By ESPN | ESPN, 2025-09-24 19:09:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
ESPN 2025-26赛季 NBA 百大球星倒计时榜单尚未公布前十，但榜单中已经充满了诸多意外。在我们揭晓最终的顶尖阵容之前，我们的专家团将对今年的榜单进行深入剖析。
未来的名人堂成员勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James)、斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 和凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 是否仍配得上前十的荣誉？哪些球员是榜单遗珠，又有哪些球员被我们低估了？
在周四的最终榜单揭晓前，我们将围绕 NBA 百大球星榜至今为止的热点问题展开讨论，包括因伤缺阵的超级巨星杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 和泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 本应排在什么位置。
哪位球员的排名最让你感到意外？
贾马尔·科利尔 (Jamal Collier)： 维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的确出色，但现在就将他排进前十，实在为时过早。我并非说他未来达不到这个高度——甚至可能在本赛季结束时就能做到。但他目前还缺乏联盟其他前十球星所具备的资历和关键时刻的抗压表现。
鲍比·马克斯 (Bobby Marks)： 泰勒·希罗 (Tyler Herro)（第68位）被严重低估了。没错，希罗会因脚伤缺席常规赛初期的比赛，但他可是一位上赛季入选了全明星的球员。希罗连续第四个赛季场均得分至少达到20分，并在2024-25赛季贡献了五场得分35+的比赛，投篮命中率达到生涯新高的47.2%，场均助攻5.5次。上赛季他更是出战了生涯新高的77场比赛。
豪尔赫·塞达诺 (Jorge Sedano)： 我同意鲍比对希罗的看法。我想补充一点，上赛季希罗并非热火进攻端的绝对核心，但他依然能以38%的三分命中率场均砍下近24分。大家都记得大约17个月前，帕特·莱利 (Pat Riley) 公开点名批评吉米·巴特勒三世 (Jimmy Butler III)（第18位）。但没人记得，莱利在同一次新闻发布会上也点名了希罗，而希罗用职业生涯最好的一个赛季做出了回应。在巴特勒的风波中，希罗也展现出了职业球员和领袖的风范。他的排名应该在第40到55位之间。
安东尼·斯莱特 (Anthony Slater)： 伊维察·祖巴茨 (Ivica Zubac)（第36位）。并非因为他配不上这样的飞跃，而是我惊讶于篮球界终于如此深刻地认识到了他的价值。去年，祖巴茨并未进入我们的百大榜单，甚至排在了像约纳斯·瓦兰丘纳斯 (Jonas Valanciunas)（今年第87位）和海梅·哈克斯 (Jaime Jaquez Jr.)（今年落选）等球员之后。而今年，祖巴茨的排名高于贾马尔·默里 (Jamal Murray)（第46位）、乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid)（第47位）和鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert)（第49位）。他距离贾·莫兰特 (Ja Morant)（第33位）也仅有三名之差。祖巴茨的第九个NBA赛季是他生涯最佳的一季——场均16.8分和12.6个篮板，并展现出顶级的内线防守——但这位如今28岁的快船中锋，早已是一位稳健的首发中锋了。
马特·威廉姆斯 (Matt Williams)： 尽管过去两个赛季仅出战58场比赛是一个重要因素，但考虑到乔尔·恩比德的天赋水平，他第47位的排名低得令人惊讶。健康状态下的恩比德是联盟中最顶尖的球员之一，他曾在2023年荣膺MVP，并连续三个赛季场均得分超过30分。在2023-24赛季，他成为自1961-62赛季的威尔特·张伯伦 (Wilt Chamberlain) 以来，首位总得分超过总出场时间的球员。只要能保持健康，恩比德的表现绝对会远超他目前的排名。这个排名也反映出专家团对他能否保持健康的信心程度。
提名一位你认为理应入选百大榜单的球员
塞达诺： 基根·默里 (Keegan Murray) 未能入选百大榜单简直令人费解。他是一位身高6英尺8英寸、货真价实且全面的攻防兼备型球员，并且经常需要承担国王队最艰巨的防守任务。除了是一名优秀的防守者，他的生涯三分命中率也达到38%，并且不需要有球在手就能产生影响。他无球移动出色，擅长空切篮下和快下推进。如果他在任何其他球队，他的排名应该在第55到70位之间。
