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Welcome to Bleacher Report's Top 100 NBA Player Rankings for the 2025-26 season.
The following list isn't built from advanced analytics, complex formulas or A.I. assistance. Instead, it's driven by the collective instincts of our human panel.
Every voter involved in our project ranked their personal Top 100 players entering the season, applying their own criteria, but with a shared focus: players who will compete at the most elite levels right now and players who will impact winning on a star level.
From there, we tallied everyone's votes.
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50
Aaron Gordon Denver Nuggets
Aaron Gordon is far from the first NBA player to do this, but he's one of the best examples of a former lottery pick who presumably entered the league with visions of superstardom embracing a less heralded role.
Since joining the Denver Nuggets, Gordon has streamlined his game, improved his shot selection, focused on defense and put winning above personal accolades. And, as if all that wasn't enough, he became even more dangerous last season by developing a reliable three-point shot.
AG isn't likely to produce at a high volume in any statistical category, but he can do a little bit of everything and has become one of the league's top role players.
49
Jalen Johnson Atlanta Hawks
For those who didn't pay close attention to Jalen Johnson last season, seeing him in our top 50 here may come as a surprise.
If anything, this ranking could wind up being low.
Before Johnson suffered a season-ending torn labrum in his left shoulder in late January, he was in the midst of a breakout campaign. Across 36 appearances, he set new career highs in points (18.9), rebounds (10.0), assists (5.0), steals (1.6) and blocks (1.0) per game.
The Hawks signed Johnson to a five-year, $150 million extension ahead of last season, which is already aging like fine wine. His annual salary is $30 million flat across the life of the deal, so he'll increasingly become one of the best-value contracts in the NBA over the remainder of the decade.
This season will be Johnson's chance to prove that his breakout campaign was no fluke. Doing so could cement him as a franchise cornerstone for the Hawks moving forward.
48
Lauri Markkanen Utah Jazz
An All-Star in 2022-23 and nearly as productive (and efficient) the following season, Markkanen took a backward step this past season.
His counting categories dipped, his shooting rates tanked, and he wound up making a career-low 47 appearances.
Then, he went on a starring run at EuroBasket that reminded anyone who'd forgotten about his prodigious gifts. And folks couldn't help but wonder whether Utah's race to the bottom contributed to his down season.
The 28-year-old heads into this campaign as one of the league's most logical trade candidates. He's a proven, in-prime, big-time talent on an organization that is overloaded with youth and seemingly fully focused on the upcoming draft. He might need a strong start to make potential suitors feel better about the massive amount of money he's owed, but there's just so much to like about a 7-footer with his skill level.
47
Jarrett Allen Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers' fourth top-50 player on our list, Jarrett Allen, is the type of low-maintenance star every team wishes it had.
The 27-year-old played all 82 games last year, led the NBA with a 70.6 field goal percentage, nearly averaged a double-double and played excellent defense once again.
Allen does all of this without the benefit of any offensive plays being run through him while doing the dirty work of setting screens for the All-Star guards and cleaning up the offensive glass.
With a new three-year, $90.7 million extension set to kick in next season, will the Cavs be able to keep Allen with three other max players? Opposing center-needy teams will hope not.
46
Rudy Gobert Minnesota Timberwolves
Rudy Gobert no longer singlehandedly smothers opposing offenses like he did with the Utah Jazz, but he's still one of the league's most effective defensive anchors and rim protectors.
Because of his ability to clean up drives inside, the Minnesota Timberwolves' perimeter defenders can be far more aggressive. That leads to scrambled offenses, which in turn result in misses. When Gobert was on the floor this past season, opponents' effective field-goal percentage dropped 2.2 points.
As has been the case for much of his career, despite a lack of traditional post moves or other aesthetically pleasing skills, Gobert is still a positive player on offense, too. He knows what he does best (offensive rebound and dunk), and he doesn't try to do much else. Getting 13.1 points on just 7.7 field-goal attempts per game is incredibly valuable.
45
LaMelo Ball Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball is a fun player to watch.
He gets up and down the floor quickly, takes (and makes, sometimes) wild shot attempts, and is a high-level assist generator. His team, however, has been reliably awful throughout most of Ball's young career.
If his All-Star nod in 2021-22 as a sophomore was premature, he averaged a career-high of 25.2 points per game last season. Unfortunately, he's struggled to stay healthy over the last three years, which has been the Hornets' most significant hurdle. If the talent was there (debatable), health was not.
On paper, Charlotte has a young, exciting roster. The team may not be ready to go on a Detroit Pistons run (from high lottery to playoffs), but if Ball, Brandon Miller and the rest of the group can prove durable, the play-in tournament isn't out of bounds.
In the meantime, Ball's lack of availability, coupled with his team's inability to make the postseason, suggests his prolific output may be empty calories. Now is an ideal time for Ball to shake that reputation.
