20: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) =
It is always the same story with the Cameroonian-American centre. When healthy, he is a clear-cut top-five NBA player. But with just 96 regular-season games played in total over the past three seasons, it is difficult to rank him any higher. 20th may even be generous, because who knows whether he will be fit, although the preseason talk is reassuring, as it often is. If he is fully healthy, he will be the deadly weapon of an ambitious 76ers team. We would not bet on that happening one day, though.
2025/26 stats: 26.9 points on 48.9% shooting, including 33.3% from three-point range, 7.7 rebounds (38 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 70 games
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19: OG Anunoby (New York Knicks) +19 places
The hero of the most recent Finals unquestionably belongs in the top 20. His tip-in in Game 4 was hugely significant in the Knicks' first title in an eternity. And while he is only No. 3 on his team, he has probably earned another status: the NBA's best role player. The problem is that he is paid more than a role player. After years of praise, we are left wondering whether he is already at his ceiling. We will see whether he can go even higher, and whether the Knicks' run will further validate him.
2025/26 stats: 16.7 points on 48.4% shooting, including 38.6% from three-point range, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals (67 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, All-NBA Team candidate
18: Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) +1 place
One thing is settled: he is one of the NBA's very best scorers, and that is not going to change. But since the 2021 Finals, his team has been through every possible twist and turn and now finds itself behind the Western Conference heavyweights. He has regained a quality supporting cast after some turmoil, but in today's NBA, being an excellent scorer is no longer enough. You have to be a leader, the player who can take his team through one playoff series, then two. He has the talent, and he is a star. But to topple the giants in his conference, he will have to become the superstar everyone expects him to be.
2025/26 stats: 26.1 points on 45.6% shooting, including 33% from three-point range, 6 assists (64 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 30 points, All-NBA Team candidate
17: Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) RE-ENTRY
The comeback following his torn Achilles at the end of last season was not necessarily expected. It offered a chance to see whether Deuce still belonged among the elite. But after a playoff collapse, a second career is now beginning. For the first time, he will officially be the sole man in charge after years of sharing leadership with Jaylen Brown. This version of Tatum, the one who has claimed for years that he is an MVP candidate, will have to live up to his reputation.
2025/26 stats: 21.8 points on 41.1% shooting, including 32.9% from three-point range, 10 rebounds, 5.3 assists (16 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 26 points, 12 rebounds, MVP candidate
16: Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) RETURN
Another player who suffered a torn Achilles. For the Pacers point guard, it came at the worst possible time: Game 7 of the NBA Finals. But in his case, the full-season layoff was respected, and the same was true of his franchise. Doubts remain over whether he can get back to his best. Even so, it is hard to believe that the incredible momentum of his 2025 season will simply disappear. He had given so many people something to dream about a year ago. Now it is time to become a reality again
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 22 points, 10 assists, All-NBA Team candidate
15: Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors) +21 places
The summer's biggest saga. In the end, the Clippers were the ones punished by the situation, and Leonard is back in Toronto, where he became a superstar in a single season in 2019. Seven years after his unforgettable run to the title, he enters the final stage of his career with the same ambition. He will sometimes have to share leadership with Scottie Barnes, but there is no doubt he will have a free hand on offence. If he maintains his defensive excellence, these Raptors could be a dangerous X-factor in the East.
2025/26 stats: 27.9 points on 50.5% shooting, including 38.7% from three-point range, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 steals (65 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 30 points, MVP candidate
14: Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) -8 places
It is still not over for the Chef, who has re-signed and will finish his career in the San Francisco Bay Area. But what kind of career finale are we talking about? As things stand, the Warriors are not contenders, and even if he returned to an absolutely supreme level, that would probably still be the case. It will likely take a major trade, but such a trade will only happen if the greatest shooter in history is performing at the highest level. That is all anyone wants to see.
2025/26 stats: 26.6 points on 46.8% shooting, including 39.3% from three-point range (43 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 30 points
13: Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) +10 places
The trade for Jaylen Brown has attracted plenty of attention, while questions remain over Joel Embiid, not to mention the arrival of LeBron James. And what about the All-Star point guard? Maxey remains a terrifying offensive force, but just as we imagined him becoming a leader and a superstar, he now finds himself in the middle of a superteam. It is a genuine challenge for him: emerging among players with far greater reputations. If he manages it, he is headed for the top 10, and perhaps much higher.
2025/26 stats: 28.3 points on 46.2% shooting, including 36.7% from three-point range, 6.6 assists (70 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 30 points, 8 assists, All-NBA Team candidate
12: Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks) =
If OG Anunoby was the hero and Jalen Brunson the Finals MVP, no one can overlook KAT's impact. Going from franchise player on a directionless team to the No. 2 man on a franchise that plays for - and wins - the title commands respect. We expected the upcoming season to follow the same script. However, the noise surrounding his contract extension, which will not happen for now, could unsettle anyone. He will have to rise to the occasion to ensure this situation does not become a pebble in New York's shoe on the road to back-to-back titles.
2025/26 stats: 20.1 points on 50.1% shooting, including 36.8% from three-point range, 11.9 rebounds (75 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 24 points, 13 rebounds
11: Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers) -1 place
He had a fine season, leading the Cavs to a conference final and reaffirming his franchise's place among the East's elite. And yet, with Spida, it is impossible not to want more. With talent like that, it is understandable. The Spider is about to begin his 10th NBA season, and that conference final is currently his best collective achievement. It ended in a sweep, too. He will remain a top player, but he will have to take his team to the Finals to become legendary.
2025/26 stats: 27.9 points on 48.3% shooting, including 36.4% from three-point range, 5.7 assists (70 games)
Reasonable 2026/27 target: 30 points, MVP candidate