Training camp is starting in the next ten days and excitement is already building for what the 2025–2026 NBA season could bring. Among the players drawing the most attention are Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, Chicago’s Josh Giddey, and Bulls forward Matas Buzelis. Each is in a different stage of development, but all three are poised to make a serious impact when the season tips off.
Cooper Flagg arrives in Dallas as the number one overall pick and already looks like someone who can help a playoff contender right away. At Duke he was a stat-stuffing force, averaging nearly 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, 39 percent from three, and 84 percent from the line. His game is built around versatility. He has the height, strength, and instincts to protect the rim but also the quickness to guard wings and even smaller guards on the perimeter. That defensive flexibility alone gives him a rotation spot, but his offense is more advanced than most rookies. In just two Summer League appearances he showed why Dallas made him the top pick, scoring 31 points in one game on 10-of-21 shooting and calmly making the right play even when defenses keyed in on him. He already plays like someone who understands the flow of an NBA offense, and if his shot translates the way scouts expect, he could quickly become one of the Mavericks’ most important two-way players.
Josh Giddey isn’t a rookie, but his situation feels new. After a strong first season in Chicago, he is primed for a breakout that could push him toward All-Star consideration. Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists last year, both rebounds and assists representing career highs, but those season-long numbers don’t tell the whole story. After the All-Star break he caught fire, averaging more than 21 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists per game while shooting an eye-popping 45 percent from three. He even delivered a 25-point, 14-rebound, 11-assist triple-double against the Lakers that included a half-court buzzer-beater. Chicago rewarded that late-season surge with a new four-year contract, and with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević gone, Giddey will handle the ball even more. His size and vision have always made him a gifted playmaker, and now that his scoring is catching up, he has a legitimate chance to be one of the league’s premier all-around guards.
While Flagg and Giddey have been headline names, Matas Buzelis might be the true sleeper of the group. The 6-foot-10 forward quietly carved out a starting role for the Bulls late last season, finishing the season with 31 consecutive starts. Over that stretch he averaged 13 points, 4.5 rebounds, and nearly two assists while shooting 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from three, adding more than a block per game as a bonus. His final 16 games were even better, with averages of 14.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 made threes while maintaining strong efficiency. Chicago shut him down after just two Summer League games because he looked so comfortable, highlighted by a 28-point outburst against Indiana where he handled defensive pressure and scored from all levels. Analysts noted that over the final 20 games of last season he shot nearly 50 percent overall and over 40 percent from three, a sign that his offensive growth is real. With a dedicated starting role on a team looking for scoring punch, he could be one of the quietest but most impactful breakout stories in the league.
Here’s the thing, folks: What makes these three especially interesting is how different their paths are. Flagg is a top rookie expected to contribute immediately to a playoff hopeful. Giddey is a young veteran on the verge of stardom, using last year’s late-season explosion as a springboard to even bigger numbers. Buzelis is a second-year player who has steadily improved and now has the confidence and role to surprise people who might not have been paying attention.
With that… All three have the talent and opportunity to take a leap, and with training camp about to begin, fans won’t have to wait long to see if the buzz translates to the floor. If their recent performances are any indication, the 2025–2026 season could be remembered as the year Flagg, Giddey, and Buzelis all announced themselves as major forces in the NBA.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them!