44
OG Anunoby New York Knicks
If NBA scouting departments commissioned scientists to concoct the ideal non-star in a lab, the end result would be OG Anunoby: an every-position defender who can bring more than just three-point shooting at the other end.
Availability and a relatively undefined offensive peak still work against him. He distanced himself from both warts last season, appearing in 74 games and proving to be a more reliable driver and foul-drawer.
Anunoby will be asked to broaden his horizons further under New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown. He should be moving more without the ball in the half-court, and in all likelihood, be encouraged to push more frequently after rebounds. His place here will require relitigation if this looks good on him, he stays healthy, and if he continues to clean up virtually everything on defense.
43
Desmond Bane Orlando Magic
Trade acquisition Desmond Bane will bring some much-needed spacing in support of frontcourt stars Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.
The Magic were last in three-point percentage and three-point makes in 2024-25, making Bane's fit easy to see. He's a career 41 percent shooter from deep and has posted at least 19 points per game in each of the past three seasons.
Bane's value, though, extends beyond scoring. The guard adds defensive toughness, strong rebounding and quick decision-making, all traits that could help Orlando push the pace after finishing last in that category a year ago. It's no coincidence he helped drive Memphis to a No. 1 ranking in transition play.
His presence should free up Jamahl Mosley's offense and instill more rhythm into the Magic's young core. And his demeanor and willingness to do whatever's needed make him an ideal fit for this defensive-minded group in an increasingly wide-open Eastern Conference.
42
Julius Randle Minnesota Timberwolves
At times, it feels like Julius Randle's game has all the subtlety of a Chris Farley appearance on late-night television.
It's wild, unrestrained, explosive and ultimately productive.
Although it took him much of last season to adapt to a new home and role with the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he found it, he was once again one of the league's more dynamic point forwards.
Following an extended injury absence in February, Randle put up 18.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and a team-high 5.2 assists, while shooting 39.8 percent from deep, over his last 21 games.
He wasn't just a dangerous second scoring option behind Anthony Edwards. He was often the primary facilitator. With his force-of-nature drives, Randle can drag defenses deep into the paint before kicking out to shooters or finding a big man at the rim or in the dunker's spot.
His game may not have the aesthetic appeal of some of the league's other distributors, but it's undeniably effective.
41
Amen Thompson Houston Rockets
Turbo-powered by anti-gravity bounce and the kind of burst that surely made him an Olympic sprinter in an alternate universe, Amen Thompson's physical tools stand out even in this larger-than-life league.
He's like a lab-created, all-purpose defender built to disrupt everything in the modern NBA. And then, he also happens to have enough vision to serve as a 6'7" lead guard.
The idea of what he could become is mesmerizing, as he's already an all-league defender and triple-double threat. But the Rockets are more concerned with his present reality, since he'll factor prominently into their plans of replacing Fred VanVleet in-house.
Thompson's scoring range only stretches about as far as he can jump, and he hasn't found a great way to counter defenses that sag off of him in the half-court. Having Kevin Durant around should give everyone in Houston more breathing room, but there's still plenty of hope that most of Thompson's improvements will be tied to his own skill development.
40
Ivica Zubac LA Clippers
Ivica Zubac's ascension to one of the top centers in the NBA has been slow but steady.
Perhaps it was the absence of Kawhi Leonard for the early part of the Clippers' season and James Harden's commitment at point guard to feed the big man. Maybe Zubac's improved conditioning during 2024-25 enabled a career-high of 32.8 minutes per game (up by over six from a year prior).
Whatever the reason, Zubac finished with personal bests in scoring (16.8 points per game), rebounds (12.6), and assists (2.7). He came in sixth for Defensive Player of the Year, earning Second Team All-Defense.
Now, Zubac needs to prove that 2024-25 wasn't just a production spike, and that he can continue to build upon a breakout season.
39
Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets
Consistency (or lack thereof) has long been a concern with Jamal Murray.
But when fully engaged, he's one of the most electrifying backcourt scorers and distributors in the NBA.
Murray has a quick-as-a-hiccup release on his pull-up jumper. He is dangerous from all three levels, and he's capable of game-swinging hot streaks.
The idealized version of Murray famously played throughout Denver's 2023 title run, when he averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds in the playoffs. If Denver gets 50 or so Murray games at that level, it has a real chance to finish first in the West.
38
Scottie Barnes Toronto Raptors
Is Scottie Barnes an All-NBA talent trapped on a bad roster, or are some of his weaknesses too big to overlook with any team?
Few players combine his size (6'7", 227 pounds), movement and overall skill set. Barnes, 24, averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals last year, although these numbers fell slightly from his All-Star season in 2023-24.
Barnes is never going to be an elite outside shooter, and that's OK. His 27.1 percent mark from deep on 4.3 attempts per game is pretty ugly, however, especially with how the rest of this Toronto Raptors roster has been built.
