TITLE: Harper Releases New Position Rankings as Executives Sound Off on Second Apron Rules
SLUG: harper-position-rankings-second-apron-impact
CONTENT:
August 21, 2025 – With training camps six weeks away, The Athletic’s Zach Harper has released two 40-player rankings that sort the NBA’s top big men and lead guards into seven distinct tiers. On the guard list, three All-NBA stars occupy the highest tier, while only one front-court player—three-time MVP Nikola Jokić of the Nuggets—earned first-tier status among bigs. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was classified outside the big-man pool for this exercise.
Key stats for every team
In a separate feature, ESPN’s Zach Kram highlighted a single statistic that could define each club’s 2025/26 outlook. Notable figures include the Kings being outscored by 120.9 points per 100 possessions across more than 1,000 possessions when Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine shared the floor, and the defending champion Thunder returning players who logged 99.2 percent of last season’s playoff minutes.
Scrutiny of the second apron
The league’s new collective bargaining agreement continues to draw fire for its harsher “second apron” penalties, which contributed to the breakup of Boston’s 2024 championship roster. Speaking with Heavy.com, multiple team executives warned that the added restrictions—ranging from tighter trade rules to potential draft-pick demotions for long-term offenders—are more punitive than previous luxury-tax escalators. “Now the cost gets too expensive,” one executive said. “It’s not just money; it’s limiting to your operations.”
Most-improved rosters
David Aldridge of The Athletic ranked the ten rosters he views as most improved this offseason, with seven Western Conference teams making the cut. Houston’s overhauled lineup topped the list, while the team slotted at No. 6 was characterized as a surprise inclusion.
The 2025/26 season opens on October 21.
Source: HoopsRumors