科利尔： 杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren)。他2022届的活塞队友杰登·艾维 (Jaden Ivey)（第85位）挤进了榜单末尾，但那个位置本可以轻易地属于这位底特律大个子。杜伦并不完美，比赛中还有一些方面需要打磨。但他是一位篮板猛兽，在季后赛中，他在篮板拼抢和二次进攻机会上制造了大量麻烦，并在对阵尼克斯的首轮系列赛中场均拿下两双数据。
马克斯： 我要作弊一下，提名两位：赫伯特·琼斯 (Herbert Jones) 和乔丹·普尔 (Jordan Poole)。投票者们是忘了琼斯在2024年入选了NBA最佳防守一阵吗？我理解百大榜单有“只看近期表现”的倾向，考虑到琼斯因多次伤病仅出战了生涯新低的20场比赛，他确实不符合这个标准。而普尔在2024-25赛季得分、助攻、抢断和三分命中率均创生涯新高，但这些都会因为奇才上赛季仅赢了18场比赛而被忽视。
斯莱特： 普尔是个很好的答案。感觉他的声誉被他的失误集锦和他勇士生涯最后12个月的戏剧性事件不公平地玷污了。回到2022年，在他生涯第三个赛季的巨大飞跃中，他场均得到18.5分，是那支NBA总冠军球队的重要组成部分。尽管接下来的季前赛情况变得棘手，但我们已经见证过他在最高水平的胜利之师中扮演关键角色。我们见过他领跑联盟罚球命中率榜。我们也看到了自从勇士交易他之后，球队有多么想念他的第二得分点。然后我们看到他摆脱了在奇才的糟糕开局，在华盛顿打出了一个高效且富有成效的第二个赛季。
威廉姆斯： 杜伦和琼斯是首先想到的，但我想提一下底特律的奥萨尔·汤普森 (Ausar Thompson)。活塞上赛季取得了巨大进步，防守效率排名联盟第10，这部分归功于汤普森在防守端的表现。根据 GeniusIQ 数据追踪，在2024-25赛季至少干扰了400次投篮的球员中，他在作为干扰防守者时限制对手的投篮命中率排名前五。他需要提升的一个方面是外线投篮：汤普森上赛季跳投仅60投15中。
佩尔顿：下赛季将闯入百大榜单的球员
勒布朗、库里和杜兰特仍位列前十。这三位名人堂成员中，谁下赛季能再次入选？
科利尔： 我认为库里的机会最大。他似乎仍然拥有无穷的体能和引力，只要他站上三分线，就能让对手的防守阵型为之扭曲。尽管年事已高，但这三位球员本赛季都被寄予厚望，需要在竞争激烈的西部联盟中带领球队在季后赛走得更远。勇士、湖人和火箭在过去一年都进行了重大引援，这给这三位巨星带来了压力，他们不仅要继续打出明星级的表现，还要保持足够的健康，以帮助球队保持竞争力。
马克斯： 也许我是少数派，但你完全可以提出一个有力的论据：如果这三位都保持健康，詹姆斯、杜兰特和库里下赛季都将再次进入前十。詹姆斯即将迎来他的第23个赛季，并将在12月年满41岁，但这并不意味着岁月老人已经追上了他的脚步。从上赛季12月30日开始，詹姆斯在常规赛中场均贡献25.1分、7.8个篮板和7.7次助攻。至于杜兰特，他和尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 是上赛季唯二能以50%的投篮命中率和40%的三分命中率场均得到25分的球员。
威廉姆斯： 假设三位都在2026-27赛季回归，詹姆斯、杜兰特和库里都将继续留在前十。自詹姆斯于12月30日年满40岁后，联盟中只有三位球员场均能拿到25分、7个篮板和7次助攻：詹姆斯、约基奇和卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic)。杜兰特换了新东家，但他的打法能适应任何体系。上赛季，杜兰特运球后跳投的命中率高达51%。自2013-14赛季引入球员追踪技术以来，唯一比这更高的球员是谁？还是杜兰特，在2022-23赛季。根据 Genius IQ 数据追踪，库里在进攻端的移动平均速度接近每小时5英里——位列上赛季联盟前十——随着年龄增长，他的比赛节奏将值得关注。此外，他在2024-25赛季场均命中4个三分球，这是他职业生涯第九次做到这一点，在NBA历史上遥遥领先。
塞达诺： 我不会看衰这三位中的任何一个。库里的投射能力将使他成为三人中状态保持得最好的。但是，我们看到詹姆斯进入第23个赛季时看起来状态如何了吗？杜兰特上赛季同样效率极高，他的技术正是火箭所需要的。他是火箭有机会赢得西部的最大原因。
斯莱特： 我的排序是库里、詹姆斯，然后是杜兰特。新赛季，库里的角色是三人中最可预测的。他将继续是勇士体系的核心，就像他过去十多年来所做的那样。如果保持健康，我们很容易预见他的赛季表现将与上赛季在观感和数据上都非常相似，这足以让他留在前十。杜兰特将适应休斯顿的新环境。詹姆斯则在适应与东契奇（前十球员）并肩作战。这些都是更难预测的环境。
温德霍斯特：勒布朗、杜兰特与前所未有的新篇章
哪位前十之外的球员下赛季将跻身其中？