The Milwaukee Bucks have long done an admirable job of surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo with shooters and working around his weakness. The Raptors have now tied Jakob Poeltl (three career three-pointers) to Barnes for the next five years. Can Barnes overcome this? Or will Toronto need to reshuffle its roster to maximize his strengths?
37
Derrick White Boston Celtics
Suddenly, Derrick White finds himself as the second-most important Celtic.
With Jayson Tatum injured and Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford gone, the playoff-tested vet could shoulder a heavier offensive load a season after posting a career-high 16.4 points per game.
The "Swiss army knife" label gets thrown around often regarding White, and for good reason. Few guards are more complete on both ends. The 31-year-old finished 10th in DPOY voting last season, his second straight top-10 showing, while launching 9.1 threes per game at a 38.4 percent clip. He also set a franchise record with 265 long-distance makes as part of the Boston Three Party.
Though he's not a traditional point guard, he'll figure heavily as a playmaker in a rotation that includes Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons, as Boston attempts to push the pace in Joe Mazzulla's remade offense.
Without Holiday beside him, White will take on the toughest defensive assignments nightly, giving him a strong chance to extend his top-10 DPOY streak.
36
De'Aaron Fox San Antonio Spurs
De'Aaron Fox earned his lone All-Star berth in 2022-23, the only year the Sacramento Kings made the playoffs in a long, long time.
He was arguably better the following year, but the Kings weren't—the team's trajectory eventually led to Fox's mid-season trade to the Spurs last season.
Unfortunately, Victor Wembanyama was shut down with a deep vein thrombosis. Still confident in the duo, San Antonio rewarded Fox with a lucrative long-term extension.
Now, Fox and Wembanyama will team up to help elevate the franchise back into playoff contention. Fox is one of the fastest guards in the league with the ball. At his best, he's a paint-scoring point guard who has shown that he can shoot the three (though his career-average of 33 percent is subpar).
The bigger-picture question for the Spurs and Fox has to do with the team's last two drafts, taking current Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (No. 4) in 2024 and Dylan Harper (No. 2) in June. How will the young guards develop if Fox dominates the ball? Too much talent is rarely an issue.
Fox is in his prime but will miss the initial start of the season with a hamstring injury. The Spurs will presumably use Castle (a strong defender) and Harper in complementary roles as they continue to develop.
The Fox and Wembanyama combination should prove to be dynamic enough to propel San Antonio into playoff (or at worst, play-in) range.
35
Chet Holmgren Oklahoma City Thunder
Chet Holmgren has played just 114 total games over his first three seasons, yet he already looks like one of the best rim protectors we've seen in decades.
Holmgren held opponents to just 44.0 percent shooting at the rim last season. That was the best mark in the NBA of the 133 players who defended three or more shots per game, topping even Victor Wembanyama (50.0 percent).
Mix in a good outside shot (37.9 percent) and an ideal lob threat for the talented passers on this roster, and Holmgren is quickly becoming one of the premier bigs in the NBA.
His raw scoring numbers aren't going to pop off the charts playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams; although, we expect Holmgren to continue to improve his shooting efficiency and add muscle to his frame.
34
Darius Garland Cleveland Cavaliers
Darius Garland has established himself as a top-10 point guard in the NBA, as the 25-year-old made his second All-Star game while helping guide the Cleveland Cavaliers to the league's best offense.
Garland is extremely skilled, whether it's pulling up from anywhere to splash a jumper at a moment's notice, shimmying his way around defenders in the paint or connecting on long-range threes. The longest-tenured Cav, Garland has averaged 20.0 points and 7.2 assists over the past five seasons.
Toe surgery will keep him out to begin the 2025-26 season, and the Cavaliers were doomed in the playoffs with a hobbled Garland trying to push through a turf toe injury.
Cleveland could actually benefit by seeing Garland scale back on his own offense, with more of a concentrated effort to get the ball to Evan Mobley. Even if his raw numbers don't show it, this is one of the most skilled players in the entire NBA who's used an offseason of recovery to add muscle to his frame.
33
Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies
Analyzing Ja Morant seems to get a little tougher with each passing year.
From suspensions in 2022-23 that cost him several games to a variety of injuries that cost him another 105 in the following two seasons, the question marks are piling up.
Last season, in the 50 games he did play, Morant averaged his fewest points since 2020-21. His box plus/minus fell to its lowest level since that same season. It might be time to acknowledge that his high-flying, sometimes reckless game, though often spectacular, has taken a toll on Morant's body.
On the other hand, he's only 26 years old. He showed flashes of brilliance last season, including in a 44-point outing in March. If he can just piece together a few weeks of good health in a row, we may get to see the old Ja again.
