1 Player On Every NBA Team Who Can Steal a Starting Spot

Mere days into the 2025-26 NBA season, teams aren't keen to tinker with their lineups. Just don't make the mistake of thinking anything's set in stone.

All it takes is a couple of losses or a cold streak from a player who might not have had the firmest grip on a starting job to begin with, and we'll soon see changes across the league. Starting lineups are bound to shift as results either validate or call into question each team's season-opening construction.

Here, we'll pick one player on each squad who has a shot at one of those first-unit spots. It may not happen right away, and we'll try to avoid obvious picks who'd already be starting if not for injuries, but we know alterations are imminent.

Let's see which reserves are best positioned to snatch a starting spot.

It might not count as stealing a spot if it happens because Kristaps Porzingis either can't stay healthy or needs to come off the bench for minute-management purposes, but it's easy to see Onyeka Okongwu starting games for the Atlanta Hawks this season.

The process of elimination also makes the 24-year-old a good pick. Trae Young is the team's most important offensive player, while Dyson Daniels is a vital component on the other end. He's coming off a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting and needs to be out there to handle the tougher backcourt matchups.

Former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher is a massive organizational investment, and Jalen Johnson's combination of size and athleticism makes him a non-negotiable starter.

Okongwu won't necessarily back into a starting spot, though. He's versatile defensively, grabbed 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes last year and quietly became a three-point threat after the All-Star break. He doesn't have Porzingis' offensive reputation, but he could come close to matching his production with a moderate step forward as a shooter.

Any injury to Payton Pritchard or Derrick White will open the door for Anfernee Simons, but there are a couple of other ways for the dangerous three-point shooter to crack the starting five.

If other shooters run cold, or the offense feels short on creators, maybe head coach Joe Mazzulla would turn to a smaller lineup. Those three-guard looks would slide Jaylen Brown up to the 4.

Between White and Pritchard, the Celtics have a pair of guards who could handle opposing 2s and 3s, even if Pritchard would have to make up for a lack of size with some extra intensity.

Let's also keep in mind Boston's incentives. It should be motivated to showcase Simons as it looks to trade him for a smaller salary.

The Celtics still need to duck the tax, and strong numbers by Simons in a starting role could make it easier to move him along.

There's certainly a case for letting him shine against backups, but given Boston's general lack of depth, using him as a reserve surrounded by poor support could put too much on his plate and potentially diminish his value.

Ben Saraf began the season as the Brooklyn Nets' starting point guard, but the team is bound to eventually add another one of its five first-round rookies to the first unit. Egor Demin, the highest-picked of that quintet, profiles as the best bet.

Draft position is only part of it. Demin has great size at 6'9" for a facilitator and could profile as an on- and off-ball threat if his three-point shooting is as legitimate as the Nets seem to believe. If not for a plantar fascia injury that cost him a huge chunk of training camp, he might have begun the season as a starter.

His lone preseason appearance made a strong case. He put up 14 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal on 3-of-5 shooting from the field in just 19 minutes against Toronto on Oct. 17. He got to the line seven times and made six freebies, operating mainly as an attacking force who might have much more scoring in his profile than some suspected.

He also canned four threes on opening night.

It's only a matter of time until Demin seizes a starting role for a Nets team that should be focused on developing as many of its young prospects as possible.

Moussa Diabate doesn't do much besides grab offensive rebounds, rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner might lack the mobility to hold onto the starting job against opponents who force him to guard in space.

Kalkbrenner got the opening-night nod and performed well, but it still feels as though Tidjane Salaun will get looks when circumstances call for a change of pace.

Salaun isn't a true center by any stretch, but he plays with high energy and hit two threes against Brooklyn on Oct. 23, posting a plus-12 in 17 minutes. If Charlotte embraces a true offense-first outlook, the second-year big man could unlock some interesting lineups.

When everybody's healthy, the Chicago Bulls should have four of the five starting spots locked down. Ayo Dosunmu will get looks until Coby White recovers from a calf injury, but Josh Giddey, Nikola Vučević and Matas Buzelis are written down in ink.

That leaves Isaac Okoro as a potentially vulnerable piece, though his three-and-D game has value on a Bulls roster that needs both from its wings.

