Current Top 100 Ranking: 69
Realistic 2030 Range: Top 70
2030 Dream Ranking: Top 50
Realistic Notable Stars He Could Leap: Robert Parish (68), Joel Embiid (66)
Dream Stars He Could Leap: Gary Payton (53), Russell Westbrook (48)
Kyrie Irving is another player who’ll spend the bulk of the 2025-26 campaign recovering from a serious injury. He’s now in his mid-30s and is coming off a torn ACL.
With that in mind, the chances of him climbing much higher on this list are slim. Not gone entirely, but certainly slim.
However, if Kyrie does get back to 90-95 percent of his old self, he could crack the top 50 on the all-time scoring list within a few years. Combining that with his ball-handling, shooting and cultural impact could make a climb possible. Soaring up might require another title run, though.
If you believe Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, he’ll get that shot. Cooper Flagg may extend his window, too.
But at 33, and in an age when seemingly a third of the league has a realistic shot every year, winning even one more figures to be tough.