32
Franz Wagner Orlando Magic
Franz Wagner has quietly become one of the NBA's premier young wings and a foundational piece in Orlando's rise.
At 24, he's chasing his first All-Star berth and looks poised to get there if his outside shot rebounds.
After hitting 35.8 percent from three over his first two seasons, Wagner has slipped to 28.9 percent the past two—an area that could swing both his ceiling and the Magic's offense.
While Paolo Banchero sat for 34 games last season with an oblique injury, Wagner showed he could carry primary-option duties in flashes. Now healthy, his blend of size, strength and versatility at 6'10" gives Orlando a rare two-way force who can guard multiple positions and run the floor alongside new addition Desmond Bane.
31
Tyrese Maxey Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey was one of the few silver linings for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
Although he got off to a relatively slow start and suffered an early-season hamstring injury that sidelined him for two weeks, he eventually found a groove around the holidays despite Joel Embiid and Paul George bouncing in and out of the lineup all year.
The question heading into this season is how he fits into the Sixers' new-look backcourt, and whether he can anchor the team whenever Embiid and/or George miss time. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has heavily hinted that No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe will be starting alongside Maxey this season, although it's possible that the newly re-signed Quentin Grimes could start alongside them in a three-guard lineup. Nurse said Maxey "needs to be off the ball some because of that speed into his shooting and turning corners," so he figures to take turns with Grimes, Edgecombe and Jared McCain operating both on and off the ball.
If Embiid and George struggle to stay healthy again, can Maxey and the rest of the backcourt keep the Sixers afloat this year? If not, that could raise some thorny questions about his long-term future in Philadelphia.
30
Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans
Luka Dončić got the headlines, but Zion Williamson also showed up to camp looking significantly slimmed down.
Given the conditioning issues that cost Williamson far more court time than Dončić's ever did, his transformation probably deserved more attention.
But this isn't just about aesthetics. Williamson's preseason play featured straight-line speed and bursts of quickness that weren't quite there last season—even if he was still a productive scorer across the 30 games he played.
When healthy and fit, Williamson is one of the 10 best offensive players in the league. The only thing standing between him and his first career All-NBA nod is a track record that says he can't sustain peak form for a full season.
29
Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis Grizzlies
If there was still a question about this heading into last season, Jaren Jackson Jr.
(probably) officially took the "best player on the Memphis Grizzlies" crown in 2024-25.
Beyond simply being more available than Ja over the last few years, JJJ brings a ton of value as a defensive anchor and rim protector, even if his rebounding still leaves something to be desired.
And now, his offensive output is starting to catch up to what he does on the other end. Beyond averaging over 22 points in each of the last two campaigns, he hit 37.5 percent of his three-point attempts last season.
If he sprinkles in a little more passing this coming season, he could find himself even higher up the list in future editions.
28
Domantas Sabonis Sacramento Kings
Questions about Domantas Sabonis' playoff and defensive viability have gotten a bit louder in recent years.
In his postseason career, his teams are minus-6.2 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor and plus-10.4 when he's off. The sample isn't huge, and he was only a starter for one of those four playoff teams, but the number is still worth keeping an eye on.
But it probably doesn't deserve much more than that. Ditto for the narrative.
Sabonis is one of the most productive bigs in the league and one of the most prolific passing bigs of all time. He's led the league in rebounding in each of the last three seasons. His combined assist average over the last half-decade is 6.8.
He may not be in the right situation for a deep playoff run right now, but surrounding him with enough three-and-D versatility could cover up some of his defensive shortcomings. We just haven't seen him on that specific team yet.
27
Bam Adebayo Miami Heat
Perhaps the NBA's premier all-purpose defender, Bam Adebayo has raised the bar with his versatility.
He finally added a fairly reliable three-ball to his arsenal last season while widening the gap between his averages in assists and turnovers. And yet, he heads into this campaign fighting a nagging narrative: that he has perhaps plateaued or even regressed a bit. His scoring output has been in decline over the past two years, and last season marked his first as a full-time starter, in which he was denied All-Defensive honors.
The Heat's mediocrity hasn't helped, but his apparent stagnation as a scorer might be the biggest reason he's viewed as a really good player, but not a great one.
26
Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers
Which version of Joel Embiid will we see this season?
The one who won the 2022-23 MVP and was on pace to go back-to-back before he suffered a meniscus injury in January 2024? Or the one who hobbled through an injury-ravaged 2024-25 campaign, playing only 19 games while looking like a shell of himself?
Not even Embiid is sure. "What I want is to be as honest and transparent as possible," Embiid told reporters at media day. "I think this is the time, going forward, that I'm going to listen to my body. There are so many times in the past that I've tried to push through injury. I don't want to do that this time. So, it's going to be unpredictable at times, and we are going to have to work with that. I know that I'm going to have to take it day by day and work from there."
