It’s time to revisit one of the most hotly contested annual basketball topics: who are the best NBA players? Throughout the years, popular players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant have topped our list, but this year there is an undeniable new NBA king. This is the first time that LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are not in the top three positions since we began compiling this list.
Even while the aforementioned veteran superstars still control the majority of the NBA, players who are in or nearing their prime are undoubtedly taking over. After being so used to the same names leading hoops, it seems as though we’re entering a new era of basketball, with players like Devin Booker and Nikola Jokic leading the way.
In our rankings from the previous year, rising talents like Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have shown tremendous growth. Stars who were absolutely unranked the previous few seasons but somehow managed to sneak onto the list are highlighted by Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.
Notable absentees from our ranking who were just outside the top 30 were Brad Beal, Tyrese Haliburton, Paolo Banchero, Demar Derozan, Zach LaVine, Brad Beal, Pascal Siakam, and Domantas Sabonis. Having stated that, these are our picks for the league’s top 30 players for the 2023–2024 campaign.
Anthony Davis
Is there a player right now that receives more attention for what he isn’t than for how good he is? The previous regular season, Anthony Davis averaged 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds. He then led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals as their best player. There is no doubting that Davis is one of the greatest players in the NBA right now and an all-time great. He is arguably the best defensive player on the planet and a dominant paint finisher. He has suffered from injuries, but so have a few of the others in our top 10. Davis is among the finest players in the world, even though he may not have reached the heights of performance that many had anticipated. And it’s not a bad ceiling for the Lakers, a club that has every element needed to win the championship once more.
Anthony Edwards
This could soon become Anthony Edwards’ league. With one more step this season, Ant Man might have an All-NBA season. He has progressed every year he has been in the league thus far. Year over year, Edwards has improved in almost every single statistic. His totals for points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, steals, and blocks per game have all climbed. It is expected of him to carry on that development and guide the Timberwolves to a deeper postseason run now that he is the official No. 1 option in Minnesota.
Bam Adebayo
Over the past few years, a lot of people have questioned if Bam Adebayo is a legitimate “star”. It’s difficult to argue against Bam’s stardom after Miami’s disappointing run to the NBA Finals the previous season. Sure, the Heat had a few secondary players who had an impact, including Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin, but Bam was the defensive rock and the focal point of a lot of the offense. Few big men can be as versatile as Bam—they can start your offense, bring the ball up, score 20 points, and play excellent defense.
Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard will be playing with great expectations for the first time in his career. The days of attempting to carry a franchise or not having enough skill are over. The Bucks, who are now a top-tier No. 2 option, are anticipated to play in June. In terms of Dame personally, he just finished the league with his best campaign. In addition to recording a career-high 71 points off of 13 three-pointers, he averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game. Even though the Bucks window is tiny, Dame might be producing at his best right now.
De’Aaron Fox
It was proven wrong for many who thought De’Aaron Fox was already one of the best players in the NBA prior to the 2018–19 season. In addition to leading the Kings to a top-three Western seed and a postseason appearance, Fox was recognized as the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year in 2023. Currently regarded as the fastest player in the league, Fox is a relentless rim-attacker who also possesses a deadly mid-range game that renders him nearly unguardable. Fox has so much potential still in him at just 25 years old; the possibilities are truly endless. He is among the NBA’s top point guards and will likely stay that way for some time to come.
Devin Booker
Devin Booker may have been in the top three after going on a two-round shooting spree that matched Michael Jordan at the height of his abilities if this ranking had just been based on postseason performance. In addition to being one of the league’s most skilled scorers and fiercest competitors, Booker is currently the best shooting guard in the NBA. He is finally being discussed with the world’s best players, where he deservedly belongs, thanks to the Suns emerging as contenders over the past several years.
Donovan Mitchell
Only two players on this list have ever scored 70 points in a game: Donovan Mitchell. Somehow, when Mitchell’s legacy is discussed, that game is ignored. Although Mitchell often plays exceptionally well in the postseason, he had an unusually bad playoff season last year. Mitchell had perhaps his best season as a professional despite the playoff failures the previous year, averaging a career-high 28 points per game on 48-87-38 splits.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis’ final season came to an abrupt end when the Miami Heat defeated him in the first round of the playoffs. Whether he wants to admit it or not, the Bucks as a whole failed that season. Despite losing some time due to injury, Giannis may have enjoyed the best season of his career on an individual basis. In addition to scoring 31.1 points per game, he maintained his position as the team’s best defensive player. This season, Giannis finally has an excellent companion to distract him, so we’ll see if he and Damian Lillard can win the Bucks’ second championship in the previous four years.
Ja Morant
Not as crazy as some of us to put Ja Morant in the 30s. This ranking is not influenced by the problems with guns that occur off the court. When it comes to basketball, Ja Morant is a strong contender for MVP in this league. He’s still one of the best players in the sport, even though he will miss a number of games to start the season and won’t be able to prove it. Despite having a shooting hand injury, this player scored 45 points against the Lakers while playing on the road in Game 3. The story on Ja’s ranking might be different for everyone if he hadn’t been injured throughout the previous two postseasons.
