A list of the most promising rookies in the past five years who have been selected for the best team: Wenban leads the Rockets double stars on the list
Who will be the next player to be selected into the NBA All-Squad in the draft in the 21st 20s? The league released its roster for the 2024-25 NBA All-Squad last week, and the most notable of the list are three first-time players: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylen Williams, Detroit Pistons guard Cad Cningham and Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobri. Williams, who was selected into the NBA All-Squad three teams, is the first player in the star-studded 2022 draft to win one of the top individual honors in the league.
Cningham and Mobley are the No. 1 pick and the Tanhua show in the 2021 NBA Draft respectively. They also became the first players selected for the NBA All-Series in their rookies of that class. Last year, Pacers guard Tyres Halliburton and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards were selected into the NBA All-Squad, becoming the first players to receive the honor in the 2020s draft players.
2024-25 season is the second year when the NBA's Best Team selection no longer distinguishes its positions. It is also the second year when the league stipulates that players need to play at least 65 games to be eligible for the NBA's Best Team. This means that players like Spurs center Victor Vinbanyama and Magic forward Paul Bankairo automatically lose the qualification to be selected for the NBA's best team due to the league's appearance requirements.
Before their respective absences due to injuries, Vinban Yama and Ban Kairo may be selected into the NBA All-Squad. But Ben Keiro missed 34 games due to a tear on his right oblique muscle, while Venban Yama missed the last two months of the season after being diagnosed with a right shoulder thrombosis.
Who will be the next player to be selected into the NBA All-Squad in the draft in the 21920s? Let's take a deeper look.
Victor Vanbanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Draft Year: 2023 | First time selection of NBA All-Squad Forecast: 2025-26 season
Before undergoing surgery for deep vein thrombosis in the right shoulder in February, he missed the last two months of the 2024-25 season, Vanbanyama is expected to be selected for the NBA All-Squad, Best Defensive Team this season and was elected as the defensive player of the year.
In the second season of his career, Vinban Yama, who was absent before the match, is making a huge leap as an all-round player. After an excellent rookie season, Vinban Yama averaged a career-high 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game. Wenban Yama is expected to fully recover before the 2025-26 season. If Vinban Yama stays healthy and meets the 65-game appearance requirements, he should be a favorite for the defensive player of the year and will have a great chance of being selected for the NBA All-Squad next season. The team's success and the slight advancement of Vinban Yama in all aspects—such as becoming a more efficient three-point shooter—will provide strong support for his selection.
Paul Benkairo, Orlando Magic
Draft Year: 2022 | First NBA All-Squad Forecast: 2025-26 season
In the first five games of Bankairo's third season, he averaged 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. After that, an oblique abdomen injured him for nearly two and a half months. That injury basically ended Ben Kairo's hopes of winning the NBA All-Squad. During that impressive period, Benkairo's highest lights came in against the Indiana Pacers. The Magic star scored 50 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists at the time.
Bankero has made progress in several aspects during the 2024-25 season, one of which is his ability to finish at the basket. According to Synergy, Benkairo shot 58.1% at the basket (212 of 365 shots), an increase of nearly 3% from his second season of his career. The No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft should be the next favorite to be selected into the NBA All-Squad in that draft. Benkairo's opening performance in his third season brought us the view that if he can improve overall efficiency, he will be the top 15 player in the league as soon as next season.
Alperen Shinkyung, Houston Rockets
Draft Year: 2021 | First NBA All-Squad Forecast: Among the players not selected for the NBA All-Squad, Shinkyung won the highest total voting score (58 points). Ranked ahead of Shin Kyung is Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (68 points), who won the last place in the third team of the NBA All-NBA team. Shin Kyung was selected for the NBA All-Squad this season, because as the Rockets' offensive core, his progress has helped the team jump from the 2024 lottery zone to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in 2025. The Rockets have one of the more eye-catching futures in the NBA, with the foundation stones of team building such as Shin Kyung and Amen Thompson (more on that later), reliable veterans and a number of talented players under the age of 25. The most noteworthy storyline of the Rockets is whether they will strike again with a core roster with a record of 52 wins and 30 losses, or will risk trading stars like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the Rockets stick to their existing core lineup, then Shin Kyung has a good reason to be selected for the NBA All-Squad next season. Even if the Rockets introduce top scorers like Durant, it should make Shin Kyung a better organizer and perform more efficiently in scoring..
Tyres Maxi, Philadelphia 76ers
Draft Year: 2020 | First-time NBA All-Squad Prediction: Only two players among the 2020 NBA rookies in the 2025-26 season have been selected for the NBA All-Squad: Halliburton and Edwards. If there were anyone else in that draft that could accomplish this feat, it would be Maxi. Of course, you might be able to support Lamelo Ball, but Maxi is a better scorer and in a better position than the Hornets All-Star guard.
Maxi has consolidated his position as a championship team as a real second-in-command, and is one of the strongest shooting guards in the league. As the Sixers recover all their health next season, it would be surprising if Maxi does not make another leap in scoring. Maxi's three-point shooting percentage this season is 33.7% (9.2 shots per game) - his worst three-point shooting percentage since his rookie season. In short, last season was a disaster for the Sixers, but better days should be ahead. Maxi is not eligible for the NBA All-American team because he has only played 52 games. For Maxi, reaching the 65-game threshold — which he has only done twice in his career — will be key.
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
Draft Year: 2023 | First NBA All-Squad Forecast: 2026-27 season
The only player on this list who is expected to not be selected for the NBA All-Squad next season is Thompson. It may take him a year or two to become a strong contender for the NBA All-Squad, but the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft was a great player, making a significant leap forward with increasing roles. Thompson averaged 1.3 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, and was selected for the NBA's All-Defensive Team.
Thompson is a player who is perfectly created in the defensive system of Rockets head coach Ime Uduka. Thompson's top athleticism is his signature to stand out from the 2023 rookie, and these defensive abilities and traits have been fully demonstrated in his first two seasons into the league. The main reason Thompson is at least one year away from being selected for the NBA All-A-Series is that his offense still needs to be worked on. Thompson shot 27.5% from the field outside the three-point line (1.3 shots per game), while in his rookie season, he shot only 13.8%, with less than one shot per game (0.9 shots per game).
According to Synergy, Thompson can attack the basket at will, and 65% of his total shots occur in the area. Furthermore, Thompson's jump shot percentage was only 31.5% (62 of 197 shots). If you believe Thompson's defense, athleticism and offense will improve, by the end of this decade, Thompson should be able to be selected into the NBA All-Squad multiple times.
Author: Cameron Salerno
Translator: GWayNe
