The 2025-26 SLN Top 100: Nos. 50-26

[jwoo]

Happy MDW and sorry for the delay, was traveling the last two days and these articles take a long ass time to write. After multiple flights of typing on my phone and a couple more days of sifting through stats, behold, the 50-26 part of this article series.

You guys know the drill by now as readers, same deal, just my opinion of how I loosely value the players in the league. I wish we could get more comments honestly, a little disappointed by the lack of engagement (sadface) but it's the weekend so what are you gonna do lol. Anyway, here we go.

100-76 RANKINGS

75-51 RANKINGS


***

50. Ben Simmons, SF/PG, Suns

Simmons is a really interesting player to try and value because his skillset is intrinsically maximized in inside or balanced. What we do know here is that he's been part of pretty much exclusively good teams and can do a lot of damage as a supersub, where he provides great rebounding and stocks across positions without sacrificing much positional defense, it seems. The fact he can only start at PG is somewhat limiting, and he's a bit turnover prone when he does, but having the option is certainly nice. He's one of the unique players in the league, and while it was tricky to put him higher than this, I think he's someone who adds a lot of value if you're an open minded coach. Or a Kardashian. If only passing mattered!

49. Chet Holmgren, C, Nuggets

Chet's season-long percentages might make you think "stop shooting dude" but a dive into his boxes reveals that he's a pretty good/consistent offensive player who has the occasional very bad shooting game. When you see a big doing good splits from the FT line and three, it's a solid indicator, and he's mostly been a non-option PF I think — I like guys who don't have to be featured to be contributors. More importantly, he couples that with sturdy defense and boards. Legitimate two-way bigs like this are pretty rare, and I'll be curious to see if he develops enough strength to veer into clear plus efficiency long-term. If his blocks spike closer to two per game, which is totally possible, he can veer closer toward the elite, but even if he's some version of this for a long time, he'll be pretty damn helpful. There are not many players built in this mold, and the all-around contributions vaulted him up the list for me much higher than I expected as I dug into it. I think he does winning stuff already and will keep improving.

48. Isaiah Jackson, C, Bulls

One of my truly special sons, Jackson has become the best shot-blocker in the league at age 24 and seemingly has more room to grow as a rebounder. His block upside is truly special and the flat-A defense at center holds true in the box scores. Jackson does come with some offensive variance — there are games he shoots too much and he's a little turnover-y some nights — but ultimately I think you live with it considering what else he gives you. For what it's worth he also is capable of having some actually useful offensive games, and he makes free throws at a reasonable rate for a center. All in all I think he's the best pure defensive five in the league at this point, and if his rebounding takes another leap, look out.

47. Jaylen Brown, SF, Jazz

It feels like Jaylen Brown has had a particularly nondescript career for a former No. 1 pick - he's been on good teams in Seattle and been solid in Utah (I'm not sure why he hasn't been traded yet tbh) but he peaked in PPG in his third season and just hasn't added much to his game since. What he offers is still very good: efficient offense, low turnovers, presumably good positional defense. But it's not enough to vault him among the league's truly elite wings. I'm sure he's a winning player, but he can't anchor a team alone. Would love to see him change scenery and be featured as a shooting guard just to see what would happen…

46. Scottie Barnes, SF, Hawks

Scottie Barnes was having a really good season before proving karma does exist and breaking his traitorous skull after 48 games. Scottie is kind of in the Jaylen Brown mold, in the sense that he's consistent and not very flashy. The advantage he offers is that he was built in a pretty versatile positional defense mold, allowing him to play as a supersub pretty effectively. Having said that he's been much better offensively this season entrenched at small forward even after a negative TC. Barnes hasn't developed monster rebounding or stocks like we hoped he would, but he's become an excellent offensive player who can play in all systems and be effective if you can live with his turnover variance. I think he's more of a second or third star optimally than someone who's a franchise anchor, but he's very good and still has room to grow from here.

45. Michael Porter Jr., SF, Kings

Porter is a funny player to value just because he's become sort of inextricable from the 100 potential thing. As is, he does a lot of important things well: he rebounds at a high level, plays solid all around defense, and he's been capable of 25-27 PPG with reasonable efficiency. The two main holes in his profile are a below average jump shot (career FT% is underwhelming) and the fact he's averaged over 2.5 TOs the last two seasons in concert with his volume spike. We can pray to the TC gods that the handles improve, and there's a logical solution which is scaling back his role on a good team rather than force feeding him volume, which I assume will happen now that he's not on the Lakers. It's also perfectly logical to think he'll have several more good TCs thanks to that potential boost, which could legitimately vault him into superstardom. Right now he's very good, but something short of that.