Patrick Williams got that hefty $90 million deal last summer, which highlights Chicago's belief in him. Bigger than Okoro and at least a 39.1 percent shooter from deep in every year of his career until 2024-25, the former No. 4 overall pick could slot in next to Buzelis in a more imposing frontcourt combo.

Williams has mostly been a disappointment in Chicago, but he's only 24 and might have more to offer than Okoro—particularly if the former Cavalier can't knock down shots.

De'Andre Hunter will get first crack at the starting small forward job with Max Strus out to begin the season.

There's a good chance Hunter, a midseason acquisition last year, holds onto the gig permanently if he can stay healthy. The 27-year-old shot the lights out in 27 games for the Cavs last season, hitting 42.6 percent of his threes and 48.5 percent of his shots overall.

Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are far more entrenched in the starting lineup than Hunter, though, so we have to go with someone (other than the injured Strus) who might slot into that small forward spot.

Dean Wade is the obvious pick.

Though inconsistent health has limited him to fewer than 60 games in all but one of his six seasons in Cleveland, he is a reliable three-point shooter (36.8 percent) whose defense almost always makes him a positively impactful force on the floor.

Though he's an extremely low-usage player, Wade's minutes have coincided with positive on-off differentials in each of the last four years. A Cavs team that won 64 games in 2024-25 was actually 1.8 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court.

The Dallas Mavericks are doing a little mad science with their lineup construction, and we need to respect their willingness to experiment. At the moment, it appears the Mavs will lean into their strengths—length and defense—by starting rookie Cooper Flagg at point guard alongside Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis and Derrick Lively II.

If you're scoring at home, that's basically two centers, two power forwards and a nominal shooting guard in Thompson who can really only guard opposing 4s.

When the offense craters, Dallas will have to turn to Russell, the only experienced point guard on the roster.

Gimmicks are fun, and it's exciting that the Mavericks' supersized lineup diverges so strongly from the norm. We should be rooting for teams to prove there's more than one way to win, and that the league is nowhere near as homogenous as critics argue. This unit just isn't going to generate enough good shots, though. Russell will be called upon to fix that.

Few teams have a more firmly established starting five than the Denver Nuggets, who'll surround Nikola Jokić with old pals Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, plus newcomer Cam Johnson.

That means any potential shakeup will almost certainly be injury-related, particularly after Denver fully affirmed its commitment to Braun, the least experienced member of the group, with a five-year, $125 million extension. Assuming the Nuggets need a stand-in when someone goes down, Bruce Brown's institutional knowledge and versatility gives him the advantage over sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr.

Brown may not still have all the varied skills that saw him transform from a point guard to an undersized power forward to a three-and-D wing over the first few years of his career, but he knows how to move into spaces where Jokić can find him.

Brown's presence on Denver's title-winning roster means he has the trust of his top teammates.

He's behind the eight ball due to preseason knee surgery (not to mention last year's broken fibula), but Jaden Ivey might still get a chance to regain his starting spot if the Detroit Pistons aren't satisfied with Ausar Thompson's secondary creation or shooting.

Thompson is Detroit's most intriguing young player now Cade Cunningham has graduated to full-on stardom, and it appears he'll be entrusted with a major role while Ivey recovers.

Defensively, Thompson is as good as it gets. But in a starting group that lacks much playmaking between Duncan Robinson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren, he may be a bit overstretched.

There's also the possibility that Thompson, who has made less than a quarter of his career threes, simply cannot command any off-ball attention, which would limit his impact.

Ivey was playing the best ball of his life prior to injury last year, and he still represents the most balanced backcourt option next to Cunningham. If he can get his body right, he should at least challenge Robinson for a starting spot.

Moses Moody had the inside track on a starting job before a calf injury knocked him out just a few days prior to the season opener. So is it cheating to argue he'll earn his gig back once he's healthy?

Maybe a little, but it's worth noting the fifth-year wing has only started 57 of his 255 career appearances and has made a habit of shuffling in and out of the rotation since he was a rookie.

It's hard to argue anything about Moody's role is certain, but the Warriors don't really have another three-and-D option with his size. Think of him as slotting into the space formerly occupied by Andrew Wiggins, hopefully with more consistency.

Golden State has three non-negotiables in its first unit: Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. After that, much is unsettled.

Al Horford could come off the bench so the Warriors can better limit his minutes, which would open up opportunities for Quinten Post or Jonathan Kuminga to earn the occasional start.