塞达诺： 这对我来说很简单。凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham)（第12位）是一位绝对的明星，他持续取得的进步将把他推向超级巨星的行列。他的身材和技术的结合——在很多方面都让人想起东契奇，特别是他能洞察全场防守的视野——是活塞成为东部值得关注的球队的原因。坎宁安的挡拆技术已经达到顶尖水平，并且还有潜力成长为一名三威胁得分手。此外，他的臂展和防守智慧让他能够防守多个位置。
斯莱特： 安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis)（第14位）。考虑到他近期的伤病史，这或许是一个有争议或至少有风险的看法。但如果戴维斯保持健康，他必定有极强的动力去大声提醒人们，他不仅仅是东契奇交易中的那个陪衬。这个故事情节对他非常有利：如果独行侠打出一个令人惊喜的赛季——比如拿到季后赛前六的种子席位——他们将是在常规赛大部分或全部时间里没有凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving) 的情况下做到的。状元秀库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg)（第52位）会吸引媒体头条，但戴维斯是独行侠阵容中现役最好的球员，并且仍处于巅峰期的末段。
科利尔： 多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)（第15位）。骑士队上赛季在季后赛的表现令人大失所望，但这完全不是米切尔的错。自从他来到克利夫兰以来，他的表现一直非常出色。假设骑士队再次在常规赛中展现统治力，并最终准备好在季后赛中大展拳脚——或许能闯入总决赛——米切尔几乎肯定会是其中的关键人物。届时，他将乘着与泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿在强劲季后赛表现后相似的势头，获得更高的评价。
马克斯： 保罗·班凯罗 (Paolo Banchero)（第17位）。如果2024-25赛季常规赛的前五场比赛能说明什么，那就是班凯罗正准备打出一个入选最佳阵容级别的赛季。在他遭遇右侧腹斜肌撕裂之前，班凯罗场均能得到33.2分。赛季结束时，他场均贡献了生涯新高的25.9分。并且在休赛期引进了德斯蒙德·贝恩 (Desmond Bane)（第39位）和泰厄斯·琼斯 (Tyus Jones) 之后，魔术队预计将跻身东部前三。
威廉姆斯： 阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun)（第25位）上赛季首次入选全明星，并在欧洲杯上表现出色，他有实力进入前十。尽管最终系列赛失利，但申京在首轮对阵勇士的比赛中为火箭队大放异彩，成为联盟历史上第五位在生涯首次季后赛系列赛中场均得到20分、10个篮板和5次助攻的球员。此外，对手防守端对杜兰特的额外关注只会进一步解放申京的比赛。
如果他们保持健康，你会把杰森·塔图姆和泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿排在什么位置？
科利尔： 他们俩都有充分的理由进入前十。塔图姆凭借其持续的卓越表现，毫无疑问会保住他前五名后半段的位置。而哈利伯顿的季后赛表现堪称天神下凡，足以重塑这份榜单。当然，哈利伯顿有过几场得分低迷的比赛，但他在场上的影响力以一己之力点燃了整支球队，带领他们一路杀入总决赛抢七，这是排名第11到17位的球员（除了第16位的德文·布克 (Devin Booker)）中没有多少人能做到的。而且，虽然杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams)（第11位）在总决赛中表现出色，但哈利伯顿在系列赛中段的影响力几乎扭转了印第安纳的局势，并且他身边还没有一位MVP级别的队友来分担防守压力。
马克斯： 如果健康，塔图姆轻松进入前十。一个能持续场均贡献至少25分、8个篮板和5次助攻的球员，很难不被认可。哈利伯顿的排名则更为复杂，因为排在10到20区间的球员实力都非常强劲。但我们可以把哈利伯顿放在第17位，然后将从班凯罗开始的所有球员都后移一位。
塞达诺： 这两位都会在我的前十名单里。塔图姆一直证明自己是NBA的顶级球员。而哈利伯顿虽然数据上不一定最华丽，但他的传球能力和关键时刻的表现，让我认为他属于前十的范畴。
斯莱特： 塔图姆毫无疑问是前十，而且接近前五。感觉他已经在MVP投票中稳居第五名半个十年了，而他才27岁。在上赛季受伤前，他的表现比以往任何时候都好。就像鲍比提到的，哈利伯顿的情况比较棘手。他刚刚打出了几个惊艳且历史性的季后赛瞬间，但他的整体季后赛表现并非压倒性的。他场均17.3分、8.6次助攻，投篮命中率46%。他既有打出爆炸性数据的比赛，也有表现沉寂的场次。哈利伯顿是那支步行者进攻机器的门面，但在我看来，他目前的位置更接近20到30名区间，而不是前十。
