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Nikola Jokic retains the No. 1 position in ESPN’s NBA Rank for a third consecutive year, but the gap at the top has narrowed significantly.
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Victor Wembanyama rises to second while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishes third, with only three voting points separating the three superstars.
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The ranking sets up an intriguing battle for the NBA’s top spot as Wembanyama’s rapid rise and Gilgeous-Alexander’s back-to-back MVPs challenge Jokic’s established dominance.
September 28, (THEWILL) – The debate over the NBA’s best player has rarely looked this close.
ESPN’s NBA Rank 2026 has produced an unusually tight battle at the top, with just three voting points separating Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the final ranking for the 2026-27 regular season.
Each of the three superstars was ranked No. 1 by at least one of ESPN’s seven voting panelists, underlining just how difficult it was to separate them.
The final verdict, however, saw one familiar name retain the crown.
The new system replaces ESPN’s previous “wisdom of the crowd” approach, which involved more than 100 insiders, reporters, editors and producers.
This year’s result produced a top 10 filled with established superstars, rising franchise players and one major comeback story.
10. Donovan Mitchell — Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell enters the top 10 after helping Cleveland reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in his nine-year career.
The 30-year-old guard remains one of the NBA’s most dangerous shot creators, combining explosive drives with shooting range that forces defenders to respect him beyond the arc.
Mitchell has also finished inside the top seven of MVP voting in three of the last four seasons and enters the campaign as a seven-time consecutive All-Star.
His biggest question is whether he can take Cleveland from Eastern Conference contender to genuine championship favourite.
The Cavaliers possess considerable star power, with Mitchell joined by James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
However, ESPN’s André Snellings believes Cleveland’s ceiling will ultimately depend on Mitchell producing at the level required of a championship No. 1 option.
9. Jayson Tatum — Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum returns to the NBA Rank after missing last year’s list because of the Achilles injury he suffered in May 2025.
Despite the severity of the injury, Tatum returned during the 2025-26 season and remained productive across 16 regular-season games and six playoff appearances.
The 28-year-old forward now has additional recovery time behind him and will be expected to move closer to the level that previously made him a four-time consecutive first-team All-NBA selection.
That will be particularly important after Boston traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia during the offseason.
The question surrounding Tatum is whether he can fully regain his pre-injury ceiling.
If he returns to MVP-contender level, Boston could remain in the championship conversation.
8. Cade Cunningham — Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham’s rise into the top 10 reflects one of the biggest individual breakthroughs of the previous season.
The Detroit guard earned first-team All-NBA recognition while leading the Pistons to their first 60-win season in two decades.
Cunningham’s ability to control tempo, manipulate defensive matchups and create opportunities for teammates has established him as one of the league’s premier playmakers.
But turnovers remain a concern.
During Detroit’s 2026 postseason run, Cunningham averaged 5.6 turnovers per game — the most by any player in NBA history during a playoff run involving at least 10 games.
At 24, Cunningham remains firmly within Detroit’s long-term championship window, but the Pistons will need to surround him with more secondary creators if they are to make another deep playoff run.
7. Anthony Edwards — Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards remains one of the NBA’s most explosive young superstars and moves into the 2026-27 season ranked seventh.
The Minnesota guard averaged a career-high 28.8 points per game last season while again shooting 40 per cent from three-point range on high volume.
He has also developed into a more efficient offensive player and has established himself as one of the league’s leading two-way wings.
Edwards’ biggest area for improvement is his playmaking.
While his scoring has continued to develop, ESPN’s Zach Kram noted that the 25-year-old’s assist rate actually fell to its lowest level since his rookie season last year.
With Minnesota acquiring LaMelo Ball during the offseason, Edwards may no longer have to function as the team’s primary point guard, but his development as a facilitator could still determine how far the Timberwolves go.
6. Jalen Brunson — New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson’s rise to sixth comes after a season that cemented his place in New York Knicks history.
The 30-year-old guard led the Knicks to their first NBA championship in more than five decades, while also earning Eastern Conference finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP honours.
Brunson’s postseason run silenced many of the questions surrounding his size and established him as one of the league’s most influential late-game performers.
He averaged 11.2 points in fourth quarters during the 2026 NBA Finals, the highest mark ever recorded by a guard and second overall behind only Shaquille O’Neal’s previous Finals performances.
Now Brunson faces a different challenge: keeping the Knicks focused as defending champions in an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo — Miami Heat
Giannis Antetokounmpo occupies fifth after making a blockbuster move from Milwaukee to Miami.
