The 2024 NBA Draft was pilloried before any member of the class even took the floor in an NBA game. In the wake of the 2023 class headlined by Victor Wembanyama, the leading talking point on the 2024 group was the clear lack of star power at the top and, quite frankly, that focus was largely reasonable. There is not a traditional "superstar" prospect in the 2024 group and, for many, the conversation seems to stop there.
However, the 2024 class actually performed reasonably well on the whole in its rookie season, particularly from the standpoint of depth. Players like Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and No. 39 overall pick Jaylen Wells received high marks for their contributions, and Miami Heat big man Kel'el Ware ingratiated himself to the degree that he was widely perceived as totally unavailable in trade talks, even for star players, this summer.
Still, there is more work to be done for this group, and this space will focus on six players potentially primed for a second-year breakout, listed in the order in which they were drafted.
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Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks
As noted above, there was no clear No. 1 guy in the 2024 class, but it was Risacher who was selected with the top pick. For some, that meant that he was graded against the curve of previous No. 1 picks, and his 12.6 points per game didn't quite live up to that billing. With that said, a closer look was quite encouraging for Risacher, as he made 73 starts for a competitive team and really came on as the season went along. While still playing at 19 years old, Risacher averaged 14.9 points and shot 42.1 percent from 3-point range over the final 35 games of the 2024-25 campaign, and he also upped his 2-point shooting to above 60 percent. He probably won't average 20 points per game in his second season, which could lead some to discount his contributions based on his draft slot, but Risacher is in line for another step forward after clearly taking one during his rookie year.
Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
Unlike Risacher, Sarr didn't necessarily make a statistical jump during his rookie season. In fact, he finished the year with dismal 48.2 percent true shooting, which is remarkably rough for a big man. Sarr did show some intriguing signs on defense, though, and he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting despite the inefficiency. Sarr is in a better situation in 2025-26 from a team standpoint, and while Sarr's efficiency may not make a massive jump, he can bump things up from a production standpoint by being more judicious. Also, Sarr is in line for all the minutes he can handle in Washington with very little competition for playing time.
Ron Holland, Detroit Pistons
Holland occupied a tiny role for the playoff-bound Pistons last season, but he did flash the reasons why he was a lottery pick. Namely, Holland shot a blistering 68.5 percent on 2-point attempts after the All-Star break, showcasing his explosive athleticism and finishing upside. The Pistons did bring in Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson in the offseason, but Malik Beasley isn't walking through the door and Detroit is clearly invested in giving Holland more playing time. If the back half of his rookie year was any indication, a step forward is in the offing.
Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls
If one polled the key stakeholders in Chicago, it is possible that they would say Buzelis is the most important player on the roster. That may not be the case for winning games in 2025-26, but Buzelis is their most intriguing prospect at the moment. Part of that stems from a clear step forward during his rookie year. Buzelis played sparingly early in the season but, beginning on Feb. 1, he averaged 26.9 minutes per game and averaged 13.3 points on 49/37/81 shooting the rest of the way. It would be shocking if Buzelis did not play at least that much again in his sophomore season, and his full-season numbers will benefit.
Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers
McCain is kind of a cheat code for this list. On a per-game basis, McCain was the most effective rookie in the NBA last season, averaging 15.3 points and shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range. Unfortunately, his season ended after only 23 games and 592 minutes, leaving uncertainty for the next step. It is possible, or even likely, that McCain won't replicate those per-game numbers in his follow-up campaign, and Philadelphia does have Tyrese Maxey and a busy backcourt. Still, McCain showed enough in a quarter season to provide real intrigue for the future.
Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are in a different position than most teams represented on this list in that Cleveland is the consensus favorite to win the most games in the Eastern Conference. As such, the exposure to Tyson as the No. 20 pick may not be high, particularly given the presence of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. However, Tyson was already in line for more playing time after the exit of Ty Jerome, and Max Strus is already battling injury as the season approaches. Tyson projects to play a real role in Cleveland and, while it was only three starts, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game when in the starting lineup as a rookie. Tyson then looked the part of a "too good to be playing" guy at Summer League, and he is an unsung potential breakout candidate in 2025-26.