With the NBA season on the horizon, the basketball content writers felt it mandatory to do our own version of the ever-so-popular Top 100 player rankings. Now we know with most of these lists it’s easy to get confused on what the rankings system is based off of, so we want to lay the ground rules.
Ground Rules
We gathered together with our own separate lists and took the average position of each player to fully determine our Top 100 as a collective. I wish you guys could see some of the big discrepancies in the conversations of some players, because trust me it definitely got a bit rowdy!
But besides that, we also want to make things clear that this is our rankings of these players GOING INTO the 2024-25 NBA Season. This is not a prediction article, this is a “where are they now?” article. That being said, there will not be any rookies in this list (sorry Bronny James fans). Without further ado, let’s officially kick off Part 1 of the Fantom Sports Top 100 NBA Players.
100. Dereck Lively II/C/Dallas Mavericks
Lively enters his sophomore season having already made an impact. He made the All-Rookie Second Team last year, thrived with his rebounding and interior scoring capabilities, and was an important depth piece in the Mavericks Finals campaign.
99. De’Andre Hunter/F/Atlanta Hawks
The former fourth overall pick is entering his sixth season with the Atlanta Hawks. And this season is kind of a prove it year for him. Sure he’s already gotten an extension from the team, but with the emergence of Jalen Johnson a season ago and Zaccharie Risacher being selected first overall this year, it seems like he has some competition. Either way, Hunter is a versatile two-way wing coming off his best three-point shooting season at 38.5% and if he keeps that up, it’ll be very valuable to a middle-of-the-pack Hawks team.
98. Immanuel Quickley/G/Toronto Raptors
Quickley found himself signing a brand new $175 million dollar extension with the Raptors this offseason. Following the trade from the Knicks, Quickley averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in 38 starts with the Raptors. With his offensive versatility, playmaking prowess, and three point marksmanship, he’s due to be a franchise cornerstone in the 6.
97. Trey Murphy III/F/New Orleans Pelicans
Murphy signed a four-year $112 million dollar extension with the Pelicans today. And it was rightfully deserved. The fourth year forward is coming off career highs across the board and finds himself in a potentially elevated role this season with a playoff hopeful Pelicans. His defensive mobility and career 39.2% three point percentage makes him a threat from all around the court.
96. Shaedon Sharpe/G/Portland Trail Blazers
Shaedon Sharpe has all the tools you want in a young guard. Athleticism, basketball IQ, and just an innate ability at scoring the basketball. The only thing holding him back right now is his shot selection and health concerns. Sharpe only played in 32 games last season and is expected to miss the first month and a half with the Blazers this year as he rehabs a torn labrum.
95. GG Jackson II/F/Memphis Grizzlies
The sophomore, do-it-all forward out of South Carolina was a bright spot for a middling, injury-ridden Grizzlies team a season ago. The 45th overall pick found himself suiting up in 48 games where he averaged 14.6 points per game, shooting at a 35.7% clip from three. He has all the traits of a natural born scorer, and once he returns from his broken foot he should be a pivotal member of the Grizzlies bench depth next season.
94. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope/G/Orlando Magic
In one of the most underrated free agency acquisitions this offseason, two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope found himself on one of the young emerging teams out east in the Magic. The veteran is entering his 12th season, but has been playing his most consistent basketball to date, especially aiding the Nuggets perimeter defense over the past two seasons. Caldwell-Pope paired with Jalen Suggs in the backcourt is sure to give opposing teams nightmares this season.
93. Mike Conley/G/Minnesota Timberwolves
Mike Conley has quickly become one of the OGs of the NBA. Now entering his 18th season, he brings intensity, playmaking and most importantly, leadership for a young and hungry Timberwolves team. While he’s a far cry from his all-star and all-defensive heyday,he’s coming off his best season shooting the ball (44.2%) which can be scary when paired with Donte DiVincenzo.
92. Anfernee Simons/G/Portland Trail Blazers
On the opposite side of the Mike Conley coin, we have Anfernee Simons. An explosive 25-year-old guard coming off his best season to date preparing for year seven in the association. Prior to his injury, Simons was putting up near-All-Star numbers averaging 22.6 points and 5.5 assists per game. Whether it was his high volume of shots or just scorer’s instinct, he’s cemented himself as a guy most teams want to have the ball in his hands.