44. Marvin Bagley III, SF, Suns

I'm still unsure if Bagley is a system player, but he's a damn good one — he shoots 50% from the field every season, provides elite rebounding for a small forward, and doesn't turn it over much. The Suns correctly identified and leaned into that and have since been rewarded. He's so consistent that I think of him less as a system specific guy and more along the lines of "I want to play this way because this guy is on my team." He was an incredible bust IRL so it's nice to see him have such a strong run in FBB. He's not doing much for you defensively, nor is he much of a three-point shooter, but Bagley gets a lot done.

43. Jaden McDaniels, Spurs

McDaniels' breakout this season has felt quite real: he's not only of the best wing defenders in the league, but he's also now a legitimately dangerous scorer. Whatever his stip was clearly worked. If you ever wondered "what if Derrick Jones did offense?", Jaden is the answer. The only weakness in his profile is his bad rebounding and probably a lack of great strength based on his real life game. The solution might be playing him at the two long-term, and he obviously needs some rebounding around him. Regardless of that, he's an extraordinary two-way player and getting closer to stardom. This is all without mentioning his amazing contract, which makes him a pretty incredible value asset overall. Stips are good!

42. Justise Winslow, PF, Kings

Not gonna lie, I thought Justise was a byproduct of the Jesse marketing machine, but he's proven me wrong over time: he's an excellent utility player who racks up stocks, scores it pretty well, and takes good care of the ball. If you can live with the rebounding being a little below average at PF, he's a really valuable player to build around, whether it's as a starter or versatile bench piece. He's sort of like a lesser Aaron Gordon at this point, which is a very nice thing to say about anybody. His stat line is pretty strong all-around despiete the fact he can't really shoot.

41. LeBron James, SF, Bullets

Whatever the Bronny stip was has likely rejuvenated LeBron, who's had a couple of good TCs in his 40s and having a fantastic season in Washington. He's efficient, an elite wing rebounder, still grabs stocks and guards at a high level, and could probably be featured as an option if needed. I'm not sure how effective he'll be at point guard at this stage of his career but whatever. Elite role player LeBron would add value anywhere and is still very much worth starting (per stip, he has to anyway). Curious how much longer he can keep this rolling, but good job Ashes as usual maintaining the legendary realism-adjacent LeBron immortality.

40. Gary Payton II, PG, Rockets

GPII has become SLN's premier two-way game manager - after playing a big role in the Hawks' dynasty, it turns out he can thrive anywhere. The mix of efficiency, ball security and elite defense are hard to beat. This is probably the peak of his powers - he's a borderline top 10 point guard and could certainly rate that way depending on how much you value defense (raises hand). He's had an outstanding career and was an important addition for the Rockets, even if his market value may have jumped the shark a little bit on a six year contract. Having said that it seems like point guards age well (think Rubio and Galloway) so it's not out of the question Payton does this for a while longer at a high level.

39. Kelly Oubre, SF, Kings

Oubre has been another one of my unrequited FBB crushes since his days on the Grizzlies; many GMs surely regret passing on him in the 2015 draft, in which he fell to 21st. He's averaging a career high 25 points per game this season, with Jesse stretching his offense to the limits. It's a little mysterious he's actually not more efficient considering the elite FT%, and he's not a top three point shooter or anything (balanced offense!) but the defense, rebounding and overall package is very valuable (just not to where I'm vaulting him higher than this, sorry Jesse). If Oubre went by a different name we'd probably all like him even more.

38. Shabazz Muhammad, SF, Blazers

Shabazz had a huge season on a Portland team that wasn't very good - I don't think it was his fault, but it probably underscores the way in which wings who don't defend need to be insulated in order to win. His volume and efficiency are still excellent and he rebounds at a good rate for a two. I think the turnovers probably dip a little in a different team construction, but they certainly aren't a strength. Shabazz is probably at his peak now, but the high points have been significant the past few seasons, and a lot of teams would be happy to have him — he's just not gonna carry you by himself.

37. James Harden, PG, Heat

Harden is a bit of a tricky eval at this stage of his career after moving to the two for much of this season and also playing some inside offense in Miami. He's probably in the 3TO ballpark at point guard based on past performance, but he's also definitely still a monster scorer at the 1. If the Heat ran outside all season I'd bet he probably would look just fine percentage wise. He might be headed for a Deron Williams-style late career shooting guard pivot at this point, but I'd still love to see the Heat play him at the 1 or trade him to someone who will. The turnover drawbacks are still probably worth it unless his handles totally died. I'm ultimately not that worried, but as a one way star scorer I couldn't put him much higher than this based off last season.