And don't rule out De'Anthony Melton beating out Brandin Podziemski, Moody and Buddy Hield once he's healthy. Melton actually took the floor for the opening tip twice in the early going last season.

The Houston Rockets are going with a jumbo starting five to kick off the season, doubling down (and then some) on the oversized looks they used to great success last year. That means Amen Thompson, a 6'8" wing capable of guarding all five positions, is their point guard.

It also means Kevin Durant is the first unit's only fear-inducing shooter, with Jabari Smith Jr. rating mostly as an "in theory" sniper due to his career hit rate of 34.0 percent. Opponents will rejoice if Steven Adams shoots, and it'll take more than a hot opening night before teams freak out about Alperen Sengün's long-range game.

If this gambit doesn't pay off, Reed Sheppard has to get a look as a starter. The Rockets might still face spacing issues with him in the lineup, as Durant has never been big on volume from deep, but Sheppard's college pedigree and excellent form make him an obvious fix if the Rockets can't score against packed-in defenses.

Plus, it's not a given that Thompson can handle primary facilitating duties, even if Sengün can move the ball a little. Sheppard has plenty to prove himself after logging just over 500 underwhelming minutes as a rookie, but he profiles as the clear fix for whatever offensive issues might arise in Houston.

If the Indiana Pacers determine they simply can't get enough offensive punch out of Isaiah Jackson and don't trust Jay Huff to play major minutes, Obi Toppin could get some looks at center in an undersized starting unit.

When Pascal Siakam and Toppin occupied the 4 and 5 spots together last season, the small-sample results were compelling. Indiana's net rating was a plus-2.4 across 469 regular-season minutes with those two sharing the floor.

Minus Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, the Pacers may be forced to look for scoring wherever they can find it.

They'll still keep the ball hopping and should generate transition chances with their defensive pressure, but Toppin's shooting and rim-running might be necessary ingredients when buckets are hard to come by.

When healthy, the LA Clippers are the deepest team in the NBA. So you could really take your pick of five or six starting-caliber reserves here.

John Collins, acquired via trade after shooting 39.9 percent from deep and putting up 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for the Utah Jazz last year, is the best bet of the group.

Derrick Jones Jr. is a superior point-of-attack defender and will earn first-unit minutes at the outset. His skills make sense in a starting five that needs someone to guard the players James Harden and Bradley Beal can't. An inconsistent long-range shooter throughout his career, Jones might only be a cold stretch away from compromising spacing in an offense that also includes non-stretch center Ivica Zubac.

Zubac's presence also ensures capable back-line defense, which would make it easier to integrate Collins' more offense-first profile.

They won't be able to get away with it until LeBron James is healthy, but a Los Angeles Lakers team that desperately needs help in the perimeter-defense department could do a lot worse than slotting Jarred Vanderbilt into the starting five.

Between James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton, the Lakers figure to start four players with limited defensive value.

Though most opponents won't attack LeBron consistently, the other three will spend most of the season wearing targets on their backs. Projected starting point guard Gabe Vincent is passable on D but lacks the size to match Vanderbilt's versatility.

We're not so far removed from Vanderbilt harassing Stephen Curry in a 2023 playoff series win. A legitimate five-position option, his intensity and length could solve a lot of defensive problems for Los Angeles.

Marcus Smart is another option, but he brings as many health questions as Vanderbilt and is nowhere near the DPOY level he reached in 2021-22.

Rebounding would be a major issue if the Memphis Grizzlies slotted Santi Aldama at the 4 next to Jaren Jackson Jr., but the team's lack of healthy conventional centers might force that concession.

Aldama inked a new deal over the summer that doesn't suggest he's in line to start. But with Zach Edey out following ankle surgery and Brandon Clarke shelved yet again, the Grizzlies are running out of options in the middle.

Ideally, Jackson would get to roam as an offense-disrupting 4 while a conventional big man covers the paint. That won't be an option until Edey returns and/or Jock Landale dramatically outperforms his track record.

Aldama would bring five-out spacing and just-good-enough fake-and-go attacks from the corners. Whether the offensive gains would outweigh the deficiencies on D and on the glass remains to be seen, but it's nonetheless clear that Aldama is a better player on balance than Landale.

