With the conclusion of the 2024 NBA Draft and Summer League, we often focus on young talent—whether drafted, undrafted, signed to a two-way deal, climbing from the G League, or just trying to make their way onto an NBA roster. These prospects have the potential to change a franchise’s trajectory, whether by rising to stardom with the right fit and development or fighting for rotational minutes to prove their worth. However, it’s important to remember that some may fall out of the league after short tenures and longevity in this league is for the lucky few.

While we can rightfully get excited about the next generation, staying in the NBA as a veteran requires another level of discipline, talent, training regimen, and consistency that must be appreciated. Being older than a certain age in the real world isn’t necessarily considered old, but in the NBA, productivity and influence shift as players age. It’s crucial to consider the fantasy basketball implications of how aging players can still dominate the league (e.g., LeBron James), mentor younger players (e.g., Chris Paul), support their teams in championship quests (e.g., Al Horford and Mike Conley), and influence their teams through limited but high-quality play (e.g., Kyle Lowry).

These veteran players can provide real-life value to franchises and to fantasy GMs. Reduced or managed minutes may benefit them in terms of games played, but their lack of playing time, mileage in terms of total minutes played and injury history should also be considered when making the best decisions on who to draft.

When evaluating older players, it’s valuable to consider parameters like age, focusing more on those in their mid-30s or older. This is not because this age is old in real life, but because it is old in the NBA world. We will also focus on their production and workload within recent fantasy basketball seasons and how young, highly talented players and changing of teams influence the outlook of our veterans for the 2024-25 NBA season.

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