Tyrese Haliburton entered last season in an interesting spot. Yes, everyone knew he was a really good, really talented basketball player — he even made it onto the 2023 All-Star team. And yet, Haliburton was mostly a guy who did some cool things on a not great Indiana Pacers team, which came on the heels of him doing some cool things as a rookie and a second-year player on a not great Sacramento Kings team.
And then, last season happened. More specifically, the inaugural NBA Cup (known at the time as the In-Season Tournament) happened, and Haliburton was the driving force behind an upstart Pacers team that took it to everyone and made the championship game, where they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the exact sort of springboard to stardom that a cup competition should provide, as a young, up-and-coming team led by a young, up-and-coming star went on a run and nearly won the whole thing.
Haliburton averaged 26.7 points, 13.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in seven tournament games, and while he cooled off a bit as the year went on due to lingering injury issues, he was still able to use his NBA Cup performance as a springboard to an All-NBA Third Team nod and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, with this season’s NBA Cup underway, it’s worth wondering which young star is going to use this edition of the tournament as a way to assert themselves as a superstar, and today, we wanted to look at some of the frontrunners to do just that on teams that have already gotten off to good starts in Cup play.
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
The Rockets have been one of the best up-and-coming teams in the league so far this season, and while you can toss a few guys in as their answer (Jalen Green would be a good fit here, too), we’ll go with Sengun, who was great last year but was sidelined with an injury during their big run later in the calendar. Anyone who watches Houston knows that Sengun is good, but ever since they traded James Harden, the Rockets haven’t gotten a ton of attention. The NBA Cup is a chance to change that — they steamrolled the Clippers in their Group A opener last week — and if they can win their game in Minnesota next week, they’re going to be the overwhelming favorites to move out of their group. Add in that Houston has a net rating of +12.98 when Sengun is on the floor this season and while depth is one of their biggest strengths, we’re willing to bet that he’s the guy who will carry them to Cup wins if they come.
Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta beating the Celtics in their NBA Cup opener was a shock, and they followed it up with a win over Washington in their second game. The craziest thing about the game against Boston: Trae Young didn’t play, as Daniels was a two-way menace (28 points, seven assists, six steals) and Johnson stuffed the stat sheet (18 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, a block). Young is, obviously, the face in Atlanta, but on the heels of the Dejounte Murray trade, there’s space for someone to blossom into his star running mate. Daniels’ ability to just ruin opposing backcourts and Johnson’s ability to do anything Atlanta needs on a given night both fit well alongside him, and they’ll both have to be great if the Hawks go on a run.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Things have been completely dire in Detroit for a while now, and as a result, Cunningham hasn’t lived up to his billing as a No. 1 overall pick. But things are starting to change — Detroit is 2-0 in Cup play, with Cunningham going for 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and two blocks against the Heat before putting up a 21-point, 10-rebounds, 10-assist triple-double with five steals and a block against the Wizards. He has to cut down on his turnovers, but he’s spearheading the Pistons as they try to take a big step forward under JB Bickerstaff. So far, so good, and if Detroit goes on an improbable NBA Cup run, it’ll be because Cunningham took a big leap towards becoming the face of the franchise the Pistons have craved for years.
Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
The most likely option to go on a Haliburton-esque run. Orlando is 2-0 with wins over Charlotte and Philly, even though Paolo Banchero is out with a torn oblique. The ball has been in Wagner’s hands a lot as a result, and the decision has paid off in a big way. He’s starting to find his shot after he couldn’t hit anything last season, while he looks really comfortable as a scorer and a facilitator. The Magic being good without Banchero is only possible because of Wagner, and a trip to the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup is within reach — their game in New York on Dec. 3 looms large, and we cannot wait to see what Wagner does under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
You might have heard this by now: The Cavs are the best team in basketball this year at 15-0, and they won their only NBA Cup game so far against Charlotte. All eyes are on Tuesday night’s trip to Boston to take on the defending champs, which is the exact sort of high-profile stage Cleveland could use to emphatically say they’re championship and NBA Cup contenders. A big reason for the success? Mobley, as the decision to bring Kenny Atkinson on board as head coach has led to him looking more comfortable on offense and his usual brilliant self on defense. He has to continue to do that if the Cavs are going to be championship contenders, and the NBA Cup is a great place for him to show that he’s taken a step forward in his fourth season. If you want, you can also make a case for Darius Garland here, who has been nothing short of spectacular this season and is showing why he’s one of the best young guards in the league. However, Garland has been an All-Star and Donovan Mitchell is a known commodity, so we’ll go with the young big man as the Cav most likely to turn heads.
Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are in a tricky spot due to the injuries suffered by Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, so it’s possible they are just not big enough to go on an NBA Cup run. If they can, though, our hunch is it’s because of Williams stepping up and being the perfect running mate alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He keeps getting better and better the more experience he gets under his belt, and so far this season, Williams has done that again, as he’s putting up career-best marks in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game. He won’t unseat Shai as the man in Oklahoma City any time soon, but the Thunder are the exact sort of team that can use the NBA Cup as a chance to announce their arrival to the rest of the league. Williams can do the same.