NBA top 150 player rankings Part 2 (1-10): Ranking the league's top 10 starters for the 2026-27 season

Ranking every projected starter in the NBA is no easy task. The bar to fill one of those 150 positions is high, and a quick scan of the list reveals how talented the league has become. 

In Part 1 of this series, I ranked starters from 11 to 150. Now comes the splitting hairs part, breaking down the top 10. This year's list contains many of the same names as last year's, with one exception. Age has finally started to catch up to LeBron James, who went from No. 10 last year to No. 23 this year. 

It wasn't a young gun who replaced LeBron in the top 10. Rather, it was the return of Kawhi Leonard, who turned in a rare healthy season and reminded everyone of how good he is.

The order of the top 10 has shifted as well. There's a new No. 1 who will probably hold onto that top spot for a long time, and Luka Doncic at No. 4 is the only constant. Here's how the entire list shapes up.

STEPH NOH'S WIN PROJECTIONS: Eastern Conference | Western Conference

Ranking all 150 starters in the NBA: Top 10

1. Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama is already widely considered the best defender in the league, as evidenced by his unanimous win in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. 

That voting undersold how dominant he is on that end of the floor. He's the most game-changing defender that we've ever seen. His eight-foot wingspan makes opponents routinely U-turn when they see him in the paint. When they did try to challenge him last year, he added to his league-leading 3.1 blocks per game. He has revolutionized the Spurs' team defense, getting drafted onto the worst defensive team in the league and leading them to a No. 3 ranking by his third year. 

Wemby's offense isn't quite as elite, but he's been getting steadily better every year. He got his 25.0 points per game last year on good efficiency, capably hitting 3's and finishing everything near the rim. He's a good passer who is continuing to improve, and he just led a Spurs team to a way-ahead-of-schedule Finals appearance. They should be back again this year.

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off back-to-back MVPs and the most efficient scoring season of his career. He carried the Thunder offense to a No. 7 ranking on offense last season, driving the ball relentlessly and wriggling his way to his favorite spots on the floor. He's made Oklahoma City a perennial powerhouse with his elite footwork, craftiness, and shooting skill. 

SGA also brings good court vision and solid defense to the table. He creates open looks for teammates and is an important component to one of the best defenses in modern history with his length and knack for getting steals. The gap between him, Jokic, and Wembanyama is razor-thin. He is at worst a top-three player in the league.

3. Nikola Jokic

Jokic has finished top two in MVP voting for six consecutive years, winning the award three times during that span. His excellence has become routine, to where a 56-point triple-double barely raises an eyebrow anymore. 

At the age of 31, Jokic has seen his defense slip slightly from the past few years. Much of his game still remains intact from his peak though. He led the league in rebounding last season, and he still has active hands. He's the best offensive player in the game, showing unbelievable skill through his passing and the softest touch on his floaters. His post-ups are unstoppable. And he can stretch the floor out with an elite midrange jumper and solid 3-point shot. He wasn't quite the same last year after struggling with injuries. This year will show if that was a temporary drop off or a permanent one.

SN 140: The NBA's best player, year-by-year since 1946

4. Luka Doncic

Doncic led the league in scoring last season, averaging a career-high 33.5 points per game. He is in complete control of the game at all times, forcing everyone to play at his pace. He's unguardable one-on-one, combining a killer step-back 3-pointer with scoring ability from everywhere inside the arc and an uncanny ability to finish at the rim. When help comes, he knows exactly where to throw the ball to set up teammates for the perfect shot.

Doncic's defense and ability to stay on the floor have him slightly below the top three on this list. But it wouldn't surprise anyone for him to win his first MVP or change the narrative and rise to No. 1 by the end of the year. 

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo

A 2025-26 season marred by injuries and losses had Giannis falling slightly off the national radar. He should be back front-and-center on a Heat team where he will be the primary offensive weapon. He is more than capable of filling that role. 

Giannis remains an absolute powerhouse at getting downhill, where it takes several bodies to stop him in transition. His physical tools remain elite. He's an underrated passer who creates a ton of open 3's for teammates when he sucks in defenses on his drives. 

Giannis isn't the defender that he was when he was a perennial First Team All-Defensive selection and DPOY. But he can still cover a ton of ground, making him an elite help defender who erases mistakes and makes it tough to score around the rim. 

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images

6. Kawhi Leonard

Leonard somewhat amazingly had his best offensive season last year at the age of 34. During that relatively healthy campaign, he averaged career-highs with 27.9 points per game and a stellar 62.9 true shooting percentage. Nobody manages to get to their spots better with such surgical precision, patience, and strength. 

Leonard is still a very good defender who should thrive in the Raptors' ball-hawking system. His uncanny timing and ability to swipe for steals will be dialed up a notch in Toronto, where intense ball pressure and aggressive help are staples of their elite system. As good as he was with the Clippers last year, finishing seventh in MVP voting, he should be even better in Toronto. 

7. Jalen Brunson

Brunson showed his mettle in all of the high leverage moments for the Knicks, leading them to their first title in 53 years with steady fourth quarter play. He's always in control of games, hitting first on offense and banging his way into baskets with high craft. He's an ultra-talented scoring and playmaking weapon that has cemented himself as one of the premier closers in the league. 

Brunson's size will always make him somewhat of a defensive target, but he competes on that end too. He sacrifices his body to take charges, and he executes the team's schemes well. He's a gamer and a winner. 

8. Anthony Edwards

Edwards averaged a career-high 28.8 points per game last season on good efficiency, getting to the rim with his dynamic athleticism while also bombing away as one of the great volume 3-point shooters in the league. He's improved every season as a passer, and this year he will have more offensive help than ever to lessen the constant double-teams he faces. 

Edwards is also a dogged one-on-one defender in key possessions, although his defensive intensity isn't always there every minute. The Wolves have some uncertainty around them this season given their new personnel, but Edwards will always keep the floor high by himself. 

9. Stephen Curry

This is probably Curry's last year in the top 10 and a three-spot drop from last year. He remains the greatest shooter in the game, completely bending defenses with his constant off-ball movement. And even with all of that attention, he still managed to average 26.6 points per game last season. He has learned techniques as his career has progressed to keep himself out of bad defensive matchups, mastering the show-and-recover coverage and competing when he does have to guard one-on-one. 

When healthy, Curry's scoring and playmaking are still at an All-NBA level. That health has been tougher to come by as he's aged. His knee issues will need to be monitored for the rest of his career. 

10. Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell averaged 27.9 points and 5.7 assists last season while leading the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference Finals. He’s a consistent All-NBA scorer who can create looks for himself and others via his step-back 3's and drives to the rim. His athleticism and tough shot-making make him a threat to go off for big scoring numbers at any time.

Mitchell has become a better defender in recent years, shedding the pigeon reputation that he had in Utah. The playoffs did show some weaknesses in his playmaking, which will be the next improvement he must make in order to move up this list. 

2026-27 BOLD PREDICTIONS: Eastern Conference | Western Conference

Sporting News ranking of Top 150 NBA starters

Here is our full list of the top 150 starters from 1 to 150.