There will be plenty of former five-star high school basketball recruits on the court during the NBA conference finals as the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets will battle in the Western Conference and the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will tangle in the Eastern Conference.
The four teams have a combined 24 five-star recruits headlined by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers have the most former five-stars with 10. Denver has six, the Celtics have five and the Heat have three.
There will also be several players – including four starters – who flew under the radar at the prep level. Nine players were rated as a two-star prospect or lower.
Miami has five players who were unranked coming out of high school including three starters in Jimmy Butler, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent. Not including international players, Austin Reaves of the Lakers is the only other projected starter who was unranked.
247Sports is the primary source for the player rankings. The starters from the most recent game for all four teams are noted with an asterisk.
Denver NuggetsChristian Braun,
Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2019
Overall rank: 127
| Position rank: 30 (small forward)
Bruce Brown,
Vermont Academy (Saxtons River, Vt.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 28 |
Position rank: 4 (combo guard)
Thomas Bryant,
Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2015
Overall rank: 22 |
Position rank: 5 (power forward)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope,
Greenville (Ga.) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2011
Overall rank: 11 |
Position rank: 2 (shooting guard)
Collin Gillespie,
Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2017
Overall rank: 207 |
Position rank: 38 (point guard)
Aaron Gordon,
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2013
Overall rank: 4 |
Position rank: 3 (small forward)
Jeff Green,
Northwestern (Hyattsville, Md.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2004
Overall rank: 144 |
Position rank: 35 (power forward)
Reggie Jackson,
Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2008
Overall rank: 114 | Position rank: 29 (shooting guard)
DeAndre Jordan, Christian Life Center (Houston, Texas)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2007
Overall rank: 12 | Position rank: 2 (center)
Jamal Murray, Athlete Institute (Ontario, Canada) *Stars: 5 |
Class: 2015
Overall rank: 11 |
Position rank: 1 (shooting guard)
Zeke Nnaji,
Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2019
Overall rank: 40 |
Position rank: 7 (power forward)
Michael Porter Jr.,
Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2017
Overall rank: 2 |
Position rank: 1 (small forward)
Ish Smith,
Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2006
Overall rank: 134 |
Position rank: 28 (point guard)
Peyton Watson,
Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2021
Overall rank: 12 |
Position rank: 3 (small forward)
Jack White, Australian Institute of Sport (Australia)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 237 |
Position rank: 48 (small forward)
International: Vlatko Cancar, Nikola Jokic *
Los Angeles LakersMo Bamba,
Westtown (West Chester, Pa.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2017
Overall rank: 4 |
Position rank: 3 (power forward)
Malik Beasley,
St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2015
Overall rank: 44 |
Position rank: 10 (shooting guard)
Troy Brown Jr.,
Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2017
Overall rank: 13 |
Position rank: 4 (small forward)
Max Christie,
Rolling Meadows (Ill.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2021
Overall rank: 20 |
Position rank: 2 (shooting guard)
Anthony Davis,
Perspectives Charter (Chicago, Ill.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2011
Overall rank: 1 |
Position rank: 1 (power forward)
Wenyen Gabriel,
Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Wilbraham, Mass.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 14 |
Position rank: 4 (power forward)
Rui Hachimura, Meisei (Tokyo, Japan)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 152 |
Position rank: 32 (small forward)
Shaquille Harrison,
Lee's Summit West (Lee's Summit, Mo.)Stars: 0 |
Class: 2012
Overall rank: N/A
LeBron James,
St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2003
Overall rank: 1 |
Position rank: 1 (small forward)
Scotty Pippen Jr.,
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2019
Overall rank: 209 |
Position rank: 25 (point guard)
Austin Reaves,
Cedar Ridge (Newark, Ark.) *
Stars: 0 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: N/A
D'Angelo Russell,
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)*
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2014
