With the 2025 NBA Finals tipping off Thursday, hoops fans are treated to a clash of emerging squads as the Oklahoma City Thunder square off against the Indiana Pacers. Both teams feature a potent mix of youthful talent, defensive discipline and high-octane offenses. Ignoring the haters who yap about the ratings, this will be a fun matchup that’ll revector the basketball landscape. However, beyond the team narratives, this postseason has ignited several basketball stars and role players who could be poised to take the next step heading into the 2025-26 season.

Let’s spotlight those who played deep into the playoffs and made notable jumps in Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG), along with first-round standouts who proved their worth despite early exits.

Donovan Mitchell – PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers

As a perennial early-round pick, Mitchell reminded us what his peak powers looked like while Darius Garland labored through a foot injury throughout the playoffs. Mitchell took a sizable jump from the regular season to the postseason, going from 39.5 to 45.8 FPPG.

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He scored 30+ points in six of his nine games and averaged 1.9 swipes despite seeing a slight dip in efficiency in 3s and free-throw percentage. Depending on what the Cavs do in the offseason, I expect Mitchell to return to the 24/5/5 guy he was, unless Garland’s situation changes.

Andrew Nembhard – PG/SG, Indiana Pacers

As Indiana bulldozed its way to the Finals, Nembhard proved pivotal for the Pacers for the second year in a row. His +4.4 FPPG gain (24.0 to 28.4) came from a slight bump in usage with more minutes (33.2 compared to 28.4 in the regular season) and improved efficiency. Nembard’s 3-point shooting skyrocketed to 48.3% in the postseason after being a 29% shooter from deep in the regular season.

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He’s an ascending player in the league given his knack for stepping up in the playoffs. And I can’t help but think he’s an underrated player on the cusp of a breakout, similar to Jalen Brunson’s days with the Mavericks. History has him as an undrafted, waiver-wire type of player, but if the efficiency holds and he continues on this trajectory, a late-round fantasy draft pick is more than fair.

Aaron Gordon -SF/PF, Denver Nuggets

Gordon’s production and poise in the clutch earned him a spot on the risers list. His increase to 37 minutes per game led to more scoring and rebound opportunities, resulting in Gordon having a +4.3 bump in FPPG from the regular season to the playoffs (26.0 to 30.3 FPPG).

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If not for the nagging injuries in the regular season, Gordon would’ve been flirting with top 100 status. The Nuggets could use another shot creator, but Gordon’s chemistry with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray is too strong for him not to be effective in fantasy next season.

Julius Randle – PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Thunder made it difficult for everyone in the Western Conference finals, although Randle was the Wolves’ most consistent player through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Randle’s gain was modest (34.1 to 35.7 FPPG). However, he finally looked comfortable as a secondary playmaker who also found his shooting touch at the right time.

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Randle shot 39% from 3-point range, took nearly three more shot attempts per game and hit 88% of his free throws, raising his scoring average from 18.7 PPG in the regular season to 21.7 in the postseason. Now, he’ll have to decide whether to opt in to his $31M player option or test free agency.

Jaylen Brown – SG/SF, Boston Celtics

While Brown saw a slight dip in production (37.8 to 36.7 FPPG), context is key. He played through a partial meniscus tear, and with Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury clouding Boston’s immediate future, Brown (when healthy) will presumably assume the role as the Celtics’ go-to option heading into next season. Expect his fantasy stock to rise significantly by draft time.

• Gary Trent Jr. – PG/SG, Milwaukee Bucks: Massive leap from 18.1 to 30.4 FPPG in just five games. The absence of Damian Lillard factored into the bump in production, but you can’t knock Trent’s elite perimeter scoring and defense.

• Davion Mitchell – PG, Miami Heat: Scored +8.2 FP over his regular-season mark and quietly earned more usage and opportunity late in the season. He’s a player I’ll be keeping an eye on this offseason.

• Alperen Şengün – C, Houston Rockets: Draymond Green and the Warriors gave him hell but it was a key learning moment in his young career. He upped his FPPG by 5.7 points in seven games versus Golden State thanks to better rebounding and increasing his shot volume.

• LeBron James – SF/PF, Los Angeles Lakers: Even at 40, LeBron James raised the bar from a production standpoint, increasing his FPPG by 6.3 points compared to the regular season.

• Cade Cunningham – PG/SG, Detroit Pistons: Turnovers continue to hamper his fantasy stock, but he’s approaching early second-round consideration for his stat stuffing. Cunningham improved by 4.2 FPPG in six games versus the Knicks.

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🏆 Who will rise in the NBA Finals?

With the Finals stage set, all eyes turn to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton — two young superstars leading their franchises to unprecedented heights. The Thunder are overwhelming favorites, but this Pacers team continues to defy expectations. Youth, defense, depth and versatility have been the calling cards for both teams and I can’t wait for the chess match.

And who knows — perhaps another playoff riser will emerge on the biggest stage.