Embiid is already participating in 5-on-5 action, but the team says "he still has some boxes to check before he is cleared for playing in games." This figures to be a roller-coaster ride all season, one which may not only determine the fate of the Philadelphia 76ers, but could also shape the entire Eastern Conference playoff picture.
25
Pascal Siakam Indiana Pacers
Pascal Siakam has spent the lion's share of his Indiana Pacers tenure proving people wrong.
Anyone who thought they gave up too much to trade for him was mistaken. The same goes for anyone who thought he wasn't worth a four-year max during 2024 free agency.
His next act of defiance will be the toughest of all: extending the limits of his stardom with less help and certainty around him.
Everything from Siakam's defense, scoring, off-ball movement and overall pace-setting has proven to be a skeleton key for Indiana. Can these hold up without Tyrese Haliburton bending defenses, and while logging fewer minutes alongside a floor-spacing rim protector? Last year's small samples suggest that they can. Either way, the Pacers' season will be defined by Siakam's standalone starpower.
24
James Harden LA Clippers
Harden's first year with the Clippers (2023-24) suggested he was slowing down, but the veteran guard bounced back with his first All-Star appearance in 2025 since the 2021-22 season.
Still, the Clippers fell short in the first round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. Harden may have been overtaxed at 39.4 minutes a game. Backcourt additions like Bradley Beal and Chris Paul should help. LA also bolstered the front court with Brook Lopez and John Collins. The team is older, but it has gone "all in" on what it hopes to be a winning product, including Harden at the helm.
The Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration investigation will hang over the season, but the Clippers maintain they did nothing illegal to circumvent the salary cap. Provided that Kawhi Leonard remains healthy and available, Harden may have the best squad around him to try to win since he went to the conference finals in 2018.
23
Trae Young Atlanta Hawks
Will this be Trae Young's final year in Atlanta?
Unless he signs a contract extension between now and June 30, those questions will hang over him and the Hawks all season. In early August, ESPN's Marc Spears said he thought Young was "disappointed" that the Hawks hadn't already offered him an extension. During media day, he didn't exactly quash that notion, although he told reporters that he's "focused on right now" and happy with the team around him.
The Hawks may want to see how Young meshes with their new offseason additions—namely Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard—before shelling out the $200-plus million contract that it'll take to re-sign him. NBA teams are becoming more cautious about handing out those types of contracts in general, thanks to the punishing restrictions for teams that cross either apron.
If Young can guide the new-look Hawks to a 50-plus-win season and a deep playoff run, that might wipe away any reservations they have about committing to him long term. Anything short of that may leave questions lingering about his future all year.
22
Alperen Şengün Houston Rockets
The developmental arc that carried Alperen Şengün from an intriguing per-minute compiler as a rookie to a bona fide All-Star by his fourth season was fun, physical and mostly footwork-based.
With Kevin Durant alongside him now, though, fun is out the window, and that arc could use further fast-forwarding.
Şengün had been a feel-great story for most of his first four seasons, but it felt less good watching him fail to summon quite enough offense for the second-seeded Rockets to find their way out of the opening round. That series said plenty about the state of Houston's roster—namely, that it lacked a superstar who could lead a championship charge.
That's why Durant is a Rocket now, and it's why expectations are for Şengün to push himself even higher. He'll always face some limitations on defense, so he has to be spectacular on offense.
21
Jaylen Brown Boston Celtics
As strange as it is to say about a recent Finals MVP, this will be a defining year for Jaylen Brown.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined for most of the season by an Achilles tear, Brown is Boston's unquestioned alpha for the first time.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old has seen his PER and BPM dip in each of the last two seasons, while his EPM and effective field-goal percentage fell to their lowest points since his rookie year. His efficiency needs work, and it's fair to wonder whether the four years and $236.2 million remaining on his deal might soon look like an albatross in this era of second-apron avoidance.
But enough doom and gloom. Brown's coming off a third straight All-Star season. He remains a two-way killer wing and vocal tone-setter for a retooled roster. Coach Joe Mazzulla plans to push the pace after Boston ranked 29th in that category a year ago. If Brown thrives in that system and matches his Tatum-less averages—27.3 points, 7.1 boards, 3.9 assists in 39 career games—he could earn another All-NBA nod.
T-19
Paolo Banchero Orlando Magic
The pressure is on Paolo Banchero to make the leap from rising star to bona fide All-NBA talent after signing a five-year, $239 million max rookie extension in July.
If he cracks an All-NBA team, that deal jumps to a $287 million supermax, underscoring just how much Orlando is betting on him.
After briefly losing his grip as the Magic's clear offensive centerpiece last season, partly because of lingering effects from an oblique injury and partly due to Franz Wagner's continued rise, Banchero enters 2025-26 with something to prove.
With Boston's roster gutted and Desmond Bane arriving to provide much-needed spacing, Orlando has a real shot at contending in the East. Bane's shooting should free up Banchero as both a creator and scorer.
