Every year, countless publications compile “best of” lists covering everything from front offices and coaches to starting lineups, trios, point guards, rookies, and sophomores—you name it. But the list that matters most is the Top 100 players.
ESPN does one, as do CBS Sports, ClutchPoints, and The Ringer. ESPN featured only one Chicago Bulls player, Coby White, at No. 71. CBS Sports included both White and Josh Giddey, ranking them 81 and 80, respectively. ClutchPoints listed only Giddey at No. 69, while The Ringer mirrored CBS Sports by including both guards, with White at 69 and Giddey at 75.
Bleacher Report notably recognizes Nikola Vucevic as a Top 100 Player
Bleacher Report was the only major outlet to feature three Bulls, ranking Nikola Vucevic at 85, Coby White at 78, and Josh Giddey at 71. Notably, it was also the only outlet to include Vucevic at all.
Nine major outlets have published their preseason NBA player rankings. Top 100 players, sorted by the average of their ranks from those outlets*:
1. Nikola Jokic (1.11)
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1.89)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (3.22)
4. Luka Doncic (3.78)
5. Anthony Edwards…
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) October 15, 2025
Given the abundance of player rankings, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey proposed a straightforward solution: averaging placements from nine major outlets to create one composite Top 100. Vucevic was excluded, since Bleacher Report was the only site to feature him, but White landed at No. 73 and Giddey just behind at No. 74.
Overall, Bleacher Report rated Vucevic higher than any other major outlet—and by a good margin. Zach Buckley, who wrote Vucevic’s blurb, penned, "While he has his limitations on the defensive end, he's an absurdly skilled offensive player, particularly for a 6'10", 260-pound center. He was basically chasing nightly 20-point double-doubles last season while shooting 53 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three. Those numbers should matter, and maybe they would if he resided on a more competitive roster."
Buckley’s right. Just because the Bulls aren’t world-beaters doesn’t mean Vooch should be penalized. He’s 11th all-time in double-doubles, for crying out loud, and 15th among active players in points.
Vucevic being left off all nine major outlets’ lists is more concerning than Bleacher Report placing him at No. 85. Giddey and White’s inclusions feel about right in Bleacher Report’s ranking, though there’s a case for both to be higher—especially White, who sits five spots below his composite ranking.
Nevertheless, it’s encouraging to see three Bulls featured in Bleacher Report’s Top 100 Players. Chicago joins 24 other franchises with at least three players ranked. And while only Vucevic, Giddey, and White make the cut heading into the 2025–26 season, don’t be surprised if sophomore sensation Matas Buzelis joins them the next time Bleacher Report updates its list.