By ESPN Insiders | ESPN, 2025-09-25 19:00:00
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。
我们的2025年NBA球员实力榜即将收官，为您带来联盟最终排名前十的球员解析！
作为我们榜单前列的常客，勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 在他即将到来的第23个NBA赛季前排名如何？哪位MVP——谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 还是尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic)——位次更高？前十中的新面孔是否配得上更高的排名，又或者他们明年会跌出榜单？
为了得出最终的NBA球员实力榜，我们邀请了专家团对超过20,000组可能的球员对决进行投票。投票者被问及：“在2025-26赛季，哪位球员会更出色？”他们需要预测每位球员在本赛季的表现。
我们的倒计时从周二公布第100-51名球员开始，同时附有凯文·佩尔顿 (Kevin Pelton) 对明年可能入榜球员的预测。周三继续公布了第50-11名，并配有我们NBA专家对最终结果的激烈辩论。今天，我们将以榜单前十名作为收官，包括我们的专家团评选出的2025-26赛季联盟最佳球员，以及围绕这些超级巨星们的重大疑问。
请看下方的最终结果。
请注意：ESPN的NBA球员实力榜专家团由超过150名记者、编辑、制作人和分析师组成，他们被要求仅根据球员在2025-26赛季的预期贡献（包括质量和数量）进行排名。由于长期伤病，杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum)、泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton)、达米安·利拉德 (Damian Lillard)、凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving)、德章泰·默里 (Dejounte Murray) 和弗雷德·范弗利特 (Fred VanVleet) 未被纳入本赛季的排名。
NBA球员实力榜：第100-51位 | 第50-11位 | 内部专家：实力榜大辩论 | 佩尔顿：谁是2026年的明日之星？
10. 杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson)，后卫，纽约尼克斯
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 12
上赛季，布伦森连续第二年入选全明星和NBA最佳阵容二队。仅仅三年时间，布伦森就已跻身尼克斯队史最佳球员的行列。这期间，他还带领尼克斯25年来首次闯入东部决赛，并连续第三年至少赢得一轮季后赛系列赛，这是自1990年代和2000年代初的辉煌岁月以来从未有过的成就。然而，对于布伦森和尼克斯而言，本赛季唯一可接受的结果，就是实现彻底突破，闯入本世纪以来的首次NBA总决赛。
最大疑问： 布伦森将如何适应新任主教练迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown)？
在过去三年里，布伦森在纽约如流星般崛起，跻身超级巨星行列，这与汤姆·锡伯杜 (Tom Thibodeau) 密不可分，两人之间建立了明确的信任和欣赏。锡伯杜在围绕小个后卫构建进攻体系方面有着长期的成功经验，而布伦森则抓住了在尼克斯成为球队领袖的机会，并大获成功。
当然，布伦森是一位杰出的球员，他仍将是尼克斯进攻的焦点。然而，布朗曾谈到要在纽约的进攻体系中大幅提升比赛节奏并增加球的转移，就像他过去几个赛季在萨克拉门托所做的那样。另一方面，布伦森似乎更喜欢较慢的比赛节奏，并且在锡伯杜的体系下，球权始终掌握在他手中。
未来几个月，这对将帅关系将如何发展值得关注。但毫无疑问：布伦森依然是哥谭市（纽约）当之无愧的掌舵人，他比任何人都更能决定尼克斯能否在明年春天打破长达26年的总决赛荒。 ——蒂姆·邦坦斯 (Tim Bontemps)
标志性数据： 布伦森上赛季场均助攻7.3次，创下生涯新高。他也成为尼克斯队史上首位单赛季场均得到25分和7次助攻的球员。
梦幻数据预测： 26.3分, 3.0篮板, 7.2助攻
9. 凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)，前锋，休斯顿火箭
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 9
上赛季季后赛，火箭队还在思考是否需要引进一名头号进攻核心，而首轮出局的结果响亮地回答了这个问题。于是，杜兰特来了。进入2025-26赛季，他的生涯总得分（30,571分）位列历史第八，仅次于威尔特·张伯伦 (Wilt Chamberlain)（31,419分）。即便即将年满37岁，杜兰特依然是一位高效的顶级得分手，他带来的冠军经验、篮球智商以及不懈的职业精神，必将感染到火箭队相对年轻的阵容。
最大疑问： 杜兰特的到来能否让火箭成为真正的争冠者？
是的，但这需要火箭的角色球员们各司其职，帮助杜兰特融入团队。曾在布鲁克林与杜兰特共事的火箭主教练艾米·乌度卡 (Ime Udoka) 深知，这位15届全明星并非那种希望队友刻意为他让路的球员。杜兰特希望自然地融入集体，这反过来也丰富了火箭的进攻选择。
因此，最大化杜兰特潜在影响力的最佳方式，是阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson)、里德·谢泼德 (Reed Sheppard)、小贾巴里·史密斯 (Jabari Smith Jr.) 和阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun) 等球员的持续成长。申京今年夏天在土耳其伊斯坦布尔花费了大量时间，与火箭的训练师一起精简他的低位技术，专注于最有效的进攻方式。
