This will be the start of a 10-part series ranking the top 100 players in the NBA for the 2025-26 season.
A few things to note before I start.
- This is a projective list of what I think will happen this season. While I rely heavily on the past two to three seasons to evaluate them, if a younger player has shown a lot of progression, I will assume they will play even better this season. The opposite is also true. If an older player has shown signs of consistent regression, I will assume they will play worse.
- My criteria, in short, is answering the following question: “If I am building a team to win a championship, who would I rather have on my team?” In other words, I am prioritizing ceiling raisers over floor raisers on my team. For example, if Player A is better at leading bad teams to relevance, but Player B is much better at playing his role on an elite team, I will likely rank Player B higher.
- Since this is a projective list, I unfortunately have to apply an “injury tax” for players who have a history of serious injuries or already have concerns for this year.
- This is only about predicting what will happen this season. Therefore, while Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard would all be on this list when healthy, they are dealing with long-term injuries and therefore do not qualify. Hopefully, they will all be back on this list next year.
Without further ado, here are the top 100-91 players for the 2025-26 NBA season.
Honorable Mentions
Cason Wallace, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Giddey, Kel’el Ware, Jalen Suggs
#100 Keon Ellis
We start off the list with one of the most underrated defenders in the league. Because the Kings have been pretty bad the past two seasons, Ellis has not received a ton of recognition. However, he is the type of guy you would want on your team if you want to win a championship. Sure, his volume scoring and playmaking numbers don’t look great, but having a guy on your team who can shut down the other team’s best player and shoot the three ball very efficiently is not just a luxury but a necessity to a championship team. The Kings cleaned house last year by firing Mike Brown and trading De’Aaron Fox, so they will look to Ellis to see if he can turn this franchise around
2024-25 Ranking: Not ranked
#99 Payton Pritchard
We continue the list with one of my favorite stories in the NBA. Here is a guy who fell out of the Celtics’ rotation due to their guard depth being too deep, and ended up requesting a trade because of it. However, Brad Stevens decided not to listen and put his faith in Pritchard once he was ready. After being a contributor to winning the NBA Finals in 2024, he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award last season. Due to Tatum’s injury and trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, he will have a much bigger role this year. Though the Celtics will almost definitely not be too good this year, it will be fun to see Pritchard in his new role.
2024-25 Ranking: Not ranked
Payton Pritchard, AGAIN.
12 PTS, 5-5 FGM, 2-2 3PM in the 1Q! pic.twitter.com/7b22WEFVP7
— NBA (@NBA) October 12, 2025
#98 Devin Vassell
Up next, we have another interesting story. Vassell has been on some pretty brutal teams through the years, but his patience will likely pay off this year. Between his team drafting a generational player in Victor Wembanyama, drafting another awesome prospect last year, and trading for one of the better lead guards in the game, the future is bright in San Antonio. Not only will Vassell be in a better situation, but his minutes will probably not be impacted, as well. Though Wembanyama and Fox will do most of the heavy lifting, Vassell will still be essential to this team’s success.
2024-25 Ranking: Honorable Mention
#97 Michael Porter Jr.
Now we have a guy who will be in one of the most chaotic situations in the league. Porter was a good fit on offense next to Nikola Jokic. However, his defense and lack of playmaking held the team back for two seasons, so it was time to move on. The Nets will likely be tanking this year. The Nets are built around two of the biggest “shot chuckers” in the league. Though they will not be a successful team, it has the potential to be a fun watch.
2024-25 Ranking: #69
#96 Jalen Duren
Duren was a key player for the Pistons last year. Though the numbers did not necessarily “wow” anyone, he was the anchor to a team with a top-12 defense, while not having any elite defenders on their team. With Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. leaving, some of those minutes will go to Duren. Though Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey will be the two faces of the franchise, Duren will be extremely important to them if they want to be a top-four seed in the East.
2024-25 Ranking: #99
#95 Nikola Vucevic
Up next, we have a guy living in purgatory now. Though Vucevic’s defense has put a ceiling on his teams, the way the Bulls are currently built has placed Vucevic in the worst spot possible. However, Vucevic himself probably played his best season in the last couple of years in 2025. I’m not sure what the future holds for Vucevic; he will turn 35 in a month, and his contract is up after this season. I cannot imagine he has a ton of years left in him, but he will for sure ride it out until he can’t play anymore.
2024-25 Ranking: Honorable Mention
#94 Coby White
Vucevic’s teammate comes in at No. 94. White is coming off his two best seasons yet. He has become a solid shooter and scorer, and he plays every night. If there is one aspect of his game that could use some improvement, it is probably his passing, but a lot of that can stem from roster construction. It will be interesting to see how Vucevic and White mesh together this year.
2024-25 Ranking: #63
Chicago’s projected rotation entering the 2025-26 season:
PG: Coby White
SG: Josh Giddey
SF: Isaac Okoro
PF: Matas Buzelis
C: Nikola VucevicBench:
PG: Tre Jones
SG: Ayo Dosunmu
SF: Kevin Huerter
PF: Patrick Williams
C: Zach CollinsThe Bulls remain destined for mediocrity.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) October 13, 2025
#93 Jalen Green
The new Phoenix Sun is next up. Green has a ton of talent. However, people justifiably always ask the question, “He is a great scorer, but what else can he do? Does his scoring impact the game as a whole?” I share the same skepticism. I think he can be a great NBA player one day, but he has work to do. It is great that he averages over 20 PPG for his career, but has never averaged four assists per game or shot over 55 percent True Shooting. I could work around his bad defense, but his efficiency and playmaking will need to improve first. Still, it will be fun seeing him play in his new home this year.
2024-25 Ranking: #70
#92 Mitchell Robinson
Here, we have one of the best rim defenders in the league. When Robinson is on the court, the Knicks are a totally different team defensively. However, he holds them back offensively, especially with his free-throw shooting. In addition, he has been very injury-prone for his entire career. He is a pretty tough player to rank because of this. However, if the Knicks want to go all the way this year, they will need Robinson to be healthy and playing as good as he ever has.
2024-25 Ranking: #80
#91 Malik Monk
Up next, we have a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Say what you want about his defense, but there’s plenty of benefit in having a guy who can score at will and play-make at a very solid level. After the Kings traded De’Aaron Fox last year, Monk took over the starting point guard role. The Kings are in a tough spot this year, given how strong the West is. He is under contract for the next three seasons, but the Kings could very well be looking to retool things. We shall see how Monk does in his first full year in the starting role.
2024-25 Ranking: Honorable Mention
Main Image Credit:
