While some things are a little different since the last update of these 2024-25 NBA Rookie Rankings — Jared McCain, the Philadelphia 76ers guard who ranked first on this list on Dec. 3 as the arguably NBA Rookie of the Year front-runner, will miss the rest of the season with a torn meniscus — the overall state of things is much the same.

Rookies around the league have continued to carve out playing time and learn on the fly. There’s no Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic) or Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) anchoring this season’s group, but there have been signs of growth as players ease into their roles halfway through their 82-game slates.

With all that, there are three rookies who were previously unranked, and there’s a new face in the top spot from our last ranking on Dec. 3, becoming the third No. 1 player since our first ranking on Oct. 24.

Please note that this ranking is not an attempt to gauge players’ long-term potential or trade value. It’s simply a barometer of which first-year players have made the most interesting and notable impact at this stage of the season. Here’s how these players and others stack up at the season’s midpoint.

Jump to a section:
New No. 1! Top eight rookies
Updates on Sheppard and Carter
What I heard in Orlando

Drafted: No. 2, France
Key stats: 11.6 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks
Previous ranking: Not ranked

The Wizards are committed to letting their rookies gain experience, rolling out the trio of Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George for extended minutes and weathering losing in the process. In November, Sarr wasn’t playing well enough to crack this list — fast-forward, and he has been one of the better rookies of late. His production has been much more consistent over the past six weeks, vaulting him to the top spot, at least for the time being.

Sarr, 19, remains a work in progress but has shown signs of improvement; he won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in December. His rebounding has been trending up, his 3-point shooting has stabilized and he continues to pace all rookies in blocks per game. Excluding the injured McCain, he also leads all rookies in scoring average.

Notably, the Wizards’ efforts to play through him and empower him as a passer are paying dividends. He’s still much more impactful on the defensive end, and his finishing has to get much better (he’s shooting 52% at the rim, per Synergy). But the fact Sarr, viewed as one of the 2024 draft’s bigger projects, is moving on an upward trajectory, is an early win for the Wizards.

Drafted: No. 39, Washington State
Key stats: 11.8 PPG, 38.6% 3FG
Previous ranking: 4

Wells remains the best individual story in this season’s rookie group: a second-round pick who stepped into early minutes because of injuries to other Grizzlies players, joined the starting five on Oct. 31 and has since been entrenched there.

Wells’ story is much the same as written in previous rankings columns: He is a steady shooter who doesn’t need the ball in his hands. He has been a much better defender than expected. He scored a career-high 30 points on Jan. 3, draining eight 3s in a 138-133 win against the Sacramento Kings.

Wells doesn’t project with the long-term upside of many of his peers — he’ll likely be confined to a 3-and-D role because of his limitations as a creator and finisher — but he’s very much in the Rookie of the Year mix and is delivering quite the return on his selection already for the Grizzlies, who sit in third place in the Western Conference.

Drafted: No. 21, Baylor
Key stats: 9.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.4 BPG
Previous ranking: 7

A bright spot in a trying season for New Orleans, Missi won Western Conference Rookie of the Month in December and continues to start at the 5-spot. The Pelicans’ central roster question entering the season (before injury chaos broke out) was how they would address their center position in the short and long term. Missi, 20, has looked like a legitimate piece of that puzzle, something that wasn’t a certainty given his relative lack of experience coming out of Baylor.

He has been a quick study, using his physicality and energy to produce in a simple rim-running role (56.1% FG). He has been one of the better offensive rebounders in the NBA (3.6 per game ranks among the league’s top five) while leading all rookies in boards.

There was little question about his athletic toolbox entering the season, but he has gotten up to speed much faster than anticipated. New Orleans has larger roster questions to address moving forward, but successfully identifying a young center was high on its priority list back in the spring. And with Missi locked in as a reliable producer in a necessary role on a rookie deal, it’s hard to imagine a better return for the Pelicans’ late first-round selection.

Drafted: No. 9, Purdue
Key stats: 9.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 58.3% FG
Previous ranking: 6

Edey has been largely unfazed this season, although his play has tailed off a touch in January after he missed two games in concussion protocol. He has been a fixture in the starting lineup for Memphis, although his actual minutes have fluctuated game by game (from averaging 7 minutes to 24 in January) and opposing teams have done their best to make life difficult for him as a defender.