杜兰特已经告诉队友们做自己，他会找到最能帮助球队的方式融入进来。杜兰特多年来在各种体系中的丰富经验确保他能找到自己的位置，问题只在于速度有多快。 ——迈克尔·C·莱特 (Michael C. Wright)
标志性数据： 凯文·杜兰特已连续三个赛季场均至少得到25分，且投篮命中率达到50%、三分命中率达到40%，这是NBA历史上最长的纪录。
梦幻数据预测： 24.9分, 5.8篮板, 4.2助攻
8. 勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James)，前锋，洛杉矶湖人
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 7
詹姆斯的排名从第7位下滑一位至第8位。此前，他度过了一个非常出色的第22个赛季，场均贡献24.4分、8.2次助攻和7.8个篮板，入选NBA最佳阵容二队，并在MVP投票中名列第六。他已经展现了前所未有的生涯末期表现，并将在今年秋天踏上赛场时，成为史上第一位征战23个赛季的球员。他在球员实力榜上的地位同样是史无前例的：另一位历史级巨星科比·布莱恩特 (Kobe Bryant) 在其第20个也是最后一个赛季（2015-16赛季）开始时，排名已跌至第93位。
最大疑问： 这会是我们最后一次看到詹姆斯身穿湖人球衣吗？
尽管詹姆斯的职业生涯一直遵循着“在不适中找到舒适”的个人信条，但今年夏天，他与湖人之间的紧张关系升级到了新的高度。在他的经纪人、Klutch Sports的里奇·保罗 (Rich Paul) 告诉ESPN的沙姆斯·查拉尼亚 (Shams Charania)：“我们确实想评估一下，在勒布朗人生的这个阶段，什么才是对他最好的选择。”此前，这位四届MVP执行了他下赛季价值5260万美元的合同选项。
这一声明引发了外界对于詹姆斯是否仍想留在洛杉矶的猜测浪潮，尽管他已经执行了合同——达拉斯、克利夫兰和纽约等球队都被传为潜在的交易目的地。保罗向ESPN澄清，他从未代表詹姆斯与湖人讨论过交易事宜，而且由于这位40岁的老将合同中拥有交易否决权，任何交易对话都需要由他一方发起。随着詹姆斯在他的Instagram上发布凌晨训练和在欧锦赛为卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic) 喝彩的动态，近几个月来相关的言论已经平息。
詹姆斯即将迎来一个前所未有的NBA赛季：东契奇在他身边，准备接过湖人队的火炬；他的儿子布朗尼 (Bronny) 成为队友，让他享受父子同台的时光；他的履历上已有四座总冠军和四万分。或许更好的问题是，这会是我们最后一次在联盟中看到詹姆斯吗？他还有什么未竟的事业？——戴夫·麦克梅纳明 (Dave McMenamin)
标志性数据： 詹姆斯即将开启他的第23个赛季，超越文斯·卡特 (Vince Carter)，成为NBA历史第一。若他出战50场比赛，将超越罗伯特·帕里什 (Robert Parish)，成为历史出场王。
梦幻数据预测： 24.9分, 7.7篮板, 8.2助攻
7. 斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry)，后卫，金州勇士
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 6
尽管防守方不惜一切代价对他进行极端布防，不给他丝毫空间，并阻止他接球，库里上赛季依然在70场比赛中命中了311记三分球。这是库里职业生涯第六个单赛季命中至少300记三分的赛季，而联盟历史上没有其他任何球员能做到超过一次。因此，他依然拥有那足以让他成为这项运动悠久历史上最伟大球员之一的外线火力。本赛季，只要他在场上，他就能改变防守阵型，成为每个对手防守战术的核心。勇士的成败也依然与他息息相关。上赛季当他在场时，球队净胜对手299分，为全队最高；而当他离场时，球队净负28分，同样为全队最高。有他在，勇士在首轮淘汰了52胜的火箭队，并在半决赛对阵森林狼时取得1-0的领先。而在第一场比赛中腿筋受伤并缺席后续比赛后，勇士连输四场，惨遭淘汰。
最大疑问： 这位征战16个赛季的老将有何潜在隐忧？
这次腿筋拉伤是库里自2018年11月内收肌拉伤以来的首次软组织伤病。在相对迅速地恢复后，库里甚至认为如果系列赛能拖到第六场，他本可以复出。两个月后，他参加了在太浩湖举行的名人高尔夫锦标赛，并表示身体已恢复到100%。他以严谨的训练习惯和对保持身体状态的痴迷而闻名。但库里也将在三月份年满38岁，勇士队内所有人都知道，如果想让他在季后赛时保持最佳状态，就必须密切监控他的比赛负荷。然而，当球队为了季后赛种子排位而力争每一场胜利时，这总是很难做到。 ——安东尼·斯莱特 (Anthony Slater)
标志性数据： 库里在2024-25赛季第六次单赛季命中至少300记三分球。NBA历史上所有其他球员合计只有四次单赛季命中至少300记三分。
梦幻数据预测： 25.1分, 4.5篮板, 5.8助攻
6. 安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards)，后卫，明尼苏达森林狼
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 10
几乎从所有衡量标准来看，安东尼·爱德华兹上赛季都变得更好了。他以320记三分球领衔全联盟，命中率达到生涯新高的39.5%。他的场均得分从26分提升至28分。最重要的是，尽管球队在休赛期交易了全明星中锋卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns)，他依然带领球队重返西部决赛。但他会是第一个告诉你上赛季未能实现目标的人。在五场比赛输给雷霆后，爱德华兹表示，休赛期“没有人会比我更努力”去提升自己。爱德华兹亲眼见证了俄克拉荷马城是一支更强的球队，他们拥有更强的深度、技术和战术，能够将他限制在比赛之外。要想达到自2023年代表美国男篮大放异彩后人们对他寄予的厚望，爱德华兹需要丰富自己的进攻手段，并提升他的队友。
