Ranking the 10 Most Insulting NBA 2K26 Player Ratings
The annual tradition of downloading NBA 2K and getting angry about the player ratings is here.
Every summer, there are players whose marks on the popular sports franchise don't quite seem to match reality. And 2K26 is no exception.
With the game recently releasing in full, we can peruse the entire roster and scratch our heads over it together.
The individual ratings that should insult their real-life counterparts can be found below.
10. Deni Avdija (82)
1 of 10
Deni Avdija just barely makes the list because it may be fair to still have a hint of skepticism.
His 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists from last season don't leap off the screen. Those stats were further inflated by a post-All-Star break surge—often a quieter time, as many teams go through the motions—in which he averaged 26.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
But that production, especially in March and April, when taken in concert with the defense he's provided throughout his career, should have been enough to sell the 2K developers more than this.
Avdija is an 82, which is a point shy of Jalen Green. Last season, the Portland Trail Blazers forward topped Green in just about every relevant category outside of points per game. And since both players are shy of their primes, it would be hard to argue Green's upward trajectory is any steeper than Avdija's.
9. Dejounte Murray (81)
2 of 10
Dejounte Murray is another entry where 2K probably deserves a little benefit of the doubt.
Now nearly four years removed from his lone All-Star appearance, his 2024-25 campaign was cut short by a ruptured Achilles after just 31 games—a serious concern for any player's outlook.
But Murray is still in his 20s. And over the three seasons prior to his most recent, he put up 21.4 points, 7.2 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
His inconsistency as an outside shooter may have cost him a ratings point or two, and his defense isn't at the level it was when he was an All-Star. But Murray's 81 still feels too far from other guards such as Norman Powell (84) or Austin Reaves (85).
8. Larry Nance Jr. (74)
3 of 10
Injuries have plagued Larry Nance Jr. throughout his career. In 2024-25, he made just 24 appearances for the Atlanta Hawks.
Historically, though, a low durability rating hasn't impacted the overall mark much. And with an 83 in that column, he is probably overrated in that specific category.
It's everywhere else where he's not getting enough credit.
When healthy, Nance is one of the best gap-fillers in the league. He does a little of everything well, outside maybe scoring.
Among active players, he's top 70 in career box plus/minus, with career averages of 9.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per 75 possessions. And over the last two seasons, he hit 43.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
In short, it just doesn't make a ton of sense to have him in a group of 74s that includes Dario Šarić and Gabe Vincent.
7. Kyle Anderson (74)
4 of 10
Another veteran who's been banished to the sub-75 crew a little too early, Kyle Anderson, like Nance, still provides way too much value to have this rating.
You may have already noticed a theme developing, but basketball is about a lot more than scoring. And Anderson checks a lot of the other boxes that lead to his team having more points than the opposition.
He's a heady defender who can guard multiple positions. He can run individual offensive possessions like a point guard. And he's just one of the league's consummate "does all the little things" guys.
6. Santi Aldama (78)
5 of 10
Some might say including Santi Aldama here is generous. However, in 2024-25 he finished just outside the top 40 in box plus/minus, yet his 78 rating leaves him outside the game's top 100.
Now, there's no guarantee he'll put up 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per 75 possessions with solid defense again, but he is still just 24 years old.
At that age, it makes more sense to expect continued development than it does to forecast a decline. And a 78 is essentially doing the latter.
5. Lauri Markkanen (84)
6 of 10
The developers may have been down on Lauri Markkanen's 2024-25, but his slight step back has to be viewed in light of the Utah Jazz's aggressive tank job.
He was in and out of the lineup all season, dealt with various injuries and enjoyed almost no lineup continuity. Even with all those obstacles, he averaged 19.0 points.
And over the two seasons prior to 2024-25, the 28-year-old averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.1 threes, while shooting 39.5 percent from deep.
Since joining the Jazz, Markkanen has been one of the league's best and most unique finishers. Without dominating the ball or using many dribbles, he's typically near the top of the leaderboards in both dunks and threes.
And if he can stay healthy or is traded to a team with an older supporting cast, Markkanen is going to make 84 feel way too low.
4. Aaron Gordon (82)
7 of 10
Another player whose contributions go far beyond the scoring column, Aaron Gordon has averaged 14.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists since he joined the Denver Nuggets.
And in those four-plus seasons, he's third among Denver Nuggets in box plus/minus, behind the near-consensus best player in the world and Jamal Murray.
In the same stretch, Denver is second in the league in combined winning percentage, and Gordon's multipositional defense, secondary playmaking and proficiency from the dunker's spot are big reasons why.
3. Luka Dončić (95)
8 of 10
It may seem silly to suggest that a player with a 95, who only has three others ahead of him, should feel remotely disrespected.
But as recently as the summer of 2024, fresh off a Finals run, serious analysts were entertaining serious arguments that Luka Dončić might be the best player in the world.
Injuries and the most inexplicable trade in NBA history may have changed our perception of him a bit over the last 12 months and change, but he is still just 26 years old.
Over the last six seasons, he's averaged 30.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 3.2 threes. His production and level of play almost goes up in the postseason.
So, even if Dončić is ranked as the fourth-best player in the game, a gap of two points behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and three behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seems excessive. Earlier this month, a blind poll showed Luka's 2023-24 numbers surpassed SGA's 2024-25 stats.
2. Franz Wagner (86)
9 of 10
In a lot of cases, you can just spot an individual player rating and feel like it's off. But you usually need to confirm it with context or comparisons.
And the key comparison with Franz Wagner is his teammate, Paolo Banchero.
Most fans and analysts think Banchero is the Orlando Magic's best player. He's casually mentioned as that all the time. He has the All-Star appearance, while Wagner doesn't.
But by just about every available metric, the German is at least as good as his teammate, who's currently rated at 90 on 2K26.
Wagner is the more consistent defender. He takes better care of the ball and is a more efficient scorer. He too has a "blind poll" result working in his favor, as his 2024-25 numbers recently crushed Banchero's.
And, as if that wasn't enough, Wagner's contributions are clearly translating more to winning than Banchero's.
Over the last three seasons, Orlando is plus-1.4 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor, plus-7.1 when Wagner plays without Banchero and minus-7.8 when Paolo plays without Franz. The numbers are similar when you isolate any of those individual seasons.
Again, at the very least, Wagner's rating should be as good as his All-Star teammate's.
1. Jalen Johnson (81)
10 of 10
Jalen Johnson is one of the most intriguing up-and-coming talents in the NBA.
He doesn't turn 24 until December. And this past season, he averaged 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks.
He's a pogo-stick finisher with underrated playmaking chops and growing defensive switchability.
And for a brief moment in 2024-25, his versatility made it just shy of absurd to ask: "Could Jalen Johnson be the Atlanta Hawks' best player?"
Now, the chances of the answer to that question ultimately being "yes" are slim. Trae Young is still one of the game's best offensive engines.
But having Johnson, who'll almost certainly be seen as the Hawks' No. 2 in 2025-26 and beyond, as Atlanta's fourth-highest rated player (and tied with Onyeka Okongwu) is borderline ridiculous. Having him share a rating with Shaedon Sharpe is absurd.
Johnson is a player who will almost certainly watch his rating climb as teams start playing games and 2K starts releasing some updated rosters.
