NBA Rank 2026: A new countdown begins with players Nos. 100-51 — SkimNews
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- ESPN overhauled its NBA Rank panel from more than 100 insider voters to a named seven-person group (Golliver, Goodwill, Kram, Marks, McMenamin, Snellings, Williams) for the 2026 edition, with rankings based on predicted 2026-27 regular-season contributions only.
- Jimmy Butler III plummeted from No. 18 to No. 92 after tearing his right ACL in January, with the 37-year-old potentially sidelined until January or February 2027 and entering an unrestricted free-agent summer.
- Four rookies cracked the top 100, led by No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson at No. 97 on the Bulls — the first Chicago prospect ESPN's Zach Kram compared to Derrick Rose since the former MVP.
- Donovan Clingan debuted at No. 95 after leading the NBA in offensive rebounds and contested shots last season while averaging 11.6 RPG and 1.7 BPG for Portland.
- Fred VanVleet returned at No. 91 after missing all of 2025-26 with a torn ACL, rejoining Houston where the Rockets ranked 27th in turnover percentage and 29th in clutch-time turnovers.
- Luguentz Dort dropped to No. 100 (from No. 64 a year ago) after joining Atlanta on the final year of his $18.2 million contract, with his 3-point shooting regressing from a 40% clip the prior two seasons.
- Draymond Green slipped to No. 93 from No. 51 last year — a fall the article attributes to age and offensive decline (no double-digit scoring average since 2017-18) rather than a defensive drop-off.
Why it matters: ESPN's new seven-expert panel replaces a 100-voter crowd system, concentrating ranking power in named voices. Jimmy Butler's 74-spot freefall to No. 92 quantifies exactly how much a torn ACL costs a star in predictive rankings, while four rookies cracking the top 100 signals a youth infusion ESPN's voters couldn't ignore.
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