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ESPN polled their team of analysts to rank the top 25 players in the NBA under the age of 25 years old. Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown made the list.
Tatum was ranked 8th, just behind Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell. The experts sited his increased scoring and decreased efficiency. They also note his role as a 2nd option on one of the league’s best teams as well as his age (turning 21 next week).
Brown was ranked 25th, just behind Laker teammates Kyle Kuzma and Lozo Ball. They mentioned that he dropped 3 spots from last year and indicate that his playoff performance may have inflated his value somewhat. He’s still on the list, which is in itself a compliment.
The rankings and the relative value of where they put the Lakers young players is an interesting data point when considering offseason trade packages.