He has contributed to the Grizzlies’ bounce-back season, and Memphis selected him with an understanding of his limitations, playing the 22-year-old as part of a rotation with Jay Huff and Brandon Clarke — three players who have vastly different skill sets — mixing in off the bench.

Memphis is also encouraging Edey to develop a 3-point shot, and he has made a respectable 11 of his 28 attempts so far. Landing with an organization that clearly values his strengths was a best-case scenario for Edey.

Drafted: No. 4, UConn
Key stats: 11.6 PPG, 3.6 APG
Previous ranking: 2

Though the Spurs (19-22) have been hovering around .500 all season, Castle is in the middle of a productive stretch, stringing together three 20-point performances last week, including a career-high 26 in a 129-115 loss against Memphis.

But his play has been a mixed bag this season, particularly on offense, where he’s learning on the fly and hasn’t shot the ball well. His individual scoring has never been a consistent strength and was always going to be the biggest area for growth, something the Spurs are letting him work through.

San Antonio is invested in helping Castle realize his potential, which remains considerable due to his size (6-foot-6, 215 pounds), athletic ability, flashes of playmaking and defensive capabilities. His role has fluctuated, and he has been in and out of the starting lineup — his shooting struggles make him a tricky fit sharing the floor with Jeremy Sochan (who has been injured) — but the positive flashes leave room for long-term optimism.

Drafted: No. 1, France
Key stats: 10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Previous ranking: 5

Although Risacher’s box score production doesn’t scream “No. 1 pick,” the Hawks have to be happy thus far. The 19-year-old has been a reliable starter on an improved Atlanta team that has been able to insulate Trae Young with long, athletic defenders at other positions.

Risacher has effectively worked in a platoon with veteran De’Andre Hunter, helping to move the ball and keep the offense flowing, and turning in useful defensive minutes for a rookie.

Atlanta hasn’t asked Risacher, whose numbers haven’t been spectacular, to create much offense either, predictable on a team centered around Young and Jalen Johnson. When the Hawks will start to take the training wheels off is a fair question — he could stand to be more aggressive as a scorer, and at some point, they should want to see him stretch his limits. Regardless, Risacher’s maturity and feel have allowed him to make an impact, and he has room to do more beyond a 3-and-D role.

Drafted: No. 18, Colorado
Key stats: 8.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Previous ranking: Not ranked

Da Silva has made 33 starts this season, primarily as an injury fill-in for both Banchero and Franz Wagner, who have missed extended time for the Magic (23-21). The 23-year-old has turned out to be a prescient addition, providing useful minutes at both forward spots in their absences and helping Orlando stay afloat.

The versatility Da Silva offers became his calling card as a draft prospect, and he has delivered. He limits mistakes and keeps it simple on offense, is a good team defender who adds size on the back line, and has chipped in shots from deep despite some streakiness, currently just 31% from long range but making enough in spurts to earn his playing time. The significant minutes, averaging 26 per game, he has chipped in have been extremely valuable, particularly considering the team’s tough circumstances.

Drafted: No. 18, Virginia
Key stats: 7.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Previous ranking: Not ranked

Phoenix (21-21) swapped Bradley Beal out of the starting lineup in favor of the more defensive-minded Dunn in early January and has gone 5-3 since, with Dunn scoring in double figures in six of those games.

Dunn has been one of the biggest surprises in this class, with the game coming to him easier than ever offensively as he provides utility for a Suns team lacking depth around its stars.

Once viewed as a potential nonshooter, Dunn has made a passable 32.1% of his 3s. Opponents will still live with him shooting, but it’s enough for him to get on the floor and add value defensively, where he has the tools to take on tough assignments. He has limited his turnovers and been efficient around the basket and continues to outperform expectations.

Dropped out of the rankings

Jared McCain, G, Philadelphia 76ers (previously No. 1)
Dalton Knecht, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers (previously No. 3)
Donovan Clingan, C, Portland Trail Blazers (previously No. 8)

What’s going on with these two lottery picks?

Reed Sheppard, SG/PG, Houston Rockets. It has been slow going for the No. 3 pick out of Kentucky this season — despite quite a bit of hype, he has averaged 11 minutes per game and has been in and out of the rotation with Houston sitting second in the Western Conference.

He went on a three-game G League assignment Jan. 7-11, and if it needed to be stated, Sheppard’s talent hasn’t evaporated. Sheppard broke out for 49 points in his first game with Houston affiliate Rio Grande Valley on Jan. 7, pouring in eight 3s and highlighting his considerable ability as a playmaker and scorer.