If Memphis wants maximum talent on the floor while it waits to get healthy, Aldama makes more sense than Landale up front.

Flip a coin to determine the frontcourt starter next to Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, and don't feel bad about it. The Miami Heat aren't totally sure, either.

Jović got a four-year extension prior to the season, which suggests Miami believes he has a place in the rotation at the very least.

Most preseason indications suggested he had the inside track on a starting job, and he was on the floor for the opening tip in Miami's first game of the season. But he could be a tricky fit if he continues to shoot inconsistently and needs to be on the ball to maximize his value at the 4.

Ware is a true center whose lob-catching, defensive length and shooting potential give him a real argument to start. If he cleans up defensive mistakes and shows some improved processing speed, he could end the competition with Jović in a hurry.

Bet on Jović earning the bulk of the starts in the early going, as he could help address the playmaking shortage until Tyler Herro returns.

But don't rule out Ware stealing the odd start and forcing the Heat into some situational lineup tinkering all year.

The Milwaukee Bucks have plenty of guards and wings who can shoot (and several that can only shoot, which is the problem). Defense might get Ryan Rollins into the starting five. And if his tiny career sample of 41.4 percent accuracy from long range is real, he might never let go of the job.

In 56 games last season, Rollins' 6'10" wingspan and quick feet produced 2.5 steals and 1.0 block per 100 possessions. The list of players who matched those rates in as many games as Rollins played is short and peppered with dominant defenders like Dyson Daniels, Ausar Thompson, Keon Ellis and Tari Eason.

The Bucks have to throw someone at high-scoring guards and wings, and Rollins might be the best player on the roster for that task. Though not necessarily a true point guard, he might be the more balanced option ahead of Kevin Porter Jr., A.J. Green or Gary Trent Jr.

Donte DiVincenzo got an organizational vote of confidence in the Minnesota Timberwolves' season opener, starting ahead of veteran Mike Conley.

At 38, Conley is still the superior facilitator, but DiVincenzo is the more dynamic three-point shooter and can disrupt an offense off the ball.

The Minnesota Timberwolves finished eighth on offense last season but endured plenty of clunky stretches on that end. Though they overlapped a fair amount, it's also worth noting Conley's minutes produced a 116.8 offensive rating while DiVincenzo's were right there at 116.5.

DiVincenzo isn't a point guard, and the clock may be running out on Conley, but the Wolves may yet find themselves in need of conventional facilitators. If Anthony Edwards can take on more playmaking responsibilities or Naz Reid steps into the first unit to juice the offense, Minnesota could get good results with DiVincenzo assuming Conley's spot.

However, the issue with this team last year was ball-stopping and general lack of flow on offense. If those problems persist with DiVincenzo as a starter, the Wolves could turn back to Conley.

Strictly from a return-on-investment perspective, rookie Derik Queen should get consideration as a starter. You don't give up an unprotected first-round pick to land someone if you don't believe they can contribute in a meaningful way.

Queen isn't a center, and neither is Zion Williamson. But the New Orleans Pelicans have arguably the worst collection of 5s in the Western Conference and might find themselves forced to consider unconventional looks. Kevon Looney is already hurt, which left Yves Missi as the clear starter to begin the season.

Missi outperformed his draft slot as a rookie last year, but nobody inside or outside New Orleans believes he's the long-term solution at the 5. Queen isn't the answer either because he's basically a power forward whose role overlaps almost perfectly with Williamson's, but maybe he can make up for lack of size and rim-protection with scoring and playmaking.

Now recovered from his offseason wrist injury, the No. 13 pick could see time in the first unit—especially if it's clear no other big men are contributing to winning.

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown presided over Malik Monk's career-best work in Sacramento, which suggests he knows how to get maximum value from sixth men. At worst, he'll ensure Miles McBride is positioned to produce off the bench.

It'd still be better if he gave the rapidly improving guard a shot to start.

McBride deserves a look in New York's backcourt beside Jalen Brunson for several reasons. First, it would allow the Knicks to exercise stricter control over Mitchell Robinson's minutes if he comes off the bench, an obvious concern with the board-hoarding big man already load-managing to start the year. Josh Hart's non-threatening shooting, likely to be exacerbated by a finger injury, could give opponents someone to ignore in the starting five.