最大疑问： 他领到技术犯规和被NBA罚款的倾向会继续吗？
爱德华兹上赛季以18次技术犯规领衔全联盟，并因各种行为被NBA罚款超过40万美元：包括不雅手势、不当言论以及被驱逐后未及时离场。这对于他作为联盟未来门面和美国本土最佳球星的形象和候选资格来说，并非好事。同时，这也不利于他在联盟裁判中的声誉，有时还会给球队带来不必要的干扰。 ——雷蒙娜·谢尔伯恩 (Ramona Shelburne)
标志性数据： 在联盟最高的320记三分球的引领下，安东尼·爱德华兹上赛季场均得到27.6分，创造了森林狼队史单赛季得分纪录。
梦幻数据预测： 27.8分, 5.8篮板, 4.7助攻
5. 维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)，中锋，圣安东尼奥马刺
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 11
文班亚马看起来已经蓄势待发。圣安东尼奥马刺队最近访问了英格拉姆汤姆·摩尔高中，该地区在七月份遭受了德州山区毁灭性洪水的重创。文班亚马带领球队在学生们面前进行了一次简短的训练。他将篮球砸向篮板，然后高高跃起接住，完成了一记胯下换手重扣，引得现场观众陷入疯狂。这一切，文班亚马做得看起来毫不费力。
最大疑问： 文班亚马旋风般的夏天会为本赛季带来回报吗？
理应如此。在上赛季因深静脉血栓缺席最后30场比赛后，文班亚马在七月份获得了一份完全健康的证明。这个夏天他异常忙碌，这位21岁的年轻人先是在中国郑州的一座少林寺训练了10天，随后又与名人堂大个子凯文·加内特 (Kevin Garnett) 和哈基姆·奥拉朱旺 (Hakeem Olajuwon) 一同训练。可以肯定的是，与加内特的训练将为这位法国人的比赛注入更多的侵略性，而奥拉朱旺很可能向这位三年级的马刺球员传授了那些让这位12届全明星在NBA纵横18个赛季几乎无人可挡的精妙步法和低位技术。文班亚马相信，他在中国功夫训练中学到的一些动作，与他在球场上将要做的动作有异曲同工之妙。 – 莱特
标志性数据： 自1973-74赛季盖帽/抢断成为官方数据以来，维克托·文班亚马成为第三位在单赛季同时打出5x5数据、单场10次盖帽和单场50分的球员，另外两位是1992-93赛季的大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 和1989-90赛季的哈基姆·奥拉朱旺。
梦幻数据预测： 24.7分, 11.5篮板, 4.0盖帽
4. 扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo)，前锋，密尔沃基雄鹿
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 3
阿德托昆博刚刚结束了一个场均砍下30+两双的赛季，得分榜上仅次于SGA，位列联盟第二。如果雄鹿的战绩排名更高，他本会获得更多的MVP呼声，但他依然连续第七个赛季在MVP投票中进入前四。密尔沃基的这位统治级内线丝毫没有放缓脚步的迹象，他通过减少三分出手、增加中距离跳投来重塑自己的比赛，这让他变得更加高效。阿德托昆博或许仍然是联盟顶级的攻防一体威胁，但他自2022年以来甚至未能打进分区半决赛。
最大疑问： 仍处于生涯巅峰的阿德托昆博，能否在密尔沃基再赢一个总冠军？
过去几年，阿德托昆博打出的数据甚至比他蝉联MVP的赛季还要出色。他已连续两个赛季场均贡献30分、11个篮板和6次助攻，且投篮命中率高达60%，是NBA历史上唯一做到这一点的球员，其效率和统治力堪比巅峰时期的沙奎尔·奥尼尔 (Shaquille O’Neal) 和威尔特·张伯伦。2025年季后赛，阿德托昆博三年来首次保持健康，他的数据甚至更上一层楼（场均33分14篮板，命中率64%）。然而，雄鹿还是连续第三个赛季首轮出局。阿德托昆博一直重申，再夺一冠是他的首要任务，但尽管他已是这一代最具统治力的球员之一，密尔沃基却距离争冠行列愈发遥远。这使得阿德托昆博的未来成为他2025-26赛季的首要议题。他将在12月年满31岁，如果雄鹿无法在他身边建立一支有竞争力的球队，阿德托昆博还会继续保持耐心多久？ ——贾马尔·科利尔 (Jamal Collier)
标志性数据： 阿德托昆博已连续两个赛季场均贡献30分、10篮板、5助攻，且投篮命中率达到60%。NBA历史上没有其他球员能单赛季做到一次。
梦幻数据预测： 31.5分, 12.2篮板, 6.5助攻
3. 卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic)，后卫，洛杉矶湖人
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 2
东契奇更换了球队，但他在NBA球员实力榜上的位置几乎没有变动，仅从去年的第2位滑落至第3位。这位26岁的球员刚刚度过一个成功的夏天，他成功减重，与洛杉矶签下了一份为期三年、价值1.65亿美元的续约合同，并带领斯洛文尼亚一路杀入欧锦赛四分之一决赛，期间场均轰下34.7分。上赛季是东契奇自新秀赛季以来首次在MVP投票中一票未得，因为小腿伤势加上赛季中期的交易，使他的出场次数限制在生涯最低的50场。NBA球员实力榜的投票者们相信，既然东契奇已承诺效力湖人，他将重拾在达拉斯时的上升轨迹。
最大疑问： 东契奇统治级的夏天是否为他的MVP赛季奠定了基础？
