ESPN analyst Zach Kram ranked and tiered the 50 NBA players most likely to make the biggest impacts in the postseason.
Welcome to NBA Rank: 2026 Playoffs Edition, where we're counting down the 50 most impactful players ahead of the league's postseason gauntlet. 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.
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 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
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.
Banchero has been incredible in his playoff career, and after a midseason swoon, he was much better toward the end of the season, with more production and efficiency after the All-Star break. Yet for the fourth consecutive season, the Magic had a better net rating with Banchero off the floor, raising more questions about his ultimate place on a winning team.
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.
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'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.
The Trail Blazers' offense collapsed so severely without Avdija that they would have ranked worse than every tanking team were it not for the breakout All-Star's 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Avdija thrives by slashing into the lane -- he narrowly led) among rotation players in free throw attempt rate.
Avdija led all scorers with 41 points, including the game-winner, as Portland advanced in the play-in round on Tuesday.
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 -- onlydue 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 withat 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, 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 Knicks paid to acquire him in trade, he's still a solid 3-and-D role player who literally never misses games. Bridges is still feeling out his place on the Knicks' roster, as he posted his lowest usage rate since he left Phoenix this season. But the Knicks need Bridges' best self, with top-notch perimeter defense and efficient supplementary creation, if they hope to return to the conference finals -- and more -- in the months ahead.
all game long as a core player for the NBA's best defensive team. The hinge point for Dort's game comes on the other end, where defenses leave him open to launch his moonball 3-pointers. When he's hitting them at a 41% clip, as he did last season, the Thunder are nearly unbeatable; when he's down at 34%, as he was in the 2025 postseason and 2025-26 regular season, Oklahoma City's offense is more vulnerable to schemes that help against its stars.
Thompson won the steals title this year, averaging 2.0 thefts per game, and that stat only scratches the surface of his superb lockdown defense. The Pistons ranked second as a team in defensive rating in large part due to Thompson's ability to stymie opposing lead guards. Whether Thompson can stay on the court throughout the playoffs, or whether his offensive shortcomings -- he was just 6-for-24 from 3-point range this year -- play him off the floor, could determine how far Detroit goes this spring.
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 could limit his team’s ultimate ceiling this spring.
Now 33 years old, Gobert is no longer the league's premier defensive force. But even a B-plus version of Gobert remains one of the best rim protectors in the league, and Minnesota's defensive rating was 9.5 ticks better with Gobert on the court this year, per databallr. The Timberwolves' defense was about as good as the Pistons' with Gobert, but below average without him.
Before this season, Queta was a little-used backup who had never averaged more than 5.5 PPG in a season. But he has blossomed into a crucial contributor to a Finals favorite, nearly doubling his previous career best to 10.2 PPG and capably filling in after big menall left Boston last summer. By the advanced stat xRAPM, which is largely based on on/off data, Queta is tied with Rudy Gobert for the third-best defensive impact in the league. And he’ll need that sort of showing this spring, as the rest of the East’s elite all have star centers to throw at the Celtics.
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.
, 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 , made 40% of his 8.1 3-point attempts per game and was by far the best guard on a team that included
On a per-minute basis, Hartenstein was almost exactly the same player in 2025-26 as he was in his first season in Oklahoma City: In both years, he averaged 14 points, 14 rebounds and five assists per 36 minutes, with solid scoring efficiency and rim protection. And after battling, among others, en route to the title last season, Hartenstein should be a vital contributor once more given the stellar centers that the Thunder will likely have to defeat if they want to win another championship.
The other addition who joined the Thunder before their title run, Caruso is a role player suited for the postseason. Oklahoma City manages his minutes throughout the regular season to let him conserve his energy for the most important games; last year, nine of his 10 games with the most playing time came in the playoffs. Expect more of the same this season, as Caruso never played more than 26 minutes in a non-overtime game. His 3-point shooting can come and go -- after making 41% last spring, he’s down to 29% this season -- but there’s no doubting Caruso’s winning impact. According to xRAPM, Caruso is the second-most-impactful defender in the league, behind only
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year was even more productive this season, taking on some of the extra offensive responsibility without to average a career-high 17 PPG. Pritchard has returned to a reserve role with Tatum back, but he’s still scoring in double figures almost every game. He also has a special skill that could prove particularly valuable as the game: Pritchard led all players this season with 146 made shots in the final six seconds of the shot clock. The only players within 30 makes of him were superstars
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
The Raptors’ do-it-all forward might be the NBA’s best defender not named Wembanyama, capable of guarding across the positional spectrum and collecting blocks and steals at an absurd rate: Barnes is the first player this decade with at least 100 blocks and 100 steals in the same season. Despite a backslide on offense in which he posted his lowest usage rate in three years and stopped taking as many 3-pointers, Barnes’ versatility makes him Toronto’s most valuable player.
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.
and lead his team to postseason glory again? He wasn’t supposed to carry such a burden this season. But just as James was becoming comfortable as the Lakers’ No. 3 option, the two players ahead of him and seventh in rebounds . He’d never received a single All-NBA
Edwards averaged a career-high 28.8 points this season with by far the best efficiency of his career. His level of superstardom has never been higher. Yet on the other hand, Edwards played a career-low 61 games, rendering him, and he hasn’t reached 30 minutes in a game since mid-March because of a knee injury. Suffice it to say, facing a brutal playoff bracket starting with a matchup against Denver, Minnesota needs a fully healthy version of its leader if it wants to reach its third consecutive conference finals.
Durant is a superstar who’s on track to win his second consecutive regular-season MVP award. He scored at least 20 points in every game this season. He led the league in clutch points. He made 39% of his 3-pointers, his best mark since he became a star, and 60% of his 2-pointers, an NBA record for guards . And his 66.5% true shooting mark was the second best in NBA history for a 30 PPG scorer, behind only Stephen Curry’s 66.9% mark from 2015-16. Gilgeous-Alexander won every award he could have last postseason, and he’s even better this season. He’s hoping to join LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the only players to win regular-season MVP and Finals MVP in consecutive years.
What else is there to say about the reigning Finals MVP, who's on track to win his second consecutive regular-season MVP award? Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 20 points in every game this season. He led the league in clutch points. He made 39% of his 3-pointers, his best mark since he became a star, and 60% of his 2-pointers, an NBA record for guards . And his 66.5% true shooting mark was the second best in NBA history for a 30 PPG scorer, behind only Stephen Curry's 66.9% mark from 2015-16. Gilgeous-Alexander won every award he could have last postseason, and he’s even better this season. He’s hoping to join LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the only players to win regular-season MVP and Finals MVP in consecutive years.
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