McBride is a career 36.0 percent three-point shooter who drilled 41.0 percent from deep in 2023-24, and he would be key to true five-out spacing if he slots in with Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Luguentz Dort has been a full-time starter from the jump, holding that distinction in each of his six years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. A fourth-place finisher in Defensive Player of the Year voting and a 41.2 percent three-point shooter last season, the ruggedly strong guard doesn't seem in danger of losing his job.

Cason Wallace will have to rise up and take it.

Younger, more athletic, a much better decision-maker with the ball and a more accurate career three-point shooter (38.9 percent to Dort's 36.0 percent), Wallace could take a large enough step forward to convince the Thunder he's earned a promotion.

Dort is exceptionally valuable as a shutdown option OKC throws at the opponent's most dangerous wing scorer, but there's really not a case that anyone will usurp Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren when all three are healthy.

Dort is the only semi-logical choice for replacement, unless the Thunder move away from a double-big look by benching Isaiah Hartenstein. Either way, the next man up has to be Wallace.

They only gave it a shot for 85 non-garbage-time possessions last season, and the results were terrible, but the Orlando Magic have at least toyed with Paolo Banchero at center.

Maybe they'll try it again if the offense, long the central problem under Jamahl Mosley, still struggles after the addition of Desmond Bane. That would be a wild move, particularly for a head coach who basically demands defensive competency from everyone on the floor. But it's the only way to A) get Jase Richardson's shooting into the starting five and B) avoid a boring prediction like "Goga Bitadze will unseat Wendell Carter Jr. at center."

Carter could see himself benched if he posts another season of sub-25.0 percent three-point shooting, but we're going with a more intriguing, offense-focused makeover involving Orlando's first-round rookie.

Opening-night DNP notwithstanding, Richardson figures to have a large role as a bench gunner regardless, and there are some interesting hypotheticals that could involve him buttressing a failing offense as a starter next to Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner and Banchero.

Long underrated, Dominick Barlow did enough in preseason to secure a rotation role on a Philadelphia 76ers squad that needs some frontcourt help—both next to and in relief of Joel Embiid.

Head coach Nick Nurse even started him against the Celtics in Philly's season opener, slotting him in for the injured Paul George.

The 22-year-old averaged 9.5 points and 6.7 boards per game during preseason play. Though he's logged fewer than 100 career games across three seasons and has done most of his work as a two-way player, Barlow's energy, open-floor speed and offensive rebounding have often stood out.

When the Sixers are healthy, plenty of obstacles will be in Barlow's way. But it's also possible Nurse will decide he wants more of a true power forward in the starting five—particularly if he also employs undersized multi-guard looks to get three of Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain on the floor together.

Jalen Green's hamstring injury exacerbated an issue that already seemed dire for the Phoenix Suns: Their lack of a reliable point guard.

He and Devin Booker were supposed to team up in a starting backcourt that would facilitate by committee, but now Booker is the first unit's only real distributor. That's too much to ask of a player who'll also be tasked with leading the team in scoring.

Colin Gillespie is the closest thing the Suns have to a floor general. He's bound to get a look with the starters when the offense inevitably struggles and an overwhelmed Booker can't successfully pull double duty as both high-volume setup man and top scorer.

Though undersized and often unable to finish effectively near the rim, the former two-way guard can knock down floaters and keep Phoenix's turnover rate under control. You know, point guard stuff.

Hamstrings don't tend to heal quickly, so it may be a while before Scoot Henderson makes it back into action. Plus, the Portland Trail Blazers added a veteran presence to their backcourt by trading for Jrue Holiday.

Odds are, they're still going to need more offensive punch in a starting lineup that will struggle to score—punch that Henderson can provide.

Holiday slipped as a shooter last season, hitting just 35.3 percent of his triples. Though nominally a point guard, it's been years since he was entrusted with running an offense. Even during his days with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo's downhill drives triggered most actions.

Still a capable defender, particularly against bigger opponents, Holiday really feels more like a wing these days.

Henderson's athletic burst and potential to juice Portland's transition game make him appealing as a replacement for Holiday. The offense will need to struggle, managing minutes for the 35-year-old vet will need to become a bigger priority and, above all, Henderson will have to get healthy.

If all those factors align, Henderson will get a shot to start.

Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis are the Sacramento Kings' preferred starting group, but two of those five—Murray and Sabonis—are already sidelined by injury to start the season.

