NBA franchises enjoy practicing patience with rookies entering their programs. If a rookie is talented enough to garner an immediate starting spot, they'll play, but teams don't mind allowing their rookies time to learn.
Bench roles are prominent for most rookies. You have your outliers like Cooper Flagg entering the league this year. He won't only be a starter in Dallas, but he'll be called upon to be a constant contributor. Flagg is an elite talent, and his team's circumstances demand immediate expectations.
Teams in win-now and tank mode are eager to see what they have in young players because these guys will shape their future. A rookie could help a win-now team, or he could prove his worth on a tanking team with unlimited opportunities. With those two factors in mind, these three players are on high alert because a rookie may take their starting spot for the betterment of the franchise.
1. Quentin Grimes
It's not a guarantee Quentin Grimes will be back with the Philadelphia 76ers, as he's yet to sign the dotted line late in the summer. Philly is his most likely landing spot, and he projects to be the starting off-guard if he remains with the organization.
Grimes is a shot-creating sniper who isn't in the worst defender in the league territory. The 76ers need his off-ball shooting in a lineup with Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and what remains of an all-time talent in Joel Embiid.
Philly needs Grimes' sharpshooting, but he took his enormous leap making plays off the bounce last season. The 76ers don't need more creation in a lineup with those three.
Add in that Grimes isn't a world beater defensively, and conversations are on the table. 2025 3rd overall pick VJ Edgecombe could theoretically fit better in the starting lineup in Philly.
Edgecombe is versatile and has a mean streak defensively. His goal isn't to enter the game to cook opposing defenses. Edgecombe wants to guard the opponent's best player, thrive in transition, and do what's asked of him in the half-court (spot-up shooting, slashing, crashing the glass, etc).
Grimes is a better basketball player today, but Philly has more stock in Edgecombe, as he was an early lottery pick. Franchise politics aside, Edgecomb may be the better fit next to the 76ers' star trio due to his defense-first archetype.
2. CJ McCollum
The Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers are on different ends of the contenders' spectrum. Washington is at the beginning of their process, while Philly needs to complete theirs immediately.
Washington isn't aiming to win an NBA championship, and that could spell 6th man for CJ McCollum. McCollum is one of the game's best non-All-Star players — he's averaged at least 20 points for 10 straight seasons.
McCollum's unreal consistency may take a backseat to player development. Besides Tre Johnson, who Washington took with the 6th overall pick, Washington also needs to develop Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George (is he a guard?). With these young players on the roster, their growth could take priority over CJ McCollum's impressive scoring streak.
Carrington will more than likely start opening night, but Johnson and George are unknowns. We'll stick with Johnson here since he's a rookie who has a shot to steal McCollum's thunder.
The two guards also have similar games with a score-first approach. Even if Johnson does come off the bench, he can learn a lot from being around McCollum. As a constant professional and professional bucket-getter, Johnson is in good hands with McCollum as his vet if CJ is open to teaching.
3. Norman Powell
The Miami Heat's major acquisition this offseason was Norman Powell, and now I'm telling you he's in line to lose his starting spot. What's that about?
Fit is the theme here. Powell and Tyler Herro will be a set on fire backcourt. They'll either set opponents to blaze or they'll be cooked themselves on the other end (both are likely). Neither Powell nor Herro is a great defender, and both want to put the ball in the cup before swinging it.
That backcourt is semi-redundant to an extent, but Powell has proven he can thrive off the ball. That said, he isn't a floor general. Neither is Herro, but he's grown in that regard and is a pillar piece for the Heat.
Pillar pieces for Miami haven't been easy to come by, and maybe Kasparas Jakučionis will be included. Jakučionis is more of a point guard than any Heat guard.
The turnovers and efficiency were question marks in his lone season at Illinois. Those concerns could be mitigated as he won't be tasked with being the best player on his team.
Jakučionis is a young pass-first guard; the Heat haven't had a player who fits that mold in the 2020s. He's worse than Powell or Herro as a perimeter defender at the moment, but boy, could his table-setting ways benefit Miami. The Heat haven't had a top 20 offense in three years, and a lack of a table setter is partially to blame.
If everything goes perfectly in terms of Jakučionis' development, who could push Norm to a 6th man role where Powell could check in and shoot unlimited shots.