91. Marcus Smart/G/Memphis Grizzlies
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year found themselves with a new team but didn’t get into the groove he wanted to due to some injury concerns. However that small 20-game sample size still showed career highs in scoring with 14.5 points per game as well as his most efficient season at 43%. Now that the Grizzlies are healthy again, Smart will fit in very well with them and might remind us of the Marcus Smart of the past.
90. Jaime Jaquez Jr./F/Miami Heat
The Sophomore swingman was the epitome of everything “Heat Culture” last season. A hardnosed, two-way NBA-ready (scout talk for old) prospect out of the draft, Jaquez fell to 18 in the 2023 Draft and stepped up in a major way for an injury-riddled Miami team. His counting stats don’t pop out at you, but he does all the little things that make for winning basketball.
89. Derrick Jones Jr./F/Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are going to be shorthanded to start the year off without Kawhi Leonard and the departure of Paul George. But a lot of people are doubting the acquisition of Derrick Jones Jr. to the team. Jones had his biggest role of his career with the Mavs a year ago, standing out as a two-way athletic wing that could turn it on when he needs to. He should be due for an even bigger role as the Clippers play without Leonard for the foreseeable future.
88. Klay Thompson/F/Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks replaced the aforementioned Derrick Jones Jr. with a proven champion, Klay Thompson. But this isn’t the same Klay that notoriously scorches teams in Game 6. Last year’s Klay Thompson was a step slower defensively, less efficient offensively, and ultimately lost his job to a rookie. But now in a change of scenery playing alongside two elite ball-handling guards, Thompson finds himself in probably the best position for any catch-and-shoot player in the history of the game. Being the second-best shooter ever probably makes that role 1000% more dangerous.
87. Max Strus/F/Cleveland Cavaliers
A season ago, Max Strus was the biggest free agency signing for a young Cavs team. And he got there and essentially played the same role he did for the Finals-bound Heat in 2023. But with a full season under his belt and more chemistry with a team that didn’t make any major moves over the summer, Strus can be expected to make a bigger jump next year.
86. RJ Barrett/F/Toronto Raptors
The former third overall pick in 2019 failed to find his footing in his first four seasons with the New York Knicks, but RJ Barrett ascended following the trade to his hometown in January. In 32 games with the Raptors, Barrett averaged 21.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game shooting 55.3% from the field, career highs in each category. If Barrett can buy in on the defensive side of the basketball, a true breakout season could be on the horizon for the Maple Mamba.
85. Brandin Podziemski/G/Golden State Warriors
Despite falling to the 19th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the rookie from Santa Clara came into the season looking to make a statement with the Warriors. Podziemski ended up taking the starting shooting guard position from a multi-time all-star showcasing a similar prowess at perimeter defense and three-point shooting (38.5%) and seems primed to be a core member of the Warriors for years to come.
84. Jalen Duren/C/Detroit Pistons
Despite playing for one of the most abysmal franchises in the league, Duren has quickly made his impact as one of the best young bigs in the game. His sophomore season saw him increase his nightly averages to 13.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, and he looks ready to make a defensive impact next season too. And the scariest part is he’s only 20 years old.
83. Miles Bridges/F/Charlotte Hornets
Miles Bridges is one of those quintessential young wings in the NBA today. An athletic, 6’7 guy that can score the ball, defend well, and grab boards with the bigs. Bridges has kind of been stuck in no-mans-land in Charlotte with an abundance of players at his position and seemingly looking expendable if there is an opportunity to upgrade. But that doesn’t take away from his strengths.
82. Brook Lopez/C/Milwaukee Bucks
Two seasons ago, Brook Lopez was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. But last season, even while staying a stifling shot blocker, Brook Lopez took a step back offensively. This is a large reason why the Bucks suffered a first-round elimination to a lower seed. Lopez is still and impactful player, but at 36 years old he probably shouldn’t be relied upon to be a consistent starting option seeing 31 minutes per game like last year.
81. CJ McCollum/G/New Orleans Pelicans
While age is quickly catching up to the 12 year veteran out of Lehigh University, McCollum’s game has done anything but decline. Last year, the former Most Improved Player put up 20 points per game shooting a career high 42.9% from three as he’s settled in as the lead guard for New Orleans.He has some aid coming in Dejounte Murray next season, and could be very dangerous as a score-first fourth option, a position he’s never had before in the league.
That’s all we have for part one of our Top 100 list, be sure to tune in tomorrow for the NBA’s official tip-off, as well as 80-51 of our countdown. Who’s some names you believe were snubbed? Who’s some names you’re looking forward to?
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