Still, there's room for growth. Banchero upped his three-point attempts last season but remains a career 32 percent shooter from deep, and Orlando's net rating was 1.5 points worse with him on the floor.
Even so, the 22-year-old 2022 No. 1 overall pick remains an impressive athlete and playmaker at the 4. Fully healthy, he'll have every opportunity to prove he's ready for the next tier.
T-19
Kawhi Leonard LA Clippers
The Clippers' aspirations for a title have often been derailed by Kawhi Leonard's unreliable health (primarily leg injuries).
Still, this year, the team has a much larger shadow hanging over the season with the NBA's investigation into a potential illegal sponsorship agreement with Aspiration to circumvent the salary cap.
It's too early to predict how it will unfold. The Clippers adamantly assert their innocence, but the circumstantial evidence (primarily provided by Pablo Torre) is compelling.
All that aside, Leonard, when healthy, is one of the best two-way forwards in the league. He's a dominant mid-range scorer who has expanded his range to the three-point line. Leonard remains a disruptive defender, and the Clippers have surrounded him with a very strong roster.
Will the investigation derail Leonard's focus? Given his stoic personality, it won't. The Clippers are primed for the 2025-26 season, provided Leonard can stay healthy and the NBA doesn't levy massive penalties before the end of the season, which could impact Leonard's availability.
18
Karl-Anthony Towns New York Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns' entire offensive package is generational for someone his size.
He receives plenty of attention for his outside touch, but the downhill scoring, post moves, play-trailing and standstill passing all hover around standout levels.
Frustration creeps in when looking at his underwhelming volume from downtown and defensive body of work. Holding out hope for more long-range attempts may be a fool's errand at this point, but he at least has the tools to imagine it. His defense doesn't offer the same silver lining.
Moments in which he holds up on the perimeter or doesn't get caught out of position tease a higher ceiling. But the New York Knicks are on track to become the second team to decide he's best served playing large swathes of minutes alongside a more traditional big man—a reasonable conclusion that nonetheless waters down his stretch-5 argument.
17
Jimmy Butler Golden State Warriors
Jimmy Butler rediscovered more than his joy for the game upon landing in Golden State at the trade deadline.
The move suddenly shifted him back into the championship chase, but this time as a supporting actor rather than the primary focus.
At this stage of his career, that's clearly a more appropriate role. His availability issues are likely here to stay, and even when he does suit up, his scoring aggression varies wildly.
Still, there are few players capable of matching his competitive fire, and so long as that energy is channeled in the right way—looking to lead as opposed to looking for the nearest exit—he can still be an impact player on both ends.
16
Devin Booker Phoenix Suns
Messiness with the Suns overall hasn't really dimmed Devin Booker's star yet.
He's been remarkably consistent throughout the organization's many transformations, albeit with some bigger fluctuations in his three-point splash rate than his reputation as a net-shredder might suggest.
Hopefully, this latest roster-reshuffling isn't the one that dooms Booker. He'll get all the shots and touches he cares to handle without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, but Booker's responsibility list will be burdensome, and the defensive attention he receives could be overwhelming.
Overall, Booker seems content with the situation, and he's clearly well compensated for it. But if Phoenix fades into obscurity, the hoops world will be without one of its better playoff performers in recent memory.
15
Jalen Williams Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be the head of the snake for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Jalen Williams is the skeleton key.
In a league where every team is hunting for two-way wings, OKC landed J-Dub with a late lottery pick in 2022 and hasn't looked back since.
Williams nearly made the All-Star Game as a sophomore, but he left no doubt this past season. He earned his first All-Star appearance, All-NBA nod and a spot on the All-Defensive second team, too.
Last season, Williams ranked 16th leaguewide in Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus, ahead of Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant and Jalen Brunson. Few players at any position can rival his two-way impact, which is a terrifying thing to say about someone who just turned 24 in April.
14
Evan Mobley Cleveland Cavaliers
An elite defender from the moment he stepped on an NBA court, Evan Mobley is one of the best and most versatile stoppers in the league with his ability to protect the rim and switch onto guards with ease.
The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year last season, Mobley also took a major leap offensively under Kenny Atkinson.
The now 24-year-old averaged a career-high 18.5 points per game and became a legit three-point shooter (37.0 percent on 3.2 attempts per game). Mobley has slowly added more muscle summer after summer, allowing him to finish through contact and get to the line more often (career-high 4.3 attempts per game).
His offensive ceiling is still questionable, however, as Mobley doesn't look like a natural go-to scorer at this point and still finished third in points per game on the Cleveland Cavaliers behind Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
Can he actually take over at some point as the team's offensive alpha? Mobley's future MVP chances will depend on it.