36. Anthony Edwards, SG, Bullets

On his way to being one of the elite two-way players in the league, Edwards won a title already and seems to be inching closer to a superstar jump. Sporting three A- ratings, his only issue is turnovers, something you kind of have to live with considering the quality of his scoring as well as the very good defense. He has yet to spike into the 25-plus point range, and chances are he could do it but he'd turn it over a lot in the process. The ball security and need for more volume are the things holding him back from superstardom, and he has some growth to do in order to live up to his name-brand value.

35. Josh Okogie, SG, Rockets

Okogie has settled in as one of the best two-way wings in the league, providing elite defense and a strong all around profile. He's not gonna light the world on fire with efficiency, but he's an additive offensive player who does a whole lot for you in every other area except rebounding (where he's just average). Though he's not an elite three point shooter, he's put together two strong offensive seasons in a row and takes great care of the ball. I'm personally a sucker for Flat A defense, and Okogie brings a good mix of strengths with no true weaknesses in his profile.

34. Kevin Durant, SF, Magic*

This is no longer the KD who's going to win you games by himself regularly, but the SLN GOAT still has juice in those old legs. He's also on a team that doesn't need him to take over as a scorer, which has contributed somewhat to the dip in volume. KD is still a high-level started who's going to help teams win: he's a stocky defender and plus rebounder, he's efficient, and he can still go off for 40-50 points every so often. He's on the doorstep of retirement, but he's going out on his own terms. I don't know if this is a little too high for him...but it felt about right. I still want him on my team.

33. Donovan Mitchell, SG, Hawks

I have always had a really hard time knowing what to do with Mitchell in the context of our league, but at the end of the day there aren't a ton of two-guards who can score 27 per game and also contribute good defense. The fact his turnovers have gotten down to around two per game over the years has helped his case — it's just weird that he's only shot over 47% one time ever, despite being a really good shooter. Is it a strength thing or an inside scoring issue? Who knows. He's a bit mercurial to be sure, but I think has become someone you'd be happy to have on your team. On the Hawks, where he's not going to have to lead the team in scoring every night, he feels like a good fit - and his recent hot streak is a good reminder of his game to game upside. Whether he can sustain this next season, we'll see. But he now has gone from overrated to underrated to properly rated I think.

32. Devin Booker, SG, Bulls

Booker has been one of the most consistent scorers in the league for pretty much his entire career: he's good for ~47/84/43 splits each year, he's going to average between 27 and 30 points, and he's going to turn it over a little bit depending on your settings. He gets steals and rebounds well but you wouldn't label him a two-way player. I give him an incremental nod over the Hardens and Muhammads just because of the pure consistency. If you can put a good roster around Booker, you know exactly what he's going to do as an offensive anchor, and I think that's pretty valuable, even if he's probably making more money than you'd ideally want to pay him. I think he's become a little underrated relative to what he gives you.

31. Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Timberwolves

Sort of like Zion, I have absolutely no clue where to put Giannis, who I'm certain has not been optimized at all by the Timberwolves during his career, but who is also doing nearly four turnovers a game and has consistently shown regression in the handling department. I really have no idea what I'd do with him as a result, even if he were on my team. But I do know that there are still games Giannis can win you by himself -- he's second in the league in rebounding and first in free throw attempts. What if you played him as a non-option? What if you played a super-slow pace? These are all things I would probably try if I had Giannis. But if he remains inefficient to go with the butter fingers, this is a guy whose value will trend down big time as a compiler who doesn't drive winning enough.

30. Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, Bullets

Even setting aside Maxey's incredibly team-friendly contract, he's emerged in essence as the next Lou Williams, bringing incredibly consistent offense to the table at point guard but offering less defensively than Lou at his peak. There are fewer legitimate stud PGs in this mold: he's super-efficient, an excellent shooter, and takes great care of the ball, allowing you to anchor an offense to him pretty comfortably. He doesn't rebound at all and the defense is definitely leaky — but the fact he's a point guard puts him ahead of some of the other one-way scoring types in my mind. Of course, you need quality defense behind him, but he's already helped win a title and he's 25, so he's already over that threshold.

29. Tyus Jones, PG, Bucks

Extremely boring and utterly reliable, Tyus Jones is the best game manager in the league, contributing efficient offense, sub-two turnovers, great steals and solid rebounding on a regular basis. Tyus doesn' have the starry points upside that many other star point guards do -- he's probably best when you don't have to force shots through him -- and he's declined a little bit in the FG% department the last two seasons. He makes a lot of money. But his ability to safely steer the team goes a long way -- pencil him in and forget about it. His defense and boards put him a hair ahead of Maxey.

