For the fourth straight season, LeBron James is set to open the NBA year as its oldest player.
That spot still belongs to the Lakers star, who will turn 42 before the calendar flips to 2027. He’s one of only two active players in their 40s, with Warriors center Al Horford now sitting second on the age list after three veteran guards - Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and Garrett Temple - dropped off NBA rosters.
That shuffle helped clear out a big chunk of last season’s elder class. Paul, Lowry and Temple are out, Jeff Green is still unsigned, and Joe Ingles has already moved on to Melbourne United in his native Australia. In all, five of the seven oldest players from last season are gone from this year’s board, which opened the door for a couple of familiar stars to move into the top 10 for the first time: Kevin Durant and James Harden.
The list is, of course, still a moving target. Green and Kevin Love would both qualify if they land new NBA deals soon, and the source notes that at least one player on the current list may not be on a roster by opening night. For now, though, this is where things stand heading into 2026/27:
LeBron James, Sixers (born 12/30/1984)
Al Horford, Warriors (born 6/3/1986)
James Johnson, Pacers (born 2/20/1987)
Note: Johnson is on a non-guaranteed training camp contract.
Mike Conley, Celtics (born 10/11/1987)
Stephen Curry, Warriors (born 3/14/1988)
Brook Lopez, Clippers (born 4/1/1988)
DeAndre Jordan, Pelicans (born 7/21/1988)
Kevin Durant, Rockets (born 9/29/1988)
DeMar DeRozan, Nuggets (born 8/7/1989)
James Harden, Cavaliers (born 8/26/1989)
Golden State is the only team with multiple players on the oldest-player list, and it could briefly have three if James Johnson gets waived by Indiana before the regular season starts, which the source says is likely. If Johnson comes off the list, Warriors forward Jimmy Butler would slide in as No. 10, making him the lone active player born in the 1980s outside the current top group.
Two more names with deep Warriors ties sit just behind that cutoff. Klay Thompson, now with the Heat, ranks 12th, and Draymond Green is right behind him at No. 13.
At the other end of the spectrum, the league’s 10 youngest players are all 2026 draft picks, and every one of them was born in 2007. The group is led by Cameron Boozer of the Grizzlies and Jayden Quaintance of the Spurs, followed by Karim Lopez, Ebuka Okorie, Keaton Wagler, Chris Cenac Jr., AJ Dybantsa, Koa Peat, Darryn Peterson and Kingston Flemings.
Here’s that full list:
Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies (born 7/18/2007)
Jayden Quaintance, Spurs (born 7/11/2007)
Karim Lopez, Grizzlies (born 4/12/2007)
Ebuka Okorie, Pistons (born 4/10/2007)
Keaton Wagler, Clippers (born 2/3/2007)
Chris Cenac Jr., Celtics (born 2/1/2007)
AJ Dybantsa, Wizards (born 1/29/2007)
Koa Peat, Suns (born 1/20/2007)
Darryn Peterson, Jazz (born 1/17/2007)
Kingston Flemings, Hawks (born 1/3/2007)
Because fewer freshmen are entering the draft early thanks to NIL, those 10 are the only players in the league born in 2007. No one will start opening night at 18 years old this season, unlike a few players last year.
One near-miss stands out: Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, who was the NBA’s youngest player last season, was born on December 21, 2006 and lands just outside the group at No. 11. That still makes him younger than most of this year’s draft class.
The top three picks in the 2026 draft - Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer - are all on the youngest-player list, and the Grizzlies are the only team with two names in the group. Their first-round picks, Boozer and Lopez, are also two of the league’s three youngest players.
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Jordan Hawkins did not stay in Memphis long, though, as the team moved on from him and opened the door for him to enter free agency. The quick turnaround adds another layer to a summer already defined by change, and it leaves the Grizzlies with a clearer picture of how aggressively they are willing to keep adjusting the roster as they settle into this new phase. [Read more 🡒]