NBA Basketball 24 Hours

Last updated: September 22, 2026, 2:05 PM ET

NBA Rank 2026

ESPN's annual player countdown returned this week, revealing Nos. 100 through 51 for the 2026-27 season with four rookies cracking the list. Ben Golliver and Zach Kram also pegged 10 players poised to climb into next year's top, framing the countdown as a rolling projection rather than a static snapshot.

Fantasy Outlook

With drafts approaching, ESPN identified sleepers, breakouts and busts for the coming campaign, flagging which players should outperform their average draft position. Analysts also isolated one defining stat for all 30 teams, a trend-based lens on which numbers could swing the 2026-27 standings.

Injury News

Atlanta's frontcourt took a significant hit as rookie 7-footer Henri Veesaar tore his right ACL and is expected to miss the entire season, a blow to the Hawks' rebuilding depth before training camp opens.

Retirements & Transitions

Nicolas Batum called it a career after 18 NBA seasons, closing a run that made him a fixture for Team France. Doc Rivers, meanwhile, joined NBC as an analyst and confirmed his coaching career is over, turning down an on-air offer before formally retiring from the sideline.

Franchise Business

Toronto honored its most decorated player, unveiling a Kyle Lowry statue at a block party and naming him the "Greatest Raptor of All Time," alongside a key to the city and a commemorative dinner. Out west, the Clippers named Los Angeles trial lawyer John Gibson as interim governor, a front-office change landing as the franchise navigates its ownership structure.