Ranking the NBA players top 100 is a fool's errand that we all participate in anyway. You know the drill. Someone puts a three-time MVP at number two, and suddenly the comments section looks like a digital war zone. But honestly? The 2025-26 season has flipped the script so hard that most of those "consensus" lists you saw in October are basically kindling now.
We’re halfway through January 2026. The trade deadline is looming (February 5th, mark your calendars), and the hierarchy of the league has shifted. If you’re still clinging to the idea that the "old guard" is untouchable, you haven’t been watching the Houston Rockets or the Detroit Pistons lately.
The league is different. It’s faster. It’s younger. And frankly, it’s a lot more chaotic than it was even twelve months ago.
The Joker vs. The SGA Era
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. Nikola Jokic is still a basketball god. The guy is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11 assists per game. He’s basically a walking triple-double who plays like he’s seeing the game in slow motion. But there’s a "but" now. Jokic has been dealing with a nagging knee injury that’s kept him sidelined recently, and that’s opened the door for a new king.
Enter Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA isn’t just "good" anymore. He’s inevitable. He just won Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year for a reason. He’s leading a Thunder team that looks like a juggernaut, even with Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein missing time. Shai is sitting at the top of the MVP ladder right now, averaging nearly 32 points with the kind of efficiency that makes advanced stats nerds weep. He’s reached 20+ points in 112 straight games. Think about that. That’s not just talent; that’s a level of consistency we haven't seen since prime Jordan.
When we talk about the top of the NBA players top 100, the debate is no longer "Who is the best?" It’s "Who would you rather have for a seven-game series today?"
The Lakers' New Reality: Luka in Purple and Gold
If you slept through the last year, you might have missed the biggest earthquake in NBA history: Luka Doncic is a Los Angeles Laker.
It still feels weird to type.
Luka is currently leading the league in scoring at 33.6 points per game. He’s basically turned the Crypto.com Arena into his own personal playground. While some people thought he and LeBron James (who is somehow still a top 15 player at age 41) would clash, they’ve found a weird, rhythmic synergy. LeBron has officially transitioned into "The Lion in Winter" role. He has his bad nights where he looks his age, but on his good nights? He’s still the smartest guy on the floor.
But let’s be real. This is Luka’s team now. He’s trailing only Kobe and Elgin Baylor for the highest scoring average in Lakers history. If you're ranking the top 100 and you have Luka anywhere outside the top three, you’re just overthinking it.
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The Unicorns and the Extraterrestrials
We have to talk about Victor Wembanyama.
The "Alien" is no longer a prospect; he’s a defensive system unto himself. Before a scary deep vein thrombosis scare in his shoulder last season, he was putting up numbers that didn’t make sense. He’s the only player in history to average 3 blocks and 3 made threes per game. He's currently 4th on the MVP ladder.
The Spurs are still building, but with De'Aaron Fox now in San Antonio after that mid-season trade, Wemby has a legitimate floor general. His growth is the single most terrifying thing for the rest of the league.
The Top 10 Mid-Season Snapshot (Jan 2026)
To understand where the NBA players top 100 stands right now, you have to look at the elite tier. Forget the preseason rankings. This is what the impact looks like today:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): The undisputed #1 right now.
- Nikola Jokic (DEN): The most skilled, but health is the only question.
- Luka Doncic (LAL): A one-man offensive engine.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): Still the most physically dominant, despite the Bucks' drama.
- Victor Wembanyama (SAS): The DPOY favorite and a rising offensive force.
- Anthony Edwards (MIN): The "Face of America" who leads the league in threes made.
- Stephen Curry (GSW): Still the greatest gravity-well in the game.
- Donovan Mitchell (CLE): Carrying a 60-win pace Cavs team with zero ego.
- Jayson Tatum (BOS): Recovering from injury, but his two-way play is top-tier.
- Cade Cunningham (DET): The "Clutch King" who has finally arrived.
Why the "Middle 50" is Where the Money is Won
Everyone focuses on the superstars, but the real movement in the NBA players top 100 happens in the 30-70 range. This is where guys like Amen Thompson and Jalen Johnson have absolutely exploded.
Johnson has become a triple-double threat in Atlanta, keeping them afloat after the Trae Young trade to Washington. Meanwhile, Amen Thompson is a walking highlight reel in Houston, playing alongside Kevin Durant. Yeah, KD is a Rocket now. It’s a weird world.
And don’t overlook the rookies. Cooper Flagg (now with the Dallas Mavericks) is already being ranked in the low 60s. That’s insane for a kid who was in high school a minute ago. He’s being compared to a young LeBron, and while that’s a lot of pressure, his defensive versatility is already elite.
The Fall of the Titans?
It’s hard to watch. Jrue Holiday and Paul George have seen the biggest slides in the rankings this year. Age and injuries are a brutal combo. When you’re looking at the NBA players top 100, you have to account for "availability."
Joel Embiid is the toughest player to rank. When he’s on, he’s a top-five talent. But he’s rarely "on" for a full 82 games anymore. The 76ers are leaning more and more on Tyrese Maxey, who has officially surpassed Embiid in "value to the franchise" according to some analysts. Maxey is averaging over 30 points per game this season. He’s a blur.
The Detroit Resurrection
Wait, are we actually talking about the Pistons as a powerhouse?
Yes. Cade Cunningham has vaulted into the top 10. He’s the "Clutch King" of 2026. After years of injury struggles and bad roster construction, Detroit has surrounded him with the right pieces. His jump shot is now elite, and his playmaking (9.8 assists per game) is second only to Jokic.
If you left Cade out of your top 20 at the start of the season, you’re currently eating a massive slice of humble pie.
How to Actually Use These Rankings
If you're a fan, these lists are for bar debates. If you're into fantasy basketball or betting, they're your lifeline. But remember:
- Context is King: A player like Franz Wagner (ranked around 16th by some) might have better stats because he’s playing off Paolo Banchero’s gravity.
- Defense is Undervalued: Evan Mobley is the reigning DPOY. He might not score 30, but his impact on winning is higher than several guys ranked above him.
- The "Laker Leap": Players in LA always get a ranking bump. Luka was already #1 or #2, but the Laker spotlight makes his MVP case feel louder.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on the NBA players top 100, stop looking at box scores and start looking at these three metrics:
- LEBRON Metric: This "all-in-one" impact metric is the best way to see who is actually moving the needle for their team’s win probability.
- Defensive Playmaking: Watch for guys with high deflection and steal rates. This is why Wembanyama and Mobley are so valuable.
- True Shooting Plus (TS+): It measures efficiency relative to the league average. SGA is currently sitting at a 111, which is historically absurd.
Next Steps for You: Start tracking the "on/off" splits for the top 20 players. You’ll find that the Nuggets without Jokic are a lottery team, while the Thunder are surprisingly resilient without SGA. This "carry factor" is what separates the top 5 from the rest of the top 100. Keep an eye on the February trade deadline; a single move (like the rumored Ja Morant exit from Memphis) could reshuffle the entire bottom half of the top 100 overnight.