2026 NBA Player Tiers: Tier 5
Tier 4 is the deepest and rounds out the bottom of the NBA’s top 100 players. Ideally, players in this tier are stars in their role. Some have been All-Stars, and several could still get to that level if they aren’t there now.
There are six sub-tiers here, featuring players in roles that either suit them or are necessary for their teams to function. There is a lot of versatility in this group. Some teams have their best player here, which says plenty about the issues that team might have. Others are fine on one end of the court but have a lower floor on the other end than you’d like.
Overall, teams should want more than one of these players on their rosters. Having some of the best role players in the league is critical to joining the inner circle of contenders. Even with their flaws or shortcomings, this tier has very good players.
Tier 4A
All of these players have shown the ability to be in Tier 3 consideration. I was comfortable settling them for Tier 4.
Payton Pritchard is a point guard-sized player who is geared to score in the regular season. He’s one of the better isolation scorers in the league, makes excellent decisions and shoots a ton of 3s at solid percentages. He’s contributed to a championship, won Sixth Man of the Year and shown he could produce as a starter. Pritchard hasn’t quite maintained that level in the playoffs, which may make this his ceiling.
The shooting guards here have all taken some time in their respective career phases to get to where they are now, and the best may still be yet to come.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker narrowly missed Tier 5 last year as a valued upcoming free agent. His fit in Atlanta was even better than the high expectations, as he played both guard positions as a backup and then a starter, effectively making Trae Young expendable while winning Most Improved Player. Brandon Miller missed most of the opening stretch of the season with a shoulder injury that later required surgery, but he still returned to play 65 games. The Hornets started making sense when he found his rhythm in the winter. Miller is Charlotte’s second option, and while he isn’t as efficient as Kon Knueppel, he is a good scorer out of ball screens who fires a ton of 3s. Trey Murphy III, Alexander-Walker’s former teammate in New Orleans, has similar size to Miller. Murphy is a bit stretched as an on-ball player, as his efficiency nose dives the more he has to dribble. He’s also not the strongest defender. But he is a strong off-ball player with a beautiful shot and threatening bounce, and he makes plays defensively.
Jarrett Allen and Isaiah Hartenstein were teammates in Cleveland five years ago after both were drafted in 2017. Now, they’re two of the better rim protectors in the league. Allen scores quite a bit for a player who rarely posts up or shoots much outside of the paint, and he still gets to the free-throw line at a high rate. He doesn’t block a lot of shots, but he is comfortable guarding outside of the paint, and he understands how to challenge at the rim consistently while rebounding at a high level. Hartenstein was a major piece to Oklahoma City’s 2025 championship team, though his durability has been a concern over his two seasons there. Like Allen, Hartenstein rarely posts up, and he doesn’t look for his shot much; he averaged almost as many assists this season (3.5) as field goals made (3.9). Hartenstein also doesn’t block many shots, but he’s consistently in the right spots and he has active hands.
Tier 4B
What you get from this group in terms of volume production largely depends on the phase of your team. That’s especially true for point guards Josh Giddey, Jrue Holiday and Jalen Suggs, three players who have all been asked to do things other than be traditional point guards in recent times because of their teammates, their own limitations and their own abilities that go beyond the basics of the position.
Giddey is in Chicago in part because his on-ball time in Oklahoma City was decreased by the emergence of Jalen Williams. On one hand, Giddey has broken out as a lead ballhandler for a Bulls team that plays at a breakneck pace, and only Nikola Jokić has more triple-doubles over the last two seasons. On the other hand, 11 of Giddey’s 20 triple-doubles with the Bulls have come in March or April. Giddey is a highly productive player, but he’s in Tier 4 because a lot of that production is juiced by pace and bolstered by the most unserious portions of basketball the regular season offers. It’s questionable that the Bulls, or any team, can have a proficient half-court offense with Giddey as the primary playmaker. Holiday’s presence was a major factor in Portland visiting the postseason for the first time in five years. He can still get it done on and off the ball offensively, while still displaying a high level of point-of-attack defense. Holiday pulled more 3s than ever in Portland while averaging a three-year high in assists. His mileage is a concern, as he’s played 17 NBA seasons and played his fewest games (53) in a decade. Suggs has been a critical difference-maker for the Magic. He’s a lot like Holiday in that he’s a point guard who fits with other primary playmakers so that he can wreak havoc elsewhere. Suggs blows things up defensively and can get on good streaks from 3. But he isn’t the strongest on-ball player, and when his jumper abandons him, things can get rough offensively (see: Games 5-7 against the Detroit Pistons).
Michael Porter Jr. was producing like an All-Star before the break in his first season in Brooklyn. He did not maintain that same level after the All-Star break, one of the perils of playing for a tanking team. Porter was one of the best off-screen 3-point shooters in the league and did well to score 25 points per game before the break while playing with rookie ballhandlers. The Nuggets traded him to reshape their depth, but Denver hasn’t won a playoff series without Porter available since 2019.
