The newest edition of NBA 2K, NBA 2K25, is almost on the horizon and ratings are starting to be revealed.

Today, 2K dropped its 30-21st highest-ranked players and Hawks guard Trae Young found himself in that tier. Young was given a 89 overall in the game. It’s the second straight year of being ranked as an 89 for Young and it is not a very surprising rating.

Looking at some of the other players that 2K determined to be in Young’s tier, Paul George, Paolo Banchero, Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Maxey were the other players who earned an 89 overall. I think it’s an interesting mix of names that indicates where the NBA and NBA media sees young. Butler, Lillard and George are the three most established players, but are all over 30 years old. At this stage, they’re perfectly suited for being the second option while being able to play as the primary option on certain nights.

Maxey and Banchero are much younger, but both showed that they could handle being the second option during the past season. Both were first-time All-Stars in 2024 and are integral parts of teams that are primed to make significant playoff runs. Maxey and Young having the same rating is especially interesting because they play the same position and their strengths are very different. Young is a fantastic playmaker who can carry a team’s offense, but Maxey is one of the best off-ball guards in the NBA.

I think the argument could be made that Young deserves a 90 overall rating. He has a more proven track record than Maxey or Banchero and has the youth Butler, Lillard and George lack. It’s easy to forget that Young is only 25. He is younger than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson, who will both have higher ratings than him in the game. His lack of two-way upside certainly prevents him from having the same playoff ceiling as SGA, but the differences between him and Brunson feel too marginal to merit a big difference in rating.

It will be interesting to see how the top 20 ratings shake out.