The 15 best NBA players of the 2026/27 season: Wembanyama dethrones Jokic

The 2026/27 season of the NBA kicks off with a change of guard in the elite of American basketball. Victor Wembanyama emerges as the best player in the competition in the combined rankings of various specialized media, displacing Nikola Jokic, who was number one in the previous season. 

The center for the San Antonio Spurs tops the lists of HoopsHype, CBS Sports, and The Ringer, while ESPN and Bleacher Report place him in second position, and USA Today ranks him third.

The ranking gathers evaluations from six leading media outlets: HoopsHype, CBS Sports, The Ringer, ESPN.com, Bleacher Report, and USA Today. Although there are differences between their respective lists, the top positions lead to a clear conclusion: Wembanyama is already considered one of the great dominators of the NBA and starts as the main individual reference heading into the new season.

1. Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)

The French phenomenon leaps to the top position after finishing sixth in the 2025/26 season. His progression allows him to surpass several established players and become the standout name in the major rankings. Wembanyama is first for HoopsHype, CBS Sports, and The Ringer, and second for ESPN and Bleacher Report.

USA Today ranks him third, but his presence at the top of three rankings confirms the magnitude of his recognition among specialists. The San Antonio Spurs have a star who is already competing for recognition as the best player in the league.

2. Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)

The Serbian moves from first place in the previous season to second, although he remains an undisputed reference. Jokic continues to lead the rankings of ESPN and Bleacher Report, while USA Today places him second and The Ringer ranks him in that same position.

HoopsHype and CBS Sports relegate him to third place. The variety of evaluations demonstrates how challenging it still is to exclude the Denver Nuggets center from the discussion for number one, even with Wembanyama's rise.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

The player for the Oklahoma City Thunder occupies the third position, after finishing second in the 2025/26 season ranking. His consistency among the top positions is one of the most significant elements of the ranking.

USA Today places him first, while HoopsHype and CBS Sports rank him second. ESPN, Bleacher Report, and The Ringer agree in giving him third place. His presence among the top three in all six media reflects the recognition he has achieved in the NBA.

4. Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers)

Luka Doncic maintains the fourth position he held in the previous season. The Slovenian has one of the most consistent evaluations on the entire list, as all six analyzed media agree to place him exactly in the fourth position.

The unanimity is especially significant in a ranking with considerable differences among other names. Doncic thus remains among the most valued players in the competition, behind Wembanyama, Jokic, and Gilgeous-Alexander.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat)

The Greek occupies the fifth position in his new stint with the Miami Heat, after being third in the 2025/26 season. His valuation ranges between fifth place from USA Today, ESPN, and The Ringer, and seventh from HoopsHype and Bleacher Report.

CBS Sports ranks him sixth. Although he loses two positions from the previous ranking, Antetokounmpo remains within the group of five great stars leading the individual forecasts for the 2026/27 season.

6. Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Anthony Edwards remains among the top ten and occupies sixth place, one below the fifth he achieved in the previous season. The shooting guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves appears fifth in the rankings of HoopsHype, Bleacher Report, and CBS Sports.

ESPN and The Ringer rank him seventh, while USA Today gives him seventh place. His presence in the first group of candidates confirms his consolidation among the prominent figures in the NBA.

7. Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)

Jalen Brunson continues to gain recognition and moves from eighth place to seventh. The point guard for the New York Knicks occupies sixth position for USA Today, ESPN, Bleacher Report, and The Ringer, while CBS Sports ranks him seventh and HoopsHype, eighth.

The agreement from four media in the sixth position confirms his weight among the best players in the competition. Brunson again positions himself ahead of several names with a longer history in the elite.

8. Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons)

Cade Cunningham is one of the players improving his position compared to the previous year. The point guard for the Detroit Pistons moves from tenth to eighth place, with a particularly positive evaluation from HoopsHype, which ranks him sixth.

ESPN, USA Today, Bleacher Report, and CBS Sports rank him eighth, while The Ringer places him ninth. The consistency of these scores solidifies him among the eight most valued players in the NBA for the upcoming season.

9. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

The return of Jayson Tatum to the upper echelons of the rankings is one of the significant changes on the list. The forward for the Boston Celtics appears ninth after having held the 53rd position in the previous season's ranking, a place affected by injuries and the absence of his name in some lists.

The six consulted media place him between ninth and tenth position. ESPN, CBS Sports, and USA Today rank him ninth, while HoopsHype, Bleacher Report, and The Ringer place him tenth. The difference from the previous year evidences the impact that his availability has on his evaluation.

10. Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Donovan Mitchell closes the top 10 after having occupied the ninth position in the 2025/26 season. The shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers is ninth for HoopsHype, tenth for ESPN, and eleventh for Bleacher Report.

The Ringer ranks him twelfth, USA Today places him thirteenth, and CBS Sports, fourteenth. Although his evaluation is less uniform than that of other players in the first half of the list, Mitchell remains among the ten best in the overall ranking.

11. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Stephen Curry continues to be part of the elite despite falling from seventh place in the previous season. The point guard for the Golden State Warriors is ninth for Bleacher Report and tenth for CBS Sports.

USA Today and The Ringer rank him eleventh, ESPN places him twelfth, and HoopsHype relegates him to seventeenth. The differences between scores reflect various evaluations regarding his current position, even though his name remains among the most prominent in the competition.

12. Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers)

Tyrese Maxey features in another of the most significant rises in the ranking. The player for the Philadelphia 76ers moves from the 32nd position last season to twelfth, an improvement of 20 spots.

ESPN ranks him eleventh and HoopsHype, twelfth. Bleacher Report and CBS Sports place him thirteenth, while USA Today and The Ringer rank him fourteenth. His progression introduces him into a group reserved for the great stars of the NBA.

13. Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors)

Kawhi Leonard occupies the thirteenth position after being twenty-first in the previous season. His ranking shows notable differences: The Ringer places him eighth and USA Today, tenth, while HoopsHype ranks him twenty-third.

CBS Sports ranks him eleventh, Bleacher Report fourteenth, and ESPN fifteenth. The final result keeps him among the top 15, although his evaluation depends significantly on the consulted medium.

14. Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets)

Kevin Durant appears in the fourteenth position, one below the thirteenth place he held in the 2025/26 season. The player for the Houston Rockets remains among the most respected names in the competition, although he is no longer in the top group of candidates.

USA Today and Bleacher Report rank him twelfth, ESPN places him thirteenth, and CBS Sports and The Ringer rank him fifteenth. HoopsHype relegates him to twentieth place, a difference that explains his position at the end of the top 15.

15. Jaylen Brown (Philadelphia 76ers)

Jaylen Brown completes the ranking after occupying seventeenth position in the previous season. The player for the Philadelphia 76ers appears fourteenth for HoopsHype and ESPN, while USA Today ranks him fifteenth.

Bleacher Report and The Ringer place him sixteenth, and CBS Sports, seventeenth. His presence among the top 15 confirms that he maintains a prominent place in the evaluations of specialists, although he falls behind the league's top stars.

The 15 best NBA players of 2026/27 in a table

The ranking for 2026/27 leaves three major conclusions. The first is Wembanyama's rise to number one, ahead of Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander. The second is Doncic's stability, as he maintains fourth position unanimously. And the third is the progression of Cunningham, Tatum, and Maxey, who significantly improve their standings compared to the previous year.

With Curry, Durant, and Leonard still within the top 15, the list also demonstrates that experience continues to hold weight in the NBA. However, the most striking change is at the top: Wembanyama leads a generation that threatens to redefine the competition's hierarchy.