USA TODAY National
Welcome to For The Win's NBA Player Rankings for the 2025-2026 season.
NBA basketball is a game defined first and foremost by its biggest stars. You can play together. You can play with synergy. You can have the best game plan imaginable. None of that matters if you don't have exemplary talent that can push boundaries and make everyone on the outside looking in reconsider what is possible in this beautiful, free-flowing sport. Of course, you get bonus points if your stars are capable of making an impact in multiple ways. And while it might not matter to the tangible basketball, the players who have a little more flair than expected get extra style points.
Our rationale behind these rankings is simple. We wanted to set the stage for this NBA season in the best way possible. If the NBA is a league built around its biggest names, and it is, then it stands to reason that the most impactful players will tell the most comprehensive story. They will give us our prominent memories over the next six to eight months or so. They will be who we talk about years from now when we simply want to "Remember Some Guys," as they say.
We didn't try to invent the wheel with our player evaluations. These rankings are based on consensus, aggregated votes from me, For The Win Senior NBA Writer Bryan Kalbrosky, and For The Win Senior Writer Prince Grimes. We initially started with a list of 100 players and narrowed it down to a top-25 based on our combined personal voting ballots. Each of us might have different views and tastes in NBA basketball, but we ultimately narrowed down these rankings based on who we each think will be the most impactful players this season, as we believed that to be the fairest thought process.
This is not a future projection. This is not about ceilings. This is who we, collectively, think are the 25 best players in the NBA right now. Nothing more. Nothing less.
This NBA player ranking series will be divided into six parts. It will consist of five-player increments each day, leading to the full top-25 list reveal next week for NBA Opening Week. Remember that this is us trying to provide an informative and concise picture of the league's current cream of the crop. At best, we hope you'll enjoy every step along this journey. At worst, we hope you'll argue about these rankings around the office water cooler.
Well, if people still do that, I mean.
Today, we're breaking down a savvy playmaking point guard ready to make waves in the East. There's also a rising young big man in the West poised to leave his mark on a rising contender. We also spotlight a tried-and-true two-way forward who, unsurprisingly, is already blazing trails as a "winning player" on a team led by some of the most famous veterans in the sport. The first five in this top 25 are rounded out by a prolific scorer who has transitioned to more of a playmaking role lately and a familiar big man with all-time superstar potential ... as long as he stays healthy.
25. G Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Young’s field goal attempts have dropped each of the last three years as he’s quietly embraced a more traditional point guard role, increasing his assists each year of that span to a career-high and NBA-best 11.6 assists last season. That's happened while playing with a rotating cast of teammates who've been in and out of the lineup. With Atlanta acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis, that trend could continue, and Young may be in for an even bigger season as the Hawks are potentially more equipped to disguise his weaknesses and capitalize on the opportunities he generates. He's never played with a pick-and-pop option like Porziņģis, who should also free up Young for better looks and open up the lane for lobs to Jalen Johnson. Behind Young's lead, the Hawks could be a fun team that makes a surprising push in the East. — Prince Grimes
24. C Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets
In Houston’s very compressed offense of the last two years, Şengün was still a 20-point scorer and a first-time All-Star in 2024. It’s fun to think about how he’ll be able to operate with more space as Kevin Durant and the Rockets’ other new pieces potentially open things up. Even as a somewhat limited athlete, Şengün is an absolute bully in the paint. He's also a solid playmaker who averaged five assists each of the last two years. I can only imagine the Rockets kicking the ball into the post and defenses having to make a decision on whether to let him get an easy bucket at the rim or force him to kick it out to an open Durant, Reed Sheppard, and Dorian Finney-Smith on the perimeter, or to a cutting Amen Thompson, who might just dunk on the whole team. I think the 23-year-old Şengün is in for a big season. — PG
23. F Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors
Already 36 years old and coming off a messy divorce from the Miami Heat, we saw yet another ugly split for Jimmy Butler and a longtime team. But in his new home in Golden State last season, Butler was actually fantastic. The Warriors played much better with him than without him, as he averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while on the Warriors. I would expect another strong season for Butler playing alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. — Bryan Kalbrosky
22. G Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
As the early 2020s Suns began to dim, so too did Booker's individual star. A transition to becoming Phoenix's primary offensive initiator out of necessity went better than expected, but it probably limited what he does best. That is, putting the ball in the hoop with ruthless proficiency. The rebuilding Suns still don't really have a true point guard, so they're not going to shift Booker out of this position any time soon. Nonetheless, it would be nice to see Phoenix give Booker the same green light that helped him earn four All-Star selections to start this decade. You can only pretend to be something you're not for so long. — Robert Zeglinski
21. C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
There is probably no bigger “question mark” in the league than Joel Embiid, but let’s make something incredibly clear. The last time we saw the big man healthy for a full season, he quite literally won Most Valuable Player. He is entering the season looking like he is in great shape, and while this is a bit of a make-or-break year for the 76ers, Embiid will play a tremendous role in whether or not they enjoy success or not. Don’t be surprised if he finishes this season either ranked far higher or far lower than this. — BK
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NBA Player Rankings 2025: Prolific scorer, 2-way forward crack top 25
Reporting by Robert Zeglinski, Bryan Kalbrosky and Prince J. Grimes, For The Win / For The Win
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Newsday
NBA
Charleston Gazette
The Poughkeepsie Journal
ESPN
News 9 Crime
Raw Story
The News Virginian Politics
ABC 7 Chicago Entertainment