首先，他通过严格的训练和饮食方案重塑了体型。接着，他与湖人签下了一份三年1.65亿美元的续约合同。最后，他带领斯洛文尼亚杀入欧锦赛四分之一决赛，在这项国际赛事中场均得到34.7分，为这一切画上圆满句号。一年前，东契奇刚带领独行侠队出人意料地闯入NBA总决赛，被认为是当时最出色的年轻篮球运动员。经历了一个动荡的赛季，饱受小腿拉伤困扰并被意外交易至湖人后，谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大从他手中夺走了这一头衔，后者在带领雷霆夺冠的同时，荣膺MVP和总决赛MVP。这位26岁的东契奇——其常规赛场均得分位列历史第三，季后赛场均得分位列历史第二——是否准备好继续他的上升轨迹，并在此过程中赢得他的第一座MVP奖杯？ ——麦克梅纳明
标志性数据： 自2月10日代表湖人首次亮相后，卢卡·东契奇在场均得分、篮板、助攻、抢断和三分球命中数上均领跑全队。
梦幻数据预测： 30.1分, 8.5篮板, 8.2助攻
2. 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)，后卫，俄克拉荷马城雷霆
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 4
得分王、常规赛MVP、西部决赛MVP、总决赛MVP、总冠军。毫不夸张地说，吉尔杰斯-亚历山大在2024-25赛季的表现，足以跻身篮球史上最伟大的个人赛季之一。而年仅27岁的他，才刚刚步入巅峰。
最大疑问： SGA如何能继续进步？
他已稳步成为一名更高效的得分手，上赛季真实命中率达到了生涯最佳的63.7%，同时三分球出手数和命中数（435投163中，命中率37.5%）也远超以往。继续扩大他的射程将使他更难被防守。作为一名组织者，他也展现了稳健的进步，场均送出职业生涯新高的6.4次助攻。随着他年轻的队友们成长为更可靠的得分点，这个数字可能还会继续增加。 ——蒂姆·麦克马洪 (Tim MacMahon)
标志性数据： 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大成为联盟历史上第四位在同一赛季赢得得分王、NBA常规赛MVP和NBA总冠军的球员，另外三位是沙奎尔·奥尼尔、迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan) 和卡里姆·阿卜杜尔-贾巴尔 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)。
梦幻数据预测： 33.2分, 5.2篮板, 6.5助攻
1. 尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic)，中锋，丹佛掘金
2024年NBA球员实力榜排名： 1
这是约基奇连续第二年登顶ESPN的NBA球员实力榜，原因显而易见。是的，俄克拉荷马城雷霆的谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大是联盟常规赛和总决赛MVP当之无愧的赢家。是的，他在季后赛中正面击败了约基奇。但即便是雷霆队也会告诉你，约基奇在那个系列赛中打出了几场超神般的比赛，他们能够在那场艰难的次轮系列赛中胜出实属幸运。
简而言之，约基奇正处于其篮球生涯的巅峰，只要他能保持这个水平，就应被视为MVP的热门人选。上赛季，约基奇成为历史上第三位单赛季场均三双的球员（29.6分、12.7个篮板和10.2次助攻），并打出了历史第四高的球员效率值（32.04）。他在MVP评选中屈居吉尔杰斯-亚历山大之后，很大程度上是因为雷霆作为一支团队远比那支阵容动荡的掘金队更为出色——后者在常规赛末期解雇了主教练和总经理，并以西部第四的战绩表现未达预期。
最大疑问： 掘金队是否已采取足够措施来解决上赛季困扰他们的阵容深度问题？
约基奇数据如此惊人的部分原因，是在连续两个休赛期失去冠军阵容的关键球员后，掘金队需要他承担如此沉重的负荷。本赛季，丹佛在为约基奇配备更多天赋和更深厚的替补阵容方面表现得更具侵略性，但在我们看到这支新阵容登场前，我们无法知晓这些举措是否会像纸面上看起来那样美好。如果丹佛能够强势反弹，并挑战雷霆西部最佳球队的地位，约基奇将有机会成为NBA历史上第六位赢得四次MVP的球员，与卡里姆·阿卜杜尔-贾巴尔、迈克尔·乔丹、比尔·拉塞尔 (Bill Russell)、威尔特·张伯伦和勒布朗·詹姆斯比肩。 ——谢尔伯恩
标志性数据： 上赛季，约基奇成为NBA历史上第三位单赛季场均三双的球员，另外两位是1961-62赛季的奥斯卡·罗伯特森 (Oscar Robertson) 和拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克 (Russell Westbrook)（4次）。
梦幻数据预测： 29.0分, 12.7篮板, 10.1助攻
点击查看原文：NBA Rank 2025: Rankings for the top 10 players in the league
NBA Rank 2025: Rankings for the top 10 players in the league
Our 2025 NBA Rank wraps up as we break down the final top 10 players in the league!
A longtime staple in our final rank, where did LeBron James fall this year ahead of his 23rd season in the NBA? Which MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic, landed higher? Do the new faces in the top 10 deserve a higher spot in the rank, or will they fall out next year?
To get the final NBA Rank, we asked our expert panel to vote on player vs. player matchups from more than 20,000 possible pairings. Voters were asked, “Which player will be better in 2025-26?” and had to predict how each player would perform this season.
