A new NBA season is looming, and we all know what that means: Some players will explode onto the scene, while others will see their star stock drop.
That is how the NBA has worked since the dawn of professional basketball, and that’s not going to change now.
However, in between the rising stars and the players nearing retirement, another group hides in plain sight: the “under” under-the-radar players.
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Yes, these players are obscure and simply don’t fit into the classic under-the-radar description, so they aren’t likely to receive a lot of attention.
That hardly seems fair, so let’s talk about them.
Here are four players who could spend the 2025-26 season proving their worth:
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Toronto Raptors
The 6-foo-11 big man has always been a per-minute production monster, yet he’s rarely been given the opportunity to play consistent minutes to see if he could convert said production into a steady role.
Last season in San Antonio, the 26-year-old averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.2 minutes. In 681 total minutes, Mamukelashvili hit 60 3-point shots (37.3% accuracy) and turned into one of the league’s highest-volume long-range-shooting big men.
Now in Toronto, Mamukelashvili is hoping for a role that offers him more stability. With a roster that is certainly in need of complementary spacing, the big man could see a lot of minutes alongside Scottie Barnes, a player who is by no means a natural shooter and who needs optimized floor spacing to get to the rim.
Will this be the year Mamukelashvili finally earns a full-fledged rotation role? Given his age, 3-point prowess, new team and ability to hit the glass, it would make a lot of sense for the Georgian to become a bigger name.
Brice Sensabaugh, Utah Jazz
It’s almost unfair to include a guy who averaged almost 11 points last season, but given that very few people actually watched the Jazz, we think his name is a worthy inclusion.
Sensabaugh appears primed to take another step forward, particularly due to his high 3-point rate (9.4 attempts per 36 minutes) and overall scoring capabilities. The 21-year-old played 20 minutes per game last season, making his presence felt consistently.
While Sensabaugh isn’t projected to become some all-around star, there is value in being supremely good at one thing, which in his case is the ability to flat-out get buckets.
For a team in drastic need of, well, everything, having a guy who could sleepwalk his way to a solid scoring average is nothing to sneeze at.
Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks
Bucks fans will rightfully scoff at his inclusion, as they’re already painfully aware of his value.
For the rest of the league, though, it’s about to realize how crucial of a role he’s going to play for Milwaukee this season.
While not a traditional point guard, Rollins is capable of locating his own shot, playing off the ball and functioning as a proper spacing fit around Giannis Antetokounmpo. His 40.8% accuracy from long range last season is highly encouraging, as the Bucks are going to need as much floor spacing as possible after the loss of Damian Lillard to an Achilles injury.
The big question for Rollins will be playmaking and whether he can prevent the Bucks from drowning when Antetokounmpo isn’t on the floor. If he solves that conundrum, he should be a household name by April.
Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand a depleted Celtics frontcourt will offer opportunities to those ready to seize them.
The 26-year-old Queta isn’t going to break the mold and offer unicorn production. He’s not a shooter, and is in fact far more of a traditional center as we knew them from the ’80s and ’90s. But that doesn’t mean he won’t get every opportunity to soak up center minutes and provide the Celtics with an interior presence.
Queta is likely to see a significant minutes bump, and should he be able to replicate his per-minute production, odds are good he’ll find himself in a situation where his statistical output is going to be noteworthy.
Of course, Boston will likely maintain its focus on the 3-point shot, meaning we aren’t locked in to see more touches go Queta’s way. In any event, his rebounding and shot-blocking are bound to make some noise.
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