With NBA players locked out, it seems prudent to look to the future.  I want to determine which NBA franchises have the best young talent.

Yesterday, I ranked the top 100 NBA players based on trade value.  I will use this list to tally up the top young teams in the NBA.

A good NBA team consists of three core players, so I’ll keep my analysis to 3 players per NBA teams.   Many teams like Minnesota, Indiana, and Oklahoma City have 5+ players in the top 100.  I’ll note these players, but score a team based on its core.

The scoring will be really simple.  It will be the average rank of the best 3 young players on a team.  If a team scores a 25, then the mean rank for its 3 players is 25th.  The lower the score, the better.

1. Los Angelis Clippers – Score 9.3
The Clippers are the best young team in the NBA.  Not only do they have one of the best young talents in the league, Blake Griffin, but they also are stacked at almost every position.  Deandre Jordan is an excellent low post traditional 5.  Eric Gordon has turned into a go to scorer.  And Blake Griffin is one of the most exciting players in the NBA.  Aminu looks like a bit of a miss, and they basically gave away Kyrie Irving, but other than that, there is little to criticize with the Clippers.  They should surge to a 6 seed, or so, during the 2011/2012 NBA season.

Reserves: 78 Al Farouq Aminu 2010, 83 Eric Bledsoe 2010

2. Minnesota Timberwolves – Score 10.3
The TWolves were the youngest team in the NBA last year and will add another 3 rookies in 2012.  Kevin Love is a budding star.  He squeaked into the all-star game last year by putting up sick numbers and one memorable 30-30 game.  Ricky Rubio is a bit of an enigma.  He could be a transformational NBA player.  At worst, he’ll dish out 7 to 8 APG and grab 2 steals. Derrick Williams has more trade value than Michael Beasley, but that’s only because Michael Beasley is a space case.  Beasley is the better player.  Beyond Love, MN has 2-3 players who could turn into legitimate NBA all-stars.  That’s impressive even if most of the team is a natural PF.

Reserves: 19 Michael Beasley 2008, 32 Anthony Randolph 2008, 37 Wes Johnson 2010, Nikola Pekovic Min 2008, 99 Wayne Ellington 2009

3. Sacremento Kings – Score 13.6
The Sacremento Kings are my favorite young team in the NBA.  I think Demarcus Cousins was the second best player in the 2010 draft.  He’s dominant and if he figures it out, mentally, he will be one of the better players in the NBA.  Tyreke Evans does things few NBA players can replicate.  He can score, get to the rim, break an opponent down, and dish.  He’s an exceptional player and an even better athlete.  After Demarcus and Tyreke, there is a huge drop-off.  But two cornerstone players in the infancy of their 20′s is something to build around.  Too bad the Kings gave away Kevin Martin.

Reserves: 53 Donte Greene 2008, 65 Marcus Thornton 2009, 69 Jimmer Fredette 2011

4. Oklahoma City Thunder – Score 15
Laker, Heat, and Mavrick fans take note.  The OKC Thunder have the 3rd best young team in the NBA without including Kevin Durant.  Over under on 3 championships?  Russell Westbrook is the fastest guard in the NBA.  James Harden is a consummate role player who can actually get his own shot off.  Serge Ibaka is everything Bismack Biyombo hopes to be.  Even major misses at the C position in Aldrich and Mullens haven’t hurt the Thunder too badly.

Reserves: 71 Eric Maynor 2009, 91 Reggie Jackson 2011

5. Washington Wizards – Score 16.6
The Wizards got lucky with John Wall, but have made their own luck with every other pick.  JaVale McGee is a cornerstone C and makes about 1M a year.  Jan Vesely has the most upside in the 2011 draft.  And if he doesn’t work out, Chris Singleton will.  Kevin Seraphin was the Bismack Biyombo of the 2010 NBA draft.  I hope Bismack works better for Cha than Searaphin worked for the Wiz last year.

Reserves: 77 Jordan Crawford 2010, 80 Chris Singleton 2011, 84 Kevin Seraphin 2010

6. Indiana Pacers – Score 23.3
Paul George is going to be a great NBA player.  And Roy Hibbert is turning into a top 5 young NBA C.  These are pieces you can build around.  Darren Collison and George Hill were great pickups and Tyler Hanbrough will be a solid NBA role player for 10 years.  Indiana does not have a home run hitter on their team.  George may make a few all star teams and Hibbert probably has the most upside, but they do not have a clear cut star.  Still, it will put them in the mix for the Eastern conference playoffs every year for the foreseeable future.  Given that the Pacers have been picking in the late lottery each year, I think Bird has done a pretty tremendous job accumulating talent.

Reserves: 35 George Hill 2008, 50 Brandon Rush 2008, 54 Tyler Hansbrough 2009, 97 Lance Stephenson 2010

7. Utah Jazz – Score 24.6
I really like the haul Utah made for Derron Williams.  If you compare Utah to a team like Phoenix who did not trade their star while he still had value, Utah is much better off.  If Favors gets consistent, he could turn into an all-star.  I though Alec Brooks was the 5th best player in the 2011 draft.  I’m still holding out hope that Gordon Hayward can pull it together, but the low FG% he had at Butler his final year has translated directly to the NBA.

Reserves: 58 Gordon Hayward 2010

8. Chicago Bulls – Score 33.6
I’m imagining a few Bulls vs. Thunder NBA finals.  I think OKC has the better talent, but the Bulls are a little older and could challenge for next year’s title.  It would be interesting to throw Durrant into the mix and see how he ranks against Rose?  Would CHI trade Rose for Durrant?  Would OKC trade Durrant for Rose?  It’s a tough call, but if I were building a team, I’d take Rose over Durrant.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers – Score 35.6
One of the only positives of the Lebron James defection has been the development of JJ Hickson.  At least until CLE traded him for a player half as good.  We’ll see what Kyrie Irving brings.  Selecting Tristan Thompson based on a stellar workout usually ends up being a flawed approach.  See the rise and fall of Johnny Flynn.  Never the less, CLE has added some good young talent to their roster, but will still be one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Reserves: 95 Kosta Koufos Cle 2008

10. Golden State Warriors – Score 36.6
Ekpe Udoh looks like a bit of a miss with Greg Monroe still on the board.  But Stephen Curry was a homerun and I really like Klay Thompson.  Monta Ellis is still really young and so is David Lee.  GSW is one dominant center away from being a really competitive team.  2011 was deep with NBA C talent, and it’s surprising that GSW did not attempt to move up to land Jonas or Biyombo.

Honorable mention goes to Detroit who has 5 players in the top 100.  And pretty much everyone I’ve asked thinks that I under value Greg Monroe.

Denver came in 13th and does not appear to have rebuilt off the trade of their superstar as well as Utah did.  Charlotte has 5 players in the top 100.  And Toronto seems like it should have more young talent considering their poor finishes of recent years.

Teams that have no young talent and did not make the playoffs last year include Phoenix.  The Suns could be one of the worst teams during the 10′s.  It’s hard to trade your super star when he’s still good, but the rebuilding process can be ugly if you don’t.