On the other hand, Devin Vassell has gone from one of San Antonio’s primary ballhandlers during the nadir period of the Spurs to one of the better glue guys in the league now that the Spurs are flush with ballhandlers not named Victor Wembanyama. Like Porter, Vassell is dangerous coming off screens, though Vassell is more likely to curl his screens into midrange attempts. Vassell is a high-floor offensive player who hits shots and makes the right play, and while he gives up size defensively, he is a valuable presence on that end of the floor as well.
Tier 4C
This is one of the louder sub-tiers, full of big names and big scorers, along with others who have established themselves as valuable players for traits that go outside of scoring. As one might expect, the scorers in this sub-tier all have bigger challenges outside of their ability to get a bucket.
CJ McCollum has been traded twice in the last year, first for Jordan Poole and then for Trae Young. Now, he’s entering free agency as a combo guard who has played 13 NBA seasons. McCollum played well enough to help the Hawks steal multiple games from the Knicks in the playoffs, but it was all downhill once New York decided to shut off McCollum’s water.
RJ Barrett and Zach LaVine are good offensive players who have struggled with availability and defense. Toronto’s offense was significantly better with Barrett on the floor this season, and he gets to the free-throw line at a high rate despite splitting touches with point guard Immanuel Quickley and All-Star forwards Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. LaVine has now unfortunately been a starter for three different 60-loss franchises in his 12-year career. He is still a strong shooter who can be used in a variety of ways on and off the ball offensively. But he’s unlikely to impact a game much beyond making shots, especially now that he’s over the age of 30.
I wound up packing five small forwards in here. Dillon Brooks just became a starter on a third team that went from not being in the playoffs to being in the playoffs. On one hand, he happily accepted an outsized offensive role, and he was a 20-point scorer for the first time in his nine-year career while operating out of ball screens, isolations and post-ups. He guards with pride. But Brooks doesn’t pass, his shooting is merely adequate, he rebounds poorly for a forward and his overall defensive effectiveness has waned from his time in Memphis.
DeMar DeRozan still gets to the line at a high rate and owns the midrange while operating heavily on the ball. He has anti-tank availability, and his offensive floor is high despite undesirable 3-point shooting due to his low turnovers, pure shot selection and ability to make plays. He finally had a streak of 20-point seasons snapped at 12 years, but he still put up 18.4 points per game while playing the fewest minutes since his rookie season. But DeRozan can’t guard and, therefore, can’t play 30 minutes for a team trying to win anymore.
After 16 NBA seasons, Paul George might be the opposite of DeRozan as far as stars go. George is still very effective on and off the ball offensively, and he can still guard and make plays defensively. But George has missed more games than he’s played in two seasons in Philadelphia, and his skill is offset by sharply declining burst that renders him a passenger too often.
Josh Hart is simply one of the best connectors in the league, and while his defense isn’t as strong as it used to be, he’s one of the best rebounding wings while serving as key ballhandling relief for Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Hart also made a career-best 41.3 percent from 3 in the regular season, though his shot has regressed to begin this postseason.
Ausar Thompson stayed healthy, and the Pistons benefited accordingly. Like Hart, Thompson is a key connector next to Cade Cunningham, showing good secondary ballhandling and the ability to help a team dominate the possession battle with offensive rebounds and a league-leading 2.0 steals per game. He’s a feared defender, though he could be better in the few instances where he is challenged in isolation. Thompson’s biggest issue is his complete inability to shoot.
Naz Reid was voted the NBA’s best reserve two years ago, and he has settled into that role for his prime. He is consistently available and versatile, and while Reid’s offense has plateaued, he showed a higher level of defensive intensity this season, posting career bests in steals and blocks.
Tier 4D
This sub-tier is made up of some of the league’s more versatile players, all of whom have a particularly glaring challenge.
Dylan Harper has the easiest challenge to overcome: the combination of experience while sharing touches and being a reserve on a San Antonio team that is loaded, particularly at his position. Even in limited minutes, Harper found a way to be the most impactful Spurs reserve on both ends of the floor. His defense has been outstanding, and his shot selection and decision-making belie his age. He’s shown that he is built for postseason basketball.
Andrew Nembhard played point guard this season while Tyrese Haliburton recovered from Achilles tendon surgery, and he struggled with injury for a team that had to pull the plug on competing. Nembhard’s increased offensive workload hurt his defense. But Nembhard was very good as a playmaker offensively while shooting the ball well, and he showed the previous two years that he is a playoff riser, whether or not Haliburton is there.
