NBA Rank 2026: 10 players to watch in next season's top 100

ESPN's NBA Rank top 100 is underway, with players Nos. 100-51 for the 2026-27 season already unveiled. (The countdown continues Wednesday with Nos. 50-11 and Thursday with our top 10.)

But here, we're focusing on players who missed the cut. Which young stars are on track to make their NBA Rank debut next season? Which veterans are poised for a return? Let's breaking down 10 names to watch for the 2027 countdown, including a reigning Western Conference champion, a former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and a onetime No. 2 draft pick.

Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs

It's easy to lose sight of the 20-year-old Bryant in the Spurs' sea of promising prospects. As a rookie and a 2025 lottery pick, Bryant occupied a minor bench role as a wing defender and played sparingly during San Antonio's memorable playoff run.

But the future looks bright for the 6-foot-6 forward, who fits neatly between franchise center Victor Wembanyama and young guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper on the positional depth chart. San Antonio will be thrilled if Bryant can fulfill the classic 3-and-D archetype: He already has the size, strength and quickness to defend multiple positions, and he shot 37% from deep as a freshman at Arizona. The babyfaced Bryant also flashed his athletic tools and charming smile while competing in the 2026 slam dunk contest.

Realistically, a breakthrough might still be a few years away. Bryant was guilty of his fair share of rookie mistakes, and he seems destined to be an afterthought on offense given San Antonio's scoring talent. -- Golliver

Toumani Camara, Portland Trail Blazers

Honestly, Camara should have been included in this year's NBA Rank. The 6-foot-7 forward, who earned 2025 All-Defensive honors, started all 82 games for Portland and averaged a career high in scoring while shooting 37% on 3-pointers in 2025-26.

The most likely explanation for Camara's snubbing: He shot poorly throughout a first-round playoff loss to the Spurs, raising questions about his ability to be a two-way contributor in the postseason. Even so, the 2023 second-round pick has been a major asset for the Blazers, ranking first on the team in minutes, second in points and third in win shares.

Camara, 26, cashed in with a four-year, $82 million contract in 2025 because forwards with his combination of size, length, motor, quickness and the ability to defend multiple positions are hard to find. The fact that he's happy contributing in a low-usage offensive role is just the icing on the cake. -- Golliver

Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

Daniels ranked 55th in NBA Rank 2025, but probably slid off this year's list because his 3-point shooting plummeted from 34% in 2024-25 to 18.8% in 2025-26. Unfortunately, the Hawks' guard had the worst 3-point shooting percentage among all NBA players with at least 100 attempts last season.

Though Daniels won't ever be confused for Stephen Curry, his standing among his peers shouldn't be reduced to the most glaring weakness in his game. A 2022 lottery pick, Daniels is a tireless on-ball defender, and he leads the NBA in total steals over the past four seasons. Daniels also boasted a healthy plus-6.2 rating last season because he's a willing passer, good decision-maker, crafty downhill scorer and excellent rebounder for his position.

Looking ahead, the 23-year-old Daniels should benefit from the Hawks' continuity. After trading Trae Young in January, Atlanta is poised to bring back its entire projected starting lineup. -- Golliver

Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies

Two years ago, Jerome finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting for the Cavaliers. Then he fell off the national radar because he signed with Memphis, only for injury issues to delay his debut with the Grizzlies until after they'd already fallen well out of the playoff race.

But Jerome was even better in his 15 games last season than he had been during his breakout campaign in Cleveland. He averaged 19.7 points, made 42% of his 3s on high volume and ranked among the NBA's advanced stats leaders on a per-possession basis.

All of that production came in a very limited sample for a team that didn't care about winning, but if Jerome can even come close to replicating it in 2026-27, he'll leap up the Top 100 rankings. -- Kram

Cameron Johnson, Denver Nuggets

Johnson's reputation took a hit last season because of his slow start in Denver. But he still finished the season with a 43% mark from distance, which ranked eighth among qualified players, sandwiched between teammate Jamal Murray and Kon Knueppel.

Johnson's biggest problem was a lack of volume in his first season with Denver, as his 3-point attempts fell from 7.2 per game to just 4.7, and his usage rate dropped to 15%. If he plays with more confidence this season by having more immediate comfort in his situation -- and as he plays for a new contract, before entering unrestricted free agency next summer -- then those numbers could perk right back up and propel Johnson into the Top 100 next year. -- Kram

Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors

The only thing standing between Murray-Boyles and a spot in future editions of NBA Rank is time. The 21-year-old forward made a great first impression as a rookie thanks to his disruptive defense and high-energy play, and he looks headed for All-Defensive team consideration in the near future.

The South Carolina product is an opportunistic on-ball defender, and he provides added value by shifting up to play as an undersized center in versatile lineups. After ranking fifth in his draft class by win shares during his rookie season, Murray-Boyles turned in an excellent all-around performance in a first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Perhaps the best reason to have confidence in Murray-Boyles is his clean fit within Toronto's new identity as a fierce defensive outfit. The Raptors ranked fifth in defensive efficiency last season, and they added Kawhi Leonard to an imposing frontcourt group that also includes Scottie Barnes. -- Golliver

Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks

Not enough people noticed the strides Okongwu took last season. In the 2024-25 campaign, he made 32% of his 3-point attempts (2.0 per game), but last season, he made 38% of his triples (5.2 attempts per game). He played the same number of games in both seasons but made exactly three times as many 3s in the latter.

Okongwu's newfound shooting ability is vital for a Hawks team full of shaky shooters on the perimeter, and it fills out a well-rounded skill set for the former No. 6 pick. Okongwu is a solid defender, if somewhat undersized at center, and he even averaged a career-best 3.1 assists last season. That sounds like a Top 100 player to me. -- Kram

Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors

Podziemski is underrated because he's a jack of all trades, master of none. He was one of 13 players last season to average at least five rebounds and three assists while making at least 37% of his 3s; those other 12 include 10 players in our Top 100, the underrated Okongwu and Kyshawn George, who was another player I considered for this list of players to watch.

Even if Podziemski is unlikely ever to develop into a star, his all-around solid play makes him a valuable contributor. He can make open 3s, support Stephen Curry with secondary playmaking and hold his own on the defensive end. Even a moderate improvement in his age-23 season should place him firmly in Top 100 consideration next year. -- Kram

Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics

Queta had never reached 1,000 minutes in a season before he played 1,926 in 2025-26 after being thrust into Boston's starting center role with Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet gone. He took the opportunity and ran with it.

Boston's net rating was 8.6 points better with Queta on the court than when he was off, and his defensive metrics were particularly stellar. Opponents made just 51% of their shots at the rim when Queta was the closest defender, which ranked seventh among 71 players who defended at least 200 shots.

The counterargument is that Queta has played at that level for only one year, and he struggled against Joel Embiid in the playoffs. But he and Mitchell Robinson could form one of the NBA's most potent big man duos this season. -- Kram

Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards

Though Sarr made strides during his second season, the 2024 No. 2 pick hasn't yet fulfilled hopes that he can become a versatile center capable of protecting the rim and shooting from the perimeter.

Sarr, 21, is a prolific shot blocker who has had his hands full cleaning up after Washington's perimeter defenders, but the Wizards ranked 28th and 30th in defensive efficiency during his first two seasons. Offensively, Sarr has improved as a finisher in the basket area, but his jump shooting from the midrange and beyond the arc still needs work.

Washington's acquisitions of Trae Young, Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa should narrow Sarr's offensive role and simplify his defensive responsibilities. The Frenchman's reputation will soar if he can add more physicality to his offensive game while pairing with Davis to help the Wizards get closer to league average in defensive efficiency. -- Golliver