NBA 2K26 doesn’t come out for a few weeks, but we do know what the overall rating for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ best players is.
Donovan Mitchell - 93
Evan Mobley - 89
Darius Garland - 87
Jarrett Allen - 84
How seriously you take 2K ratings is up to you. They don’t really mean much, even though they can spark debate when there isn’t much else to talk about at the end of the summer. I do, however, think these ratings are instructive on how neutral observers evaluate certain players.
2K has released their top 100 player rankings. These are the only four Cavaliers to crack that list. De’Andre Hunter was noticeably left off as he was edged out by the likes of Bobby Portis (number 100), Alexandre Sarr (number 97), and Immanuel Quickly (number 94). I think there’s a good argument to be made that Hunter is better than all three of those players.
As for the Cavs that did get ranked, here’s where they ended up in the overall hierarchy compared with last season:
Donovan Mitchell - 11th overall, was 14th in 2K25
Evan Mobley - 26th overall, was 46th in 2K25
Darius Garland - 36th overall, was 75th in 2K25
Jarrett Allen - 59th overall, was 59th in 2K25
Let’s take a quick look at each player’s placement.
Mitchell is probably in the right spot. He’s in front of guards like Devin Booker (20th), Cade Cunningham (16th), Tyrese Haliburton (14th), and Jalen Brunson (13th). The only guards he’s behind are Stephen Curry (6th), Anthony Edwards (5th), Luka Doncic (4th), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2nd). That seems appropriate — or even generous — in the guard hierarchy, even though I think he, Haliburton, and Brunson should be in front of Kevin Durant (10th) and possibly even Victor Wembanyama (9th). I’m assuming the placement of the guards speaks more to 2K’s ratings valuing forward skillsets more than guards.
Mobley is the one who has the best argument for being shortchanged by 2K. He’s behind less versatile players like Paolo Banchero (25th), Kyrie Irving (24th), Trae Young (23rd), and Karl Anthony-Towns (18th). Mobley might not have consistently shown the offensive game of those players, but his defensive ability more than closes the gap.
At the very least, I’d much rather build a team around Mobley for 2025-26 than any of the names I listed in front of him. For what it’s worth, The Ringer’s Top 100 NBA player rankings, last updated in June, have Mobley at 17th and agree with my assessment of him.
Garland and Allen’s rankings feel mostly right.
I could listen to an argument that Garland should be slightly higher, but he’s in the right range. Garland has a difficult skill set and physical traits to accurately evaluate. He means a lot to an offense, but his low scoring volume compared with guards in front of him, coupled with his defensive limitations (even if somewhat overblown), makes it difficult for me to strongly disagree with his placement.
Allen at 57 is appropriate. He’s really good at what he does, but it’s not necessarily the most valuable archetype in the league.
It’ll be interesting to see how these ratings compare with some of the other top 100 lists that should be coming out shortly.
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