If a few days ago we reviewed who were the oldest men with a contract in the NBA, today we have to go to the opposite pole of the list and take a look at the youngest. As you might expect, they are all players chosen in this year’s draft, although the situation in which each of them enters the league is quite different, so it is worth reviewing their recent achievements and expectations.
J.T. Thor
The only one of the men on the list chosen in the second round. The power forward, who turned 19 at the end of August, was selected by the Hornets at the 37th position, a pick which was owned by the Pistons until a few hours before the gala started. A few days later, the player signed a four-season, $ 6.6 million contract with North Carolina, although the third of those seasons is not guaranteed and the fourth is subject to a player option.
Despite these conditions, the former Auburn has two years to show that he can be a piece of value in Charlotte. He is a player of great importance (2.22) and of great athletic conditions, which makes him a profile with great potential in the current NBA. In addition, although with some irregularity, he showed to have a good hand in his university stage, which can open up a future for him as an open 4 and as a good internal and perimeter defender.
Jaden Springer
First on the list of players who have not yet turned 19 years old is Springer, who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers at number 28. This can complicate his integration a bit more in the first years, since he arrives at a team that aspires to be contender and that he does not have as many minutes to develop the youngest, but he will seek to earn his place in the rotation by taking advantage of his virtues on the defensive side of the court.
Jaden is a player in good physical condition for his position, and his youth makes further development on his part foreseeable in this regard. This, added to his intensity in the brand, can make him a player with a lot of potential, although he will undoubtedly need to continue working on his physique but be as efficient in the NBA. In addition, at the offensive level, it comes from shooting with a 43.5% success rate in triples, although its low shot volume and its mechanics generate more doubts than the percentages can reflect.
Jonathan Kuminga
The third place is for Kuminga, who, unlike the previous two, does not come from playing in the NCAA. The forward was part of the Ignite team of the G League, and with his good performance and his averages of 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds, he confirmed the potential exhibited in the institute and made it clear that this unusual path was not going to harm him in any way. facing the draft. Finally he was chosen in seventh position by the Golden State Warriors, with whom he will also see a complex position.
And it is that those of San Francisco want to compete now, to the point that at the time the possibility of transferring their picks by men who offered them immediate returns. However, their current intention seems to be to keep their young people with the most potential, which includes Kuminga, and to try to help them grow up in a competitive environment so that they can take over once Curry, Klay and Green are gone. are in a position to turn the team into contender for themselves. This does not seem like an easy task, as it will demand immediacy and growth from the young Congolese, but it could undoubtedly help him to acquire the much valued experience at important moments that other rookies take years to achieve.
Josh Giddey
Just before Kuminga, it was Giddey’s turn, who being picked at No. 6 in the draft led to Oklahoma City, a team clearly focused on rebuilding and giving younger men opportunities. Presumably, therefore, the point guard will have minutes and gallons from very early, although sharing a position with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the undisputed star of the squad, could be a problem in that sense. However, the fact of having few competitive ambitions will help both of them to get used to sharing a track, as their characteristics do not make them far from incompatible in the same backcourt.
Josh has also not come from the NCAA, having just played for the Adelaide 36ers in his native Australia. There he has exhibited a facility for signing triple-doubles that has drawn attention across the Pacific, especially in his passing skills. His height and his vision make him an enormously interesting profile, who will have to polish his own mistakes of youth in some decision-making while he adapts to American basketball.
Josh Primo
Finally, it is the turn of Joshua Primo, born on December 24, 2002 and therefore the youngest player in the litter. After just one season in Alabama, the guard was chosen by San Antonio in the 12th position, which has made him head towards a franchise characterized by taking advantage of a lot picks not too high that could help you exploit your full potential.
Despite his discreet numbers in the NCAA (8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds), Primo has shown evidence of being a good shooter both in catch & shoot as after pot, and has even pointed out ways as a generator and perimeter defender, although it is about a player that seems more like a project than a reality. While the Spurs have been a team that has managed their rookies cautiously, they seem to face a season that will be much more focused on rebuilding than usual, which could help Primo to have many minutes from very early and grow hand in hand with a great coaching staff.
(Cover photo: Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)