NBA Western Conference overachievers
The NBA Western Conference is always deep and we expect a few teams to emerge from the pack as overachievers in 2025-26.
In the NBA, size matters. Is it any wonder that six of the last seven NBA MVP winners are either forwards or centers?
Having a good frontcourt has become more important in recent years, and some of the game’s biggest stars are playing the 3 or 4 nowadays. But heading into the 2025-26 NBA season? Who are the best of the best?
Is LeBron James, at 40 years old, still a top-five forward? Is Anthony Davis still worthy of a top-five spot himself considering he was worth trading away for a high-end guard?
We asked our panel of experts who the best forwards in the NBA were heading into this season. Here is the comprehensive list.
NOTE: Players who are expected to miss most of, or the entirety of, the 2025-26 NBA season were not included.
Top 10 forwards for 2025-26 NBA season
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Our experts said: Antetokounmpo remains perhaps the league’s best two-way weapon entering his 13th season and earned first-team All-NBA honors for the seventh year in a row in 2024-25. The two-time MVP set a career high for assists in 2024-25 and shot better than 60% from the field for the second consecutive season (he’s the only player in NBA history to do that while averaging more than 30 points per game).
2. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Our experts said: James remains one of the NBA’s top all-around offensive threats, particularly in transition, as he begins his record-breaking 23rd season. The 40-year-old was second-team All-NBA last year and will be playing for the Lakers on an expiring contract in 2025-26. His court vision and play-making has not waned, and he’ll look to add to his remarkable all-time career scoring total of 42,184 points.
3. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
Our experts said: Durant finished sixth in the NBA in scoring (26.6) and minutes (36.5) per game while he was a member of the Phoenix Suns, but he missed 20 games last season. He was also named an All-Star for the 15th time in his professional career. Now with the Rockets, he joins a team that should highlight his silky mid-range jumper with a coach in Ime Udoka who knows how to maximize Durant’s unicorn skill set.
4. Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
Our experts said: Davis is a feared defensive anchor and powerful interior offensive option – when healthy – and the centerpiece of the Mavericks’ bold decision to trade away Luka Dončić. Davis played just nine regular-season games for the Mavericks last season due to injury, but Dallas should remain a Western Conference threat so long as he’s on the court. Davis made second team all-NBA when he appeared in 76 games for the Lakers in 2023-24.
5. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Our experts said: Leonard played just 37 regular-season games, missing the start of the campaign with knee inflammation, but he was healthy for the Clippers in the playoffs. And while he was ineligible for postseason awards, he was tabbed as the NBA Player of the Week for Week 24 of the season (March 31-April 6). He’ll be facing the NBA-backed investigation on salary cap circumvention, but now at 34, health also remains a concern.
6. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Our experts said: Banchero was sidelined in the first half of the season with a torn oblique, but he returned to post career highs in points and rebounds in 46 games. He’ll turn just 23 in mid-November and has diversified his offensive portfolio to include silky mid-range, straight-line drives to the basket and occasional hits from 3-point range.
7. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
Our experts said: An elite two-way player – he made both the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams – Williams’ meteoric rise (he is entering just his fourth NBA season) will help the Thunder and their young core stay in the championship conversation. He signed a new five-year, maximum rookie contract extension that could reach $287 million.
8. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Our experts said: Towns stands out after a successful first season with the Knicks in which he earned all-NBA honors for the third time in his 10-year career and fit in well alongside fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson. One of the best 3-point shooting big men in history could see a boost in his numbers playing at a faster tempo under new Knicks coach Mike Brown.
9. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Our experts said: The best players in the world are those who can rise to the occasion when their teammates struggle. Brown is that guy. When Jayson Tatum struggled in the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown earned Finals MVP. In fact, the only game the Celtics lost to Dallas in that series was one in which Brown struggled to score (3 of 12 from the field in Game 4). Regardless, Brown is dependable and might be the best No. 2 in the league. With Jayson Tatum likely out for the year, we’ll see if Brown can once again elevate himself to the level the Celtics need from him.
10. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Our experts said: The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Mobley is much more than a lengthy stopper. Coach Kenny Atkinson has empowered Mobley to be a stretch forward who can knock down shots from the corner just as easily as he can go to work in the low block. He only just turned 24 in June and finished 10th in MVP voting last season. A further leap could be incoming.
Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes, Mark Giannotto, Scooby Axson and James Williams
