Published in cooperation between SportsCasting.com and The Pajaronian
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has always been loaded with astounding talents from its inception, but the current season seems to take the cake. The NBA has seen a new generation of rising superstars and MVPs who redefine all the possibilities on the basketball court.
Though the A-list level of the NBA still features a smattering of older stars who continue to dazzle fans and the viewing public, a new generation of stellar performers has emerged. Based on the evidence, they are poised to shake up things even more than the league’s past heroes. The activities of these distinguished players have also impacted the sports betting arm of the game, making it more popular. Sports fans who are interested in wagering can leverage SportsCasting.com’s recommendation of NBA betting sites—a guide with a comprehensive list of top NBA betting platforms, including everything a bettor needs to be successful.
Below is a list of the A-listers in the NBA.
Nikola Jokić
- 2023-24 stats: 26.4 points per game (PPG), 12.4 rebounds per game (RPG), 9.0 assists per game (APG), 1.4 steals per game (SPG), 0.9 blocks per game (BPG), 58.3 percent field goal percentage (FG%), 35.9 percent three-point percentage (3P%) in 79 games.
- 2024-25 earnings: $51,415,938 (estimated second overall in salary).
Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets reigns as a two-time Finals MVP. The Sombor, Serbia native is a talented center, undeniably occupying the position of the world’s current best basketball player. Jokić is also a three-time NBA MVP and will most likely go down as the league’s best center, redefining the position with his elite scoring, passing, and basketball IQ. In fact, he has already earned a spot among the league’s best passing centers in history. Nikola just completed a campaign where the talented player bagged his third MVP award within four seasons, earning the title of 1st Team All-NBA (4th time) and an All-Star (6th time).
Luka Dončić
- 2023-24 stats: 33.9 PPG, 9.8 APG, 9.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 48.7 percent FG%, 38.2 percent 3P% in 70 games.
- 2024-25 earnings: $43,031,940 (estimated 17th overall in salary).
Luka Dončić is a masterful playmaker who blends elite scoring with mysterious court vision, making the point guard a perennial MVP candidate. The Dallas Mavericks player clinched the third position in the 2023-24 MVP vote marking the highest finish for the PG in his career life. In his latest season, he led the league to score 33.9 points per game with 9.8 assists, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per contest. Luka achieved this on 48.7 percent shooting from the game floor and 38.2 percent accuracy from three. The point guard finished second league-wide in Box Plus Minus (BPM), post-trade deadline, and value over replacement player (VORP), leading Dallas to the NBA Finals through a tough and crowded Western Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- 2023-24 stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 APG, 5.5 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 53.5 percent FG%, 35.3 percent 3P% in 75 games.
- 2024-25 earnings: $35,859,950 (estimated 33rd overall in salary).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City has been described as a smooth-scoring Thunder guard who has earned a spot among the NBA’s top two-way players. The MVP vote for last season saw the Canadian superstar finish second, making the best season of Shai’s career life as he led the Oklahoma City team back to relevance with stats of up 30.1 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and two steals per contest. All these on absurdly efficient 53.5 percent, shooting from the floor.
Joel Embiid
- 2023-24 stats: 34.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 52.9 FG%, 38.8 3P percent in 39 games.
- 2024-25 earnings: $51,415,938 (estimated 2nd overall in salary).
Joel Embiid wasn’t totally fit during the 2023-24 season, otherwise, the Philadelphia 76ers’s center might have been expecting a 2nd MVP award in a row. The star player recorded quite impressive numbers, despite the fact that his playtime was limited. Though he was leading the league in scoring, Embiid missed a lot of games, making it impossible for the center to qualify for the prestigious scoring title. Per game, he posted 11 rebounds nightly, and five assists, one steal, and almost two blocks per game. Embiid achieved all these while shooting almost 53 percent from the floor (39 percent from three) and contending with rival teams’ top big-man defenders each night, even regularly staring at double-teams.
Jayson Tatum
- 2023-24 stats: 26.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 47.1 FG%, 37.6 3P% in 74 games.
- 2024-25 earnings: $34,848,340 (projected 39th overall in salary).
Boston Celtics’ small/power forward, Jayson Tatum did well during last season’s MVP vote where the player finished sixth. The popular St, Louis-born star also recorded his third-straight 1st Team All-NBA nod, including the debut NBA championship in his career life. Born on March 3, 1998, Jayson is currently 25 and has many more active years to prove his mettle in the league.
Anthony Edwards
- 2023-24 stats: 25.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 46.1 percent FG%, 35.7 percent 3P% in 79 games.
- 2024-25 earnings: $42,176,400 (projected 21st overall in salary).
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards is a highly skilled, entertaining player with explosive athleticism which has solidified the talented shooting guard as the face of his team and one of the league’s rising superstars. A former #1 overall pick, Edwards has grown to become the NBA’s best shooting guard, efficiently putting up huge numbers each night. Leading the Minnesota Timberwolves, the talented player helped to turn the team into a contender. With his insane athleticism, the spectacular player and three-level scorer became the Timberwolves’ focal part run to this past season’s Western Conference Finals, averaging 27.6 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists on 40.0 percent shooting from three in the playoffs. This went down as a spectacular run that included the Timberwolves knocking off the Denver Nuggets—the then-reigning champion.
Jalen Brunson
- 2023-24 stats: 28.7 PPG, 6.7 APG, 3.6 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 47.9 percent FG%, 40.1 percent 3P% in 77 games.
- 2024-25 earnings: $24,960,001 (estimated 65th overall in salary).
The 2022-23 season already highlighted Jalen Brunson as a talented point guard with signs of making it to the top of the ladder. In the 2023-24 season, the New York Knicks star proved himself to be an elite player, finishing the last MVP vote in the top five. Brunson is a two-time national champion at Villanova, and he led the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs, earning second Team All-NBA honors. The player’s 2023-24 regular season performance was quite strong and his playoff run proved to be even more impressive averaging 32.4 points and 7.5 assists over 13 games.
Wrapping Up
The National Basketball Association is currently home to some of the finest basketball players of all time. While past heroes have made their marks, the likes of Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joel Embiid, and others currently rule the basketball court—in the United States and beyond.
