NBA 2K25 Centers: How much does the perfect build cost?

NBA 2K25 launched Sept. 6, starting players of its enormously popular MyCareer suite all over again in search of building a player matched perfectly to a position and the user’s play style. Alone among sports games with a single-player career and, heck, even the larger role-playing genre from which they draw, NBA 2K faces players with an uncomfortable question.

How much does my NBA 2K build cost?

This is because player progression in NBA 2K’s career mode is advanced by spending Virtual Currency, and Virtual Currency can be bought up for real money. It’s literally a pay-to-win scenario, albeit with a few gates and brakes keeping players from buying everything they want immediately.

It’s tolerated probably because 2K Sports introduced the system more than a decade ago, long before such a scheme would draw an outcry in present day. Well that, and the fact MyCareer is probably the most popular mode in a very well done series that is a global best-seller.

Still, it introduces another consideration when players are scheming up their virtual hooper’s designs: Is there a way to more efficiently level up a created superstar, or optimize undervalued traits that return more steak than sizzle?

Let’s go ahead and answer that question, both for this guide to building the best center in NBA 2K25, and the other four positions coming soon: No.

NBA 2K’s progression-and-currency system is non-linear, and continually refined year-to-year, and even altered by things such as the player’s height depending on the attribute improved. The result is that spending 100,000 Virtual Currency (the amount included with this year’s $99.99 All-Star Edition) on an out-of-the-box, 60-rated player is likely to give you a 75-rated overall baller, almost regardless of build.

Further, to immediately rank a player up to MyCareer’s starting Overall cap of 85 will cost about 190,000 VC, almost regardless of the order in which the skills are upgraded.

So while I’ll be listing costs and ratings for these builds, bear in mind they all follow the same trajectory in terms of cost. The price tags presented are just to give you an idea of what you’re getting yourself into.

Explaining some build terms

Build order is the rank, in order, of each attribute’s importance to creating this player, figuring in its cost for a player of this physical makeup. Attributes with a lower return to the OVR may appear higher in the build because they’re so cheap; attributes critical to the build may appear lower because they are so expensive.

Rating at 100,000 VC means the player’s Overall rating when the Build Order is applied evenly until 100,000 is spent. Similarly, Cost at 85 Rating is how much VC is spent when the Build Order is evenly applied until the 85 level cap is reached.

Some players like to max out their Physical attributes (Speed, Strength, Vertical, and Agility) as well as Free Throw at the beginning of the career, either because they return little to the Overall Rating or because they’re gate points for certain animations. If this is a method of role-playing or development you take, we’ve tallied the cost of this improvement separately so you know what you’re in for.

An “out of position attribute” is one that, when fully maximized under this build, does not by itself return one point to the Overall score. This is basically the dead weight in your build. We’ve broken out their cost in case players prefer to max them out early in order to focus on more important qualities later, when they are earning more VC for stronger play in their Career.

NBA 2K25’s best Center build: 2-Way Inside-The-Arc Maestro

• Height: 7-foot-1
• Weight: 249 lbs.
• Wingspan: 7-foot-5
• Rating at 100,000 VC: 75
• Cost at 85 rating: 189,937
• Cost to max Physicals and Free Throw: 34,671
• Cost to max out-of-position attributes: 2,995, because Driving Dunk is the only dead weight attribute that can be improved and is not a Physical attribute or Free Throw.
• Rating with Physicals and out-of-position attributes maxed: 69 (at a cost of 38682)

Best value: 3-Point Shot. When you look at how little it costs relative to the value it returns, both in the OVR rating and the versatility of a game that is more than just playing NBA contests against the AI, it’s hard to beat 3-Point Shot. It’s a great additional dimension for little VC input because it starts so high (52). It’s cheaper to max out than Close Shot, essential to any big man on the baseline.

Least value: Mid-Range Shot. Likewise, for a post-fader or a step-back popper, it seems counterintuitive to call this a bad value, but Mid-Range contributes so little to the OVR while still being a useful, if not essential, attribute. Then I consider how little my play-calling coaches or AI teammates set me up for mid-range shots over the years and the resentment to develop a mid-range jumper for a big who can get a triple-double without it only deepens.

Build order for a Two-Way Inside-the-Arc Maestro

1. Standing Dunk
2. Three-Point Shot
3. Strength
4. Offensive Rebound
5. Pass Accuracy
6. Defensive Reboud
7. Block
8. Post Control
9. Interior Defense
10. Close Shot
11. Free Throw
12. Vertical
13. Mid-Range Shot
14. Perimeter Defense
15. Driving Dunk
16. Speed
17. Agility
18. Ball Handle
19. Steal
20. Driving Layup
21. Speed With Ball

• Tier 1 Badges Bronze: Bail out, Paint Prodigy, Unpluckable.
• Tier 1 Badges Silver: Brick Wall, Hook Specialist, Paint Patroller, Pogo Stick, Post Lockdown, Post-Up Post, Set Shot Specialist, Versatile Visionary
• Tier 1 Badges Gold: Boxout Beast, Break Starter, Post Fade Phenom, Post Powerhouse, Rebound Chaser, Rise Up,
• Tier 2 Badges Bronze: High-Flying Denier, Interceptor
• Tier 2 Badges Silver: Aerial Wizard, Float Game, Off-Ball Pest
• Tier 2 Badges Gold: Dimer

Why I chose the Two-Way Inside-the-Arc Maestro for a Center build

My favorite position in NBA 2K is Center for simple fact that the game is a whole lot easier the closer you are to the basket. Others can fumble with their sticks trying to execute a Hadouken-level gesture combo just to crossover their man; I’d rather take the rock and back down some Serbian before shoving it through his grill.

Ideally, my Center would perform more as a true back-to-the-basket pivot. Higher in the post with the forwards at the low blocks or baselines. That’s rarely how the game goes now. But I enjoy passing out of a double team and racking assists on a big man like few other dopamine drips in video game sports.

This build has one of the lowest dead-weight burdens in its attributes I’ve ever seen; the counter to that is more mouths to feed your VC. But even Perimeter Defense has utility (and strong value) considering how often bigs have to pick up their man at the top of the key in modern defenses. A 7-1 Center will always be the slowest up the court, so it depends on other attributes to get position for a swat from this albatross.

Best teams for this Center

Milwaukee is ripe for a regime change with 80-rated Brook Lopez, who is older than the line for a Golden Corral buffet at 4 p.m.. They also didn’t draft a center in 2024, and by the way, the team is rated 99 in all departments. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the star of this show, but every GM can find a role for a 7-1 guy. The Pelicans and Warriors are next-best looks; both drafted centers but neither earlier than No. 21. The Knicks are always a good choice, or Charlotte for the rebuild-minded.

What about other positions?

• Here’s the recommended Point Guard build, a 3-Level Scoring Playmaker.
• Here’s the recommended Shooting Guard build, a 3-Way Scoring Threat.

Virtual Currency prices in NBA 2K25

These prices are the same regardless of platform (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X).

• 5,000 VC: $1.99
• 15,000 VC: $4.99
• 35,000 VC: $9.99
• 75,000 VC: $19.99
• 200,000 VC: $49.99
• 450,000 VC: $99.99
• 700,000 VC: $149.99

Featured image via 2K Sports (screen capture)

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