With fewer than four weeks remaining in the 2025-26 regular season, ESPN’s panel of insiders has reordered the league and singled out one under-the-radar contributor on each roster. The updated hierarchy, voted on by nine reporters, reflects current records through March 18 and notes the helpers who have quietly pushed their clubs toward the playoffs—or kept them afloat during difficult campaigns.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (54-15)
General manager Sam Presti’s deadline swap that brought second-year guard Jared McCain from Philadelphia has paid off immediately. McCain is hitting 43.8 percent of his threes and averaging 11.4 points off the bench in 17 appearances, helping fuel a nine-game winning streak.
2. San Antonio Spurs (51-18)
Rookie sixth man Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick last June, has energized what may be the league’s deepest backcourt. Despite missing the past two contests with a bruised right calf, he was instrumental in San Antonio’s stretch of 18 wins in 20 outings—its first 50-win season since 2016-17.
3. Detroit Pistons (49-19)
Center Isaiah Stewart anchors the NBA’s top rim-protecting defense. Detroit is proceeding cautiously after a left-calf strain sidelined him for at least a week, one season removed from a limited playoff run because of injury.
4. Boston Celtics (45-23)
Second-year wing Baylor Scheierman has become a fixture in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation, supplying energy and 38 percent three-point shooting after playing sparingly as a rookie.
5. New York Knicks (45-25)
Mitchell Robinson remains a cornerstone thanks to relentless offensive rebounding (4.4 per game). New York carefully managed his workload early in the season to ensure big minutes in April and May.
6. Los Angeles Lakers (43-25)
Jake LaRavia is the lone Laker with perfect attendance, logging 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per night while guarding multiple positions, even as his March perimeter shooting has dipped.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (42-27)
Sophomore guard Jaylon Tyson ranks third league-wide in three-point accuracy (45.7 percent). His shooting and screening have meshed well with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
8. Denver Nuggets (42-27)
Veteran minimum signee Tim Hardaway Jr. provides 13.9 points in 27.2 minutes and is tied for 13th in made threes (188) while shooting 41 percent from deep.
9. Houston Rockets (41-26)
Rookie marksman Reed Sheppard has started only 10 times, yet his floor spacing off the bench is vital for an offense that struggles when defenses trap Kevin Durant.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves (42-27)
Guard Bones Hyland has revived his career under executive Tim Connelly, delivering 38.5 percent shooting from long range and needed scoring relief with Anthony Edwards sidelined.
11. Orlando Magic (38-30)
First-year forward Tristan da Silva has cracked the starting lineup in 12 of 15 post-All-Star games, averaging 12.9 points and 5.6 boards while shooting 50 percent overall.
12. Phoenix Suns (39-30)
Waiver-wire pickup Jordan Goodwin has settled into an 8.8-point, 4.7-rebound, 1.4-steal role off the bench for a club that sits 10 games over .500.
13. Miami Heat (38-31)
Second-rounder Pelle Larsson owns a 12.6-point average in 45 starts on 51.3 percent shooting and leads Miami in charges taken, bolstering a lineup featuring Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
14. Atlanta Hawks (37-31)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has erupted during Atlanta’s 10-game win streak, boosting his season scoring from 9.4 to 20.3 points and shooting 45.9 percent from three in that span.
15. Toronto Raptors (38-29)
Reserve center Sandro Mamukelashvili supplies 10.8 points on 63 percent true shooting and has played 65 of 67 contests while the frontcourt battled injuries.
16. LA Clippers (34-34)
Deadline addition Bennedict Mathurin averages career highs of 19.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists, helping Los Angeles post a 9-7 record in his games.
17. Charlotte Hornets (35-34)
Grant Williams returned from a torn ACL on Jan. 10 and, at 27, supplies veteran leadership plus 13.6 points per 36 minutes on 60 percent true shooting.
18. Philadelphia 76ers (37-32)
With Joel Embiid limited to 33 appearances, second-year big Adem Bona has provided 58.2 percent shooting and 1.2 blocks in a backup role.
19. Golden State Warriors (33-35)
Kristaps Porzingis, monitoring minutes after injuries, has scored 17, 20 and 30 in successive games while ramping up to 26 minutes, hinting at renewed health ahead of free agency.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (33-36)
Second-year center Donovan Clingan is third in the league with 11.6 rebounds and averages a double-double plus 1.6 blocks, though team results remain mixed.
21. Milwaukee Bucks (28-40)
Kyle Kuzma accepted a reserve role for the first time in five seasons, producing 13.2 points on 49.2 percent shooting and taking on larger defensive assignments.
22. Chicago Bulls (28-40)
Coach Billy Donovan points to Tre Jones as a culture setter; the guard is delivering 12.9 points on 55 percent shooting and 5.5 assists in 27 minutes.
23. New Orleans Pelicans (23-46)
Rookie Derik Queen recorded the only two triple-doubles by a first-year player this season before moving to the bench; New Orleans has won eight of its past 12.
24. Memphis Grizzlies (23-44)
Forward Taylor Hendricks, acquired in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, is a bright spot in a rebuilding year as Memphis eyes lottery odds.
25. Dallas Mavericks (23-46)
Dwight Powell, in his 11th season with Dallas, leads the club at plus-41 in plus-minus despite a fringe rotation slot, ranking fifth all-time in team appearances (752).
26. Utah Jazz (20-48)
Svi Mykhailiuk is shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 9.1 points and serving as a low-usage connector the franchise hopes to keep.
27. Sacramento Kings (18-52)
Undrafted rookie center Dylan Cardwell earned a multiyear contract in February, returned from an ankle sprain last week and will hold rotation minutes the rest of the way.
28. Brooklyn Nets (17-51)
First-year guard Ben Saraf has received extended run lately, averaging 12 points, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals in his past four games as Brooklyn evaluates young talent.
29. Washington Wizards (16-52)
Backup center Tristan Vukcevic leads the club in points per 36 minutes (22.9) and has reached double figures in 10 of 13 contests since the trade deadline.
30. Indiana Pacers (15-54)
Second-year forward Jarace Walker is finding his stride, averaging 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists over his past 23 games while hitting 37 percent from three.
The rankings are based on the collective judgment of ESPN reporters Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram, reflecting where each team stands heading into games of March 18.
Source: ESPN.com