13
Cade Cunningham Detroit Pistons
The Pistons finally flanked Cade Cunningham with a few shooters last season, and that bit of breathing room proved all he needed to fuel his All-Star ascension.
His own shooting trended up, too, giving him that blend of shot-making, finishing and distributing that makes elite shot-creators borderline unstoppable.
He's back on the runway with playoff experience now under his belt, the knowledge that he belongs among basketball's best and a stat line showing perpetual growth across his first four seasons. Maybe his breakthrough was a sign of even better things to come for him and his team.
He will, however, face a pocket of skeptics who'll be quick to note that sequels are almost never as good as the originals. He still doesn't have a co-star, and the Pistons' primary perimeter threats from last season are gone, so things could go back to being claustrophobic again.
12
Anthony Davis Dallas Mavericks
Fair or not, the Luka Dončić trade cast a pall over the rest of Anthony Davis' 2024-25 season—and his game in general.
It was (and still is) reasonable to call that the worst (or at least, most inexplicable) trade in league history. Being on the wrong end of that is rough.
But that can be true without changing the fact that Anthony Davis is still an incredible two-way player.
He's a dominant rim protector and rebounder. He's quietly averaged over three assists in six of his last seven seasons. And though he's never been able to recapture the magic of his jump shot during the 2020 title run, he's still one of the league's most prolific interior scorers.
This season, Davis has a chance to put all that together, help the Dallas Mavericks exceed expectations and redefine the trade that floored the sports world. He misses our top 10 to start the year, but he's a candidate to rise if he excels during his first whole campaign with the Mavs.
11
Kevin Durant Houston Rockets
The Rockets will be franchise No.
5 for Kevin Durant, a level of change that feels diametrically opposed to the clockwork-like nature of his on-court production. Even at 37, the sinewy scoring forward remains as reliable as ever, a top-10-ish scorer who's forever in arm's reach of the famed 50/40/90 club (of which he's already a member) and also a viable secondary playmaker and weakside chaos-creator on defense.
He's also a two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP, although some critics are still hesitant to hand over his (fully deserved) flowers, since he secured those titles with the superteam Warriors.
Houston might offer Durant his best bet to get back to the championship round, although there were similarly sky-high hopes at the start of his tenures in Brooklyn and Phoenix, too. The Rockets appear more well-rounded than those rosters, though, but that was also easier to see before Fred VanVleet's untimely ACL tear.
10
Jalen Brunson New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson long ago transcended the stigmas attached to smaller guards who don't fly around off the ball, approaching top-10-offense-unto-himself territory when left to his bruising and shifty devices.
Leveling up from here will require proving that he can thrive in a more egalitarian system implemented by New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown, in which he presumably will not be the league's most ball-dominant star.
The improvement from three and more-than-you-realize familiarity moving without the ball should serve him well. But we'd be remiss not to monitor how he does playing in a more relentlessly uptempo environment.
09
Donovan Mitchell Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell has finally established himself as a top-10 NBA player as he enters his age-29 season.
Finishing No. 5 in MVP voting last year and making first team All-NBA were big milestones for the six-time All-Star, as he blended impressive raw stats with leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the No. 1 offense and 64 wins.
Could this be the year everything truly comes together? Can Mitchell top 40 percent shooting for the first time outside the arc? Will he be able to lead the Cavs to the NBA Finals? Can he sniff 30 points per game, especially with Darius Garland and Max Strus set to miss the beginning of the season with injuries?
The best shooting guard in the NBA outside of Anthony Edwards, Mitchell is knocking on the door of becoming one of the all-time greats at his position.
08
LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers
The massive question surrounding LeBron James is how long he'll continue playing basketball, given he's the oldest player in the NBA, entering his 23rd season.
Turning 41 in December, he is still one of the most potent forces on the court. Still, his Lakers haven't won the title since 2020, and James' attention to detail on defense waxes and wanes.
James is still important to L.A., but he's no longer the sun in the Lakers' solar system with Luka Dončić on the roster. James teased retirement as sooner than later, then trolled the NBA world with his "Decision 2.0" Hennessy ad.
Complicating matters, James is dealing with a nerve issue related to sciatica that will initially sideline him at the start of the season. That James has defied his age this long is remarkable. The Lakers arguably have a stronger roster than last year, but that includes James playing at his typical high level. Betting against him now feels like a fool's errand.
07
Anthony Edwards Minnesota Timberwolves
Over the course of the last five years, Anthony Edwards has steadily developed from a dynamic, hyper-athletic, rim-assaulting showman to a calculated, three-level-scoring wing who looks ready to assume the "best shooting guard in the world" mantle.
It's a title that has been held by some of the game's most auratic superstars, from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant. And while the comparison might seem blasphemous to some, his age (24) and career playoff averages of 26.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists suggest it's not.
