Summer is drawing to a close and the start of a new NBA season is fast approaching. Training camp is just around the corner. Preseason begins on October 4th, and we’re just five weeks away from the start of the 2024-25 season. In the meantime, to keep you excited, we’ve compiled our annual list of the top 100 players in the league.
Before you get really upset about who is ranked where, it should be pointed out that this list is a projection into next season — it’s a ranking of how our staff expects these players to perform over the next seven-plus months.
We all try our best to be prognosticators, but no one can fully predict how this season will unfold, so we will undoubtedly see players rise and fall in their performances over the course of the season. Maybe a player like Jalen Brunson will rise further into the top 10, or maybe this will be the year that time finally catches up with LeBron James.
Looking for more analysis of the CBS Sports Top 100 list? Listen and subscribe to the Beyond the Arc podcast for more details, discussion and more.
Ten CBS Sports analysts voted to create this year’s list: Brad Botkin, James Herbert, Jack Maloney, Sam Quinn, Jasmine Wimbish, Bill Leiter, Jon Gonzalez, Ashley Nicole Moss, Adam Finkelstein and Avery Johnson. Other notable points are that, unlike last year’s rankings, every team has representation this year. Also, unlike last year’s list, there are no rookies in the Top 100. Ok, enough of a summary. Let’s get started.
Top 100 NBA Teams
(Note: Every NBA team has at least one player in the top 100)
6 players: Knicks, Pelicans, Thunder, Timberwolves 5 players: Celtics 4 players: Bucks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Kings, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Rockets 3 players: 76ers, Hawks, Heat, Lakers, Suns, Raptors, Warriors 2 players: Bulls, Clippers, Hornets, Spurs, Trail Blazers 1 player: Jazz, Nets, Pistons, Wizards