The two-time MVP remains one of the most physically dominant players in basketball, capable of controlling games as both a scorer and defender.
However, his 2025-26 season was disrupted by injuries, with the 31-year-old playing only 36 games for the Bucks.
His first season with Miami therefore carries significant expectations.
The Heat surrendered a substantial collection of players and draft assets to acquire him, but Antetokounmpo immediately gives Miami the kind of superstar presence that could accelerate its championship ambitions.
Miami has also added Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr., giving Antetokounmpo additional shooting options around the perimeter.
If he stays healthy, the Heat could become one of the NBA’s most dangerous teams.
4. Luka Doncic — Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic occupies fourth after another extraordinary scoring season.
The Lakers star averaged 33.48 points per game last season to claim his second scoring title in three years and enters his age-27 season firmly in the heart of his prime.
Los Angeles has also built around his preferences.
The Lakers traded for Walker Kessler to add an elite centre and retained Austin Reaves as Doncic’s backcourt partner.
Yet there remains one major question: can Doncic win with this group?
His Lakers tenure has so far produced just one playoff victory, despite his previous success with Dallas, including a run to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024.
With Oklahoma City and San Antonio emerging as major Western Conference powers, Doncic will need to lead the Lakers deeper into the postseason.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits third, but the narrow voting margin shows how close he came to taking the top spot.
The Oklahoma City superstar enters the season as the reigning back-to-back MVP and remains one of the league’s most efficient high-volume scorers.
He is also chasing a piece of NBA history.
Gilgeous-Alexander could become the third guard ever to shoot better than 50 per cent from the field in five consecutive seasons, joining Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Maurice Cheeks.
He also has the opportunity to become the first player since Larry Bird in the 1980s to win three consecutive MVP awards.
The Thunder’s failure to return to the NBA Finals last season will provide additional motivation.
However, their championship ambitions could depend heavily on the health of Jalen Williams, whose presence alongside Gilgeous-Alexander significantly improved Oklahoma City’s performance.
2. Victor Wembanyama — San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama’s leap from fifth to second is arguably the biggest statement in this year’s NBA Rank.
At just 22, the San Antonio Spurs centre has already won Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-NBA honours.
His combination of size, mobility, shooting and defensive instincts continues to make him one of the most difficult players in the league to prepare for.
Wembanyama led the NBA in blocks and defensive win shares last season and posted a plus-12.9 net rating during his first playoff campaign.
But the biggest lesson of last season came in the NBA Finals.
San Antonio struggled to protect early leads against the Knicks, repeatedly allowing New York to dominate games after strong starts.
Wembanyama will therefore enter the new season seeking more than individual recognition.
The challenge is to turn his rapidly developing individual dominance into championship success.
1. Nikola Jokic — Denver Nuggets
And at the top of the list once again is Nikola Jokic.
The Denver Nuggets centre retains the No. 1 position in ESPN’s NBA Rank for a third consecutive year, although the margin separating him from Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander was remarkably small.
Jokic averaged a triple-double during the 2025-26 regular season for the second consecutive year, joining Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA history to accomplish the feat multiple times.
He also finished runner-up in MVP voting, extending his remarkable run of either winning the award or finishing second across six consecutive seasons.
Despite his continued dominance, Jokic enters the new campaign with questions of his own.
One major issue is his three-point shooting.
The Serbian centre’s efficiency from beyond the arc dropped significantly after he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee, an injury that forced him to miss 16 games.
Before the injury, Jokic was shooting 44 per cent from three-point range.
His contract situation is another storyline surrounding the Nuggets, although Jokic has made his feelings clear, saying his desire is to remain in Denver for the rest of his career.
For now, though, his position at the top remains intact.
A New NBA No. 1 Race Is Already Taking Shape
ESPN’s 2026 rankings make one thing clear: the gap at the summit of the NBA is shrinking.
Jokic remains the benchmark, but Wembanyama’s rapid development and Gilgeous-Alexander’s back-to-back MVP campaign have transformed the race for the league’s best player into a genuine three-way battle.
The remaining seven players in the top 10 — Mitchell, Tatum, Cunningham, Edwards, Brunson, Antetokounmpo and Doncic — underline the extraordinary depth of elite talent entering the 2026-27 season.
But the most intriguing storyline may be at the very top.
Jokic has the ranking.
Wembanyama has the youth and trajectory.
Gilgeous-Alexander has the MVPs.
And with only three voting points separating the three superstars, the debate over who truly owns the NBA’s throne is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
