LeBron James remains NBA’s oldest player as Cameron Boozer headlines youngest group

LeBron James will once again be the NBA’s elder statesman when the 2026-27 season tips off. A leaguewide age snapshot compiled by Hoops Rumors shows the Los Angeles Lakers star entering his fourth consecutive year as the oldest active player in the NBA. James will turn 42 before the end of the calendar year, making him one of just two players in the league currently in their 40s.

The other is Al Horford, now with the Golden State Warriors. Horford moves into the No. 2 spot on the age list following the retirements of longtime guards Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and Garrett Temple. Two more familiar veterans have also exited NBA rosters: Jeff Green is presently unsigned and Joe Ingles has returned to his native Australia to join Melbourne United.

Warriors heavily represented at the top of the age ladder

With several older guards stepping away, spots opened up near the top of the age rankings for new names. Hoops Rumors notes that former MVPs Kevin Durant and James Harden now appear in the top 10 by age for the first time. The Warriors are the only team currently showing up twice among the league’s oldest players and could gain even more representation depending on final roster cuts.

Forward James Johnson, on a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Indiana Pacers, is currently listed in the top 10, as is Pelicans centre DeAndre Jordan. If Johnson is waived before the regular season, Golden State forward Jimmy Butler – described as the only other active player born in the 1980s – would slide into the 10th spot. Just behind Butler on the age list are two more names closely tied to the Warriors’ recent era: Klay Thompson, now with the Miami Heat, and Draymond Green, both still among the league’s oldest active players.

2026 draft class fills out the NBA’s youngest ranks

At the opposite end, Hoops Rumors identifies the 10 youngest players currently on NBA rosters, all of whom were selected in the 2026 draft. Memphis Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer and San Antonio Spurs prospect Jayden Quaintance are among the youngest, each born in July 2007. With name, image and likeness opportunities encouraging more prospects to stay longer in school, the site points out that no player will start this season at age 18, unlike in recent years.

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, who held the title of the NBA’s youngest player last season, narrowly missed the list this time. Born on December 21, 2006, he ranks 11th in age leaguewide, younger than most of the 2026 rookie class. The top three picks in the 2026 draft – Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer – all appear among the 10 youngest players, and the Grizzlies are the only franchise represented twice. Their two first-rounders, Boozer and Lopez, are counted among the league’s three youngest players overall.

Lining up the league’s oldest and youngest players underscores both the remarkable longevity of certain stars and the continuing influx of teenage talent. For front offices and coaching staffs, it highlights the balancing act between leaning on proven veterans deep into their late 30s and early 40s and carving out developmental roles for the NBA’s newest arrivals.