Our countdown kicked off with our ranking of players Nos. 100-51 on Tuesday alongside Kevin Pelton’s predictions of which players can enter the ranks next year. They continued on Wednesday with Nos. 50-11 paired with our NBA experts debating the final results. We come to a close today with the top 10, including who our panel deemed to be the best player entering the 2025-26 NBA season and what questions loom large for the superstars.
Check out the results below.
Note: ESPN’s NBA Rank panel, made up of more than 150 reporters, editors, producers and analysts, was asked to rank players based on their predicted contributions – quality and quantity – for the 2025-26 season only. Due to their long-term injuries, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Dejounte Murray and Fred VanVleet are not part of this season’s rankings.
NBA Rank: Nos. 100-51 | 50-11 | Insiders: NBA Rank debate | Pelton: Who’s next in 2026?
10. Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks
2024 NBA Rank: 12
Last season brought Brunson’s second consecutive All-Star and All-NBA second-team selections. In just three years, Brunson has moved himself onto the short list of the best players ever to wear the blue and orange. That also included leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years and to a third straight year with at least one playoff series victory, which hadn’t happened since the glory days of the 1990s and early 2000s. The only acceptable outcome for Brunson and the Knicks this season, though, is to fully break through and reach the NBA Finals for the first time this century.
Biggest question: How will Brunson adjust to new head coach Mike Brown?
For the past three years, Brunson’s meteoric ascent to superstardom in New York has been associated with Tom Thibodeau, with whom there was a clear bond of trust and admiration. Thibodeau has had a long run of success with building offenses around small guards and Brunson took the chance to become the leader of his own team with the Knicks and ran with it.
Brunson is a tremendous player, of course, and will remain a focal point of the Knicks’ offense. However, Brown has talked about both playing much faster and incorporating more ball movement into his offense in New York, much like he did with Sacramento the past few seasons. Brunson, on the other hand, has seemed to prefer playing at a slower pace, and the ball has constantly been in his hands under Thibodeau.