The last box is harder to check in today's NBA, with its international talent pool and a collective bargaining agreement designed to spread stars throughout the league. But Edwards has led his Timberwolves to the varsity conference finals in each of the last two seasons.
He's closer to the ultimate goal than you might realize.
06
Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs
Just after Victor Wembanyama was drafted, legendary reporter Adrian Wojnarowski said, "There's been no shortage of executives who I really respect in the NBA who think he could be the best player at both ends of the floor by his third or fourth year."
At the time, the praise almost seemed unfair. But now, just two short years later, it's hard to deny.
Wembanyama, now listed at 7'5″, moves in a way most big men five or six inches shorter can't. He slides his feet like a wing. He shoots jumpers from angles most guards won't even try. And he doesn't sacrifice the benefits of his length for his size-defying skill and athleticism. No one in the NBA covers more ground and deters more would-be scorers on defense.
To top it all off, he has a burgeoning playmaking ability that could make him every bit as impactful on the offensive end as he is on the other. All of those skills have combined to give him jaw-dropping averages of 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 blocks and 1.2 steals over his first 117 career games.
If he plays enough games to qualify this season, there's an outside chance he could crash the MVP party.
05
Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors
Still an offense unto himself and still the player whose possession of the basketball inspires more fear in a defense than anyone else, Stephen Curry is an All-NBA, championship-caliber alpha at the ripe old age of 37.
When he turns 38 in March, all of the above will still be true.
Among players who logged at least 2,000 minutes last season, Nikola Jokić was the only one whose presence on the court improved his team's effective field-goal percentage more than Steph's.
The undisputed greatest shooter of all time may not be what he was a decade ago when he was a unanimous MVP, but it's shocking how closely he still resembles that version of himself.
04
Luka Dončić Los Angeles Lakers
One of the fun offseason stories was "Skinny Luka, " with the Lakers' young star putting in serious work on diet and exercise to get into what is believed to be the best shape of his life.
If the Dallas Mavericks dumped him on the Lakers before last trade deadline because he wasn't in shape, Luka Dončić was going to take that personally.
The Lakers have begun to build their roster around Dončić instead of LeBron James, choosing the younger forward (Jake LaRavia) over the more seasoned Dorian Finney-Smith. With a full training camp and Dončić in peak shape, how far can Los Angeles go this season?
Dončić still needs to prove he can play at a high enough level defensively in the postseason so that he's not a liability. He led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024 but struggled against the Boston Celtics' bigger wings (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown).
Offensively, Dončić is a magician. If his lighter frame and improved conditioning show most on defense, the Lakers have a much higher upside in the competitive Western Conference.
03
Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo has finished no lower than fourth in each of the last seven MVP votes, and you can't have any serious discussion about the league's highest individual honor without mentioning him.
You also can't ignore the ticking clock on his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks. His latest recommitment to the franchise came with an "unless I change my mind" qualifier, an admirably honest stance that'll hang over the team all season.
Don't pity the Bucks. If they're being held hostage, they're happy captives. Nobody forced them to continue mortgaging their future in order to appease Giannis; they keep doing that because they believe life is better with a perennial MVP candidate than it is without one.
Milwaukee is not a contender, and Antetokounmpo is going to change his mind about staying put eventually. With extension eligibility coming in the 2026 offseason, this year could be his swan song.
02
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City Thunder
It's hard to imagine Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having a better 2025-26 season than last year's magical run.
After leading the NBA in scoring (32.7 points per game), winning MVP, being named to the All-NBA first team and securing Finals MVP while leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a championship, what more can Gilgeous-Alexander actually do?
SGA is already a good defender who finished 10th in DPOY voting, but he has room to become an elite one. The three-point shooting (37.5 percent last year) could climb a few ticks. However, overall, Gilgeous-Alexander is as close to a perfect NBA player as you'll find.
Perhaps his greatest challenge will be getting the dynasty talk started for OKC, as this team is set up for sustained success with Gilgeous-Alexander as its unquestioned leader. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokić is the only player who deserves to be voted ahead of SGA right now—but Shai was also a convincing No. 2 in our ranking.
01
Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets
Over the last half-decade, Nikola Jokić has separated himself from the rest of the league in a way we may not have seen since Michael Jordan.
He's won three of the last five MVPs. In one of the two years he didn't, he led his team to a championship while averaging 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists in the playoffs. In the other, he averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists, while shooting 41.7 percent from deep, in the regular season.
Averaging a triple-double isn't as shocking as it used to be (shout out to Russell Westbrook). Smashing league-average scoring efficiency maybe isn't either (shout out to Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant). But we should still be in awe of the way Jokić is producing, because he's doing both.
No one in the league bends games to his will like Jokić. No one impacts the outcome of games as heavily as he does. No one vexes opposing defenses as consistently.
This choice was so obvious that every Bleacher Report participant made the same choice, ranking him No. 1 overall entering the season.
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