威廉姆斯： 如果健康，塔图姆本应进入前十。上赛季他场均助攻创下生涯新高，并成为继拉里·伯德 (Larry Bird) 和约翰·哈夫利切克 (John Havlicek) 之后，凯尔特人队史上第三位场均能拿到25分、5个篮板和5次助攻的球员。哈利伯顿则会在11到15名之间，他刚经历了一次总决赛之旅并入选了NBA最佳阵容。即使在季后赛之前，哈利伯顿在全明星周末后也打出了一波高潮，在21场比赛中场均得到20.6分和11.0次助攻，而失误总共只有26次。
对ESPN百大榜单中的任意一位球员做一个大胆预测
科利尔： 无论扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 最终排在前十的哪个位置，下赛季他的排名都会上升。近年来，他的效率越来越高，统治力也越来越强，本赛季他将在密尔沃基承担更大的责任。这将为阿德托昆博迎来一个数据爆炸的赛季做好铺垫，甚至可能让他成为榜首的有力竞争者。
马克斯： 阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson)（第37位）将闯入前二十。我还没准备好将汤普森列入NBA最佳阵容，但上赛季他在休斯顿防守端的整体表现，足以让他在本赛季进入NBA最佳防守阵容和年度最佳防守球员的讨论范围。汤普森在他的二年级赛季迎来了爆发，作为干扰防守者时限制对手的有效命中率领跑全联盟。他的防守端评估正负值排名第五。当然，他的进攻仍在进步中，三分命中率为27.5%，罚球命中率为68.4%。
塞达诺： 文班亚马将成为NBA历史上第四位同时赢得MVP和DPOY的球员（前三位是迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan)、哈基姆·奥拉朱旺 (Hakeem Olajuwon) 和阿德托昆博）。只要他出战场次达标，他锁定DPOY是板上钉钉的事。我认为，要在竞争激烈的西部赢得MVP，马刺队需要成为前六的种子球队。我愿意打赌，一些有利因素会降临到他们头上，马刺队的进步足以达到这个标准。
斯莱特： 在上赛季排名第90位、本次排名第89位之后，安德鲁·威金斯 (Andrew Wiggins) 将延续这一趋势，在2026-27赛季前排在第88位。这是一个相当平淡的回答，但威金斯的比赛风格就是有一种波澜不惊的稳定性。他在巴特勒的赛季中期交易中是核心筹码，跨联盟来到一个新环境，却几乎完美地保持了他的数据稳定。所以，我预测他会有一个不错但低调的赛季，可能会被迈阿密交易走，并在2026年夏天排在第88位。
威廉姆斯： 我会对两位球员做出预测，他们都在老鹰队：杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson)（第44位）下赛季将成为前25的球员，而特雷·杨 (Trae Young)（第29位）将进入前15。在因肩关节盂唇撕裂导致赛季报销之前，约翰逊的各项数据均创生涯新高，并且是老鹰进攻端的关键一环。杨则刚结束一个场均送出联盟最高的11.6次助攻并创造老鹰队史纪录的赛季。克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porzingis)（第50位）的加入将使杨受益，老鹰队正力争自1961年（当时球队还在圣路易斯）以来首次闯入总决赛。
点击查看原文：NBA Rank 2025: Biggest snubs and surprises from the new top 100
NBA Rank 2025: Biggest snubs and surprises from the new top 100
ESPN’s countdown of the NBA’s best 100 players for the 2025-26 season has yet to reach its top 10, but there have been plenty of surprises already. And before we reveal our final elite group, our expert panel is breaking down this year’s list.
Are future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant still deserving of top 10 honors? Which players got snubbed and which did we underrate?
Ahead of Thursday’s finale, we’re hitting on the top questions so far from our NBA Rank 100, including where injured superstars Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton would have landed.
