The Top 10 Small Forwards For The 2025-26 NBA Season

With the 2025-26 NBA season quickly approaching, there’s no better time than now to rank the top ten players at each position heading into the season.

While other positions will have a list packed with hall-of-fame talent from top to bottom, the small forward position might boast the least amount of depth. With that in mind, let’s rank the top ten small forwards heading into the 2025-26 season.

While Jayson Tatum would certainly have a spot on this list, he’s been left off of it as he’s recovering from a torn Achilles and will likely miss the entire 2025-26 season.

1. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets

While he may not be at the peak of his prime, Kevin Durant is still one of the best scorers in the league and remains a top 10 player in the NBA. As a nearly unstoppable scorer, Durant gets his points from anywhere and everywhere. He’s a solid playmaker and defender, allowing him to thrive in almost every possible system.

He averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists on a blistering 53% from the floor and 43% from deep last season, further cementing himself as one of the most efficient scorers in the world.

Although he was just involved in the largest trade in NBA history in a deal that sent him from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets, he’s likely to be the league’s top small forward next season.

2. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James will turn 41 just before the beginning of the 2026 calendar year, yet he continues to battle against Father Time and remain one of the best players in the world. Like Durant, he has lost a bit of his peak athleticism, but he’s adapted his skillset nearly perfectly. He’s become a reliable outside shooter and adjusted the overall speed of his game to better suit his age.

James put up 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists on 51.3% shooting last season. This age-defying campaign earned him a spot on the All-NBA Second Team, extending his record for most All-NBA Team selections to 21.

With Luka Doncic in town, it’s possible we see James take more of a backseat this season, but he still remains at the very top of the NBA’s small forwards.

3. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Kawhi Leonard has long been one of the NBA’s elite wings, with the glaring red flag of constant injuries and medical setbacks. He only appeared in 37 regular season games, but made a huge impact on both sides of the ball.

He remained healthy for the entire 7-game series against the Denver Nuggets in the first round and put up a strong 25.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in the series while shooting 54% from the floor. When he’s at 100%, he can still be the best player on the floor during any given game.

As an all-time great defender and offensive powerhouse, The Claw remains a top three small forward in the league. If he can remain healthy throughout the season, Leonard and the Clippers could have their best season in years.

4. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

Franz Wagner has taken arguably the largest leap of any player on this list. At just 23 years old, the Orlando Magic forward put up 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game during the 2024-25 regular season. As an athletic 6’10” wing, he has tremendous slashing ability to go along with solid defensive skills and passing instincts.

He shot just under 30% from deep last season, so he’ll need to polish his jumpshot in order to get to the next level, but he’s on track to be the newest addition to the top five SF’s in the NBA.

5. Jimmy Butler III, Golden State Warriors

Jimmy Butler falls into the same category as Durant and James, as all three have been able to remain elite players deep into their 30’s.

At 35, Butler is still one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the league and can still get a bucket when he needs to. He’s a hyper-versatile forward that will happily be either the first or the last scoring option, depending on what’s asked of him. He averaged 17.5 points, 5.4 boards and 5.4 assists in 55 games last season.

It’s no secret that Butler can be streaky at times, but he’s still a top-tier forward in the league when he’s at his best.

6. Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors

Much like Leonard, Brandon Ingram’s most concerning weakness is his availability. After appearing in just 18 games last season for the Pelicans before an ankle injury ended his campaign, he was traded to Toronto.

When he’s on the floor, he one of the craftiest scorers in the league. With a skillset reminiscent of Durant’s, Ingram’s length combined with ball-handling and shiftiness makes him nearly unstoppable with the ball in his hands.

While he has yet to play in a single game for the Raptors, he’s reportedly pain-free and participating in team scrimmages. He’s yet to be the leader of a playoff team, but if he can be relatively healthy, Ingram can have a strong comeback.

7. OG Anunoby, New York Knicks

Even with players like Butler and Leonard in the top 10, OG Anunoby might currently be the best defender on this list. At 6’7″ with great length and size, Anunoby is one of the most switchable defenders in the entire league. While he’s not the primary scorer for the Knicks, he’s a solid rim-runner and has seriously improved his outside shooting.

Last season, he put up 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 37% shooting from three. He may never be a 25+ PPG player, but as an exceptional two-way wing, he deserves a spot among the league’s best forwards.

8. DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings

DeMar DeRozan’s career has gone through a quiet renaissance. Not only has he become one of the NBA’s best midrange scorers, he’s also been exceptional in clutch situations for several seasons. Last season’s change of scenery wasn’t perfect as the Kings missed the playoffs, but DeRozan put together another great offensive season, despite being a below average three-point shooter.

Originally seen as an athletic slasher early in his career, DeRozan has pulled a page out of LBJ’s book and adapted his game to be better suited for longevity.

He may not be a spectacular defender at the age of 36, but he continues to make a very positive impact on the offensive end.

9. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Jalen Johnson has quietly become one of the league’s best young forwards on both ends of the floor. He would likely be higher on this list if he had been more healthy during the 2024-25 campaign. Johnson only played in 36 games last season before having season-ending shoulder surgery, but he was very impressive.

He put up 18.9 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1 block for Atlanta during that stretch. At just 23 years old, Johnson seems to be far from his peak in terms of skill and athleticism. He still struggles to be a consistent outside shooter, but he’s a hyper-athletic slasher and a versatile defender.

His role may look different this season as the Hawks’ roster has seen major changes, but he’ll be a top tier small forward this season if he can stay on the floor.

10. Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks

Mikal Bridges is yet another Knicks forward that makes this list and for mostly the same reasons as Anunoby. While Bridges certainly provides solid three-level scoring, a lot of his value comes from what he can do on the defensive end. He’s become one of the NBA’s most tenacious perimeter defenders.

His scoring took a hit when he went from the Nets to the Knicks as a result of his role change, but as a star role player who can consistently knock down threes, get to the rim and put on a defensive masterclass, he’s still an excellent option at the small forward position.

While many players have an argument to make the top 10, some honorable mentions include Andrew Wiggins, Khris Middleton, Brandon Miller and Deni Avdija.