NBA Rank: Which 10 players can make a jump into the top 100 next year?

This year's NBA Rank features monolithic turnover from 12 months ago. A afloat 25 of our apical 100 players weren't ranked a twelvemonth ago, the biggest turnover from 1 database to the adjacent since 2019. Although 1 of those players (No. 1 prime Cooper Flagg) wasn't eligible entering his lone play astatine Duke, the remainder elevated their lasting successful the league with beardown performances.

With that successful mind, let's instrumentality a look astatine which players could articulation the NBA Rank apical 100 adjacent play aft falling abbreviated this year.

Notably, we're excluding players who fell disconnected the database solely due to the fact that of injury. Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum, expected to beryllium retired each of 2025-26 due to the fact that of their Achilles ruptures suffered successful the playoffs, positive Kyrie Irving (who could instrumentality from an earlier ACL tear) are each evident picks erstwhile backmost healthy.

Instead, we're going to look astatine 2025 draught picks, young players who could marque the leap and players who fell retired of the apical 100. From past year's list, we correctly predicted six retired of 10, including Flagg. We'll purpose to bushed that this time.

Second-year stars

Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs

Naturally, second-year players are the astir communal newcomers to NBA Rank, with an mean of astir 3 per twelvemonth implicit the past decade. With lone 1 rookie connected this year's list, the remainder of the draught is disposable to articulation that group.

Of the 11 players drafted No. 2 since 2014, 8 of them person made the NBA Rank apical 100 by Year 2. The exceptions? Brandon Ingram (who made it for the archetypal clip successful his 3rd season), James Wiseman and past year's No. 2 prime Alex Sarr. Harper mightiness not person a ample relation arsenic a rookie down seasoned starter De'Aaron Fox, which explains wherefore helium wasn't successful the apical 100, but expect him to amusement capable committedness to ace the database successful a year.

Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets

After the apical 2 picks, there's not overmuch correlation betwixt wherever a subordinate is drafted and their chances of cracking NBA Rank arsenic a sophomore. It's much a substance of production, arsenic we saw this twelvemonth with No. 9 prime Zach Edey making this year's list.

Knueppel, who was named MVP of the NBA summertime league title crippled aft starring to the Hornets to the title, mightiness beryllium arsenic acceptable to lend arsenic immoderate rookie extracurricular of his Du...