Player rankings and the arguments that follow those rankings are the NBA’s favorite offseason pastime. No other league leans so heavily on these top NBA player lists, debates, and legacy chatter, and no other fanbase seems to relish tearing those rankings apart quite as much.

USA TODAY has called next. The publication enlisted 12 NBA experts across the network to take on the impossible: stack the league’s best against each other. Each of those experts was asked to rank a field of 40 players. Those ballots were then combined into a weighted average to build the official Top 25 NBA Player Rankings for the 2025-26 season.

Whether it’s Wemby chasing an MVP, LeBron pushing for relevance in Year 23, or Luka Dončić putting up those nightly NBA player props that dominate highlight reels and betting boards, this season promises no shortage of fireworks.

The Full List: USA Today’s 25 Best NBA Players

For fairness, we omitted a few marquee names likely to miss most (if not all) of the year due to injury, most notably Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, and Kyrie Irving of the Mavericks.  All three would have been locks for the list had they been healthy. With that in mind, players such as Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Bam Adebayo (Heat), and Tyrese Maxey (76ers) just missed the cut this year but will be knocking on the door when the season tips.

East vs. West

When we split the results by conference, a clear divide emerged. The Eastern Conference has plenty of talent, but the Western Conference remains stacked with heavyweights. Thirteen of the past 16 MVPs currently play out West, and it shows. 

The West boasts recent champions, statistical leaders, and players who’ll be first-ballot Hall of Famers, all sharing the same spotlight. That depth makes it harder than ever to crack the list.

Victor Wembanyama is already climbing toward the top tier after just one full season, while LeBron James and Stephen Curry are still producing at a high level in their third decade of service. Add in James Harden’s late-career resurgence and the rapid rise of Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, and you have a logjam of talent where leaving anyone out feels controversial.

The Art of Ranking

Of course, lists like these aren’t meant to settle anything. They’re meant to spark the group chats, drive barbershop debates, and flood timelines with hot takes. 

Fans will argue forever whether Ja Morant deserves a spot over Devin Booker, or whether Derrick White’s placement in the mid-20s is payback for his snub two years ago. And that’s the fun; the season hasn’t even started yet, and the storylines are already heating up.

Player rankings capture more than stats; they capture perception, potential, and what we expect in the months ahead. They’re snapshots of how the league feels right now. When those preseason expectations clash with reality, that’s when the real drama begins. 

From MVP ladders to breakout stars to surprise playoff runs, it’s why NBA debates never rest.

The rankings might land in September, but they’re really decided in July. This is when the league gets better: in quiet gyms, away from the spotlight, where players grind through weaknesses, add new wrinkles to their games, and prepare to unleash something fresh next season. 

It’s how rising stars transform into household names and how veterans extend their prime. NBA insiders love to talk about “summer development leaps,” and history shows they’re often what separates a good starter from a superstar.

So go ahead, check the list, scream about the rankings, and comment in all caps about all the ways you disagree, and circle the matchups you want to watch in November. Our rankings may help to set the stage for the 2025-26 season, but what happens on the court will have the final word. We’ll see how it goes…