Yes, it’s true that the exodus of young talent to foreign leagues has left the PBA with a more shallow pool of potential superstars. But it doesn’t mean Asia’s oldest pay-for-play league is short on talented players. It’s still the top basketball league in the country by far thanks to top-tier talent across different teams (or at least 11 of the 12 if you know what we mean).
That’s why Rebanse decided to canvass the PBA’s talent pool and come up with a ranking of the league’s very best players—just as ESPN did with their NBA Rank 2025, where three-time MVP Nikola Jokic emerged as No. 1. But unlike that ranking, which featured a voting among a panel of experts, this one is a bit more unilateral as the assessments were done by yours truly, who pored over stats and game times to come up with this list.
Here goes nothing:
1. June Mar Fajardo – San Miguel Beermen
(19.2 PPG, 15.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.0 BPG, 60.6% 2PT FG)
Saying that Fajardo’s dominant only because he’s taller and heftier than everybody else is not only reductive but also disrespectful to the hard work the eight-time MVP has put in to reach GOAT-level heights. Through persistence and practice, the eight-time MVP has been able to pair skill with that size, and that’s why he’s gotten all the success and the accolades through the years. It’s also this combination of size and skill that makes The Kraken the top player of the PBA heading into its golden season.
2. Robert Bolick – NLEX Road Warriors
(20.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 7.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 85.8% FT)
When it comes to talent and skill, no one combines both quite like Bolick, who led the league in scoring and dimes. Then again, his singular talent is both a blessing and a curse as he has a tendency to do too much. But that talent is so overwhelming that he’s also one of just a handful who can truly carry a team with his scoring and passing—along with his ability to come up clutch down the stretch.
3. Calvin Oftana – TNT Tropang 5G
(16.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 38.8% 3PT FG)
Oftana is all you’d want for a modern wing—long, lean, and athletic with a sweet stroke and nimble feet. He can do it all, too, and he can be downright scintillating when he’s feeling it. Unfortunately, the Gilas mainstay sometimes is content on playing more like a role player than the main man he can be when he’s aggressive and assertive. But when Oftana does, he’s close to peerless.
4. Sedrick Barefield – Blackwater Bossing
(18.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.9 BPG, 39.7% 2PT FG)
Barefield’s talent is undeniable, but you can sense he hasn’t fully unleashed it just yet—in part because of injuries and in part because he’s playing for a woebegone franchise. But when Barefield is healthy and engaged, very few in the PBA have his combination of great size (at the guard spot), athleticism, power, and explosiveness. Think prime Stanley Pringle but bigger, stronger, and with a more reliable long ball.
5. Jordan Heading – TNT Tropang Giga
(15.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 86.4% FT)
When not bothered by back spasms, Heading is one of the PBA’s truly elite playmakers. His shooting gets most of the rave reviews, but he’s just as good creating shots off the dribble. Heading is also a terrific and willing passer, which only highlights his elite playmaking even more.
6. Scottie Thompson – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
(12.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 50.0% 2PT FG)
Thompson’s detractors are right in calling out his offensive flaws, but impacting games in a bunch of different ways is a skill in and of itself. That’s what ST9 does for Ginebra—and to Gilas to a certain extent—and he is arguably the best in the PBA at it. He won’t wow you with elite scoring, but best believe he’ll do everything else—rebounding, setting up teammates, and clamping down on defense.
7. CJay Perez – San Miguel Beermen
(17.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 43.3% 2PT FG)
It’s true that Perez’s decision-making and shot selection need work and that he tries to do too much at times. But when he plays within himself and is under control, Perez is one of a select few in the PBA—alongside Bolick, Oftana, Heading, and Barefield—who can consistently create shots both for himself and for others. Plus, he doesn’t shy away from taking big shots and always plays hard on defense.
8. Chris Newsome – Meralco Bolts
(16.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 45.4% 2PT FG)
Newsome’s brilliance often goes unnoticed because he has transitioned from flashy athletic freak to a silent assassin of sorts for Meralco. Barring that, the long-time Bolt is definitely in the same rarefied air as Bolick and company when it comes to making plays. And he’s arguably much better than his playmaker peers when it comes to defending the other team’s best perimeter players.
9. Zavier Lucero – Magnolia Hotshots
(18.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 41.3% 3PT FG [Philippine Cup only])
While Lucero remains more of a finisher than an actual playmaker, the talent and athleticism are certainly undeniable—especially for a 6-foot-6 wing. His improving jumper and ballhandling make him a prime candidate for “The Leap” in his third season, but it’s his defensive tenacity and versatility—think Arwind Santos, but quicker and more agile—that will elevate him to that top-tier level.
10.Jason Perkins – Phoenix Fuel Masters
(17.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 81.1% FT)
Like Newsome, Perkins’ great play often goes unnoticed, though it’s mostly because he plays for a middling team in Phoenix. But make no mistake about it: Perkins is among the PBA’s best players. He’s a playmaking big who has the skill and brawn to battle inside, the shooting touch to make the long ball, and the mobility to drive to the basket. He might have to do more to lift Phoenix up—and that he can do.
Just Missed the Cut But Talented Nonetheless
Justin Arana – Converge FiberXers
(14.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.5 BPG, 52.5% 2PT FG)
Alec Stockton – Converge FiberXers
(13.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 36.3% 3PT FG)
Joshua Munzon – Northport Batang Pier
(15.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.0 SPG, 41.0% 2PT FG)
RR Pogoy – TNT Tropang 5G
(13.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 36.3% 3PT FG)
Adrian Nocum – Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
(13.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 47.1% 2PT FG)