It will be interesting to see how this relationship manifests itself over the coming months. But make no mistake: Brunson is still the straw that stirs the drink in Gotham, and he, more than anyone else, will be the one to determine whether the Knicks can break their 26-year Finals drought next spring. – Tim Bontemps
Signature stat: Brunson averaged a career-high 7.3 assists last season. He also became the first player to average 25 points and seven assists in a season in Knicks history.
Fantasy projection: 26.3 PTS, 3.0 REB, 7.2 AST
9. Kevin Durant, F, Houston Rockets
2024 NBA Rank: 9
The Rockets entered last postseason pondering whether they needed to acquire a go-to offensive engine and received an answer resoundingly by way of a first-round exit. Enter Durant, who heads into 2025-26 ranked eighth all time in scoring (30,571 points) just behind Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). Even as he’s about to turn 37, Durant remains an efficient and elite scorer who brings championship experience and IQ to go with a relentless work ethic, which is sure to rub off on Houston’s relatively young roster.
Biggest question: Does Durant’s arrival make the Rockets legitimate contenders?
Yes, but only if Houston’s supporting cast does its part in helping Durant find his fit within the group. Having worked with Durant during his tenure in Brooklyn, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka knows the 15-time All-Star isn’t the type of player who wants teammates to defer to him unnecessarily. Durant wants to be integrated into the group naturally, which in turn diversifies Houston’s options for attacking opponents.
So, the best way to maximize Durant’s potential impact is continued growth from players such as Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun, who spent a good chunk of the summer in Istanbul, Turkey, working with Rockets developmental staffers on whittling down his post moves to focus on what’s most effective.
Durant has already told teammates to be themselves, and he’ll find a way to fit in that best helps the team. Durant’s vast experience in a variety of systems over the years ensures he’ll find his way; it’s just a matter of how quickly. – Michael C. Wright
Signature stat: Kevin Durant has averaged at least 25 points, 50% shooting and 40% on 3-pointers in three straight seasons, the longest streak in NBA history.
Fantasy projection: 24.9 PTS, 5.8 REB, 4.2 AST
8. LeBron James, F, Los Angeles Lakers
2024 NBA Rank: 7
James dropped one spot from No. 7 to No. 8 after a very strong 22nd season during which he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds, was named to the All-NBA second team and finished sixth in MVP voting. He has already shown unprecedented late-career production and will become the first player ever to play 23 seasons when he steps on the floor this fall. His NBA Rank prominence is unprecedented, too: fellow all-time great Kobe Bryant fell to No. 93 at the start of his 20th and final season in 2015-16.
Biggest question: Is this the last we see of James in a Lakers uniform?
While James has built his career following a personal ethos to “become comfortable being uncomfortable,” the tension between James and the Lakers ratcheted up to another level this summer when his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN’s Shams Charania, “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career,” after the four-time MVP opted into his $52.6 million contract for next season.
The statement opened the door for a wave of speculation about whether James wanted to be in L.A., despite the contract decision – teams such as Dallas, Cleveland and New York were tossed around as potential trade destinations. Paul clarified to ESPN that he never addressed a trade with the Lakers on James’ behalf and since the 40-year-old veteran has a no-trade clause in his contract, it would require his side to initiate the dialogue. The rhetoric has died down in the months since as James posted about crack-of-dawn workouts and cheering on Luka Doncic at EuroBasket on his Instagram account.
James enters into an unprecedented NBA season with Doncic there to pass the Lakers torch to; his son, Bronny, as his teammate to relish the time with; and four titles and 40,000 points already on his résumé. The better question might be if this is the last we’ll see of James in the league at all, and what’s left for him to accomplish? – Dave McMenamin
Signature stat: James is heading into his 23rd season, passing Vince Carter for the most in NBA history. With 50 games played, he will pass Robert Parish for the most games played all time.
Fantasy projection: 24.9 PTS, 7.7 REB, 8.2 AST
7. Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors
2024 NBA Rank: 6
Despite defenses selling out to an abnormal degree to give him zero space and keep the ball out of his hands, Curry hit 311 3s in 70 games last season. It was Curry’s sixth career season with at least 300 makes from deep. Nobody else in league history has done it more than once. So he still possesses the perimeter power that has made him one of the greats in the sport’s long history. He will bend coverages and be the center of every defensive game plan when he is on the floor this season. The Warriors’ success also remains tied to him. When he was on the floor last season, they outscored opponents by a team-best 299 points. When he was off the floor, they were outscored by a team-high 28 points. With him, they eliminated the 52-win Rockets in the first round and took a 1-0 lead on the Timberwolves in the semis. After he injured his hamstring in Game 1 and sat out, the Warriors lost four consecutive games and were eliminated.
Biggest question: What is a potential concern for the 16-season veteran?