Overall rank: 16 |
Position rank: 5 (shooting guard)
Cole Swider,
St. Andrew's (Barrington, R.I.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2018
Overall rank: 44 |
Position rank: 9 (power forward)
Tristan Thompson,
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2010
Overall rank: 10 |
Position rank: 3 (power forward)
Jarred Vanderbilt,
Victory Prep (Houston, Texas)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2017
Overall rank: 12 |
Position rank: 3 (small forward)
Lonnie Walker IV,
Reading (Pa.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2017
Overall rank: 16 |
Position rank: 2 (shooting guard)
International: Dennis Schroder *
Miami Heat Bam Adebayo,
High Point Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 9 |
Position rank: 2 (power forward)
Jimmy Butler,
Tomball (Texas) *
Stars: 0 |
Class: 2008
Overall rank: N/A
Jamal Cain,
Cornerstone Health & Tech (Detroit, Mich.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2017
Overall rank: 142 |
Position rank: 34 (small forward)
Udonis Haslem,
Miami (Fla.)Class: 1998
Overall rank: 72 (Basketball Reference 1998 rankings)
Tyler Herro,
Whitnall (Greenfield, Wis.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2018
Overall rank: 37 |
Position rank: 6 (shooting guard)
Haywood Highsmith,
Archbishop Curley (Baltimore, Md.)Stars: 0 |
Class: 2014
Overall rank: N/A
Kevin Love,
Lake Oswego (Ore.) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2007
Overall rank: 4 |
Position rank: 1 (center)
Kyle Lowry, Cardinal Dougherty, (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Stars: 4 |
Class: 2004
Overall rank: 32 |
Position rank: 7 (point guard)
Caleb Martin,
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2014
Overall rank: 62 |
Position rank: 16 (small forward)
Victor Oladipo,
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2010
Overall rank: 138 |
Position rank: 35 (shooting guard)
Duncan Robinson,
Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter, N.H.)Stars: 0 |
Class: 2013
Overall rank: N/A
Orlando Robinson, Middlebrooks Academy (Los Angeles, Calif.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2019
Overall rank: 312 | Position rank: 54 (center)
Max Strus,
Stagg (Palos Hills, Ill.) *
Stars: 0 |
Class: 2014
Overall rank: N/A
Gabe Vincent,
St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) *
Stars: 0 |
Class: 2014
Overall rank: N/A
Omer Yurtseven, Fenerbahce Basketbol Subesi (Turkey)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 39 |
Position rank: 7 (center)
Cody Zeller,
Washington (Ind.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2011
Overall rank: 10 |
Position rank: 4 (power forward)
International: Nikola Jovic
Boston CelticsMalcolm Brogdon,
Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2011
Overall rank: 89 |
Position rank: 29 (shooting guard)
Jaylen Brown,
Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2015
Overall rank: 4 |
Position rank: 3 (small forward)
Justin Champagnie,
Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2019
Overall rank: 244 |
Position rank: 55 (small forward)
J.D. Davison,
Calhoun (Letohatchee, Ala.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2021
Overall rank: 17 |
Position rank: 3 (point guard)
Blake Griffin,
Oklahoma Christian (Edmond, Okla.)Stars: 5 |
Class: 2007
Overall rank: 16 |
Position rank: 4 (power forward)
Sam Hauser,
Stevens Point (Wis.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 91 |
Position rank: 14 (small forward)
Al Horford,
Grand Ledge (Mich.) *
Stars: 4 |
Class: 2004
Overall rank: 50 |
Position rank: 9 (power forward)
Mfiondu Kabengele, Bosco Institute (Crown Point, Ind.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 270 |
Position rank: 52 (small forward)
Luke Kornet,
Liberty Christian (Argyle, Texas)Stars: 2 |
Class: 2013
Overall rank: 365 |
Position rank: 93 (power forward)
Mike Muscala,
Roseville (Minn.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2009
Overall rank: 451 |
Position rank: 122 (power forward)
Payton Pritchard,
West Linn (Ore.)Stars: 4 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 52 |
Position rank: 9 (point guard)
Marcus Smart,
Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2012
Overall rank: 10 |
Position rank: 1 (point guard)
Jayson Tatum,
Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) *
Stars: 5 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 4 |
Position rank: 1 (small forward)
Derrick White,
Legend (Parker, Colo.)Stars: 0 |
Class: 2012
Overall rank: N/A
Grant Williams,
Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.)Stars: 3 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 189 |
Position rank: 45 (power forward)
Robert Williams III,
North Caddo (Vivian, La.) *
Stars: 4 |
Class: 2016
Overall rank: 55 |
Position rank: 15 (power forward)
International: Danilo Gallinari