Dyson Daniels played shooting guard for the majority of the season, but he shifted to arguably his best position at small forward once Zaccharie Risacher fell out of favor and Atlanta started McCollum next to Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Daniels is a tremendous connector who averaged more assists (5.9) than field goals (5.3), and he is great for the possession battle, averaging 2.4 offensive rebounds and 2.0 steals. But Daniels is a terrible shooter, and it’s hard to see how that improves right now.
Herbert Jones had some of the most interesting usage in the league. Here, he’s listed as a small forward, but the Pelicans started him at point guard and center at times, and he actually did begin halves guarding centers in the half court. Jones is a solid connector as a player who can handle the ball and make plays offensively while also making plays defensively. But Jones has been better defensively in the past than he was this year; his durability hasn’t been great after playing in only 76 games combined in the last two seasons, and he struggles to finish and to shoot.
Tier 4E
This sub-tier comprises players who were close to Tier 5 consideration but ultimately rose above it, or in some cases, stayed out of it.
Keyonte George has played on a tank for three seasons in Utah, and the Jazz have been awful defensively with him on the floor. George also missed 28 games this season. But he made significant strides in his game and has earned the right to be the point guard of the future for the Jazz. He got to the line seven times a game, averaged 6.1 assists and made 37.1 percent from 3 and 89.2 percent from the free-throw line. Despite a career-low total minutes, George had more dunks this season (26) than his first two seasons combined (23), and he got his field goal percentage up to 45.6 percent after being sub-40 percent in his first two seasons.
Immanuel Quickley was able to produce despite starting with three players who needed the ball in Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and the aforementioned RJ Barrett, and he was missed this postseason due to a hamstring strain. Quickley is quietly one of the most efficient starting point guards in the league, with more than four assists for every turnover.
VJ Edgecombe was Philadelphia’s consolation prize for tanking away at the end of the 2025 season, and his rookie campaign would have been adequate for a seasoned veteran. The fact that the 20-year-old Edgecombe was able to handle a massive starter role for a playoff team next to a star guard in Tyrese Maxey was quite impressive. Edgecombe has some traits of a smaller Anthony Edwards at a similar age.
Jalen Green had a mostly forgettable first season in Phoenix because of multiple hamstring injuries, and he played the first games of his career as a reserve before sharing the floor with Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie for many of his starts. His offense was relatively out of rhythm, with career-low percentages and free-throw volume. But Green’s defensive effort was better than it was in Houston, and Phoenix likely won’t hold onto its playoff spot without him.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. bounced back from an uneven sophomore season to have one of the league’s best seasons by a reserve. It’s clear that Jaquez needs the ball in his hands, but he’s a strong finisher who showed impressive playmaking and decision-making in a Miami offense that basically punted ball screens.
Toumani Camara is not at all flashy on either end of the floor. He draws a surplus of offensive fouls, gets steals and is otherwise a decent connector. But he was one of four players to start every game, and he was one of 22 players to make more than 200 3s. Camara was one of five players this season to have at least three games with at least eight made 3s; when he got hot, he got really hot.
Jabari Smith Jr. isn’t a good enough ballhandler or passer to do much on the ball, and there are better perimeter defenders and rebounders. But he’s a solid shooter and athlete at 6-foot-11, and he is still only 23 years old.
Denver missed Peyton Watson this postseason because of multiple hamstring injuries, and he is headed for an interesting restricted free agency. The Nuggets took a shot on him with the last pick of the 2022 first round, and he has developed into a 41 percent 3-point shooter who blocks shots and guards while hinting at some on-ball juice.
Andrew Wiggins is more of a connector at this point in his career, and while he’s decent, he has a very interesting player option decision. Wiggins is not the strongest on-ball option these days, but he’s also playing as a power forward to accommodate Miami’s lineup and pace choices.
Tier 4F
This final sub-tier in Tier 4 features three players who lost at least a significant portion of the year to major surgeries.
Dejounte Murray was at least able to come back from Achilles tendon surgery and attempt to make the Pelicans look respectable. He’s one of the rare players who have now come back from both ACL and Achilles tears. Murray’s initial return was very good, and New Orleans won five of his first nine games, with Murray in a heavy on-ball role and flying around and making plays defensively. But Murray hit a wall after a few weeks, and the Pelicans lost the last five games in which he played.
It’s going to be a challenging return for Fred VanVleet, who missed the entire season with a torn ACL. VanVleet is already an undersized 32-year-old guard who did not have special athleticism and made only 37.8 percent from the field in the 2024-25 season, so he has a lot to overcome. But VanVleet has always been one of the best decision-makers in the league among primary playmakers while finding a way to impact the game on both ends.
Walker Kessler played the first five games of the season before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery just ahead of restricted free agency. His durability is something of a concern, as he missed 42 games in the previous two seasons combined. Kessler hinted at a 3-pointer and some increased playmaking opportunities, and he’s already a strong rebounder and shot blocker, but he has to stay on the floor and show he can contribute to a winning team.