The hamstring strain was Curry’s first soft tissue injury since an adductor strain in November 2018. After healing relatively quickly, Curry even thought he could return for Game 6 of the series, had it been extended that long. He competed in a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe two months later and reported his body feeling 100 percent. He is known for having a disciplined workout routine and an obsession with keeping his body in shape for the season. But Curry will also turn 38 in March, and everyone around the Warriors knows his workload must be closely monitored if they want him fresh come playoff time. However, that’s always difficult when chasing every win for seeding purposes. – Anthony Slater
Signature stat: Curry made at least 300 3-pointers in a season for the sixth time in his career in 2024-25. All other players in NBA history have four combined seasons with at least 300 3-pointers.
Fantasy projection: 25.1 PTS, 4.5 REB, 5.8 AST
6. Anthony Edwards, G, Minnesota Timberwolves
2024 NBA Rank: 10
By almost every measure, Anthony Edwards got better last season. He led the league with 320 made 3-pointers at a career-high 39.5% clip. He raised his scoring average from 26 points per game to 28. And, most importantly, he led the team back to the Western Conference finals despite the offseason trade of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns. But he would be the first person to tell you he came up short of his goals last season. After losing in five games to the Thunder, Edwards said “no one would work harder” than him to improve this offseason. Edwards saw firsthand how Oklahoma City was a better team, with more depth, skill and tactics that were able to take him out of games. To ascend to the heights predicted for him since his star turn with USA Basketball in 2023, Edwards will need to diversify his offensive game and elevate his teammates.
Biggest question: Will his penchant for getting technical fouls and being fined by the NBA continue?
Edwards led the league with 18 technical fouls last season and was fined over $400,000 by the NBA for a variety of behaviors: obscene gestures, explicit language, and failing to leave the court after an ejection. Not exactly great for his image and candidacy as the future face of the league and the best American-born star. But also not great for his reputation with referees in the league, and sometimes a needless distraction to his team. – Ramona Shelburne
Signature stat: Led by his league-best 320 made 3-pointers, Anthony Edwards averaged 27.6 points last season, the most in a season in Timberwolves history.
Fantasy projection: 27.8 PTS, 5.8 REB, 4.7 AST
5. Victor Wembanyama, C, San Antonio Spurs
2024 NBA Rank: 11
Wembanyama certainly looks like he’s ready to roll. The San Antonio Spurs recently visited Ingram Tom Moore High School, an area hit hard by devastating floods that swept through the Texas Hill Country back in July, and Wembanyama led the team through an abbreviated workout in front of the students. Tossing the basketball off the backboard, Wembanyama jumped to catch it before putting it through his legs and slamming home a thunderous dunk that whipped the spectators into a frenzy. Wembanyama made it look easy.
Biggest question: Will Wembanyama’s whirlwind summer pay dividends this season?
It should. After sitting out the final 30 games of last season because of deep vein thrombosis, Wembanyama received a clean bill of health in July during a busy summer in which the 21-year-old trained for 10 days at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China, and worked with Hall of Fame big men Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon. It’s a safe bet that Wembanyama’s work with Garnett will instill a little more aggressiveness into the Frenchman’s game, while Olajuwon likely schooled the third-year Spur in the sweet footwork and post moves that made the 12-time All-Star virtually unstoppable for 18 seasons in the NBA. Wembanyama believes that some of the moves performed during his Kung Fu training in China mimic what he’ll be doing on the court. – Wright
Signature stat: Victor Wembanyama became the third player with a 5x5 game, a 10-block game and a 50-point game in the same season since blocks/steals became official in 1973-74, joining 1992-93 David Robinson and 1989-90 Hakeem Olajuwon.
Fantasy projection: 24.7 PTS, 11.5 REB, 4.0 BLK
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks
2024 NBA Rank: 3
Antetokounmpo is coming off a season in which he averaged a 30-point double-double and finished second in the league in scoring, behind only SGA. If the Bucks had finished higher in the standings, he would have gotten more MVP love, but he still secured a top-four finish in voting for the seventh consecutive season. Milwaukee’s dominant big man is showing no signs of slowing down, reinventing his game by trading in 3s for more midrange jumpers, and it has made him even more efficient. Antetokounmpo remains, perhaps, the league’s premier two-way threat, but he hasn’t played in even the conference semifinals since 2022.
Biggest question: Still in the prime of his career, can Antetokounmpo win another championship in Milwaukee?
Antetokounmpo has been putting up even better production over the past few years than the seasons when he won back-to-back MVP awards. He has averaged 30 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists on 60% shooting in each of the past two seasons, the only player in NBA history to do so, with a combination of efficiency and dominance that rivals peak Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain. Antetokounmpo was healthy for the 2025 playoffs for the first time in three years, and his numbers got even better (33 PPG and 14 RPG on 64% shooting). The Bucks still lost in the first round for the third consecutive season, however. Antetokounmpo has long repeated that winning another championship is the top priority for him, but despite his status as one of the most dominant players of his generation, Milwaukee has faded further away from championship contention. It brings Antetokounmpo’s future into the forefront of his 2025-26 season. He will turn 31 in December, and if the Bucks can not put a contender around him, how much longer will Antetokounmpo continue to be patient? – Jamal Collier
Signature stat: Antetokounmpo has averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 60% shooting in each of the past two seasons. No other player has done this once in NBA history.