Entering the NBA season, there was a sense Houston would have to sort out a rotation crunch — the Rockets had Fred Van Vleet, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson ahead of him for backcourt minutes. It’s hard to argue with the results coach Ime Udoka has gotten, but a top-five pick going on assignment to the G League is the type of headline that can easily be misinterpreted.

The Rockets, according to sources, are still heavily invested in Sheppard long-term. But with him unable to get a consistent foothold on a role in Houston, the organization opted to send him down and keep him game-ready. It’s possible he carves out added minutes for the Rockets over the next couple of months; it’s also possible he spends additional time with the Vipers.

This situation isn’t a referendum on Sheppard’s NBA future — whether it’s later this season or down the line, expect to see more of him.

Devin Carter, G, Sacramento Kings. The No. 13 pick out of Providence debuted for the Kings on Jan. 3, after recovering from shoulder surgery in July. While not playing a giant role, he has had a hand in Sacramento’s turnaround with the Kings going 6-1 since his return (which also came on the heels of a coaching change).

Carter, 22, has been the player Sacramento was expecting to get prior to his injury: He’s an outstanding rebounder in the backcourt, a highly competitive defender and has to improve his offensive play, all things that were part of the equation during his career at Providence. He plays bigger than his 6-3 size, is unafraid of difficult matchups and already projects as a useful bench player.

Sacramento currently sits in the play-in mix and has a need for Carter’s skill set in its rotation — he can feasibly rotate in alongside both De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, as long as he can make enough shots to keep defenses honest. It’s harder than one thinks to find guards who play as hard as Carter does, and his ability to pinch hit as a ball handler or play off it gives him a promising future in Sacramento’s supporting cast.

NBA buzz that I heard while at the G League Showcase …

Sources indicated to me while in Orlando, Florida, for the G League Showcase in December that Ajay Mitchell was in good position to earn a standard contract from the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the 38th pick (Santa Barbara) has grown into a deep rotation staple.

He was viewed around the league as the top two-way contract performer (and likely would have cracked these rookie rankings had he been healthy). However, a recent toe injury led to surgery that will sideline Mitchell for multiple months.

The Thunder have rotated several players into their currently empty 15th roster spot, which figures to remain open for optionality going into the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

It still feels like a good bet Mitchell is rewarded with a contract upon his return, having earned the trust of coach Mark Daigneault and looking like one of the better second-round finds. He has appeared in 34 of his 50 allotted games as a two-way player, shooting 50% from the field and averaging 6.4 points in 16.5 minutes per game.

The most intriguing rookie I saw at the G League Showcase was the Milwaukee Bucks‘ AJ Johnson, who has spent most of the season on assignment with the Wisconsin Herd. An electric 6-5 athlete who turned 20 on Dec. 1, Johnson appears to be making progress after playing sparingly in his draft-eligible season with Australia’s Illawarra Hawks.

The Bucks’ selection of Johnson with the No. 23 pick was one of the more widely questioned draft-night decisions. There was a range of opinions about Johnson’s long-term prospects and a pretty limited sample of meaningful minutes to evaluate. He played well at the combine last May, helping to boost his standing among teams. But considering Milwaukee’s immediate aim to contend around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, selecting a relatively unknown player with a first-round deal was a debatable path, with more NBA-ready players left on the board.

It’s still fair to question the chances of Johnson reaching his potential on a timeline matching Milwaukee’s. Still, it seems noteworthy that he’s growing comfortable in the G League, averaging 14.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 turnovers in 17 games with the Herd. Sources tell me that Johnson has embraced his opportunity to play and improve in the G League, where he’s getting plenty of on-ball reps and hasn’t looked overmatched.

“The G League is the perfect place for a skilled, athletic wing like [Johnson] to produce,” one G League executive said. “He’s not dominating like you’d want an obvious NBA player to dominate. Still really struggles around the rim. Not a natural passer. Will take him a while to be NBA ready … [but] the athleticism is so fascinating.”

Though there’s still a long way to go before Johnson is ready for NBA rotation minutes, it’s hard to find players who can attack spots with his type of quickness, agility and size. His efficiency, decision-making and jumper will need time, but in a draft that wasn’t rife with high-upside prospects, it’s easier now to understand what the Bucks were thinking by taking a swing on him.