This article is dedicated to players that have likely been called "unc" (short for "uncle") at some point this season. Players, who at the time of writing, are at least 35 years old, which in NBA years, is essentially ancient. The purpose will be to acknowledge these vets who are still getting the job done, but more importantly, to ponder how much they have left in the tank and if they will be likely to continue producing numbers worthy of consideration for fantasy managers moving forward.
LeBron James is in a category of his own, as at the ancient age of 40, he continues to produce at an all-time level, averaging 25.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game. If he can maintain the pace, this will be the fourth time in his career that he averages over 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game, a feat which he accomplished in three consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2019. James is showing no signs of slowing down and can absolutely be expected to continue having his way with the game for at least another season. It is also safe to say that whether he remains with the Lakers, or finds himself elsewhere, he will ensure that he is surrounded by a capable group that should help him continue to compete for the postseason.
Kevin Durant is 36 years old, in his 17th NBA season. Similar to James, Durant is showing little-to-no signs of slowing down, as
This article is dedicated to players that have likely been called "unc" (short for "uncle") at some point this season. Players, who at the time of writing, are at least 35 years old, which in NBA years, is essentially ancient. The purpose will be to acknowledge these vets who are still getting the job done, but more importantly, to ponder how much they have left in the tank and if they will be likely to continue producing numbers worthy of consideration for fantasy managers moving forward.
LeBron James is in a category of his own, as at the ancient age of 40, he continues to produce at an all-time level, averaging 25.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game. If he can maintain the pace, this will be the fourth time in his career that he averages over 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game, a feat which he accomplished in three consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2019. James is showing no signs of slowing down and can absolutely be expected to continue having his way with the game for at least another season. It is also safe to say that whether he remains with the Lakers, or finds himself elsewhere, he will ensure that he is surrounded by a capable group that should help him continue to compete for the postseason.
Kevin Durant is 36 years old, in his 17th NBA season. Similar to James, Durant is showing little-to-no signs of slowing down, as he is averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 blocks, which are numbers that can rival even his best seasons. He is also shooting over 50 percent from the field for a 12th straight season and better than 40 percent from deep for a third straight season and eighth time in his career. His ability to play with efficiency will certainly contribute to his ability to continue competing at a high level, and it is highly likely that he will be able to maintain comparable numbers for at least another season.
At 35 years old, DeMar DeRozan is now a certified old head in the NBA, a fact that likely feels very strange for him as he is still competing against a number of players that were well-established by the time that he entered the league. In his 16th season, DeRozan continues to chip away as one of the most consistent scorers in NBA history, as he is averaging over 20 points per game for a 12th consecutive campaign, owning a combined shooting average of 47.4 percent from the field over that span and sitting less than 200 points away from reaching 25,000 career points (regular season). He definitely has a lot left in the tank and should be able to continue scoring at a high level for at least a couple more seasons.
Jimmy Butler is another player that almost seems like he does not belong on this list, as in many ways it feels like he is still working towards getting the most out of his full potential. He has been relatively limited in terms of his availability due to injuries over the years, having played more than 67 games just twice in 13 seasons prior to this one, while this season has been the most limited of his career, with just 38 appearances at approximately the 65-game mark. Nonetheless, he looks to be getting comfortable in his new surroundings with the Warriors, averaging 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals over 13 games. If he can stay healthy over the next couple of seasons, he is in a situation that could allow him to rival some of the best numbers of his career.
At 39 years old and working on his 20th season, Chris Paul is ancient in the eyes of most of his colleagues. Despite his age and a career hampered by injury trouble, Paul continues to put up impressive numbers and shine as one of the league's best distributors. After an underwhelming season in 2023-24, where he played primarily off the bench for the Warriors, Paul has shown somewhat of a resurgence this season by starting in every game for the Spurs and averaging 8.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 28.5 minutes per outing. Unfortunately for him, the season-ending injury to Victor Wembanyama essentially derailed any chance of postseason success for his squad. However, Paul looks to have proven that he is not done yet and will likely have the opportunity to continue offering his services for at least another season.
Russell Westbrook still has the motor of a player 10 years younger, as he continues to push the pace as a 36-year-old, 17-year vet. Similarly to Chris Paul, Westbrook is a player that is enjoying a bit of a resurgence this season in his new surroundings with the Nuggets, as the team seems to be making the effort to maximize his skillset. In an average of 27.7 minutes per game, Westbrook is stuffing the stat sheet with 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals, while shooting a respectable 46.2 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from deep. He has a player option in his contract for next season, and he looks more than capable of keeping up his play for at least a couple more years. However, given his unique, ball dominant play style, his future will hinge more so on whether or not there is a team that wants to work with him, rather than the other way around.
Klay Thompson averaged a minimum of 20.0 points per game for seven straight seasons between 2014 and 2023. Despite averaging a solid 17.9 points, while shooting 38.7 percent from deep last season, the Warriors decided it was time to part ways. Thompson has put together a reasonably productive season with the Mavs, especially considering their season has been interrupted by numerous injuries. However, with his game being slightly one-dimensional, and his ability to get his shot hinging on his ability to fly around screens, Thompson is noticeably slowing down at the age of 35. Nonetheless, in the right surroundings he can certainly shine as a knock-down shooter and should have no trouble continuing to contribute for another couple of seasons. That being said, his usage rate is likely to dwindle, and he is unlikely to continue producing top-tier numbers for his role.
Like his former Splash Brother, Stephen Curry is showing signs of slowing down, but not nearly at the same rate as Klay Thompson. Curry has the benefit of being a primary ball-handler and thus the opportunity to set the pace and have more control over where and when to find his shot. He is averaging 24.5 points per game, making it 13 straight seasons with at least 20.0 points per game. He is also maintaining comparable efficiency to his career average, especially from deep, where he is hitting 39.8 percent. At 36 years old, Curry is showing that he is capable of continuing to compete as a top-tier force, while the addition of Jimmy Butler to his squad seems to also be providing a boost, as there is less pressure on him to come through for every big shot.
Al Horford is in the category with LeBron James and Chris Paul, as one of the older-of-the-old players in the league, clocking in at 38. Nonetheless, Horford continues to contribute well in his role, partly aided by the fact that the Celtics are doing a good job of managing his minutes and utilizing his skills in specific scenarios where they are best suited. The big man is averaging 8.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game, but his efficiency has taken a dip as he is shooting just 41.8 percent from the field. He should be able to add value to the rotation for another season, but it would be in a scenario-based manner, meaning he is unlikely to produce consistent numbers over the long haul of a campaign.
At 35 years and counting, James Harden is another player that has crept his way into basketball old age. After a rough season in 2023-24 that may have begun to cast doubt on his ability to continue to be the player he once was, Harden is working on a brilliant bounce-back season, averaging 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is shooting a career-low 39.4 percent from the field, which could be a red flag. However, he has been unexpectedly having to handle the role of primary scorer due to the absence of Kawhi Leonard for most of the year, which carries a lot of pressure and surely brings more defensive attention. He has shown to be a very high IQ player that knows how to get the job done, and as long as he can play with another couple of highly capable scorers to help relieve the pressure, he should continue to shine. Additionally, his ability to thrive as a main distributor adds value to his game that can outlast his well-know scoring dominance.
