Three NBA Rookies Who Could Play Vital Role in 2026 Playoffs

In the NBA draft, teams typically select players they think can be critical players for the future of the franchise. However, there's always rookies that are ready to play right away, and the 2025 NBA Draft was filled with them.

Oftentimes, those rookies are drafted at the end of the first round, or even throughout the second, but the 2025 rookie class shook out differently. This year's draft lottery saw teams jump into the top four, who were originally striving to compete for a championship next season – putting their incoming rookies in unique situations.

Below are the top rookies ready to contribute to their team's playoff pushes.

1. Cooper Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks found themselves in perhaps the strangest situation for organizations to hold the No. 1 pick in NBA history. After trading the face of the franchise Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, the Mavericks were still very much in a win-now mode. However, injuries devastated the second half of their season, resulting in a play-in loss putting them in the lottery.

In that lottery, the Mavericks jumped to all the way up to the first pick to select Cooper Flagg, the consensus best player in the class. In a monstrous freshman season, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game – leading Duke in each category. He also earned National Player of the Year honors en route to taking the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

Flagg enters a situation in Dallas with a team full of veterans ready to compete for a championship next season, and he'll play a vital role. It's likely he's in the starting lineup on opening night, and will be a primary option on offense – at least until Kyrie Irving's return – while being tasked with guarding teams top perimeter scorers. The Mavericks will no doubt be good next year, but a deep playoff run becomes all the more possible if Flagg is great.

2. V.J. Edgecombe

The Philadelphia 76ers jumped up to the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after a season decimated by injuries to their top stars. As they gear up and regain pieces of the lineup once lost to injuries, the rest of Eastern Conference seems to be falling apart for the 2025-2026 season, leaving it wide open for teams to make a sneaky deep playoff push.

On a team centered around Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Paul George, the surrounding pieces are envisioned as athletic defenders who can cover the woes of the core four. Edgecombe fits that nicely, as he possesses raw athleticism matched by few of his 2025 draft class peers.

He'll be tasked with the matchup of other teams top guards, and likely playing heavy minutes as the 76ers make another championship run lead by Joel Embiid.

3. Asa Newell

Another team who's clearly preparing for a 2026 playoff push is the Atlanta Hawks, who've been stuck in no mans land following their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run. In wake of many Eastern Conference contenders suffering losses to their core through injury or trade, the Hawks have loaded up on assets throughout the offseason.

Adding Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard and Asa Newell while hoping for improvement from the rest of the young core gives the Hawks a strong case as an Eastern Conference contender next year.

Newell was selected with the No. 23 overall pick in the draft, and has a strong chance to play heavy playoff minutes. At Georgia, he averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1 block per game. He'll play backup big minutes for the Hawks right away, with functioning athleticism and a strong sense of movement making him the perfect pairing for a Trae Young lob threat.

His role could increase even further should Porzingis have injuries arise, which has been the case in each of his last two playoff runs. Watch out for Newell to be a sneaky contributor on a feisty Hawks team hungry to compete.