NBA Rank: Which Sixers (past and present) and other local players cracked ESPN’s list of the top 100 players?

Each year, ESPN counts down the top 100 players in the NBA for the upcoming season with the release its annual NBA Rank list.

According to ESPN, the rankings are decided by a panel of more than 150 reporters, analysts, editors, and producers who ”vote on player-versus-player matchups from more than 20,000 possible pairings and to choose on which player will be better in 2025-26.”

A number of former and current Sixers players made the list — like Paul George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jimmy Butler, and James Harden — as well as few players with Philly ties, including one in the top 10. Here’s where they ranked …

Three Sixers players made the list — and each slipped down the rankings after a poor season that saw the team miss the playoffs.

» READ MORE: Are the Sixers’ black throwbacks their coolest jerseys ever? Here’s where we rank them among the best.

Paul George — coming off a season in which he played in just half his team’s games and averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists — is the first Sixers player to appear on the list. He checks in at the No. 54 spot, 33 spots below last year’s ranking (21st), and is just below players like Alex Caruso (No. 53), rookie Cooper Flagg (No. 52), and Draymond Green (No. 51).

“George’s first season in Philadelphia, after being the crown jewel of free agency, saw him play only 41 games as part of a truly depressing season (the only positive was the 76ers being able to keep their first-round draft pick). Now, George is recovering from a knee procedure in July that probably will cause him to sit out the start of the season.” — Tim Bontemps

A few spots higher on the list — but well below his No. 8 ranking from last year — is Sixers center Joel Embiid at No. 47. Just two years removed from winning the MVP award, Embiid is far from the best player in the league according to the ESPN poll, largely due to the uncertainty around his health. He didn’t even reach 20 games last season, and is now ranked below players such as Jamal Murray (No. 46), and Jarrett Allen (No. 45).

“It is almost impossible to rank Embiid after the former MVP played just 19 games last season. If he is back and healthy, he’s obviously a top-10-caliber player, as he was for several seasons prior to 2024-25. But that’s a very big if, particularly after how the past 18 months or so have gone in Philly.” — Bontemps

» READ MORE: Sixers bringing back iconic black jerseys as alternate for upcoming season

Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 26.3 points and 6.1 assists last season, is the highest ranked current Sixer, coming in at No. 28 — 19 spots above Embiid, and nine spots below where he was last year. The 24-year-old guard also ranks above Trae Young (No. 29), Scottie Barnes (No. 30), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (No. 31), and one spot below Karl-Anthony Towns.

“Even Maxey’s incandescent smile lost some shine amid the misery of Philadelphia’s lost season, but the guard is unquestionably the player the 76ers will lean on most with both Joel Embiid and Paul George coming off injury-riddled campaigns. One thing to watch: Maxey’s three-point shooting. It dropped from 43% three years ago to 33% last season.” — Bontemps

Here’s a look at where some former Sixers players ranked on ESPN’s list …

Jrue Holiday, the former Sixers first-round pick who played in Philly for four seasons, fell 55 spots from his No. 36 rankings last year.

“Entering his 17th season, Holiday is back in Portland — where he was traded in 2023 before being quickly moved to Boston — and will serve as a veteran leader for a team with a young core. But at age 35, it would be unfair to expect Holiday, who is clearly in the winter of a likely Hall of Fame career, to be the force that he once was.” — Baxter Holmes

» READ MORE: Where Paul George fits in the Kawhi Leonard controversy

Tobias Harris, who was unranked last year following his final season in Philly, is ranked 84th this year. Harris spent six seasons with the Sixers before signing a two-year deal with the Pistons last offseason.

“Harris carved out a role for himself to help revitalize the Pistons en route to a playoff berth. At 33 years old, he is one of the veteran leaders, and his 13.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 47% shooting don’t tell the whole story of his total impact.” — Jamal Collier

James Harden climbed 18 spots on ESPN’s list after a strong showing with the Clippers last season, and ranked higher than any current Sixers player.

“At age 35, Harden played his most games in seven seasons, averaged his most points in four years, made his first All-Star Game in three years and returned to the All-NBA team for the first time since 2020.” — Brian Windhorst

» READ MORE: Photos of slimmed-down Joel Embiid have Sixers fans buzzing

Another former Sixer who climbed in the rankings is Jimmy Butler, up 10 spots from last year’s No. 28 ranking despite not playing most of last season.

“The drama to close his Miami chapter kept him off the court for the majority of last season. His Warriors stint was short — 30 regular-season games, 11 playoff games — but spectacular in all the impact metrics. Most notably: winning." — Anthony Slater

Of course, there are plenty of players in the NBA with local ties, whether they are from the area originally or played college ball in Philly. And one of them even cracked ESPN’s top 10.

Philly native Dereck Lively II, who played at Westtown School before attending Duke, fell 17 spots after checking in at No. 56 in last year’s NBA Rank.

“The Mavs believe that Lively, a springy 7-footer with the ability to protect the rim and guard on the perimeter, has the potential to develop into a Defensive Player of the Year.” — Tim MacMahon

» READ MORE: Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart return to Villanova for a live taping of their podcast — featuring some special guests

Josh Hart, one third of the ’Nova Knicks, is ranked 69th, eight spots below last year’s ranking (61st).

“Hart’s lunch pail work ethic and knack for winning plays have already made him a fan favorite, endearing him to the Madison Square Garden crowd in the same way players like John Starks did in past iterations of the franchise.“ — Bontemps

Mikal Bridges, another local product who graduated from Great Valley High School, is the second of the ’Nova Knicks to make ESPN’s top 100 list, ranking 10 spots worse than last year’s No. 38 ranking.

“Bridges at times was a sore spot for his inconsistent production, but he made huge plays to help the Knicks win two of their four games against the Celtics in the conference semifinals, helping them reach the East finals for the first time in a quarter century. New York will be hoping for more consistency from Bridges this season.” — Bontemps

» READ MORE: Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart pick up $10,000 tab for Villanova students at Kelly’s Taproom

Jalen Brunson is the last member of the ’Nova Knicks to make ESPN’s top 100, ranking two spots above last year’s No. 12 spot and breaking into the top 10, just below Kevin Durant (ninth) and LeBron James (eighth).

“In just three years, Brunson has moved himself onto the short list of the best players ever to wear the blue and orange. … The only acceptable outcome for Brunson and the Knicks this season, though, is to fully break through and reach the NBA Finals for the first time this century.” — Bontemps