NBA Players Tiers 2026: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, injured standouts in Tier 3

2026 NBA Player Tiers: Tier 5 | Tier 4

Welcome to Tier 3, quite possibly the most polarizing tier. For some teams, this is as high as it gets, which obviously doesn’t make it easy to be in contender conversations.

This year, 22 teams are represented in Tier 3 (21 were represented last year). Only two teams don’t have a player placed in the top three tiers, and no team clinched a top-six playoff seed without having a player higher than Tier 3. In 2025, the Houston Rockets were the only team that clinched a top-six seed without a player placed higher than Tier 3. The good news is that Houston was the second seed in the Western Conference. The bad news is that the Rockets lost Game 7 at home to the No. 7-seeded Golden State Warriors, a team that had two players in the first two tiers. Houston decided to go get Kevin Durant afterward.

The only team that made the playoffs this year without a player placed above this tier was the Orlando Magic, the No. 8 in the Eastern Conference. The good news for the Magic is that they took a 3-1 lead against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. The bad news is that the Magic blew that 3-1 lead. The ugly news is that Orlando traded a net of three first-round picks for a player ranked in this tier and still had to fire its head coach.

Not all of the players in this tier are All-Stars. Not all of the players in this tier should be All-Stars. Some will never be All-Stars. But what matters more is winning games. This tier is made up of players who will decide playoff spots.

Tier 3A

Quite bluntly, this sub-tier was the ceiling for each of these four players. They’re all very good players, but this was the place they needed to be.

Stephon Castle isn’t close to a finished product, but the 2025 Rookie of the Year is the primary ballhandler for the Spurs and plays with the kind of force on both ends of the floor that makes it hard to ignore his impact. He draws fouls at a high rate, punishes the rim, finished in the top 10 in assists per game, rebounds well and is strong at the point of attack defensively. And that’s on a team full of talented guards. If the 6-foot-6 Castle straightens out his shooting, then he’s going to be a major problem for other teams. His first postseason has already shown signs that he could do just that.

The centers here are all All-Stars, with some caveats. There are outliers, and then there’s Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points in a game. Adebayo had no other 40-point games this season and had only four other 30-point games. If you remove that game from Adebayo’s season, he only averaged 19.2 points per game. But Adebayo did have the second-highest scoring game of all time, and that got him to 20.1 points per game, his second 20-point season in his nine-year career. That made Adebayo one of only five players this season who played more than 20 games and averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds. Adebayo can dribble, pass and shoot while defending at a high level. But he’s not an elite rim protector, and his field goal percentage has dropped in five consecutive seasons.

Jalen Duren didn’t receive a rookie-scale contract extension, then responded by becoming an All-Star for the East’s best team in the regular season while averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. And then the playoffs started, and Duren’s ability to win with his dribble struck midnight. Duren is only 22 years old, and he has flashed the ability to pass and shoot while improving as a defender. But he’s going to need to respond to how this playoff run has gone.

Like Duren, Alperen Şengün was an All-Star this season, and he’s skilled enough to run both ends of the pick-and-roll while being able to post-up and face up. Nikola Jokić is the only center who averages more assists than Şengün. The biggest challenge is that Şengün, like Jokić, is a bottom-five rim protector among starting centers. Şengün also isn’t a good shooter, which could put a cap on his ceiling.

Tier 3B

This is an intriguing sub-tier packed with contentious All-Star picks, recent award winners and players who could be in those conversations as soon as next season.

LaMelo Ball and Darius Garland are the point guards here, and both are dazzling pick-and-roll pull-up operators capable of taking games over with pace, just as long as they’re available and protected defensively. Ball is 6 foot 7, rebounds well, gets steals, has reduced his turnovers and launches 3s without apologies. After missing more than 35 games each of the previous three seasons, Ball played in 72 games. But his minutes have to be managed, his shot selection can be maddening and his free-throw attempt rate is lower than it has ever been. Also, while Ball has led two winning seasons in Charlotte, he still hasn’t ended the franchise’s playoff drought. Garland was traded from the Cavaliers to the Clippers and he played a career-low 45 games because of toe injuries on both feet. He also averaged a five-year low of 2.7 free-throw attempts in 29.9 minutes. Unlike Ball, Garland is only 6-1, and his size gets him in trouble at times on both ends. But Garland’s shot selection is better than Ball’s, and Garland has approached 40 percent from 3.

