50 Best NBA Players Right Now

With the 2024-25 NBA season underway, there is no better time than now to take a look at who are the best NBA players heading into the final months of the campaign. There are many familiar faces like Lebron James and Kevin Durant. However, there are also quite a few new faces in the top 25 and top 10 this year. With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 50 players in the NBA right now.

Best players in the NBA from 25 to 50

Before we get to the top 25 best players in the NBA right now, take a look at the back half of the top 50. Including Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams and Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun.

50. Chet Holmgren
49. RJ Barrett
48. Ivica Zubac
47. Darius Garland
46. Mikal Bridges
45. Jamal Murray
44. Zion Williamson
43. Domantas Sabonis
42. Kawhi Leonard
41. Jalen Green
40. CJ McCollum
39. Scottie Barnes
38. DeMar DeRozan
37. Joel Embiid
36. Zach LaVine
35. Norman Powell
34. Evan Mobley
33. Tyler Herro
32. James Harden
31. Paolo Banchero
30. Alperen Sengun
29. Jalen Williams
28. Tyrese Haliburton
27. Jaren Jackson Jr.
26. Pascal Siakam

Top 25 best NBA players right now

25. Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors

The man known as “Playoff Jimmy” is a unique individual. Wherever the six-time All-Star goes he makes that team much better. However, the 35-year-old has traveled around a lot and did so again in 2025. After five and a half seasons in Miami, Butler forced his way out of town and to the Warriors. While he is no longer in his prime, it is hard to deny the impact he makes on his teams on multiple levels.

24. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

After missing much of last season due to injuries, LaMelo Ball has recaptured the form of two years ago that made him the face of the Charlotte Hornets and a popular new pitchman in commercials. He still isn’t helping his teammates elevate their games yet, but he is among the league leaders in scoring and the only thing that really makes the Hornets worth watching this year.

23. De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs

De’Aaron Fox is a very talented guard and was the heart of the Sacramento Kings for the last few years. However, with contract writing on the wall, the franchise took the bold step of trading the one-time All-Star to the San Antonio Spurs this year. He will certainly make Victor Wembanyama better and vice versa as Fox gets to benefit from playing with one of the bright young stars in the game.

22. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the great stories in the 2024-25 NBA season. After being the worst team in the league last season they are on a path to making the playoffs a year later. much of that is thanks to the outstanding play of young star Cade Cunningham. He leads the team in scoring while also being their top ball-handler. The All-Star has carried a big load in Motown this season and has done it like a proven veteran with far more years under his belt.

21. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Despite the insane hype surrounding Victor Wembanyama in his rookie season, the Frenchman showed he really is a special talent. He has only added to his growing legend by becoming an All-Star for the first time in his second season. The basketball unicorn can affect the game on multiple levels and he has still only scratched the surface of what he can be as an NBA player.

20. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

A lot of weight is on the slight shoulders of Hawks star Trae Young this season. The franchise has chosen to go with a pseudo-rebuild and youth movement in 2024-25. Yet, despite having good reason to be a disappointing team, Young has helped elevate this group to be a playoff contender as he earned All-Star honor again in 2025.

19. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

After being traded to the New York Knicks in a blockbuster deal right before the season, the assumption was that Karl-Anthony Towns would have to sacrifice a lot of his game this season. However, that hasn’t been the case and he has played at an All-Star level in his new surroundings. The New Jersey native has turned into a key reason why New York is a legitimate Finals contender in the second half.

18. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

There is little doubt that Brown can be a No. 1 option on a contending team. He’s just not that with Jayson Tatum being the current face of the franchise. Nevertheless, during the 2024 playoffs, he showed his big-game talents and came up huge in some highly pressurized moments. The Celtics don’t win a title last season and aren’t a favorite to do it again in 2024-25 without Jaylen Brown.

17. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks

Kyrie Irving quieted his detractors again last season. After a disastrous few months in his debut with the Mavericks two years ago, he was a key part of a very good Dallas team that surprised many by reaching the NBA Finals. The gifted guard is in the final years of his prime and when healthy remains one of the hardest guards in the game.

16. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

The 2024 Summer Olympics showed that Stephen Curry still remains one of the most dangerous players in the sport of basketball. At 36, his best years are behind him but when you are the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA, father-time still has a lot of ground to make him before having enough of an effect to remove the Warriors icon from among the best players in the NBA today.

15. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

For much of his career, Donovan Mitchell has been one of the more underappreciated players in the game. It is the blessing and curse of playing in cities like Utah and Cleveland. But the Jazz wouldn’t have been a perennial playoff team without him, and he is the main reason why the Cavaliers have a real chance to get to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025.

14. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker is the face of the Phoenix Suns. Sure, Kevin Durant is a living legend and higher on this list, but Booker is a special talent that often gets overlooked. While he has slipped out of being a top 10 talent, he is a legit star in the NBA who becomes unstoppable if he catches fire.

13. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Sure, Lebron James is not the player he once was. But what he can still do at 39 years old is absolutely mind-blowing. For the amount of games he’s played during an iconic career, he should be a shell of himself. But the Lakers star continues to play at an All-Star level talent because he knows what it takes to win. The big difference from his prime years is he can’t carry a team to the Finals by himself anymore.

12. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

After missing much of last season due to suspensions and injuries, Ja Morant has regained his elite form this season and has led the Memphis Grizzlies back to being a top team in the West. If he is not distracted by drama off the court, there is no denying the immense talent he has. When he is on, he can be one of the best players on the planet.

11. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks

It’s no surprise that Damian Lillard saw his scoring decline in his first season playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. But the duo have gotten a better sense of how to play with each other in 2024-25 and Lillard has returned to putting up elite stats again. After getting the designation of being injury-prone two years ago, the 34-year-old has remained healthy for the Bucks and is just as deadly as ever.

10 Best NBA players right now

10. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers guard showed he was a legitimate star on the rise last year. However, this season has solidified that Philly truly doesn’t just have a third All-Star to go alongside NBA greats Joel Embiid and Paul George. Instead, they may have the new face of their franchise as Embiid continues to be an injury waiting to happen for the Sixers.

9. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

As with others on this list, getting a bit longer in the tooth has impacted Durant’s ability to stay healthy. Nonetheless, he’s shown he is still a top-10 player despite being in the back half of his 30s. He remains one of the game’s best scorers, but in Phoenix, he has become a more impactful player on defense. Adding a new layer to the greatness of the man known as KD.

8. Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks

Maybe Anthony Davis did not turn into the best player in the game like some foresaw when he was the top overall pick in 2012. But when healthy he can be one of the most dominant forces in the game. He was playing like an MVP candidate in LA this season. However, he was shockingly traded to Dallas for Luka Doncic in January. While some frowned at the return for the Slovenian, GM Nico Harrison understands the two-way force Davis can be in Big D.

7. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson’s ascendance to being one of the best NBA players right now is one of the top stories in New York sports over the last three seasons. Not only has he become the face and captain of the New York Knicks, he is one of the most famous athletes in North America’s biggest sports market. And he has done that with elite play and being one of the toughest guards in basketball.

6. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

At this point, it’s safe to assume that Doncic is one of the best NBA players of the modern era. He’s played like an All-Star since making his debut in the Association back in 2018. Last season saw him take things to a whole new level by carrying the Mavericks to the Finals. Lakers fans will be hoping he can do the same in LA after Showtime was shockingly able to bring in the young superstar before February’s NBA trade deadline.

5. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards has surprisingly gotten comparisons to Michael Jordan in recent seasons, and may not be that far off. The 23-year-old already took his team to the West Finals last season and outplayed some of the game’s greatest players to do it. The scariest thing is that this is still not the best version of the Timberwolves star. That should absolutely terrify Western rivals for the next decade.

4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum solidified his place among the very best players in the NBA right now last season as he led the Boston Celtics to the best record in the league and an NBA title. There is little he can’t do on the floor and has handled the Boston pressure with grace. If not for some of the special talents of those in front of him on this list he would be the top player overall.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

SGA has morphed into one of the best players in the NBA since coming over from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Paul George trade. He was an MVP candidate for a surprising Thunder team last season and is now the MVP favorite for a club with the best record in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander somehow has become a superstar under the radar and is still getting better.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

It’s a new year and Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing like a superstar. Three-point shooting is the only thing the Greek Freak can’t do on the floor. After an awful start this season, Antetokounmpo has guided the Bucks back to elite status with another season that will get him MVP consideration. Antetokounmpo is just adding to his Hall-of-Fame resume at this point.

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic has redefined what it is to be an NBA center and player today. In an era where athletes are as shredded as ever, the “Dad Bod God” has absolutely dominated the highest levels of the game despite looking like a seven-foot accountant. Sure, his defense could be better, but the impact he has on so many facets of the game, and at his size, is awe-inspiring.

His NBA title win two years and three NBA MVP awards is why he will go down as one of the top three players of his era.