Amen Thompson
Amen Thompson is the most obvious choice to have a breakout season, especially from what he showed us after becoming a starter late into last season.
The 22-year-old was phenomenal for the Rockets last season, averaging 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game as a starter. Thompson was also voted 5th in Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning a first-team all-defensive award.
The favourite for most improved is bound to break out, now that Jalen Green is gone and Fred Van Vleet is out for the season, Thompson will have more of a responsibility to handle the Rockets offence.
Even though Kevin Durant will now take a lot of that workload, I believe he will help Thompson succeed. Thompson is bound to become one of the better players in the NBA in a short time.
Andrew Nembhard
Andrew Nembhard is another breakout contender for the upcoming NBA Season. Nembhard, entering his fourth season, is expected to have a huge leap in his performance and role.
The Pacers guard is coming off an amazing season, topped off with another stellar playoff run, helping his team to make it to the NBA Finals. Nembhard only averaged 10 points and five assists.
With Star Tyrese Haliburton going down with a season-ending injury, Nembhard is going to step up and take over his role of being point guard for this high-powered offence. The increased workload with this role will require Nembhard to increase his averages.
As most of us believe, Nembhard seems ready to take the next step and is going to perform highly for the Indiana Pacers next season.
Deni Avdija
Forward Deni Avdija is ready to explode after his stunning post-All-Star break stats from last season.
The Portland Trail Blazers forward had an amazing end to his 2025 season, averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in 20 games. There was some unknown what was going on in Portland throughout the season, but once they figured it out, Avdija excelled.
It is expected that Avdija will have the same role to start the season as a main contributor to their offence. His downhill attack is amazing, which creates shots not just for himself but also for others. I can't wait to see what he has installed for us for the upcoming season.
Matas Buzelis
The Bulls 2024 first-round pick is ready to have an increased role for a whole season and become one of the cornerstones for the franchise. Matas Buzelis only averaged eight points for the season, but he did find it hard to find consistent minutes.
Once those consistent minutes came around, Buzelis showed amazing promise as he averaged 13 points as a starter. The athletic forward showed amazing highlights and potential to be a great player in this league.
With the Bulls expected not to be very good, Buzelis is expected to play a key role in their offence throughout the season. Hopefully, he can have another promising season in his sophomore year.
Bennedict Mathurin
Another Pacers guard has made the list as a potential breakout candidate. Bennedict Mathurin is also ready to explode and average a ton of points for this Pacers offence.
As mentioned before, with Tyrese Haliburton going down with his injury, the Pacers guards are expected to have a higher workload across the board. Mathurin is expected to take that starting spot in place of Haliburton for the upcoming season.
We all know he is a high-powered, three-level scorer ever since he joined the league, coming off another season where he averaged 16 points coming off the bench.
With the increased role and higher workload, similar to teammate Andrew Nembhard, Mathurin could become a 20-point-per-game scorer for the season.
Jalen Johnson
You could argue that Jalen Johnson has already been one who has broken out as a player, but I wanted to add him to the list, as it is believed he can have a higher ceiling and become a top player in this league.
In only 36 games, Johnson averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game as he was the Hawks second-best player and backup playmaker. Many believed he was on pace to become an all-star.
The Hawks are expected to be better than last year, and Johnson will have a big say in this. It is believed he can breakout to a player who is a definite all-star come February. He does it all for the Hawks, and it is going to be a fun watch to see his impact on a potential playoff team.