Jalen Brunson
After Julius Randle and RJ Barrett signed contracts, many fans and pundits made fun of the Knicks for signing Jalen Brunson to a large contract. They were dubbed the “Mid 3” right away, but everyone laughed it off—especially when the postseason arrived. Jalen Brunson was the real star of the Knicks, even though Julius Randle was named the team’s star and earned an All-Star selection. The success of the Knicks hinged on their point guard. He consistently performed when it mattered most, such as during the Cleveland Cavaliers first-round series. Until further notice, Brunson is the best player in all of New York.
Jamal Murray
Murray may be the NBA player who is hardest to rate right now. Although he hasn’t yet earned any individual honors like All-Star or All-NBA selection, he is without a doubt one of the best playoff players in recent NBA history. Over the course of three different postseason runs, Murray has become even more productive and efficient. It’s reasonable to believe that Murray will eventually receive individual recognition if the Nuggets perform at a high level once more this season. Furthermore, he might make this rating seem ridiculous if the Nuggets go on a lengthy postseason run.
James Harden
Since he and the Sixers are at a standstill, it is impossible to predict when James Harden will play this season. He has been trying to bully his way off his third team in the previous four seasons, which doesn’t help his public image either. Harden has developed into one of the NBA’s top point guards and is still a walking double-double, averaging 21 points and 10.7 assists per game last season, despite being a flight risk and not being the same explosive scorer he was in his peak. In addition, he scored 40 points in each of the Sixers’ two victories over the Celtics in the second round. Even while he is no longer able to lead an attack regularly on his own, he can still be a vital component of one. And that still has some worth.
Jaylen Brown
The Celtics are a team that makes it difficult to find wings who can start their own offense and score more than 25 points a night. Brown is the second player in the Celtics’ two-headed great wing combo, and he may be the most potent scorer on the court any given night. The final two gaps in Brown’s skill set are tightening his handle and increasing his propensity to pass the ball. Given his quick rise to the top of the league’s wings, there’s no reason to think he won’t complete his game.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
It seems that people overlook the fact that Jaren Jackson Jr. is still only 24 years old and has a lot more basketball left in him to develop and flourish. Although he occasionally makes bad shot choices and issues with fouling, there’s a reason he’s the current Defensive Player of the Year. How many world-class shot blockers can stretch the floor, be a dangerous lob threat, and score 19 points per game as a versatile defender? Anthony Davis is the only other big guy in the NBA who is capable of doing that. Allow time for JJJ to perform at his best.
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum, the franchise player for a team that is always in the running, and the Celtics make it far into the playoffs but lose a little bit every year. Will 2023 be the year he finally pulls it all together and the Celtics win a championship? Bostonians undoubtedly hope so. Tatum, one of the most gifted and intelligent young players to enter the league in recent years, is a one-man show on the court. When he is playing well, he frequently has the ability to be the best player on the floor. The only obstacle he needs to overcome is consistency; if he does, nothing can stop him.
Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler is coming off another All-NBA season and may be one of the league’s top five players in the postseason. He is also no slouch in the regular season. The Heat had an incredible run to the NBA Finals as the eighth seed, but Jimmy’s heroics were the only reason they could not win. Nobody can forget Butler’s 56-point effort against the Milwaukee Bucks, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, which put them on the ropes in the series, even though he slowed down as the postseason went on. He sent them home with a 42-point game after that performance. When the chips are down, he has continually demonstrated that he is capable of playing at a higher level.
Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid makes it incredibly easy. He can score thirty points or more every game, grabs a lot of rebounds, passes above average for a center, and, because to his rim protection, he can at least anchor a strong defense. Embiid placed second in the MVP competition twice before making history in the NBA by winning the trophy in the 2022–2023 season. His next task is to build on his dominant regular season play and provide an outstanding postseason performance to propel the 76ers into the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond. It’s unclear if his health permits that, but his potential is undeniable.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns missed the most of the season due to injuries last year, so he never really established a rhythm. KAT averaged 20-8-5 in the games he played last season, despite having a bit of a poor year. For some, a poor year for him is still a great one. It might take some getting used to for KAT to completely give up being “The Guy” in Minnesota this year, since he is already trailing Anthony Edwards in the rankings.
Kawhi Leonard
Like Zion Williamson, Kawhi Leonard is a top-10 player when healthy, but since moving to Los Angeles, we haven’t seen much of him on the court. When he had the injury-plagued Clippers going head-to-head with the Suns in the postseason last year, we were promptly reminded of his greatness. However, that matchup lasted only two games as he was ruled out of the postseason due to a knee injury. In the case that Kawhi is unable to play all season, the Clippers will eventually have to make a decision.
Kevin Durant
These days, there is an odd debate surrounding Kevin Durant. He receives criticism for playing on teams with deep rosters, deductions for failing to return to the NBA Finals after departing the Golden State Warriors in 2019, and continual reminders of his inferiority complex. Then you examine his stats, which show that he is a constant 50/40/90 shooting threat and a walking 30-point scorer. Whatever you think of the man, there is no denying his skill set, and any team he plays for is a contender when he’s on the court. As one of the best athletes to have ever played, he continues to perform at an almost unbeatable level.
