5 Candidates for the cover of NBA 2K26

The NBA season is officially over, and a hectic offseason is underway. Within the first few weeks of July, NBA 2K will release information about the upcoming game for the year. That information includes the cover athlete, which is usually one of the first things announced. There are plenty of great options this year, with maybe one or two that stand out in particular — but let’s go over them.

5. Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese won’t be on the cover this year for a few different reasons, but he’s 100% a top-five candidate. The Pacers’ run this year and his clutch heroics throughout the postseason automatically make him a better option than most. The two reasons he won’t get it this year are his Achilles injury — which will likely keep him out for the entire 2025–26 season — and the fact that the Pacers ultimately came up short. Tyrese will definitely be a strong option for years to come and will likely get his chance at being on a cover if he can bounce back from this injury.

4. Jalen Brunson

Like Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson had a very strong postseason run and will definitely be back next season in position to make another one with the Knicks. Brunson is a fan favorite — a small guard who works hard and gets buckets — a very solid choice. He’s an underrated pick, but it would be cool to eventually see him get his chance. If the Knicks win a title next season, I 100% believe he should be on the cover of 2K27. But like Tyrese, it just might be too soon.

3. Anthony Edwards

The Ant Man is someone who will no doubt be on a cover within the next three years. After a solid start to his career, he’s finally started to do some winning and has shown what he can be. Still very young and improving, this is someone who could become the face of the league soon. He would be a very solid choice — and even if it’s not this year, he’ll certainly be getting his opportunity soon.

2. Nikola Jokić

Being on the cover of NBA 2K isn’t like an award — it’s something you have to want. That’s the rhetorical problem with The Joker: this just doesn’t seem like something that interests him. But don’t let that distract from the fact that he’s long overdue. He’s been a top-three player in the world for the past five years and 100% deserves it. Seeing Jokić on the cover would be cool and very well-deserved, but it would still be shocking if it actually happened.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The cover of NBA 2K26 should probably be a no-brainer: it should be SGA. He had one of the best seasons in recent memory and won the championship, putting himself in position as the current face of the league. Unlike Jokić, SGA seems like someone who would actually want to be a part of this and embrace being the face of the game. If it’s anyone other than Shai, it would be very surprising.

These are five solid candidates and the most realistic options to grace the cover of NBA 2K26. Four of these guys won’t get the chance this year, but all will have great opportunities in the future. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter as much who lands on the cover this time — 2K needs to focus more on improving the game itself and making it feel like the classic versions again.

Especially with the announcement of a new College Basketball game coming soon, 2K may be entering a make-or-break stretch over the next two to three years. They need to get it right before EA College Basketball potentially takes over the basketball gaming industry.

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Eli Saari