There was a time not so long ago in NBA history when teams believed that they could simply assemble two or three of the top 20 players in the NBA and waltz their way to an NBA championship. Just consider how the last handful of NBA champions have fared in our annual ranking of the top 100 players in the league: Your inclination will almost certainly be to focus on the beginning of the list. Who's rising into superstardom?
What older players are starting to slip? But winning a championship in the 2020s means having players scattered throughout the entire list. You need your superstars, of course, but you need your Josh Harts and your Alex Carusos and your Al Horfords just as badly.
Six CBS sports analysts submitted ballots for this year's list: Brad Botkin, John Gonzalez, Robby Kaland, Jack Maloney, Sam Quinn and Cameron Salerno. The players were ranked on how we expect them to fare in the 2026-27 season, meaning injuries factored in both for players returning from lengthy absences (like Kyrie Irving and Tyrese Haliburton) and ones who will miss time to open the season (like Jimmy Butler). So, with all of that in mind, let's dive into our ranking of the 100 best players in the NBA entering the 2026-27 season, which tips off in one week. 76ers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Knicks, Spurs, Trail Blazers Celtics, Magic, Nuggets, Pacers, Raptors, Rockets, Timberwolves, Wizards Bucks, Bulls, Clippers, Heat, Mavericks, Pelicans, Suns, Warriors
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