Shooting guards Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Austin Reaves were close to the same sub-tier last year, and they’re here together this time around. Herro had a forgettable season following offseason ankle surgery and was unable to build on his 2025 All-Star selection. Next season will be his final year under contract. Still, Herro is a versatile player who can play on or off the ball because of his playmaking and shooting. Powell took advantage of Herro’s difficult start to the season and made his first All-Star Game while averaging career highs of 5.5 free-throw attempts and 2.5 assists. The downside with Powell, and why he isn’t higher despite finally reaching All-Star status, is a lot of the concerns that led the Clippers to trade him ahead of his contract year: age, durability, slightly declining athleticism, a lack of positional versatility at 6-3 and difficulties maintaining his superb seasons after the All-Star break. Like Powell, Reaves is likely searching for a new contract after showing a high level of scoring artistry, particularly from the free-throw line. Reaves ranked fifth in the NBA in points per game among players who did not lead their team in scoring and was one of just 16 players to average at least 7.0 free-throw attempts per game. He was remarkably efficient out of ball screens and isolations as a result. Defensively, Reaves drew a heap of charges, rebounded at a career-best level and averaged 1.1 steals. The drawbacks for Reaves were multiple injuries that cost him several weeks at a time, a penchant for turnovers and the fact that offenses will continue to target him.

The small forwards here are Brandon Ingram and Lauri Markkanen. Ingram made it back to All-Star status for the first time in six years and has scored at least 20 points per game in seven consecutive seasons. He can score out of ball screens, isolations and the post while offering decent passing and good shooting. Ingram is also a solid rebounder at 6-8. But he’s not an impact defender, and his game has fallen off a cliff the last two times he reached the playoffs, where he shot 33.6 percent from the field over his last nine playoff games. Utah has used Markkanen as small forward despite him being 7-1 and 240 pounds, which creates tremendous advantages offensively. No player uses more off-ball screens to score than Markkanen, who draws a heap of fouls and is a solid shooter. Markkanen is not a good rim protector despite his size, and of the 47 20-point scorers in the NBA this season, only Dillon Brooks averaged fewer assists per game than Markkanen (2.1). Utah’s multi-season tank project, in addition to whatever injuries Markkanen has had, has kept Markkanen from playing 60 games in each of the last three seasons. Next season will be Markkanen’s only chance of possibly playing in the playoffs while still in his 20s.

Three very different power forwards round out this sub-tier in OG Anunoby, Paolo Banchero and Jaren Jackson Jr. Anunoby isn’t featured offensively at all, and he still averaged 16.7 points per game this season, while remaining one of the league’s strongest defenders. He is one of the NBA’s best non-All-Stars and arguably its best 3-and-D role player.

Banchero is a chronically messy player, which describes the Magic often. That makes sense given that he is the focal point of an offense lacking a traditional point guard or acceptable spacing. Banchero is huge at 6-10 and 250 pounds and quite skilled. He can run pick-and-rolls, isolations and post-ups and is a solid passer. He also shot 39 percent on off-the-catch 3s and gets to the free-throw line eight times a game. Banchero rebounds well, and he’s a playoff riser, taking his average scoring from 22.3 in the regular season to 27.4 across the last three postseasons. The floor is lower than you’d like with Banchero. He is a very poor shooter off the dribble, turnover-prone and takes too many tough shots, while often beaten defensively.

Jackson should eventually be a part of a massive frontcourt with Markkanen and likely Walker Kessler. The Jazz put Jackson on ice shortly after acquiring him from Memphis, but they can expect to get one of the best shot-blocking forwards in the league to go along with respectable shooting. What makes Jackson frustrating is his lack of consistent offensive force, a poor assist-to-turnover rate and one of the worst rebound-to-foul ratios of any power forward in the league.

Tier 3C

This sub-tier is filled with players who have had exciting moments but have left more to be desired or still have more to show.

Amen Thompson is the lone point guard, and if there is one thing this season has made clear, it’s that Thompson should not be Houston’s primary playmaker. It’s a disservice to him to be responsible for a team running a coherent half-court offense. That said, Thompson is a weapon on both ends, capable of scoring out of a variety of actions while dominating the glass on both ends and making plays defensively. Thompson is also a good playmaker who keeps his turnovers down. Only Evan Mobley had more dunks than Thompson this season. While Thompson improved his free-throw shooting to 77.9 percent, his glaring weakness continues to be his jump shot, as he made just 21.6 percent of his 3s.

The Magic valued Desmond Bane tremendously, and to his credit, he delivered as advertised while starting all 82 games. Bane shot 39.1 percent from 3 and 90.8 percent from the line while adding 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 86 steals. The only drawback is that this is probably the most you can ask for from Bane unless he acquires the dark arts of free-throw merchantry.

The small forwards here are the jumbo-sized 6-9 Cooper Flagg and 6-10 Franz Wagner. Flagg earned Rookie of the Year honors, and much like Thompson, he had to play an inordinate amount of minutes as a point guard in Dallas. Also like Thompson, Flagg was a poor 3-point shooter and actually worse off the catch (28.2 percent) than off the bounce (30.7 percent). But if Flagg gets comfortable shooting outside the paint, he’s going to be a problem, because he is already great at getting to the line, and he did a good job keeping his turnovers down. Defensively, Flagg is already solid while keeping his fouls down. Wagner shares many of the same traits as Flagg, with Flagg having much more ceiling to explore. Wagner also gets to the line at a high rate, is an impact defender and has decent passing ability. This season, Wagner struggled with ankle and calf injuries, and the Magic blew a 3-1 lead after Wagner couldn’t finish the series against the Pistons. Wagner also goes through bouts of unsightly shooting, though he was better off the catch this season (37.8 percent). Orlando looks very good when Wagner and Banchero actually string games together, but that’s been a challenge for two years now.

