FanSided's NBA99, a ranking of the league's best players, has been updated to reflect the end of the 2024-25 regular season. Naturally, much has changed since we first released our list in February.
The top has remained mostly stable, with Nikola Jokić still slotted No. 1 despite a tight MVP race with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who moves from No. 3 to No. 2, replacing Giannis Antetokounmpo. Luka Dončić has reaffirmed his status in tier one with a strong end to the campaign in Los Angeles.
Our second tier has a few sharp risers and fallers. Kevin Durant missed the postseason in Phoenix and has been docked accordingly. Tyrese Haliburton, Jimmy Butler and others greatly improved their stock after the All-Star break.
As we take the entire regular season into account, however, here are the players who most helped their case and boosted their ranking in the eyes of the FanSided NBA team.
Check out NBA 99, FanSided’s list of the 99 best players in the NBA. These rankings are a living project, updated regularly throughout the year, exploring how each player has carved out their NBA niche and how it is evolving over time. If you love the list, share it! If you hate it, even more reason to share it!
Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
Previous Ranking: NR
Current Ranking: 79
When the Chicago Bulls swapped Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey last offseason, the move was met with widespread criticism. Chicago's front office has been embarrassing for ages, but this felt like a new low: After passing up years' worth of pick-filled trade offers for Caruso, the Bulls dealt him to OKC for a player in Giddey who'd fallen out of the Thunder's postseason rotation.
The concept of Giddey — a 6-foot-8 playmaking wiz — has long been appealing. That said, poor shooting rendered him borderline unplayable in the clutch during his final season with OKC. Those trends appeared to carry over into Giddey's first campaign with the Bulls, but after the All-Star break, something clicked into place. Giddey was one of the very best guards in the East over the last couple months.
It's fair to quibble with the aimless direction of this Bulls franchise, but Giddey is a 22-year-old franchise centerpiece in line for a healthy new contract this summer. He needs to prove the 3-point shot is sustainable, but a player with his size, creativity and finishing touch ought to survive long in this league.
Quentin Grimes, Philadelphia 76ers
Previous Ranking: NR
Current Ranking: 76
Quentin Grimes arrived with the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline in what felt like a move of little consequence. Folks wondered what exactly the thought process was behind swapping Grimes for an injured, largely unproductive Caleb Martin in Dallas, but we were all too caught up in Nico Harrison's decision to trade Luka Dončić to really care about the implications of another, lesser deal.
Then, in stunning fashion, Grimes became the most important player on the Sixers roster over the final months of the season. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George all hurt, Grimes was thrust into a featured role — and he thrived, showcasing more self-creation chops while maintaining excellent point of attack defense and a prolific 3-point shot.
Some will chalk up his production to empty stats on a tanking roster, but Grimes checks so many boxes as a bonafide 3-and-D wing with real burst and strength on drives to the rim. He can beat closeouts, create space with compact footwork and scale up into a dynamic on-ball weapon when called upon. He feels like a long-term building block in Philadelphia.
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
Previous Ranking: 45
Current Ranking: 45
Before the season, Trey Murphy's path to stardom was an abstract concept — an idea rattling around the minds of New Orleans Pelicans fans. He was a productive role player in 2023-24, offering unique shooting dynamism at 6-foot-9. But that was just about the extent of his impact: Murphy bombed 3s, played solid defense on the wing and occasionally scored on straight-line drives against overzealous closeouts.
This season, as the Pelicans' roster fell apart due to injuries, Murphy elevated his impact across the board. He's still a deadeye shooter with unbelievable range, but now Murphy is a legitimate force as a slasher. Rather than playing almost exclusively within the flow of the offense, Murphy has proven his ability to freestyle and create his own looks. He isn't a go-to playmaker, but he's a constant threat to target defensive pressure points and get to his spots as a three-level scorer. The defense has not waned, either.
Murphy has gone from the sixth- or seventh-most important Pelican to arguably Zion Williamson's most meaningful co-star in the span of a year.
Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
Previous Ranking: 70
Current Ranking: 60
Ivica Zubac has been a staple of the Los Angeles Clippers' rotation for years, but something changed this season — especially after the All-Star break. All of a sudden, the 28-year-old is set to receive a healthy number of votes for both Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year. He has reached a whole new stratum of stardom.
A 7-foot, 240-pound tank at the center position, Zubac has proven invaluable to Los Angeles' unexpected success in lieu of Paul George. Even with less star power atop the roster (and a prolonged Kawhi Leonard injury stint to begin the campaign), L.A. has been a consistently stifling defense and a pleasantly punchy offense. James Harden tends to soak up the majority of the credit, but Zubac has, on balance, been their second-best player this season.
He has enjoyed career-defining success on both ends of the floor. Zubac anchored the best defense in the NBA over the final month of the season. He has also upped his scoring (16.8 points, which is 5.1 points more than his prior career high in 2023-24) and his playmaking (2.7 assists, almost double last season's career high). Zubac is bullying mismatches in the post and reading the floor like a good novel from the elbow, pinpointing cutters and setting up open shooters on the short roll. He's the complete package for a "role-playing" center.
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
Previous Ranking: 35
Current Ranking: 37
Amen Thompson's ranking has remained steadfast since our initial release around the trade deadline, but how many players have improved their stock the most since the beginning of the campaign? The answer: very few.
Thompson was an impressive rookie, but he averaged 9.5 points and 1.3 steals in 22.9 minutes for a deep, not-quite-successful Houston Rockets team. The blueprint was clear, but he wasn't a star yet — and few saw him taking such a drastic leap in year two. Now, the Rockets are the No. 2 seed in the West with a top-five defense. Thompson is their glue on the defensive backline, blowing up passing lanes, smothering ball-handlers and blocking shots from the weak side. He's probably their most important offensive weapon behind Alperen Şengün, too.
A former high school point guard, Thompson is a total athletic anomaly. He's 6-foot-7 with unrivaled burst and fluidity of motion. The dude glides through time and space. Even without a dependable jumper, he can get to the rim and navigate tight spaces without issue. That he processes the floor so quickly and displays such creativity as a passer is the cherry on top. It's almost unfair.