10 NBA Players Who Could Become Stars This Season

Stardom in the NBA can be accomplished in a number of different ways.

It can come immediately from high-level prospects who dominated at the college or international level. For others, it takes more time, either through years of hard work or for the right opportunity to showcase one’s talent to come along.

The following players have yet to reach star status, although they’ve been knocking on its door for years now.

Either due to a change in teams, a larger projected workload, offseason growth and improvement or other factors, these 10 players could all make the leap to star status during the 2023-24 season.

Deandre Ayton, C, Portland Trail Blazers

A new situation could mean a new version of Deandre Ayton. He could become the leading scorer for a rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers team.

Talent has never been a question for Ayton, although motor, fit, role and motivation sure have been.

At 25 and heading into his sixth pro season, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft sure seems happy with his move out of Phoenix.

“I have accomplished a lot of things where my motor is not a question,” Ayton said at Trail Blazers media day. “No matter what it is, I play the best I can play. That’s why I told you guys this summer that I’ll be changing the narrative. I am with an organization that wants me and wants me to succeed. There’s a lot more passion when you feel that mentally and see the physically as well. It’ll be a lot more grit and a lot more domination this year.”

While Ayton may not make the 2024 All-Star game given the Trail Blazers’ projected lousy record, putting up 20-plus points, 12 rebounds and shooting 60 percent every night with good defensive effort should make us officially consider Ayton a star.

Scottie Barnes, F, Toronto Raptors

After winning Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, Scottie Barnes (along with the rest of the Toronto Raptors) was just OK in his sophomore season.

His passing did make a leap, with an assist rate jumping from 14.7 percent to 20.0 percent in Year 2. Going into Year 3, we could see even more of the ball in Barnes’ hands with Fred VanVleet now gone, only furthering his development and all-around game.

The re-signing of Jakob Poeltl means that Barnes will spend more time on the wing in two-big lineups with Pascal Siakam. The Raptors were at their best when Barnes was at small forward (plus-5.3 net rating) compared with power forward (plus-0.8). At 6’9″ and 240 pounds he’s versatile enough to guard a number of positions as well.

Barnes has reportedly improved his left hand, added muscle and included more running in his workouts to improve conditioning.

We could see a lot more point-Scottie this season, as the Raptors need him to become a star if they hope to jump back into the playoffs in 2024.

RJ Barrett, F, New York Knicks

RJ Barrett is either going to develop into a star for the New York Knicks or be traded for one, with this season perhaps being his last chance at the former.

There’s still reason to believe he can reach star status with the Knicks, of course.

Barrett just turned 23 this offseason and spent part of his summer playing for Canada in the FIBA World Cup, averaging 16.8 points including 23 against the United States.

His overall shooting efficiency needs to improve, as does his defensive play at times. Barrett showed some real nice flashes in the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, going on an eight-game postseason stretch where he averaged 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 38.0 percent from three.

With Jalen Brunson relieving some playmaking responsibility, Josh Hart taking on tough defensive assignments and now Donte DiVicenzo providing another spot-up three-point shooter to play next to, Barrett needs to keep things simple by focusing on his shot selection and making the right reads as a ball-handler.

There’s still star potential in Barrett, and this Knicks team will be good enough to bring it out of him.

Nic Claxton, C, Brooklyn Nets

Looking for a motivated, young player that could make a major leap this season?

Nic Claxton’s media day comments alone should have voters already penciling him in for an All-Defensive team.

“I went from being top three in the Defensive Player of the Year voting to, at the end of the season, nothing at all. When Kevin (Durant) and Kyrie (Irving) left, it was like my name just fell off the map,” Claxton said via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. “It makes my blood boil. I was obviously robbed of the All-Defensive team, not even saying Defensive Player of the Year. My numbers were amazing. I passed every eye test. I know you can say it was my first year doing it, but I held down the whole defense.”

Claxton has a point. He’s one of the better defensive centers in the league, held opponents to a stingy 52.3 percent shooting mark at the rim and swatted away 2.5 shots a game, second only to Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.

Add in career highs in points (12.6), rebounds (9.2), assists (1.9), steals (0.9) and field goal percentage (70.5 percent, an NBA-best) and Claxton truly had a breakout season.

Now on a Nets team that should be hungry to prove they can make the playoffs without half a season of Durant and Irving, Claxton could be in the running for DPOY while posting career-best numbers in all major categories yet again.

Jalen Green, SG, Houston Rockets

This is a huge year for Jalen Green, who increased his scoring to 22.1 points per game last season yet saw a drop in his overall efficiency for a bad Houston Rockets team that desperately needed point guard help.

Now with Fred VanVleet setting the table for others and providing the veteran presence in the backcourt this team needed, Green’s shot selection should improve, as will his passing given the influx of talent around him.

