NBA Swing: Surprises from ESPN’s Top 100 Players List

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With the 2026–27 NBA season less than a month away, ESPN released its annual list of the league’s top 100 players, concluding with the unveiling of the top 10:

Nikola Jokić
Victor Wembanyama
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Luka Dončić
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Cade Cunningham
Jayson Tatum
Donovan Mitchell

Jokić retained the top spot for a second consecutive year, while Wembanyama surged three spots to No. 2 and Brunson jumped four spots to No. 6. Conversely, Dončić, Edwards, and Gilgeous-Alexander each dropped one spot. While ESPN’s 2026 rankings feature several intriguing storylines, several placements down the list have raised eyebrows across the basketball world.

No. 18: LeBron James

Ahead of the 2025–26 NBA season, then-Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James was ranked eighth by ESPN. A year later, the 41-year-old forward has fallen out of the top 15 down to No. 18. James delivered a solid 23rd NBA season, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists over 60 games during his final campaign in Los Angeles. Now on a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers—where he is likely to finish his storied career—James joins a stacked roster where he can comfortably defer responsibility. While he no longer needs to carry the heavy nightly workload he did in years past, James remains capable of taking over a game at any given moment.

No. 14: Jaylen Brown

Another prominent addition to Philadelphia, Jaylen Brown is coming off a career year that earned him MVP consideration. Brown carried a Boston Celtics squad—initially projected to sit near the bottom of the East—all the way to the conference’s No. 2 seed while Jayson Tatum recovered from an Achilles injury. Over 71 games with Boston, Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, earning All-NBA Second Team honors and finishing sixth in MVP voting. Following a first-round playoff upset at the hands of the 76ers, Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia two and a half months later. Ranked 19th by ESPN last year, Brown moves up five spots despite landing on a loaded Sixers squad where his role could fluctuate nightly between primary option and fourth scoring threat.

No. 9: Jayson Tatum

Brown’s former teammate, Jayson Tatum, lands at No. 9 despite appearing in just 16 games last season while recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in the second round of the 2024 playoffs. In those 16 regular-season contests, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, though he posted career-low shooting percentages from both the field and beyond the arc. He showed flashes in the postseason but missed a pivotal Game 7 as Boston fell to Philadelphia. Playing without Brown for the first time in his career, Tatum faces high expectations alongside looming questions about his post-injury ceiling. The upcoming campaign will serve as a crucial test to determine whether Tatum remains a top-10 player capable of keeping a new-look Celtics squad in title contention.

No. 19: Tyrese Haliburton

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire 2025–26 season recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Prior to the injury, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds over 73 games while orchestrating Indiana’s legendary Finals run. With more than a year of recovery under his belt, expectations are high that Haliburton will return at or near full strength. If he reclaims his pre-injury form, the Pacers could once again emerge as dark-horse contenders in the East. Notably, ESPN ranked Haliburton ahead of established stars like Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Deni Avdija, and Devin Booker.

No. 33: Jalen Duren

Perhaps the most controversial figure of the 2026 offseason, Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren comes off a career year in which he earned his first All-Star selection and an All-NBA Third Team nod. However, his performance plummeted during the 2026 playoffs, playing a major role in Detroit’s second-round exit. Duren remains a restricted free agent after rejecting multiple extension offers from Detroit, citing feeling “disrespected” by the organization. Even after the Pistons presented his desired $200 million offer, Duren turned it down. He now faces a tight deadline to either sign an extension or accept a qualifying offer to gamble his future on a single season. ESPN surprisingly slotted Duren at No. 33, placing him ahead of star names like Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Paolo Banchero, and teammate Ausar Thompson.

No. 23: Cooper Flagg

After a slow start to his rookie year, Cooper Flagg finished with a flourish, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals across 70 games while leading Dallas in both scoring and steals. Following a major offseason overhaul—which saw the departures of former head coach Jason Kidd and star center Anthony Davis—the Mavericks have fully committed to rebuilding around the young phenom. With new management, a new head coach, and a re-tooled supporting cast, Flagg enters his sophomore campaign poised for a breakout. Another leap forward in Year 2 could easily vault him into ESPN’s top 20 heading into the 2027–28 season.