Retour
As NBA teams near the 10-game mark of the new season, the league’s newest players have already made their mark. Across the board, the 2026 draft class is off to a hot start for a multitude of reasons.
Golden State’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Memphis’s Cameron Boozer have made a true impact on winning games already. Other rookie studs like Darius Acuff Jr. and Caleb Wilson have given their respective fan bases hope in what already looks like another rudderless season. It’s early, but eventually someone from this star-studded class will be named the Rookie of the Year.
Although last year’s ROY race between Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel was much closer than expected, this season could be even more difficult for award voters considering the star power of this rookie class. That’s where we come in. Throughout the year, Sports Illustrated will keep track of the rookie class by ranking the current top five in the Rookie of the Year race.
Without further ado, here’s our first ranking based on real game action. (Check out our preseason edition here.) Below are our top five rooks, plus those who are knocking on the door:
First five out (second team): Aday Mara (Thunder), Darryn Peterson (Jazz), Meleek Thomas (Cavaliers), Trevon Brazile (Nuggets), Keaton Wagler (Clippers)
The top pick’s NBA debut had to wait a bit as he missed the first four games of the season with an ankle injury. Once Dybantsa made his debut, though, he showed exactly why the Wizards made him the No. 1 pick. The flashy wing entered a fairly low-pressure environment flanked by Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Kyshawn George. Still, Dybantsa has seen plenty of volume early on—as he should as Washington’s new franchise player.
In his first NBA game, Dybantsa dropped 19 points on an efficient 8-for-12 night from the field. He followed that up with games of 17 and 21 points before he had an off night, scoring nine points in a loss to the Hawks. Only a handful of games into his NBA career, Dybantsa has showed the makings of a true star. Once he gets more comfortable and confident going to the rim, his game will open up further. He can create his own shot with ease. The early returns are solid for Washington on both sides of the ball; Dybantsa just needs more time after missing the start of the year.
Chicago has had a rough start to the year, but the Bulls may have answered the hardest question NBA teams face. That’s figuring out who your No. 1 guy will be, and Wilson looks like that dude for the Bulls. The lengthy wing from North Carolina has impressed on a bad team, which provides optimism that he can be the player to take the Bulls out of their perpetual finishes in the play-in tournament range.
That will take some time. Wilson hasn’t been perfect with a couple rough shooting performances on his résumé. However, he’s scored 20 or more points in five of his first eight NBA games. He has the size advantage and athleticism to score at the hoop, he just needs to add some strength over time. The three-point shot has been up and down but the skill is there as a distance shooter—he already has a game with six triples.
At 1–7, this doesn’t look like a season where Chicago will make a leap. Wilson’s development is the most important long-term goal for the franchise, though, as the 20-year-old wing looks like the best player the Bulls have had since Jimmy Butler.
The top three rookies are extremely close each other. It pains me to put Boozer at No. 3 after his start that helped the Grizzlies begin 6–0, but that speaks to how good this draft class is out of the gate.
Boozer was seen as the most NBA-ready of the top three prospects in the 2026 draft. His start hasn’t been perfect, but darn near close to it as the Grizzlies were the last remaining unbeaten team and the most pleasant surprise early on. After a 6–0 start, Memphis has fallen off with three losses in a row. The Grizzlies lost to the Pelicans by one point, a hobbled Pacers team by four, and they were destroyed 128–97 by the Thunder in NBA Cup play Friday.
Despite the reality check and a weak early schedule, there’s a lot to like about the exciting start. Ty Jerome is on another planet scoring the basketball, but Boozer has been Memphis’s best player. He does it all and forms a scary frontcourt alongside Zach Edey, which has made the Grizzlies the NBA’s top rebounding team. Boozer has struggled early on with shooting efficiency, especially as he’s seen more attention, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an immediate impact.
He scores, plays defense, makes plays and spaces the floor as the premier archetype of a modern NBA forward. If Memphis bounces back, Boozer could be an All-Star as soon as this year. No rookie has made an All-Star team since Blake Griffin in 2011.
Sacramento’s new franchise point guard hasn’t seen his play lead to many wins just yet, but the kid hasn’t even turned 20 yet and he’s currently a top-12 scorer in the NBA!
Acuff leads all rookies in points and assists. His scoring ability absolutely jumps off the screen as he can get to the rim with ease and make shots from all over the floor. Efficiency hasn’t been great, but you can chalk that up to all the defensive attention he gets as he adjusts to the league. He has taken advantage of the incredible amount of shots and responsibility as a young rookie. Already with three 30-point games, Acuff is immediately at the top of every opponent’s game plan.
33 POINTS FOR DARIUS ACUFF JR. TONIGHT 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2026
The No. 7 overall pick sets the @SacramentoKings single-game scoring record for a teenager and becomes the first NBA rookie to score 30+ this season! pic.twitter.com/IxMgcbQ4oa
He nearly touched 40 points when he finished with 38 in a loss to the Grizzlies. In the game before that, Acuff had 34 points and 14 assists against the Pelicans. Just silly numbers for a 19-year-old guard who’s responsible for so much on offense. Of course, his offensive ability hasn’t led to winning yet. Sacramento’s roster just doesn’t stack up, but Acuff alone makes the Kings worth watching.
Lendeborg, Acuff and Boozer all have an argument for the top spot. Lendeborg and Boozer have had the biggest impact on winning early on, but Steph Curry’s new teammate has completely flipped the Warriors’ trajectory. After leading Michigan to a national title, the biggest case against Lendeborg in the draft was his age. He’s 24 and a couple weeks older than Josh Giddey, who’s in his sixth NBA season.
Teams like high upside with lottery picks. Although he’s older than your typical rookie, Lendeborg has a higher ceiling he can get to. It was a perfect fit with the Warriors, who had an underwhelming offseason otherwise and hope to maximize what’s left of Curry’s career. Lendeborg has been an answer to Golden State’s problems thus far. Although he was punked by Luka Dončić a couple of times, he’s the best two-way player in what’s a stacked rookie class. Lendeborg keeps the Warriors’ offense humming when Curry is off the floor. He already has a ton of gravity, which brings easy looks for his teammates.
When Curry is on the floor, that gravity may bring just a bit more space—even for the greatest shooter ever. Lendeborg has operated as Curry’s clear second option and excelled in the role. That was Golden State’s biggest question ahead of the season. Now, the Warriors are 6–3. They wouldn’t be that good without Lendeborg. Curry has said as much himself.
PODCAST 🎧: Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and . Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
Retour
Top
| Politique de confidentialité Conditions d'utilisation Contact |
Actualiser
|
All the best breaking news stories from Apex Scores Lite. Optimised for feature phones and low end Android devices, Apex Scores Lite helps users with legacy devices and poor network connectivity access the latest football news and live scores. Particularly relevant for breaking football news in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.