Zach KramApr 15, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseZach Kram is a national NBA writer for ESPN.com, specializing in short- and long-term trends across the league’s analytics landscape. He previously worked at The Ringer covering the NBA and MLB. You can follow Zach on X via @zachkram.Multiple Authors
Deni Avdija’s big and-1 puts Portland ahead, reaches 40 points (0:31)Deni Avdija’s big and-1 puts Portland ahead, reaches 40 points (0:31)
Welcome to NBA Rank: 2026 Playoffs Edition, where we’re counting down the 50 most impactful players ahead of the league’s postseason gauntlet.
Can the reigning Finals MVP add another trophy to his mantel? Will Victor Wembanyama make a splash in his first trip to the postseason? Do veterans LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have a chance to make some playoff noise?
All those players will feature prominently in their respective teams’ postseason runs, as will a host of young stars, role players and defensive specialists built for the playoffs. That’s why our countdown runs the gamut, with a special focus on players likely to advance multiple rounds; we’re judging “impact” as a measure of both quality and quantity of play between now and June.
That last line is worth repeating: We’re judging based on projected quality and quantity of play. This is not a pure talent ranking.
So players in the play-in tournament, such as Curry, rank lower on this list than they would otherwise. They could be eliminated as early as this week, and even if they’re not, they’ll face long odds against a top seed just to reach the second round. Injured players also generally didn’t make the list, because it’s unclear how much the likes of Austin Reaves, Joel Embiid and Peyton Watson will play this spring.
But the top of the list is filled with Finals MVP favorites — the brightest stars from the best teams in the league. So let’s begin the countdown from 50, broken into 10 tiers, and make our way to that top.
In 43 games, Curry averaged 26.6 points and a league-best 4.4 3-pointers per game. More importantly, the Warriors were 24-19 when Curry played this season, versus 13-26 without him. In other words: The 37-45 Warriors have the toughest path to the playoffs of any play-in team — but while they would be doomed to lose their first play-in game without Curry, they at least have a puncher’s chance to advance now that he has returned from a knee injury that kept him out for more than two months.
Knueppel’s 63% true shooting was the second highest ever for a rookie with an above-average usage rate. And he didn’t just smash the rookie record for 3-pointers; he led the whole league in 3s, while making them at a 43% clip. Even after a late-season slump and being benched in crunch time of Charlotte’s play-in win on Tuesday, Knueppel should be at the top of every opponent’s game plan — because he’ll make them pay if they give him even the tiniest sliver of space around the arc.
Ball’s surface stats haven’t changed much, but he has reined in some of the most adventurous — and sloppy — plays he was known for before this season. He made the game-winning layup in overtime against Miami on Tuesday. And for as exciting as some of the Hornets’ younger players are, Ball remains the beating heart of their offense: Charlotte scored 123.2 points per 100 possessions with Ball on the floor, a figure that would’ve led the league, but just 110.6 without him.
Following a disastrous 2024-25 season and a breakup of the Suns’ Not-So-Big Three, Booker led Phoenix back to relevance with a typically star-worthy performance this season. He averaged 26.1 PPG while battling through injuries and sharing point guard duties, and Phoenix’s offense fell apart without him on the court.
Maxey continues to improve — he averaged career highs in points and assists per 36 minutes this season — while serving as 76ers coach Nick Nurse’s ultimate security blanket. Maxey’s 38.0 minutes per game were the highest single-season average since James Harden’s 38.1 in 2015-16. And with Embiid’s availability in question this postseason, the 76ers will need every last minute they can get out of their remaining star.
Leonard is a two-time Finals MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, yet he waited until his age-34 season for the best campaign of his career. Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 PPG on 50-39-89 shooting splits, and he demonstrated with his All-Star Game takeover that, even among the best players in the league, Leonard is special. On a talent-depleted Clippers squad, Leonard is the only realistic hope for a long playoff run.
There are few players in NBA history as talented as Doncic, who averaged 33.5 PPG to win his second scoring title this season and seemed to be peaking at the right time — only to be sidelined for the last couple of weeks due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. So it’s impossible to place Doncic properly in this ranking: Either he won’t play at all in these playoffs, due to his injury, or he’ll make an improbably speedy return and be one of the best scorers and creators in the entire playoff field.