“He has the ability to make the right play,” head coach Ime Udoka said via ESPN’s Zach Lowe. “You don’t always see it on a young team where it’s your turn, my turn, and guys are taking poor shots at times. But when the level of talent is raised around him, he makes the right reads. Now there are no excuses. I’ve seen you do it.”

Green’s ideal shot selection was flipped in Year 2. His three-pointers and attempts at the rim were down from his rookie year, while his mid-range numbers were up. While a struggling Rockets’ offense was often bailed out by Green, the additions of VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and others should make this a more potent scoring attack.

We should continue to see Green’s numbers go up, although this time on a far-higher efficiency.

Tyler Herro, G, Miami Heat

It’s been a rough few months for Tyler Herro, starting with a broken hand while diving for a loose ball in Game 1 of the playoffs, and then fighting off the Damian Lillard trade rumors all summer.

Now with Lillard in Milwaukee and Herro still in Miami, the 23-year-old becomes more valuable than ever, something he didn’t get the feeling he was during those trade talks.

“I feel like I’m pretty damn valuable. I don’t know. I feel like I’m valuable as hell. At the end of the day, I’m going to show that this season and hopefully by the end of the season I’m going to be in the same boat as Bam,” Herro told Heat manager of basketball content Couper Moorehead.

With Gabe Vincent and Max Strus leaving in the summer, Miami will need Herro’s shot-making and passing abilities more than ever. Coming off a season where he averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and led the NBA with a 93.4 percent mark from the free-throw line, a motivated Herro should be in for an even bigger 2023-24.

Michael Porter Jr., F, Denver Nuggets

Porter was only the fourth-best player on the Nuggets last season, although that says far more about the talent on the roster rather than his own abilities.

While injuries have put a damper on the beginning of Porter’s career, talent has never been an issue.

The 25-year-old has only played in a total 190 games since high school, including a three-game stint at Missouri and missing his entire rookie season due to a back injury. This past year was the first time Porter was a full-time starter in a season where he played more than nine games.

The point here is that we shouldn’t consider Porter to be anywhere near his peak yet, even after he averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and shot 41.4 percent from three last season. He only got better as the year went on, bumping these numbers to 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and a 43.3 percent mark from three over the final 12 games of the Nuggets’ regular season.

Porter may get even more opportunity this year with Bruce Brown Jr. and Jeff Green gone, as he only averaged 29.0 minutes and 13.2 shot attempts per game last season. At 6’10” and with one of the cleanest-looking shots in the game, Porter can get a look off from anywhere at any time.

While Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray will deservedly get most of the headlines in Denver, let’s not forget what Porter can become with more experience and an even bigger role.

Devin Vassell, G/F, San Antonio Spurs

Devin Vassell has made one of the more unheralded rises of any player over the past two years, going from a 5.5 point-per-game scorer as a rookie off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs to putting up 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a primary starter last season.

He was recently rewarded with a five-year, $135 million contract that only projects to take up 15.6 percent of the Spurs’ cap space in 2028-19, a win for both sides.

While all eyes will be on Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio this season, Vassell’s development is also extremely important as the Spurs look to get back to contention as quickly as possible. No longer just a 3-and-D prospect, the 23-year-old can create for himself and others and has spent time at four different positions throughout his young career.

San Antonio has its franchise pillar and now faces the tough task of putting stars around him.

On a roster full of promising young players, Vassell may be the Spurs’ best hope.

Franz Wagner, F, Orlando Magic

Remember last summer when Lauri Markkanen rode the wave of hot play for his home country into the best season of his career? We could see a similar situation unfold for Wagner now.

Wagner was instrumental in helping Germany win its first FIBA World Cup, scoring 22 points against the United States in the semifinals before delivering 19 against Serbia in the final.

We saw a nice leap from Years 1 to 2 for Wagner, as he increased his scoring (15.2 points per game to 18.6), assist percentage (15.7 percent to 17.2 percent) and effective field goal percentage (51.7 percent to 54.3 percent). The 6’9″ forward is extremely skilled for his size and now has the experience of two NBA seasons and a FIBA World Cup championship to help fuel his jump to stardom.

While Paolo Banchero will remain the alpha on this ascending Magic team, Wagner is an important No. 2 with legitimate All-Star potential in the coming years.

Jalen Williams, F, Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an All-Star. Josh Giddey is on his way to becoming one. Chet Holmgren has the potential to be one of the best bigs in the NBA as well.

Jalen Williams may not be the first name that pops up when thinking of the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he’s got star potential written all over him as well.

Finishing second only to Paolo Banchero for Rookie of the Year, Williams put up 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 52.1/37.1/81.7 in his 62 starts. He was equally dangerous as a scorer and playmaker, and his 6’6″ frame allowed Williams to play and defend a number of positions.

Now with some added offseason muscle, Williams looks like a point forward for a Thunder team that features a number of plus-size ball-handlers.

As long as he gets his shot attempts on an ever-improving OKC team, Williams has all the tools to be a star as early as this season.