Kyrie Irving
You are welcome to pose the identical query to Kyrie Irving that we just posed to Trae Young. Is Kyrie Irving currently being underappreciated? He has averaged 27 points a game on high efficiency over the past four seasons, including a 50-40-90 campaign. There are very few players, if any, with greater skill than Kyrie Irving when it comes to pure skill. He is among the best bucket getters in the history of the game and has no offensive flaws. Whether it was the Nets losing to the Boston Celtics in a sweep two years ago or the Dallas Mavericks missing the postseason after acquiring Irving last year, teams headed by Kyrie have had dismal seasons despite his stats. With a combo like Kyrie and Luka leading the way, the Mavericks and Kyrie Irving will undoubtedly be in the spotlight this season.
LeBron James
It may seem sacrilegious to some to see LeBron ranked lower than the best five players in the world, and believe me, it’s strange to write. Don’t take this as a slight, though; rather, consider it evidence of his excellence that, at 37, he is still regarded as one of the top five. Before suffering a foot tendon injury in the postseason, James was still projecting the image as one of the best players this sport has to offer. James helped lead the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals. By the end of the season, it’s possible that this ranking will be too low. James has, after all, overcome the odds numerous times over his career. For a player starting their 21st season, that is still unheard of, even if he is only ranked among the top 10 players in the world.
Luka Doncic
One could argue that Luka Doncic encountered genuine hardship for the first time in his NBA career during the previous campaign. After the Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference Finals the previous season, they were unable to make the play-in round, and Doncic’s star power may have begun to wane. However, if you look at the box score, he nonchalantly averaged 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, earning a spot on the All-NBA First-Team for the third straight season. It’s never a nice look to miss the playoffs when you’re almost at the top of your game, so Doncic needs to recover greatly this year. Don’t be misled, though; he is still quite good.
Mikal Bridges
Mikal Bridges is about to become well-known. In his first 27 games in Brooklyn following his trade to the Nets during the trade deadline the previous season, he displayed play worthy of an All-Star. As the starting point guard throughout that time, he scored 26 points per game on average. With multiple All-Stars on his team, he was likely the second-best player going into the FIBA World Cup. If Mikal can sustain this level of play for the whole season, you’ll have no trouble ranking him among the NBA’s best wings, if you haven’t already done so.
Nikola Jokic
Probably the easiest choice on the list was this one. There isn’t much evidence to refute Jokic’s claim to be the best player in the world at the moment. When Denver easily won the NBA last year thanks to the two-time MVP, many who had previously discounted his MVP seasons due to the Nuggets’ postseason exploits were silenced. To stop Jokic, there is no solution. There is very little that you can do. He is a 7-footer who averages a triple double and scores effectively from all three levels.
Paul George
Before he was hurt in the collision with Lu Dort, Paul George was enjoying another All-Star season. Although it was unfortunate that we missed seeing him play with Kawhi throughout the playoffs, the Clippers’ postseason woes have persisted. PG13 is undeniably talented; he’s one of the best three-level scorers in the league, but he and Kawhi must continue playing together if they want to make it to the Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The fact that SGA was selected to the first team of the NBA last season and was almost universally ranked among the league’s top 10 players by different sites shows how confident the NBA media is in him. Even if his talent is obvious and his production is apparent, we are waiting to place him among the greatest of the best. There won’t be any denying him a top 10 spot if he can lead a quality Thunder team to a postseason berth in the competitive Western Conference and continue to play brilliantly on the biggest stage come playoff time.
Steph Curry
Don’t believe that Steph Curry will soon start to decline. Even though his longstanding teammates might have changed, Steph is still a top player in this league. That was made clear by his 50-ball against the Kings in a boisterous away game during Game 7 of the first round. Steph scored 29.4 points per game on average, which was his third-highest scoring total of his legendary career and helped lead the Warriors to the second round. Steph’s availability will be more important than ever for the Warriors to succeed.
Trae Young
Is Trae Young now underappreciated? You can criticize his ability to defend as well as whether or not his style of play makes him the most convenient person to play with. But the outcomes are self-explanatory. If healthy, he is sure to rank in the top 10 scorers in the NBA and be among the top five or six playmakers right now. He only ever leads the Hawks to the postseason and fills up the box score, yet he is never included on NBA All-Star or All-Star teams. Regardless of whether you agree with him or not, Young merits greater respect than he has recently received. Perhaps he should just accept it without asking for it.
Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson is one of the world’s top ten players if he stays healthy. He’s unique while he’s on the court, so feel free to make all the body jokes, off-the-court jokes, and availability jokes you want. He’s simply missed far too much time for us to rank him higher on a list like this, but he’ll get back up quickly if he plays most of the season. Someone who, in his first few seasons in the league, averaged 26 points per game while shooting 60% from the field cannot be discounted. That is abnormal, especially if you do it just after graduating from college.