Murray, set to miss significant time, will see his minutes go to rookie Nique Clifford, the closest thing the Kings have to a three-and-D forward on the roster.

Keon Ellis, long an inexplicably underplayed member of Sacramento's rotation, deserves a chance to start even if all the regulars are healthy.

That could come at Schroder's expense, which would remove a conventional point guard from the lineup. Considering Sabonis' facility as a hub and DeRozan's underrated passing, maybe things would work out well enough.

Either way, Ellis would bring balance and two-way play to a team that desperately needs someone other than Murray to provide it.

A menace on defense who averages 2.1 steals per 36 minutes for his career, the 6'4" Ellis also shot 43.3 percent on triples last season. Put him out there with Murray, LaVine, DeRozan and Sabonis, and the Kings' starters might not get completely torched every night.

De'Aaron Fox inked a max extension over the summer and has been an All-Star, Stephon Castle won Rookie of the Year in 2024-25 and Devin Vassell hasn't come off the bench regularly since 2021-22.

That makes it hard to imagine No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper cracking the San Antonio Spurs' starting five. Hard, but not impossible.

Harper is already a more advanced playmaker than Castle, not to mention a much safer bet to actually make jumpers. That potential to contribute both as a facilitator and a scorer sets him apart from not only Castle but also Vassell, who has never truly established himself as a lights-out three-point threat (career 36.9 percent) or an elite setup man at the 2.

Harper comes with a better draft pedigree than all of those alternatives and showed preseason glimpses of high-end court sense. Finances dictate Fox will be a starter whenever healthy, and even a breakout season from Harper probably won't result in production on the level of his veteran teammate.

However, there's a scenario where Harper's craft and offensive versatility earn him a nod ahead of both Castle and Vassell.

RJ Barrett has started all but one of the 387 games he'd played coming into this season, but it's still easier to imagine him being demoted to the bench than it is for any of the Toronto Raptors' other starters. Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl aren't going anywhere.

If Barrett loses his job because the Raptors (predictably) can't get enough spacing from their starters, Gradey Dick is the logical replacement.

The No. 13 pick in the 2023 draft has attempted more threes than twos for his career. Though he's only hit a 35.6 percent of them overall, Dick established himself as a real standstill threat at 38.3 percent on catch-and-shoot looks last year.

Barrett's preferred mode of attack involves driving hard to the hole, where he can finish with clever lefty craft or distribute. Maybe last year's career-best 5.4 assists per game suggest he is best suited as the lead option on the second unit anyway.

Ochai Agbaji warrants mention here, as he's a better defender than Dick and hit 39.9 percent of his treys in 2024-25. He'll need to prove that number's not an outlier before he gets Barrett's job.

Ace Bailey is the single most important figure in the Utah Jazz's rebuilding plans, and his high-usage rookie struggles will also probably make it easier to lose on purpose. For these reasons, he's bound to become a full-time starter sooner than later.

If not for some knee soreness and an ill-timed training-camp flu, he might have already removed all doubt about his starting status.

The trickier spots are in the backcourt, where neither Keyonte George nor Isaiah Collier has established himself as a clearly deserving starter. Tabbing rookie Walter Clayton Jr. as a potential climber into the first unit is more a bet against those two than it is on Clayton himself.

George passes the eye test offensively but contributes zero on D and has yet to make 40.0 percent of his shots from the field in a season.

Clayton was a big-time winner in college and showed flashes in the preseason. He won't have to do much to overtake George.

Assuming one or both of the CJ McCollum-Khris Middleton combo gets traded this season, the Washington Wizards could have spots up for grabs.

One will surely go to Bilal Coulibaly, who'll miss the start of the season following thumb surgery. The third-year wing started all 59 games he played last year and might still be the top two-way threat on the roster.

The other potential opening should go to rookie Tre Johnson, who profiles as the Wizards' best pure scoring threat.

Though the 6'5" guard didn't shoot the lights out in preseason play, his quick-trigger release and comfort shooting the rock in transition will make him valuable to a Wizards offense that lacks individual shot-generators.

It's hard to be confident Johnson can contribute as a passer or defender, but the other young players on the roster don't have his capacity for self-sufficient creation.

Plus, Washington is nowhere near playing competitive basketball. The No. 6 pick needs to be out there for developmental purposes.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.