Robinson is a backup who averages 5.7 PPG, so on the surface, he seems like a strange fit for this list. But on a team that can struggle with Karl-Anthony Towns at center, Robinson provides a crucial change of pace. He’s a much better rim protector than Towns, and if he had enough minutes to qualify, Robinson would have set the NBA record for offensive rebound percentage this season. He could flip multiple playoff games in the Knicks’ favor this spring, just as he did a year ago.
What a rise for an undrafted player who began this season on a two-way deal. Jenkins averaged only 9.3 PPG this season, but he excelled in spots and took a huge leap during Cade Cunningham’s absence down the stretch, going for 18.9 PPG and 7.6 APG and making 43% of his 3-pointers in 11 games as Detroit’s de facto lead guard. At long last, the Pistons might have found the No. 2 playmaking option they need behind Cunningham.
As the Spurs’ roster has improved around him, Vassell has transitioned from a lead role more to the periphery. This season, he posted his lowest usage rate since he was a rookie. But if the Spurs’ greatest weakness is questionable 3-point shooting from its stars, then the spacing Vassell provides will be especially valuable this spring. He led San Antonio with 2.5 3-point makes per game on 38% accuracy.
The league leader in total minutes improved his stats across the board this year, averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Like his brother, he’s one of the NBA’s best defenders, and like his brother, his unreliable jump shot (22% on 3-pointers) could limit his team’s ultimate ceiling this spring.
Ingram fit in well in his first season in Toronto, leading the team with 21.5 PPG. The fit with Scottie Barnes is awkward at times — the Raptors had only a plus-1.5 net rating with both players on the court, per databallr — but Ingram makes enough 3-pointers at a 38% clip to space the floor, and his late-clock jumpers are a necessary component for an offensively challenged team without any top-tier creators.
Allen has been a different player since joining forces with James Harden, rediscovering his All-Star form after the Cavaliers’ midseason trade. When he played without Harden, Allen averaged 18.9 points per 75 possessions with 65% true shooting, per databallr, but when he was with Harden, Allen scored 25.2 points per 75 on 71% true shooting.
In the span of a few months, Alexander-Walker rose from defensively stout sixth man to two-way force starring for the hottest team in the East. He nearly doubled his previous career high in scoring (11.0 to 20.8 PPG), made 40% of his 8.1 3-point attempts per game and was by far the best guard on a team that included Trae Young and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Dyson Daniels. The Timberwolves surely miss him, while the Hawks are thrilled they added him last summer.
At the moment, Anunoby might be the NBA’s archetypal 3-and-D wing. Want 3s? Check — he nailed 2.3 per game on a 39% clip. Want defense? Check again — Anunoby is an indefatigable All-Defense-level hound on the perimeter, averaging 1.6 steals per game. That latter aspect of his game could be vital as the Knicks go up against Jalen Johnson in the first round, then potentially Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the second.
Sengun’s long-awaited 3-point improvement didn’t arrive this season, as he made just 31% of his long-range attempts. His overall efficiency leaves something to be desired. But that’s picking nits for a player who still averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists and presents a distinctive challenge for opponents. A hot streak over the past six weeks, following a midseason slump, could set Sengun up for more playoff success.
Johnson delivered on all of his vast promise this season, remaining healthy for the first time in years and more than picking up the Hawks’ offensive slack after Trae Young was traded. Johnson averaged a career-best 22.5 points and ranked fifth in the league in assists (7.9) and seventh in rebounds (10.3). He’d never received a single All-NBA vote before this season, but he’s a near-lock to land on one of the prestigious teams this spring.
Injuries and an up-and-down season for his team masked another scintillating individual campaign from Durant: 26.0 PPG on 52-41-87 shooting splits. At least on offense, the 16-time All-Star has scarcely lost a step, even at 37 years old. He’s the Rockets’ best offensive engine, and thus their greatest chance to make some noise this spring.
Gordon played a career-low 36 games this season because of recurring leg injuries, but the Nuggets have a chance to win another title as long as he can stay on the court. Denver had a plus-19.8 net rating when Gordon shared the court with Nikola Jokic this season, per databallr; for context, when Jokic played without Gordon, the Nuggets were only plus-7.7.
Forced into the highest usage rate of his Celtics tenure, White’s efficiency plummeted (39% from the field, 33% from distance). But he remains tremendously valuable because of his all-around play — especially his superlative rim protection for a guard. White tallied 98 blocks this season, while no other guard had more than 55. And when he was the closest defender at the rim, he allowed opponents to shoot just 56%. For context, Evan Mobley and Mitchell Robinson were in the 57% to 58% range.