28. Jalen Green, SG, Knicks

Somehow only the third-best player on his team, Green made the leap over the past few seasons that Houston has been hoping for from him in real life. He's one of the only A+ shooters in the league, he's ticked up in steals to a huge 2.3 per game and down in turnovers (at least for now), and he's getting his nearly every game. Time will tell whether he can sustain the sub-two turnovers, but the fact he's capable of it puts him a hair ahead of Booker for me. You'll live with the average rebounding.

27. Jrue Holiday, PG, Warriors

Jrue fended off what looked like it could have been an untimely FBB TC death with another sterling season, flirting with 50/40/90 territory at age 35. It feels like retirement might be near, but he's still an elite point guard, even with some downturn in his defense and particularly, his rebounding. I still think he'd start on almost any team -- he is still everything you want in an offensive point guard. If this is it for him, it's a sure fire Hall of Fame career, and if it's not, we'll see how much longer he can hold onto his very strong on-court value. Just remembered I tried to trade for him on draft night. Sigh.

26. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, Hawks

Shai is an absolute stat-sheet stuffer -- the problem is he started stuffing the turnover column harder than ever this season. Jumping from three to 3.6 turnovers is a pretty substantial downturn. I suspect when the Hawks get everyone healthy, Shai won't need to be a high-ranking option, but it's at least mildly concerning if he's north of three turnovers at point guard for good. His talent otherwise is super-obvious: he's a flat-A shooter and defender, has good volume at point guard, racks up stocks and can take over just about any game. The turnover quandary held him just outside the Top 25 on this list, but a return to form would considerably vault him upward.


The Top 25 and complete list is coming soon. Please discuss so I didn't waste hours doing this for no discussion or benefit to the league smh

[Merv]

When did KD go back to the Bullets

[jwoo]

Now that Amen has re-signed, move him up 20 spots

[Nav]

Is Giannis this generation’s Antoine Walker??

[SourKittles]

Have some thoughts on this coming up soon

[jwoo]

Have some thoughts on this coming up soon

Kittles is at my house and we're going to pod later I think, room for 1-2 more

[Jesse]

Kelly Oubre Jr. SF 82 35.5 25.0 8.4 2.5 2.2 0.7 2.1 .456 .929 .401

Kevin Durant SF 82 32.5 23.2 7.1 2.7 1.8 0.9 1.9 .474 .837 .442
James Harden PG 82 34.0 24.1 6.1 4.6 1.9 0.2 1.6 .458 .936 .408
Jalen Green SG 82 35.1 26.3 5.1 3.8 2.2 0.2 1.8 .471 .924 .447
Devin Booker SG 81 38.6 26.9 6.2 4.1 1.5 0.2 2.3 .469 .853 .446
Josh Okogie SG 55 34.5 22.3 5.5 1.9 2.0 0.8 1.2 .457 .902 .380
Anthony Edwards SG 82 34.0 23.3 5.2 4.3 2.1 0.7 2.2 .476 .865 .392
Shabazz Muhammad SG 75 38.2 30.1 6.5 2.7 1.3 0.2 2.5 .467 .904 .429

Pure slander!!!!

Shooting Guard who does 9 rebounds per game, defends better than nearly all of these guys and puts up comparable offensive ##s. SMH.

[Jesse]

Literally zero of the players listed above him in this article are better than kelly oubre, taking names off of their overall profile

[Merv]

Kelly Oubre Jr. SF 82 35.5 25.0 8.4 2.5 2.2 0.7 2.1 .456 .929 .401

Kevin Durant SF 82 32.5 23.2 7.1 2.7 1.8 0.9 1.9 .474 .837 .442
James Harden PG 82 34.0 24.1 6.1 4.6 1.9 0.2 1.6 .458 .936 .408
Jalen Green SG 82 35.1 26.3 5.1 3.8 2.2 0.2 1.8 .471 .924 .447
Devin Booker SG 81 38.6 26.9 6.2 4.1 1.5 0.2 2.3 .469 .853 .446
Josh Okogie SG 55 34.5 22.3 5.5 1.9 2.0 0.8 1.2 .457 .902 .380
Anthony Edwards SG 82 34.0 23.3 5.2 4.3 2.1 0.7 2.2 .476 .865 .392
Shabazz Muhammad SG 75 38.2 30.1 6.5 2.7 1.3 0.2 2.5 .467 .904 .429

Pure slander!!!!

Shooting Guard who does 9 rebounds per game, defends better than nearly all of these guys and puts up comparable offensive ##s. SMH.

8.4 rounding up to 9. This guy is a natural salesman! Oubre having an all league 1st/2nd team season, for sure

[jwoo]

Embrace debate