Availability is a primary topic of conversation around this group’s power forwards as well. Aaron Gordon’s hamstring issues ruined his regular season and a calf injury wrecked his playoff run. Denver missed him dearly and Gordon has reached the point in his career where it’s fair to wonder if he can be as physically dominant over a full season again at the same workload. The good thing for Gordon is that he has cleaned up his offensive skills to the point that he doesn’t need to be a supreme athlete to be an effective player. He gets to the line, makes plays for teammates and has made better than 41 percent from 3 over the last two seasons. Gordon makes Denver better on both ends of the floor, but staying on it is a concern.

Julius Randle needs the ball in his hands, but he’s an effective and versatile on-ball presence who gets a ton of free throws and is capable of creating shots for his teammates. His 2025 playoff run was critical in helping Minnesota reach a second straight Western Conference finals. Randle has also been durable in Minnesota while showing more alacrity defensively than in previous years. The floor is somewhat lower for Randle due to his lack of rim protection, spotty 3-point shooting and occasional bouts with turnovers. His ordinary explosion also tends to make his offense underwhelming against length, which still shows up in the postseason.

Zion Williamson rounds out this sub-tier, and he is still a powerful basketball player in a vacuum, especially offensively. He is dominant in both ends of pick-and-rolls, he can’t be guarded one-on-one and he finishes 60 percent of his field goals. Williamson is a capable passer, and there isn’t another starting power forward who is better at getting contested rebounds. The challenge for Williamson remains roster construction around him, especially given the fact that this was the fifth time he has missed at least 20 games in a season. Williamson attempted only four 3s this season, and he’s not a rim protector. The next playoff game Williamson appears in will be his first.

Tier 3D

For different reasons, every player in this sub-tier generated strong opinions this spring about their perceived value.

When it comes to team impact, Derrick White has consistently been praised for how he affects games. Boston outscored opponents by more than 20 points in White’s minutes in 17 games this season; only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (18) had more such games. White has one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios (3.09) among starting point guards, protects the rim like a center, is strong at the point of attack and is consistently available. With all of that acknowledged, White isn’t a primary scorer, nor does he have the skill set to be one. His streaky 3-point shot was drier than it has been in years, an issue that was even more glaring when Boston blew a 3-1 first-round lead. White helps you win, but he needs to have scoring teammates around him.

Another highly valued player is Mikal Bridges, arguably the most available in the NBA. Bridges has now made it eight seasons without missing a game. Three more perfect seasons would give him the record for most games to start a career with perfect attendance. The problems sometimes arise in that Bridges sometimes plays in a way to avoid putting himself at risk for injury. His free-throw attempts dropped for the third year in a row, down to a career-low 1.2 per game. His points per game also dropped to 14.4 points per game, his lowest mark in four seasons. His on-ball actions also decreased significantly. But Bridges is still an efficient 3-and-D player who seldom turns the ball over.

Kon Knueppel nearly earned the Rookie of the Year honors after leading all rookies in made 3s while making them at a 42.5 percent rate. Only five other rookies in NBA history have made at least 42.5 percent of their 3s while also hitting at least 100 of them, and the previous record-holder at that percentage was Stephen Curry, who made 166 3s as a rookie at 43.7 percent. Knueppel has a remarkably high floor, adding decent passing ability and some ball-screen utility. But Charlotte isn’t playing through Knueppel as Dallas plays through Flagg. You need more star players around Knueppel.

Jaden McDaniels has been a playoff riser who has long hinted that he would be capable of an increased on-ball role offensively. There aren’t many opportunities for McDaniels to stretch his game out while playing with durable offensive centerpieces, and the Timberwolves need McDaniels to be their primary perimeter defender. McDaniels also has a poor rebound-to-foul ratio. Still, out of 109 players who averaged at least 14 points per game this season (minimum 20 games), McDaniels was one of three to shoot at least 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3, along with teammate Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Durant.

McDaniels’ teammate Rudy Gobert is going to be 34 years old and remains one of the most polarizing players in the league. His offensive utility continues to dwindle, and his scoring hit a 10-year low to go with his lack of touches. Gobert’s hands limit how often his teammates look for him, he’s a non-threat outside of the paint, his free-throw shooting is tragic and he’s not a post-up option. But his defensive impact is significant and the four-time Defensive Player of the Year is still one of the best rim protectors in the league at 7-1. Minnesota allowed 108.0 points per 100 possessions with Gobert on the floor, compared to a team-worst 115.9 points per 100 possessions with Gobert off the floor. That’s the difference between the second-best defense in the league and the Denver Nuggets defense. Gobert is durable despite his advancing age, and he consistently shows up for big challenges. Just ask Jokić.

Tier 3E