NBA player rankings 2024-25: Nikola Jokic unanimous No. 1; LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry among toughest calls

A new NBA season is upon us and so is the latest installment of The Sporting News’ ranking of the top 30 players in the league.

While it’s nearly been four months since the Celtics were crowned NBA champions for a record 18th time, the 2024 offseason seemed to have flown by thanks to a historic NBA Draft and an electrifying Olympic basketball tournament that saw LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant lead Team USA to its fifth consecutive gold medal.

Now that the dust has settled from a busy offseason, the focus shifts to an NBA campaign in which every team in the league will have its sights set on dethroning Boston.

In each of the past two years, fans are reminded that talent always prevails, as Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets to the promised land in 2023 before the duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum got the job done for the Celtics in June.

With that in mind, eight members of The Sporting News staff collaborated to rank the top 30 players in the NBA. Participants ranked their top 35 players. From there, players were ranked 1-30 based on average ranking across the board.

While Jokic was the consensus No. 1 overall, the group did not have a consensus agreement on any other player, adding to the intrigue of this year’s rankings. Take a look at the updated top 30, taking last year’s postseason, the Olympics and preseason projections into account.

NBA player rankings 2024-25

10. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

Highest rank: 9

Lowest rank: 13

Edwards’ meteoric ascent toward superstardom continues with a place in the top 10 of SN’s latest NBA player rankings.

After leading the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history, Edwards won Olympic gold with Team USA and is unquestionably the face of the franchise following the trade sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.

9. Jayson Tatum, Celtics

Highest rank: 6

Lowest rank: 14

Few people had a year as good as Tatum’s. In addition to his first-ever NBA title, he won his second Olympic gold medal and signed a historic contract extension to remain in Boston.

Tatum’s rebounding, playmaking and defensive abilities make him one of the most well-rounded stars in the league.

8. Kevin Durant, Suns

Highest rank: 6

Lowest rank: 9

Durant is a generational talent with a game that continues to age gracefully.

Despite Phoenix getting swept in the opening round of the 2024 playoffs, Durant averaged an efficient 26.8 points in the series and again displayed his natural scoring ability during the Olympics. Expect more of the same in 2024-25.

7. LeBron James, Lakers

Highest rank: 5

Lowest rank: 11

Even as he prepares for his 22nd NBA season, it isn’t much of a surprise that James lands among the top 10.

The soon-to-be 40-year-old was the star who shined brightest at the Olympics and reminded himself — and the rest of the world — that he’s still got plenty left in the tank. Whether that leads to team success in LA remains to be seen.

6. Stephen Curry, Warriors

Highest rank: 4

Lowest rank: 7

While several questions surrounding the Warriors this season, very few pertain to Curry, if any.

The 36-year-old put forth an otherworldly shooting display at the Olympics and rides that momentum into his 16th NBA season, where he will look to propel Golden State back into the playoffs after a Play-In Tournament exit in 2024.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

Highest rank: 4

Lowest rank: 8

Last year’s MVP runner-up lands in the top five as he continues to build upon one of the most impressive superstar leaps in recent memory.

In addition to scoring over 30 points per game for a second straight season, SGA led OKC to the West’s No. 1 seed. With an even better roster, he’ll look to lead the Thunder even further in 2025.

4. Joel Embiid, 76ers

Highest rank: 4

Lowest rank: 8

Even in a year marred by injury, Embiid did enough to stay in the top five of SN’s player rankings. He averaged a shade under 35 points over 39 regular-season games and, despite being clearly hobbled, averaged 33.0 points over six playoff games.

Ahead of the new season, Embiid has slimmed down and has his sights set on new heights with Paul George now in Philly.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

Highest rank: 2

Lowest rank: 3

A calf injury robbed fans of the opportunity to watch Antetokounmpo during last year’s playoffs but he looked healthy and in prime form while leading Greece to the Olympics. Now, Antetokounmpo will look to build upon last season’s averages of 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while having the benefit of a full training camp under Doc Rivers and alongside Damian Lillard.

2. Luka Doncic, Mavericks

Highest rank: 2

Lowest rank: 3

Doncic’s role in leading Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals has a huge hand in him landing at No. 2 ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

While Doncic and the Mavs fell well shy of capturing the title, the five-time All-Star continues to display his generational abilities and should benefit from an even better roster around him this season. A run to the title might be what it takes to propel Doncic to No. 1, and the 25-year-old is well aware.

1. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

Highest rank: 1

Lowest rank: 1

The No. 1 spot feels like it’ll be Jokic’s for now and the foreseeable future.

Even after running out of steam during the Western Conference Semifinals, there shouldn’t be much pushback around Jokic’s standing as the best in the world. He put that prowess on display at the Olympics, where he pushed Team USA to its limit in the semifinals before ultimately leading Serbia to a bronze medal.

Denver’s roster took another hit this offseason but Jokic’s ability to make everyone around him better means his team will always have a chance to win big.

Ranking the best players in the NBA