Wembanyama Tops 30-Player NBA Finals Ranking as Spurs, Knicks Chase First Titles Since 2014 and 1973
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Jun 3
Wembanyama Tops 30-Player NBA Finals Ranking as Spurs, Knicks Chase First Titles Since 2014 and 1973
3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 3
Summary
Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson head a ranking of all 30 players eligible for the 2026 NBA Finals, with Karl-Anthony Towns, Stephon Castle and OG Anunoby rounding out the top five.
23.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game have fueled Wembanyama’s No. 1 spot, while Brunson’s 26.9 points and 6.6 assists anchor a Knicks team that has gone 12-2 in the East playoffs.
62-win San Antonio reached the Finals by dethroning Oklahoma City and is seeking its first title since 2014; 53-win New York also won the NBA Cup and is chasing its first championship since 1973.
Injuries and matchup questions shape the rest of the list: De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are managing recent issues for the Spurs, while Mitchell Robinson plans to play after pinkie surgery and Towns’ foul trouble looms for New York.
The ranking frames the series around star power and depth, with Wembanyama chasing a first Finals MVP at 22 and Brunson trying to cap the Knicks’ deepest playoff run in decades.