We knew the 2025 NBA Draft was stuffed with quality players, but little did we expect such immediate results from a wide spectrum of rookies. The headliners are all more or less meeting expectations, be it No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg dragging Dallas through a spoiled season, or Dwyane Wade incarnate VJ Edgecombe doing historic things in his Sixers debut.
But there is significant depth to this rookie class. Multiple second-round picks are contributing in veteran rotations. Mid-first round guys like Cedric Coward, Derik Queen and even Hugo González are playing meaningful roles for teams that are at least attempting to win games still. That depth will only expand in the months and years ahead as more deserving players get their shot.
The Rookie of the Year race is shaping up to be a real barn-burner. Gun to my head, Cooper Flagg still feels like the heavy favorite as he gets more comfortable in Dallas, but there is legitimate competition. And at this stage in the season in particular, the field is much wider than expected.
These Rookie of the Year rankings, however, are rooted in the present — focused on which rookies have impacted winning the most through the first month of the NBA season. This is not a definitive prediction of the distant future, but a living, evolving organism that is sure to metamorphize as the season progresses. Expect monthly updates.
That said, here are the 10 best rookies in the NBA so far.
Honorable mentions: Dylan Harper (hurt - SAS), Tre Johnson (WAS), Hugo González (BOS), Egor Dëmin (BKN), Walter Clayton Jr. (UTA)
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10. Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors
Stats: 20.8 MIN / 8.8 PTS / 3.9 REB / 1.2 AST / 0.8 STL / 0.6 BLK / .492 FG% / .500 3P%
Draft guru J. Kyle Mann aptly nicknamed Collin Murray-Boyles 'The Detonator,' a nickname that has held true so far. Toronto has gradually figured things out on defense, in no small part due to Murray-Boyles' impressive adaptability in the frontcourt. He's not going to shoot 50 percent on 3s all season, of course, but for a player who barely shot 3s in college, it's a notable development. He's taking 2.0 per game and hitting them. CMB is a strong finisher and connector on offense and he's already Toronto's most disruptive defender next to Scottie Barnes. The future is bright.
9. Sion James, Charlotte Hornets
Stats: 25.5 MIN / 8.3 PTS / 2.7 REB / 1.4 AST / 0.5 STL / 0.4 BLK / .545 FG% / .586 3P%
Sion James spent five years in college — four at Tulane, then his final season as the glue holding Duke's mega-talented, freshman-heavy roster together. It's only natural that he looks so poised and prepared at the next level. James is doing the small things to help Charlotte compete, scoring on bullish drives to the rim and leading the NBA in 3-point percentage through 11 games (six starts). The shooting numbers will invariably come back down to earth, but Jones' supplementary passing and off-ball scoring are just what the doctor ordered for the Hornets' flimsy wing depth.
8. Will Richard, Golden State Warriors
Stats: 18.1 MIN / 9.4 PTS / 2.2 REB / 1.5 AST / 1.1 STL / 0.0 BLK / .583 FG% / .441 3P%
The Golden State Warriors are predictably struggling against Father Time this season, but rookie Will Richard is a bright spot. Richard was integral to Florida's national championship run and he's bringing that same DNA to Golden State's motion offense, burying spot-up 3s, attacking with a purpose on straight-line drives, and making quick decisions in the flow of the offense. He's a malleable, NBA-ready defender too, generating consistent on-ball pressure and being a nuisance in passing lanes. Golden State appears to have found a long-term role player toward the end of the second round.
7. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
Stats: 26.4 MIN / 14.0 PTS / 2.8 REB / 3.1 AST / 1.5 STL / 0.0 BLK / .423 FG% / .317 3P%
Jeremiah Fears is so sick. Only 19 years old, he's well ahead of the curve offensively, slinking in the lane with a deadly first step and shifty, stop-start handles. The efficiency concerns of your typical high-usage rookie point guard persist, but Fears is generating constant rim pressure, whipping creative passes left and right. He's also much better defensively than expected. He's prone to lapses like any teenager at this level of competition, but Fears is creating turnovers and generating transition offense. A real bright spot in an otherwise dour Pelicans season.
6. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Stats: 21.5 MIN / 10.7 PTS / 5.6 REB / 2.1 AST / 1.1 STL / 0.5 BLK / .495 FG% / .111 3P%
New Orleans sacrificed their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to acquire Derik Queen, a decision that still feels absurd in hindsight. But Queen has done his best to ease the anxiety of the Pelicans fanbase. He's flashing star stuff, with a deep bag of tricks in the post and incredible passing chops for the center position. The 3s aren't falling yet, but Queen's shiftiness as a driver and his fluid maneuverings through space, at 6-foot-10 and 248 pounds, defy convention. It feels like the Pelicans have a future All-Star on their hands.
5. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Stats: 32.8 MIN / 15.1 PTS / 6.8 REB / 3.3 AST / 1.4 STL / 0.8 BLK / .421 FG% / .286 3P%
Cooper Flagg will undoubtedly rise up these rankings as the season progresses. Don't get it twisted, he is still the overwhelming favorite to take home this award. After a bumpy start, Flagg has stabilized nicely over his last few games. Dallas continues to fill his plate, asking Flagg to spearhead the offense (now in Anthony Davis' absence) while also carrying a significant defensive burden. Flagg underwent a similar arc at Duke. He struggled through his first few games against quality competition and then put the pieces together. He's a fast learner and Mavs fans needn't worry in the slightest.
4. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Stats: 37.3 MIN / 15.4 PTS / 5.5 REB / 4.3 AST / 1.4 STL / 0.5 BLK / .409 FG% / .362 3P%
VJ Edgecombe burst onto the scene with 34 points in his NBA debut against Boston. The shooting has fallen off dramatically after a torrid start, but Edgecombe continues to bear a heavy workload for a competitive 76ers team. His poise as a ball-handler and facilitator is miles ahead of expectations, as is his polish as a finisher and pull-up shooter. He has addressed all the major weaknesses he exhibited in college. Rookie lumps are what they are, but Edgecombe is on a special path and the Sixers clearly trust him.
3. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
Stats: 26.8 MIN / 14.3 PTS / 5.9 REB / 3.1 AST / 0.9 STL / 0.4 BLK / .484 FG% / .375 3P%
Cedric Coward didn't exactly come out of nowhere — he was a fast riser throughout the pre-draft cycle and went 11th overall — but this is still a surprising early showcase from the Grizzlies rookie. It seems Memphis needn't look far for its Desmond Bane replacement. Coward is sniping 3s, attacking the lane with long, coordinated strides, and causing a stir on defense with his pterodactyl wingspan. The Grizzlies are a mess, but Coward has arrived as a fully-formed, starting caliber wing who is threatening to scale up even further before the season is out.
2. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets
Stats: 26.5 MIN / 9.9 PTS / 6.8 REB / 0.5 AST / 1.0 STL / 2.4 BLK / .833 FG% / .000 3P%
The emergence of another Hornets rookie has seemingly overshadowed Ryan Kalkbrenner when he very clearly should rank near the top of any early-season rookie ladder. Is he going the finish the campaign in the No. 2 spot? Of course not, but only a handful of rookies can remotely claim his level of impact out of the gate. Charlotte found its long-lost starting center just sitting there in the second round. Kalkbrenner is a wall in the paint defensively and he's finishing everything — like, almost literally everything — at the rim. His field goal percentage is the highest for a rookie, minimum 50 attempts, through 11 games in NBA history.
1. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Stats: 32.4 MIN / 16.6 PTS / 6.4 REB / 2.8 AST / 0.5 STL / 0.1 BLK / .446 FG% / .398 3P%
Kon Knueppel is burying 3s at a historic rate for the Hornets. It should come as no surprise that Knueppel looks so ready-made for the big leagues. He spent last season in Cooper Flagg's shadow at Duke, but Knueppel's poise and polish was on full display in a secondary role, which makes him a perfect complement to LaMelo Ball as Charlotte's second banana. Beyond the knockdown shooting, Knueppel is a slick driver and a brilliant passer, head on a swivel, ball never sticking. He's even a solid defender on the wing. Too much was made of his limited athleticism; Knueppel's IQ and instincts will carry him on defense, even if he's never a lockdown presence.