This will be the seventh installment 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 40-31 players for the 2025-26 NBA season.
#40 Paul George
We start with one of the most disappointing stories from last season. George signed a max deal with the Sixers last season and did not live up to it in his first season. He only played in 41 games and averaged six fewer points per game than he did in 2024. With this being said, given that it was such a steep decline, it leads me to think that those 41 games were a total outlier, rather than a sign of more things to come. 40 might be too high, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
2024-25 Ranking: 26
3 MINS of PAUL GEORGE abusing defenders!
HBD @Yg_Trecepic.twitter.com/BhBllgLFzI— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 2, 2025
#39 Franz Wagner
Up next, we have the complete opposite — one of the more fun stories from last year. Even though his injuries caused him to miss a long period of time, Wagner had his best season on a per-game basis and was one of the two main reasons why the Magic made the playoffs again. They made the playoffs with both Wagner and Paolo Banchero missing a substantial amount of time. If the two of them stay healthy, they should have no problem being a top-three or top-four seed.
2024-25 Ranking: 51
#38 Darius Garland
If there were a “Comeback Player of the Year” award in the NBA, like they have in the NFL, Garland would have been one of the nominees. He broke his jaw in 2024, was a shell of himself in the playoffs, and played awesome last year. Even though Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were the two best players, Garland deserves a ton of credit. The Cavs’ window is open now, and this is their best shot to win the title. Garland knows this, and I think he is ready.
2024-25 Ranking: 57
#37 Lauri Markkanen
Up next, we have, in my opinion, one of the more forgotten-about stars in the league. Because the Jazz have been so bad the past few seasons, people have forgotten about Markkanen. If he were in a different spot, I think he would be looked at as one of the best power forwards in the league. I’m not sure what his trade value is now, but don’t be surprised if you see him in a different uniform next year if the Jazz stink again.
2024-25 Ranking: 34
#36 Domantas Sabonis
Now, we have a player who is often compared to Markkanen. People will look at Sabonis’s numbers and think that this placement is way too low, and I get it. Having a player on your team who is an efficient scorer, an elite rebounder, and probably the second-best passing big in the league would be awesome. However, I do question his impact. I’m not here to say that Sabonis is all empty stats. However, I do not think that most, if not all, of the other guys on the list ahead of him are or will be more impactful than him this year.
2024-25 Ranking: 29
Domantas Sabonis tonight
10 PTS
18 REB
3 AST
1 STL
1 BLK
5-15 FGIs it time for the Kings to seek clarity? pic.twitter.com/87gFcT48fY
— KingsMuse (@kings_muse) October 29, 2025
#35 Amen Thompson
Thompson was one of the toughest guys to rank this year. Ranking him this high had more to do with potential than it did with what we have already seen. Outside of those few weeks in February, he was good, but not necessarily at an All-NBA level. However, given how athletic Thompson is, how big a jump he took last year, and how much less attention he is going to get from defenders because he is paired up with Kevin Durant now, this will be Thompson’s breakout year.
2024-25 Ranking: Not Ranked
#34 Zion Williamson
Speaking of players with potential, Williamson comes in at No. 34. When healthy, he can compete with anyone in the league. Sure, he does not have a great jump shot, but his first step is as good as anyone’s in the league, and he has Shaquille O’Neal-level efficiency for long stretches of time. Obviously, what keeps him lower is his lack of availability. Unfortunately, Williamson has only played 214 games in six seasons and zero playoff games. If he miraculously becomes not injury-prone overnight, I’ll more than gladly put him higher, but it does not look like that will happen anytime soon.
2024-25 Ranking: 33
#33 Scottie Barnes
Up next, we have a guy stuck in purgatory. Barnes is an extremely talented player who has the potential to be an All-NBA level player one day. With this being said, he has been put in an awful position. Don’t get me wrong; Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley are all solid NBA players, but it is an awful fit for all four of them to play together. The Raptors will be a good enough team this year because they have a good amount of quality players, but the ceiling is extremely limited with their roster construction.
2024-25 Ranking: 31
Scottie Barnes hooping like the player we hoped he’d be this season…
Efficient 3-level scoring. Pushing an insane pace. Noticeable emphasis on ball & body movement. Excellent interior passer, slick bounce passes, and facilitation from the of the key. He’s on ascension watch. pic.twitter.com/cLZb10ZsCg
— NBA University (@NBA_University) October 27, 2025
#32 James Harden
Now, we have one of the better stories from last year. Harden has been slipping ever since he left the Rockets, and many thought he would be “done” after last season. However, he did not allow that to happen. The Clippers finished as the No. 5 seed, and Harden made the All-Star Game. We’ll see what happens this year, but don’t be surprised if you see the Clippers win a playoff series or two this year because of Harden.
2024-25 Ranking: 39
#31 Jimmy Butler
Lastly, we have maybe one of the most unpredictable players to rank. Before being traded to Golden State, Butler was pretty miserable in Miami and made that pretty clear. Though he seems to be happier with Golden State, who knows how long it will last, or how much adversity he will be able to handle. With this being said, there are very few guys who are better playoff risers than Butler, and I need guys like that if I am building a championship team.
2024-25 Ranking: 24
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