 76ers roster that includes former NBA MVP Joel Embiid and eight-time All-Star Paul George in the offseason.

If McCain can find a way to contribute regularly off the bench, he could play a key role in the Sixers finally making it out of the Eastern Conference Finals.

One word comes up again and again when describing 19-year-old Rob Dillingham: shady.

The North Carolina native has one of the deepest offensive arsenals in the NBA draft pool and has been wowing basketball fans for years after making his league debut with G-League Team Ignite after opting to skip his senior year of high school to go professional play before transferring to Kentucky.

During the 2023-24 season, the 6-foot-1-inch guard averaged 15.2 points per game off the bench for the Wildcats and his performances earned him the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

He was originally drafted by the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he will team with Team USA gold medalist and budding superstar Anthony Edwards.

Dillingham delights fans with his unpredictable style of play. His array of hesitations, spin moves and jump shots are sure to throw Minnesota fans off their feet.

His playing time may be somewhat limited given the strength of Minnesota’s roster, but his offensive talent means he can be inserted into games and help lighten the scoring load when asked.

Like McCain, Dillingham could play an important role as the season progresses, scoring goals off the bench.

An argument can be made that the UConn guard is the most prepared prospect in the rookie class.

He plays with a ferocious intensity that rubs off on his teammates, and he’s productive on both ends of the court.

The guard averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his only year at UConn, was named Big East Freshman of the Year and scored 15 points in the Huskies’ national title win over Purdue.

In addition to his defense, his playmaking is one of his greatest strengths.

There’s probably no better situation for a young guard than the San Antonio locker room, where he’ll play alongside 2024 Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, future Hall of Famer Chris Paul and NBA coaching legend Gregg Popovich.

Castle can make an immediate impact and has defensive strength and playmaking ability that complements Wembanyama’s stratospheric potential.

Spurs will be looking to improve their record in the Frenchman’s second season and Castle will certainly play a big part in that.

Castle will likely be a starter from game one while learning from two of the best minds in the business – Paul and Coach Pop. Castle’s entry into the NBA is a position most young guards can only dream of.

Bronny James comes into the NBA as one of the most scrutinized second-round picks of all time.

This is because his father is four-time MVP and NBA champion LeBron James, as well as the league’s all-time leading scorer.

LeBron and Bronny are the first father-son duo in NBA history to be teammates and are expected to be the first father and son to take the court at the same time during the regular season.

Even though his father is the face of the NBA, things haven’t been smooth sailing for Bronny since he graduated high school.

In July 2023, James collapsed during basketball practice at the University of Southern California after suffering cardiac arrest caused by a congenital heart defect, an abnormality within the heart’s structure.

Fortunately, the illness was treated and he returned to playing later in the season.

As a guard at USC, James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 19.3 minutes in 25 appearances for the Trojans last season as he recovered.

The lack of production and experience at the college level has led many to question whether the 20-year-old is ready for the NBA. However, since the Lakers selected him with the 55th pick, they weren’t taking a huge risk on their future with his selection.

Not many people expect him to reach the heights of his father, but James will likely play a role in the NBA by shooting quick threes and playing good defense. Even a 17-point result in his preseason finale against the Golden State Warriors won’t hurt his chances.

It remains to be seen what role Bronny will play under rookie head coach JJ Redick – who co-hosted a podcast with LeBron last season before joining the Lakers.

Bronny will likely play a significant amount of time for the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

After signing Bronny to a four-year rookie contract with the first two years guaranteed, the Lakers view Bronny as a long-term project.

While playing time may be limited, you can expect all eyes to be on the Lakers when LeBron and Bronny finally share their historic moment on the court together.