Which player’s ranking surprised you the most?
Jamal Collier: Victor Wembanyama is awesome, but top 10 is too high for him at this moment. I’m not saying he won’t get there – even by the end of this upcoming season. But he simply doesn’t have the credentials or pressure performances of the other top-10 players in the league.
Bobby Marks: The disrespect to Tyler Herro (No. 68). Yes, Herro will be out for the early part of the regular season with a foot injury, but this is a player who was selected as an All-Star last season. For a fourth straight campaign, Herro averaged at least 20 points, and he finished 2024-25 with five games of at least 35 points, a career-best 47.2% mark from the field and 5.5 assists per game. He played a career-high 77 games last season.
Jorge Sedano: I agree with Bobby on Herro. I would add that Herro wasn’t the focal point of the Heat’s offense last season and still averaged nearly 24 points per game with 38% shooting from 3. Everyone remembers Pat Riley calling out Jimmy Butler III (No. 18) about 17 months ago. No one remembers that Riley also called out Herro in that same news conference, and Herro responded with the best season of his career. Herro also handled himself like a pro and a leader during the Butler saga. Herro should be in the range of top 40 to 55.
Anthony Slater: Ivica Zubac (No. 36). Not because he isn’t worthy of the leap, but I’m surprised the basketball world is finally catching on to his game to this degree. Zubac wasn’t ranked in our top 100 last year, failing to make the cut over players such as Jonas Valanciunas (No. 87 this year) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (now unranked). This year, Zubac is ranked above Jamal Murray (No. 46), Joel Embiid (No. 47) and Rudy Gobert (No. 49). Zubac is three slots away from Ja Morant (No. 33). Zubac’s ninth NBA season was his best – averaging 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds with elite interior defense – but the Clippers big man, now 28, has been a sturdy starting center for a long time.
