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80: Kristaps Porzingis (Golden State Warriors) Down 35 places
He seemed to have relaunched his career perfectly in the San Francisco Bay Area, with his style of play suiting the Warriors well. But as is so often the case, his medical situation put a damper on things. He was announced as 'out indefinitely' at Media Day. We should see him again this season, in principle. We know what he brings and how he can stretch a defence, but once again, his body has let him down at the worst possible time.
2025/2026 stats: 16.7 points on 44.6% shooting, including 33.8% from three-point range (33 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 20 points, at least 50 games
79: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves) Down 8 places
Still reliable, still a high-level defender. We have come to expect quality performances from him at that end of the floor, but it is on offence that we are still wondering what we are going to get. And curiously, despite the arrival of a star playmaker in the shape of LaMelo Ball, expectations have all but disappeared. In today's NBA, however, his defensive impact will keep him in the starting five without question.
2025/2026 stats: 10.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.6 blocks (76 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, Defensive Player of the Year candidate
78: Miles Bridges (Phoenix Suns) Up 10 places
The Suns chose to look past the domestic violence allegations and strengthen their roster with a player who remains a quality option. However, he has never known anything other than the Hornets, a bottom-of-the-table team for several years. In a side where he will not be the leader, he should still be able to contribute effectively. That does not mean too much should be expected of him: he is a good third option, and that is already a positive.
2025/2026 stats: 17.1 points on 46% shooting, including 33.3% from three-point range (77 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 20 points
77: Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic) Down 11 places
The Orlando project remains a source of questions, and the same goes for their German forward. Following an injury, he saw Desmond Bane move ahead of him in the pecking order. His fit alongside the shooter and Paolo Banchero is not immediately obvious either. That raises the question of whether the front office would dare to move him if the season got off to a difficult start. His contract could make that scenario very difficult, though. It is probably now or never for him.
2025/2026 stats: 20.6 points on 48.1% shooting, including 34.5% from three-point range (34 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 24 points, 50% shooting, 40% from three-point range
76: Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) New entry
It is hard to make sense of his season last year. A win in the All-Star Game three-point contest... and that was it. Not a single regular-season game. Now 36, he is back in Portland after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. On paper, he is still one of the best players in the league. On the court, if he does not manage to revive his career to some extent this season, the end will start to look near.
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 20 points, 8 assists, 65 games
75: Nic Claxton (Chicago Bulls) New entry
He isn't a modern centre, since he doesn't shoot three-pointers. Yet he remains an intriguing prospect, with good defensive ability and plenty of room for improvement. However, his difficult final years with the Nets clearly prevented him from showing what he can do. The hope is that the first change of team of his career will kick-start genuine progress, both statistically and in terms of his overall game.
2025/2026 stats: 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks (69 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, Most Improved Player candidate
74: Zach LaVine (Sacramento Kings) Down 14 places
For the first time in a long while, he averaged fewer than 20 points last season, although he was hampered by injury. Is that a sign of regression, or simply a reflection of his team? With free agency looming at the end of the season, logic suggests he will need to rediscover his best form if he is to land one last big contract. But even that is far from certain: it seems his best years may already be behind him...
2025/2026 stats: 19.2 points on 47.9% shooting, including 39% from three-point range (39 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: at least 23 points
73: Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs) New entry
An experienced player entering his eighth season, he enjoyed a major breakthrough last year. Named Sixth Man of the Year, he played an active role in the Texas franchise's magnificent season. The problem is that he completely disappeared in the playoffs, an absence that did not go unnoticed. And with his contract coming to an end, the message is clear: he will have to raise his game to remain with the NBA's most promising franchise.
2025/2026 stats: 13.2 points on 51.9% shooting, including 36.3% from three-point range (82 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 17 points, Sixth Man of the Year candidate
72: Isaiah Hartenstein (Oklahoma City Thunder) Down 23 places
He was praised for his impact and his unsung work during the Thunder's title run in 2025. But like the rest of the team, OKC fell short in their bid to go back-to-back, while their centre dealt with both injury and a drop in performance. There is still plenty of time to turn things around, provided the team has not been put off to the point of sending him elsewhere. That remains the least likely outcome, because he is a valuable player at his best. The task now is to rediscover that level.
2025/2026 stats: 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds (47 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 13 points, 10 rebounds
71: Norman Powell (Chicago Bulls) Up 13 places
Is it a sign of ambition that the Bulls managed to attract the All-Star shooter? Or is it simply a matter of giving the American-Jamaican a final major contract? At 33, he could slowly but surely begin to decline after reaching stardom in Miami. However, on a team without a true leader, he can fill that role without hesitation. Chicago remains, until proven otherwise, a middling team, and it may not prove to be the best career move for him if he has gone there to try to pull them out of their torpor.
2025/2026 stats: 21.7 points on 47% shooting, including 38% from three-point range (58 games)
Reasonable 2026/2027 target: 24 points