NBA's high 10 gamers 35 and older: LeBron James nonetheless close to the highest getting into age-40 season, however he is not No. 1

With the NBA season shortly approaching, we right here at CBS Sports activities launched our annual Top 100 NBA player rankings. A part of what makes the High 100 so intriguing is taking a look at all of the alternative ways the data might be damaged down. Like assessing who the biggest risers and fallers are from the earlier yr, to compiling an inventory of the top 10 players aged 22 and younger.

In that very same vein of rating the High 10 gamers by age, whereas a lot focus is placed on the younger gamers, the veterans are nonetheless so necessary within the league. The NBA could also be skewing youthful, with guys getting aged out of alternatives, however there’s nonetheless a handful of fellows aged 35 and older who’re making an influence on the sport. 

So it is solely proper to take a look at the High 10 gamers aged 35 and older. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are actually amongst this cohort, however the place do they rank? LeBron’s been the face of the league for greater than a decade, however does he maintain the No. 1 spot amongst the previous guys? Let’s discover out. 

Age: 39
High 100 rank: NR. Paul’s decline has been a gentle one over the past two years, however we’re not too far faraway from him main the league in assists on a 64-win Suns group. He got here off the bench for the primary time in profession final yr with the Warriors, and whereas he offered the mandatory aid for Stephen Curry, it was apparent that different gamers have handed him. However now he embarks on one other journey, one which Paul is uniquely suited to as he serves because the veteran mentor to Victor Wembanyama and a Spurs group seeking to construct round a younger famous person who tasks to be the face of the league sooner or later.  — Jasmyn Wimbish

Age: 38
High 100 rank: NR. I am truly fairly shocked Horford did not make our High 100, but it surely simply exhibits how a lot expertise is within the NBA. However he is nonetheless amongst probably the most invaluable veterans a group may have, as evidenced from the essential function he performed in Boston’s championship run, incomes him his first ring. Regardless of coming off the bench for many of the season, he was pushed again into the beginning lineup as soon as Kristaps Porzingis went down, and had a number of video games the place he was some of the necessary gamers on the ground for the Celtics. — Jasmyn Wimbish

Age: 36
High 100 rank: 88. How typically do you hear a fanbase lament its lack of a rim-protecting heart that may shoot 3-pointers? The Pelicans have been on the lookout for one for 5 years. Everybody desires a Brook Lopez. They cannot have one as a result of he is certainly one of a sort. In need of superstars on max contract, there merely aren’t different facilities who take nothing off of the ground on both finish whereas including fairly a bit on each. Lopez leads the league in contested photographs yearly. The three-point effectivity waxes and wanes, however he pairs it with sufficient craft within the arc that defenses nonetheless should account for him irrespective of the place he’s. He does not pull in rebounds himself, however he is so good in his positioning and boxing out that he is a really invaluable group rebounder. He is the middle everybody desires however solely the Bucks get to have. — Sam Quinn

Age: 36
High 100 rank: 85. Conley will enter the upcoming season as one of many oldest gamers within the league, however he is additionally nonetheless some of the invaluable veterans a younger group — just like the Timberwolves — may have. As he is finished all through his whole profession, Conley acts as the right bridge between establishing star gamers like Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, whereas additionally being somebody you’ll be able to’t simply ignore when he is standing past the 3-point line. He is coming off a profession yr relating to his 3-point taking pictures, and may as soon as once more be a key piece on a Minnesota group primed to make one other deep run within the postseason. — Jasmyn Wimbish

Age: 35
High 100 rank: 53. At the same time as uncertainty swirled round a Bulls roster that was continually inflow final season, DeRozan was the regular hand guiding Chicago. He saved an in any other case mediocre roster aggressive and had the Bulls one win away from incomes the ultimate spot within the East playoffs. DeRozan’s mid-range recreation is as deadly as anybody’s. Final season, he was at all times constant, hardly ever missed video games and completed second for Clutch Participant of the 12 months. He is becoming a member of a Kings group this yr the place his function may change considerably, however one factor that will not change is him supplying you with an environment friendly 15-20 factors an evening. — Jasmyn Wimbish

Age: 35
High 100 rank: No. 44. Harden’s basketball odyssey took him to Los Angeles final season, the place he joined his fourth group in 4 years. Regardless of one other change of surroundings, that marketing campaign ended as many earlier than it had. Within the closing two video games of the Clippers’ first-round collection, each losses, Harden scored 23 factors on 28 photographs en path to a six-game elimination by the hands of the Mavericks. With Paul George off to Philadelphia this summer time, Harden might want to tackle a much bigger scoring burden than he has in recent times to ensure that the Clippers to remain related within the Western Convention. — Jack Maloney

Age: 35
High 100 rank: No. 22. Butler is what he’s: An awesome participant who paces himself within the common season with a purpose to produce famous person postseason stretches. The stats fill each column and the influence at all times provides up. Final season the Warmth outscored opponents by 1.7 factors per 100 possessions, per Cleansing the Glass; that quantity elevated to plus eight factors per 100 when Butler was on the ground. The query is: Are the Warmth nonetheless adequate to provide Butler the chance to shift into his playoff gear? Or is that this a regressing group that may truly look to commerce Butler earlier than his subsequent and doubtless final vital payday? — Brad Botkin

3. Kevin Durant, Suns

Age: 35
High 100 rank: 9. Durant stays fairly near the peak of his powers. Final season he averaged 27-6-5 on 41% 3-point taking pictures, and maybe most significantly, he performed in 75 video games — by far his highest mark since leaving Golden State. The have been rumors that he did not love the way in which he was being utilized by Frank Vogel. It will likely be fascinating to see what sort of distinction Mike Budenholzer makes when it comes to Durant’s spots and photographs and the way in which he receives the ball; i.e. in stationary positions or off extra of his most well-liked pin-down screens. Both manner, Durant was the very best isolation scorer in basketball final season. — Brad Botkin

2. LeBron James, Lakers

Age: 39
High 100 rank: 8. LeBron James just lately turned the oldest participant ever to win an MVP award in any competitors that includes energetic NBA gamers when he was named probably the most invaluable participant of the 2024 Olympics. This breaks a report that he himself set throughout the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Event. Positive, it is unreasonable to anticipate the approaching quadragenarian to be the NBA’s finest participant over the course of an 82-game season anymore, however make no mistake, in a smaller pattern, there nonetheless may not be a single participant in all of basketball that evokes extra concern in his opponents than LeBron James. It is not clear what number of MVP awards of any selection are nonetheless left in his ageing physique, however when he must, he can nonetheless summon the entire ability and ferocity that received him his first. — Sam Quinn

1. Stephen Curry, Warriors

Age: 36
High 100 rank: 6. Curry continues to be an offense unto himself together with his inimitable motion and pure shot-making expertise. At 36 years previous, it is exhausting to see the place he is declined in any respect offensively, however what we have seen is that at the same time as nice as an ageing Curry stays, he wants higher expertise round him to make his manner again into title rivalry. LeBron can relate. — Brad Botkin