Matt Williams: While playing just 58 games over the past two seasons is a significant factor, Joel Embiid’s ranking (No. 47) was surprisingly low based on his talent level. When healthy, Embiid is one of the best players in the league, winning MVP in 2023 and averaging at least 30 points across three consecutive campaigns. In 2023-24, he became the first player to record more points than minutes played since Wilt Chamberlain in 1961-62. Embiid will greatly outplay his rank – provided he can stay healthy. His ranking reflects the panel’s confidence that he can.
Make a case for one player who deserved to be in the top 100
Sedano: Keegan Murray not making the top 100 is mind-boggling. He is a legit and versatile two-way player at 6-foot-8 and has to regularly take the toughest assignment on defense for the Kings. On top of being a good defender, he is a career 38% shooter from 3 and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact. He moves well without the ball, cuts to the basket and runs the floor. If he were on any other team, he would be ranked in the range of top 55 to 70.
Collier: Jalen Duren. His fellow Pistons teammate from the same 2022 draft class, Jaden Ivey (No. 85), made the back end of the top 100, but that spot easily could have gone to the Detroit big man. Duren isn’t perfect and has some areas of his game he needs to round out. But he’s a rebounding force who created plenty of problems on the glass and second-chance opportunities during the postseason while averaging a double-double in the first-round series against the Knicks.
Marks: I am going to cheat and say two: Herbert Jones and Jordan Poole. Did the voters forget that Jones was named NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2024? I do understand the top 100 is “what you have done for me lately” and that Jones does not fit the criteria, considering he played a career-low 20 games due to multiple injuries. Poole’s career highs in points, assists, steals and 3-point percentage for 2024-25 will go overlooked because the Wizards won just 18 games last season.
Slater: Poole is a great answer. It feels like his reputation is unfairly tainted by his blooper reel and the dramatic final 12 months of his Warriors chapter. Back in 2022, during a third-season mega leap, he averaged 18.5 points per game as a major part of an NBA title team. Circumstances became dicey the following preseason, but we’ve seen him be a key cog on a winner at the highest level. We’ve seen him lead the league in free throw percentage. We’ve seen how much the Warriors miss his secondary scoring since they traded him. Then we saw him shake off a bad first season with the Wizards for a productive, efficient second season in D.C.
Williams: Duren and Jones jumped to mind, but I will mention Detroit’s Ausar Thompson. The Pistons made a huge leap last season and finished 10th in defensive efficiency, thanks in part to Thompson’s play on that end. According to GeniusIQ tracking, he ranked in the top five in field goal percentage allowed as the contesting defender in 2024-25 among players to contest at least 400 shots. One area for growth is his outside shot: Thompson went just 15-for-60 on jump shots last season.
PELTON: Players that will crack the top 100 next season
LeBron, Curry and Durant remain in the top 10. Who from this Hall of Fame trio makes it again next season?
Collier: I’d give Curry the best chance. He still has a seemingly endless supply of stamina and gravity to make defenses bend to his will anytime he rises from the 3-point line. Despite their ages, there’s going to be a lot of expectations on all three players to make deep playoff runs in a crowded Western Conference this season. The Warriors, Lakers and Rockets have all made big moves over the past year, which puts the pressure on the trio to not only continue playing like stars but to also stay healthy enough for their teams to contend.
Marks: Maybe I am in the minority, but you could make a strong case that if all three remain healthy, James, Durant and Curry will land in the top 10 next season. James is entering Year 23 and will turn 41 in December, but that does not mean Father Time has caught up with him. From Dec. 30 on last season, James averaged 25.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in the regular season. As for Durant, he shared the honor with Nikola Jokic as last season’s only players to average 25 points with 50% shooting and 40% on 3s.