Fantasy projection: 31.5 PTS, 12.2 REB, 6.5 AST
3. Luka Doncic, G, Los Angeles Lakers
2024 NBA Rank: 2
Doncic changed teams but barely budged from his position near the top of NBA Rank from last year, sliding from No. 2 to No. 3. The 26-year-old is coming off a successful summer during which he slimmed down, inked a three-year, $165 million contract extension with L.A. and led Slovenia all the way to the quarterfinals of EuroBasket while pouring in 34.7 points per game in the tournament. Last season was the first time since Doncic was a rookie that the 6-6 guard didn’t receive any votes for MVP, as a calf injury, plus the midseason trade, limited him to a career-low 50 games. NBA Rank voters are banking on Doncic to resume his Dallas trajectory now that he’s committed to the Lakers.
Biggest question: Did Doncic’s dominant summer set up an MVP season?
First, he transformed his body with a rigorous workout and dietary regimen. Then he signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Lakers. And he topped it all off by leading Slovenia to the quarterfinals at EuroBasket, averaging 34.7 points per game in the international competition. A year ago, Doncic was coming off a surprise run to the NBA Finals with the Mavericks and was considered the best young basketball player in the game. After a season of upheaval, marred by a lengthy calf strain injury and a shocking trade to the Lakers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took that title from him, being named MVP and Finals MVP while leading the Thunder to the championship. Is the 26-year-old Doncic – with the third-highest regular-season scoring average and second-highest postseason scoring average in league history – ready to continue his trajectory and earn his first MVP along the way? – McMenamin
Signature stat: Luka Doncic led the Lakers in average points, rebounds, assists, steals and 3s after making his debut with the Lakers on Feb. 10.
Fantasy projection: 30.1 PTS, 8.5 REB, 8.2 AST
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
2024 NBA Rank: 4
Scoring champion, MVP, Western Conference finals MVP, Finals MVP, champion. It isn’t hyperbole to declare that Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2024-25 season ranks among the best individual campaigns in the history of the game. And he’s just entering his prime at 27.
Biggest question: How can SGA continue to improve?
He has steadily become a more efficient scorer and had a career-best 63.7% true shooting percentage last season, when he made and attempted by far the most 3s (163 of 435, 37.5%) of his career. Continuing to expand his range will make him even more difficult to defend. He has also shown steady progress as a playmaker, averaging a career-best 6.4 assists, a number that could increase again as his young supporting cast blossoms as scoring options. – Tim MacMahon
Signature stat: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the fourth player to win the scoring title, NBA MVP and NBA title in the same season in league history, along with Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Fantasy projection: 33.2 PTS, 5.2 REB, 6.5 AST
1. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets
2024 NBA Rank: 1
This is the second consecutive year Jokic has led ESPN’s NBA Rank, and it’s easy to see why. Yes, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a well-deserving winner of the league’s regular-season and Finals MVP awards. And yes, he beat Jokic head-to-head in the playoffs. But even the Thunder will tell you that Jokic had some otherworldly games in that series, and they were fortunate to advance out of that fight of a second-round series.
Simply put, Jokic is at the peak of his basketball powers right now and should be regarded as an MVP favorite as long as he stays at this level. Last season, Jokic became the third player in history to average a triple-double (29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists) for the season and had the fourth-highest player efficiency rating (32.04) in league history. He finished as the runner-up to Gilgeous-Alexander largely because the Thunder were so much better as a team than the dysfunctional Nuggets, who fired their coach and general manager at the end of the regular season and underachieved with a fourth-place Western Conference finish.
Biggest question: Have the Nuggets done enough to build out the depth issues that plagued them last season?
Part of the reason Jokic’s numbers were so incredible is that the Nuggets needed him to carry such a heavy load after a second straight offseason of losing key players from their championship team. This season, Denver has been more aggressive in surrounding Jokic with more talent and a deeper bench, but we won’t know until we see this new group out there whether those moves will look as good as they do on paper. If Denver rebounds and challenges the Thunder as the best team in the West, Jokic has a chance to become only the sixth player in NBA history to win four MVP awards, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James. – Shelburne
Signature stat: Last season, Jokic became the third player to average a triple-double in a season in NBA history, joining Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 and Russell Westbrook (4x).
Fantasy projection: 29.0 PTS, 12.7 REB, 10.1 AST
By ESPN Insiders | ESPN, via ESPN