NBA All-Star Weekend 2020: 5 Rising Stars who could be MVPs in the future

The Rising Stars Challenge encompasses NBA's top first- and second-year players (with ages ranging from 19 to 24). Ever since adopting the Team USA vs Team World format back in 2015, Team World has triumphed in three of the five clashes so far. However, looking at the stacked Team USA lineup this year, it looks like we might see an epic showdown between two young and uber-talented squads which are as follows.

Team USA: Miles Bridges, Wendell Carter Jr., Devonte' Graham, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, Kendrick Nunn, Eric Paschall, Collin Sexton, PJ Washington, Zion Williamson, Trae Young

Team World: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Nicolo Melli, RJ Barrett, Brandon Clarke, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Rui Hachimura, Svi Mykhailiuk, Josh Okogie, Moritz Wagner

There are several talented prospects in the team pools for the Rising Stars Challenge who could be stars of the future. Let's take a look at some of the players appearing in this highly anticipated matchup who possess MVP potential for the near future.

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#5 Kendrick Nunn

Nunn went undrafted back in 2018.

At 24 years old, this is Kendrick Nunn's rookie season playing for the Miami Heat. Saying that he has been an integral part of Miami Heat's 35-19 (0.648) run this season would be an understatement.

Nunn's legitimate start in Miami has resulted in him averaging 15.3 points while putting together 1.32 points per possession as a pick-and-roll passer (95th percentile). Emerging as a fairly versatile combo guard, Kendrick Nunn is shooting almost 44% from the field and would be the third-oldest participant in this year's Rising Star Challenge.

Moreover, his maturity on the court and shot-making versatility meant he ended up making 47.3 percent of his jumpers off screens this season. The fact that Miami has been such an exciting team to watch this year, makes Nunn's case stronger for a higher ceiling despite his age.

#4 Devonte' Graham

Graham has hit 190 three-pointers this season.

Despite attempting over nine 3-pointers per game, Devonte' Graham has managed to make them at an impressive 38% clip all season long. He is amongst the top three-point shooters in the league right now and has broken out in a major way for the Charlotte Hornets.

Even though he's been experiencing a shooting slump of late, Graham is still managing to make 3.5 threes per game. The 24-year-old point guard has been making a case for the 'Most Improved Player' award, considering how much damage he can do when playing at his best.

He is currently leading his team with impactful numbers like 18.1 points and 7.8 assists per game.

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#3 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai has been leading the rebuild in Oklahoma City.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 19.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting at a respectable 47% clip from the field this year. The Oklahoma City Thunder are comfortably inside the playoff picture at the moment, and SGA has been leading this team's offense from the word go.

The 21-year-old combo guard has a lot of room to improve, especially in the three-point domain, and that tells us there's more in store for the coming years. The fact that he has been playing off Chris Paul from the spot-up position this year and excelling at it has come as a welcome surprise for the OKC camp.

Indeed, the Paul George trade that landed SGA with the Thunder has expedited his path to being an All-Star caliber talent.

#2 Zion Williamson

Zion is the first player in 35 years to record 8 20-point games in his first 10 games.

Zion Williamson's inclusion into the NBA landscape has seen explosive athleticism and historic scoring numbers. The 19-year-old is averaging 22 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting over 57% from the floor. NBA defenders are unable to contain his quick first step as well as his dominant presence under the rim.

Given the proper conditioning to maintain his 284-pound frame, Zion could well be the best player in the league in the near future. He is making up for the lost time (due to knee surgery) in commanding fashion just by using his putbacks, athleticism to grab lobs and second jumps. With time, a consistent jumper is expected to emerge, completing his arsenal to be one of the all-time greats.

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#1 Ja Morant

Morant is the leading ROY candidate at the moment.

Ja Morant has played in 48 games this year so far and has led the Memphis Grizzlies into the playoff picture from the Western Conference. The 20-year-old is averaging 17.6 points and 7.1 assists per game, on 49.3 percent shooting from the field. Making a wide leap from Ohio Valley Conference to the NBA, he has acclimatized to league's pace in no time.

Despite standing at just 6-foot-3, Morant's high-flying dunks have already posterized some elite rim protectors in the league in his rookie year. He carries immense potential to shake defenses off the dribble, along with impeccable court vision while operating in traffic.

More confidence and finesse to his outside shot will surely result in an MVP caliber player who can turn the franchise's fortunes around single-handedly.