Williams: Assuming all three return for the 2026-27 season, James, Durant and Curry will stay in the top 10. Only three players averaged 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists after James turned 40 on Dec. 30: James, Jokic and Luka Doncic. Durant has a new team, but his game translates to any setting. Last season, Durant shot 51% on off-the-dribble jumpers. The only player with a higher rate since player tracking began in 2013-14? Durant, again, in 2022-23. Per Genius IQ tracking, Curry averaged nearly 5 mph when moving on offense – top 10 in the league last season – and his pace will be interesting to watch as he ages. He also averaged four made 3-pointers per game for the ninth time in his career in 2024-25, by far the most in NBA history.
Sedano: I’m not betting against any of these three. Curry’s ability to shoot will allow him to age the best of the trio. However, have we seen how James still looks heading into Year 23? Durant also was very efficient last season, and his skills are exactly what the Rockets needed. He’s the biggest reason they will have a shot to win the West.
Slater: I’ll rank it Curry, James then Durant. Curry enters the season in the most predictable role of the three. He will be the center of the Warriors’ ecosystem, as he has been for more than a decade. If healthy, it’s simple to expect his season will look a whole lot like last season, optically and statistically, which has him in the top 10. Durant will be adapting to a new situation in Houston. James is adjusting to life next to Doncic (top 10). Those are more unpredictable environments.
WINDHORST: LeBron, KD and an unprecedented next chapter
Which player outside the top 10 will get there next season?
Sedano: This one is easy for me. Cade Cunningham (No. 12) is an absolute star, and the leaps he continues to make will catapult him into the upper levels of superstardom. His combination of size and skill – which are reminiscent of Doncic in a lot of ways, particularly the way he can see over the defenses – is the reason the Pistons are the team to watch in the Eastern Conference. Cunningham’s pick-and-roll game is already elite, and there’s growth potential to be a three-level scorer. Also, his wingspan and defensive cunning allow him to guard multiple positions.
Slater: Anthony Davis (No. 14). This is probably a controversial take or at least risky one, given the recent injury history. But if Davis stays healthy, there has to be an extreme level of motivation for him to loudly remind people he isn’t just the other guy in the Doncic trade. The storyline sets up pretty well for Davis: If the Mavericks have a surprising season – maybe a top-six playoff seed – they will have done it without Kyrie Irving for most or all of the regular season. No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg (No. 52) will generate headlines, but Davis is the best current player on the Mavs’ roster and is still in his late prime.
Collier: Donovan Mitchell (No. 15). The Cavaliers were a huge disappointment in the playoffs last season, but none of that was Mitchell’s fault. He has been consistently excellent since his arrival in Cleveland. Let’s say the Cavs once again dominate the regular season and are finally ready to make a run in the playoffs – perhaps to the Finals – Mitchell is almost certain to be a major player in it. He would then ride the same momentum Tyrese Haliburton did after a strong postseason.
Marks: Paolo Banchero (No. 17). If the first five games of the 2024-25 regular season were any indication, Banchero is poised to have an All-NBA-caliber campaign. Before he suffered a torn right oblique, Banchero was averaging 33.2 points. He then finished the season averaging a career-high 25.9 points. And after adding Desmond Bane (No. 39) and Tyus Jones this offseason, the Magic are projected to finish in the top three of the Eastern Conference.
Williams: Coming off his first All-Star appearance last season and an exceptional run at EuroBasket, Alperen Sengun (No. 25) has the skill to get into the top 10. Although it came in a series loss, Sengun shined for the Rockets in the first round against the Warriors, becoming the fifth player in league history to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in his first career playoff series. Plus, an added attention from defenses toward Durant should only continue to unlock Sengun’s game.
If they were healthy, where would you have slotted Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton?
Collier: They’d both have a strong case for the top 10. Tatum without question would retain his spot in the back half of the top five because of his consistent excellence, but Haliburton’s playoff performance was otherworldly enough to rewrite these rankings. Sure, Haliburton turned in a few scoring duds, but his impact on the floor single-handedly ignited a team through a run to Game 7 of the Finals, something not many players ranked in the No. 11 through No. 17 slots (aside from Devin Booker at No. 16) can argue. And while Jalen Williams (No. 11) was excellent during the Finals, Haliburton’s impact in the middle of the series nearly swung the balance to Indiana, and Haliburton didn’t have the gravity of the MVP to share the floor with.
