Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) moves the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts after scoring against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Mar 24, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) reacts after a play against the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Apr 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game two of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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.

NBA Player Rankings 2025, Part 1: Where does Devin Booker fit in?

In Part 2, we're talking about a wily veteran point guard who still has some juice in the tank on a bona fide championship contender. We have a versatile big man with impeccable offensive touch who just knows how to play winning basketball. There's a young, superstar two-way forward who can still ostensibly grow into something even greater. To top things off, we've got one of the most underrated players in the league on a lesser-known team on the rise and a supremely skilled, if sometimes frustrating, center.

20. PF Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers

The Pacers' trade for Siakam is quickly looking like more and more of an absolute steal. Siakam is a tireless worker who can overwhelm opposing forwards with his size and athleticism and who knows how to play between the lines and sneak in easy baskets. He is like a gazelle in the open floor, a big who can adjust his play speed on a whim depending on the matchup he's hunting. On top of it all, his offensive versatility affords the Pacers one of the league's most reliable safety valves. Indiana has appeared in each of the last two Eastern Conference Finals since acquiring Siakam. That is no coincidence. — Robert Zeglinski

19. G James Harden, L.A. Clippers

Don’t look now, but at 36 years old, Harden is actually coming off one of his best seasons of the past six years. Harden led the league in points scored one-on-one in isolation for the first time since 2019-20. Who knows if he can sustain this career renaissance or if he fades a bit, but there is little doubt that, no matter what, Harden is still one of the most gifted scorers the league has ever witnessed. With a very talented roster around him, I would not bet against Harden with a chance to make another run in the West. — Bryan Kalbrosky

18. F/G Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

Williams has barely scratched the surface of his career, and he has already emerged as one of the NBA's most complete two-way players. Fresh off a campaign where he was an All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense player, he looks like the perfect long-term sidekick to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Williams is tenacious on defense, using his length and basketball IQ to frustrate elite guards and wings on a nightly basis. On offense, he's an explosive secondary ballhandler who can shoot, who knows when to cut, and who seldom makes the "wrong" play. The Scottie Pippen to Gilgeous-Alexander's Michael Jordan comparison is almost too on point.— RZ

17. PF/C Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Evaluating Towns fairly depends on how you look at him. On the one hand, he's one of the most skilled bigs in the league. He's a three-level scorer with an underrated playmaking penchant. You can run an entire offense through him and be satisfied with the results. On the other hand, few players take as many dumb (and unnecessary) fouls. In the crucible of the playoffs, this tendency is especially problematic. Towns also sometimes spaces out on defense, which can sometimes offset what he brings to the table as an offensive player. That unfortunate dichotomy might ultimately hold the Knicks' ceiling back, but it doesn't make Towns' overall abilities any less special.— RZ

16. F Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

I genuinely believe that Wagner, who just led Germany to a gold medal at FIBA EuroBasket, remains one of the most underrated players in the world. Ranked No. 32 overall on ESPN’s list, there is a reason he is much higher on ours. Now that the Magic have acquired Desmond Bane to play alongside Wagner and Paolo Banchero, they should deservedly have a spotlight as one of the top teams in the East this season. With the increased attention, fans will not take long to notice the extraordinary versatility and impact that Wagner brings to his team. A true do-it-all player, this is the most obvious first-team All-NBA player waiting in the wings. — BK

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NBA Player Rankings 2025: Misunderstood guard, mercurial center make top 20

Reporting by Robert Zeglinski, Bryan Kalbrosky and Prince J. Grimes, For The Win / For The Win

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