NBA 2K26 Ratings Update 5: Biggest Risers and Fallers

This latest update was cleanly broken down by Pete Toal, who continues to be one of the most reliable voices when it comes to tracking 2K’s ever-evolving player landscape. You can see his full breakdown here. Instead of burying fans in spreadsheets, Pete laid out the risers and fallers team by team, making it easier to see not just who moved—but why those changes actually matter once you load into Play Now, MyNBA, or MyTeam.

Biggest Risers: Who’s Trending Up in Update 5

Ratings Update 5 leaned heavily into rewarding consistency, efficiency, and impact—especially from younger stars and high-usage scorers.

Some of the standout risers across the league include:

• Donovan Mitchell (95 OVR, +1) continuing his elite-tier push in Cleveland
• Jaylen Brown (95 OVR, +2) reminding everyone he’s not just a sidekick in Boston
• Anthony Edwards (96 OVR, +1) inching closer to true franchise-player status
• Brandon Miller (84 OVR, +3) making one of the biggest jumps of the update
• Keyonte George (86 OVR, +3) and PJ Hall (72 OVR, +4) benefiting from noticeable momentum

Several rookies and young rotation players also saw meaningful boosts, signaling that 2K is paying attention beyond just box-score stars.

Biggest Fallers: Tough Love From the Ratings Team

Not every update is a victory lap. Update 5 also handed out some reality checks—mostly in the form of modest but impactful drops.

Notable fallers include:

• Paul George (-2) taking a hit despite name recognition
• Kristaps Porzingis (-2) slipping in Atlanta
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-1) and Jalen Williams (-2) reflecting a rare Thunder-wide dip
• Malik Monk (-2) and Jonathan Kuminga (-2) sliding enough to affect lineup balance

These aren’t catastrophic drops, but in 2K terms, even a single point can change badge effectiveness, matchup viability, and rotation logic.

Team Trends Worth Noting

Breakdown also highlighted some broader patterns:

• Celtics, Cavaliers, and Clippers leaned positive overall
• Thunder and Warriors absorbed multiple small downgrades
• Hornets and Jazz quietly posted some of the strongest net gains

It’s the kind of context that matters when you’re deciding which roster actually feels better post-update.

Key Takeaways: Ratings Update 5 at a Glance

Top Risers

• Brandon Miller (+3)
• Keyonte George (+3)
• Jaylen Brown (+2)
• Darius Garland (+2)
• PJ Hall (+4)

Key Fallers

• Paul George (-2)
• Kristaps Porzingis (-2)
• Jalen Williams (-2)
• Malik Monk (-2)
• Jonathan Kuminga (-2)

Ratings Update 5 doesn’t reinvent NBA 2K26—but it sharpens it. Thanks to Pete Toal’s clean breakdown, it’s easier than ever to see which players are earning their upgrades and which ones are quietly losing ground. Whether you agree with every change or not, one thing’s certain: your rotation decisions just got a little more complicated.