Marks: Tatum is easily top 10 if healthy. It is hard not to recognize a player who consistently averages at least 25 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Haliburton’s ranking is more complicated because of the quality of players in the 10 to 20 range. But let’s put Haliburton at No. 17 and shift everyone starting with Banchero back one slot.
Sedano: Both guys would be in my top 10. Tatum consistently has shown he’s a premier player in the NBA, and while Haliburton doesn’t necessarily put up the gaudiest numbers, his passing ability and clutch performances put him in that top-10 category for me.
Slater: Tatum is top 10, easily, and near top five. It feels like he has lived in that fifth slot on MVP ballots for half a decade, and he’s just 27. He had never been better than last season before his injury. Like Bobby mentioned, Haliburton is trickier. He just had a handful of spectacular and historic playoff moments, but his overall postseason wasn’t overwhelming. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 assists and made 46% of his shots. He had huge games and silent games. Haliburton was the face of what was a Pacers machine, but still – in my estimation – he belongs closer to the 20 to 30 range than the top 10 right now.
Williams: Tatum would have been in the top 10 if healthy after a season in which he averaged a career high in assists and joined Larry Bird and John Havlicek as the only Celtics to average 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Haliburton would be in the 11 to 15 range after a trip to the Finals and an All-NBA selection. Even before the playoffs, Haliburton went on a run after the All-Star break, averaging 20.6 points and 11.0 assists while committing just 26 turnovers over a 21-game span.
Make one bold prediction for any player in ESPN’s top 100
Collier: Wherever he lands in the top 10, Giannis Antetokounmpo will move up this list next season. He has only gotten more efficient and more dominant in recent years and is going to carry even more responsibility for Milwaukee this season. It will set Antetokounmpo up for a monster year and perhaps a case for the top spot.
Marks: Amen Thompson (No. 37) will crack the top 20. I am not yet ready to put Thompson on the All-NBA Team, but the body of work on defense last season in Houston warrants talk for NBA All-Defensive Team and Defensive Player of the Year honors this season. Thompson had a breakout sophomore season, leading the NBA in effective field goal percentage allowed as a contesting defender. He ranked fifth in defensive estimated plus-minus. Granted, his offensive continues to be a work in progress, as he shot 27.5% on 3-pointers and 68.4% from the foul line.
Sedano: Wembanyama will be the fourth player in NBA history to win both MVP and DPOY (Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Antetokounmpo). He’s a lock to win DPOY provided he logs the requisite amount of games. I think for him to win the MVP in a loaded Western Conference, the Spurs will have to be a top-six seed. I’m willing to bet there will be some things that bounce their way and that the Spurs will be improved enough to reach that benchmark.
Slater: After slotting in at No. 90 last season and No. 89 in these rankings, Andrew Wiggins will continue the trend and finish No. 88 ahead of the 2026-27 season. That’s a pretty unspectacular response, but there is something unspectacularly consistent about Wiggins’ game. He was the central player in a midseason Butler trade, moved cross-conference into a new situation and yet kept his stats almost perfectly static. So, I’m predicting a decent, under-the-radar season, a possible trade away from Miami and that 88th ranking in the summer of 2026.
Williams: I’ll give predictions on two players, both on the Hawks: Jalen Johnson (No. 44) will be a top-25 player next season, and Trae Young (No. 29) will be in the top 15. Before Johnson saw his season come to an end due to a torn labrum, he was averaging career highs across the board and was a key part of the Hawks’ offense. Young is coming off a season in which he averaged a league-high 11.6 assists per game for a Hawks record. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis (No. 50) will benefit Young as the Hawks look to make the Finals for the first time since 1961, when the franchise was in St. Louis.
By ESPN | ESPN, via ESPN