Jaden McDaniels has progressively gotten better each season of his career, and he's turned himself into one of the most important pieces of the Minnesota Timberwolves' foundation. He's been one of the league's best defensive wings for years, but his offense is becoming more consistent.
There are still times when some meat is left on the bone with McDaniels offensively; sometimes he isn't as aggressive as you'd like, but we've seen what he's capable of when he gets rolling, as the recent Nuggets series shows.
For my small forward rankings, I take into account contributions to winning basketball, versatility, two-way play, and if I were starting a team from scratch, who I would want on that team.
Players who could have been ranked but are classified as different positions are Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, LeBron James, and Scottie Barnes.
Honorable mentions: Jimmy Butler, Franz Wagner, Michael Porter Jr., Ausar Thompson, and Paul George.
10. Trey Murphy III
Trey Murphy III does everything you want your ideal wing player to do. He can launch threes from range that few can. He's extremely athletic, and he has the tools to be a very rangy defender, although as his offense has risen, his defense has fallen off over the past couple of seasons.
The problem: he's currently rotting away in New Orleans, on a team that isn't remotely close to being a playoff contender. I believe he would be a couple of spots higher if he were in a winning situation, and while that isn't entirely his fault, it is easier to put up impressive numbers on a team that is playing for lottery balls most years. He's in trade rumors every trade deadline; maybe this will finally be the season he'll get to play on a playoff team.
9. Brandon Ingram
The Kawhi Leonard saga is finally over, meaning Ingram will officially be a member of the Los Angeles Clippers this season. I'm cautiously excited about Ingram on this team. Players around him like Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler, Max Strus, and Rui Hachimura will give him a lot more spacing than he endured last season in Toronto. I think a 24-point-per-game season could be in play.
Ingram is one of the only players who got the "KD comp" and actually somewhat lived up to it. He's not KD by any means, but he has an unblockable jump shot, he's automatic in the mid-range, and he's an impressive playmaker for his position. However, recent playoff woes have kept him from being higher on the list. I don't know how high of a ceiling a team will have if Ingram is the first option, but he's been a regular-season maestro his entire career.
8. Jaden McDaniels
Some people may think this is too high for McDaniels, but I feel like people haven't been paying attention, if that's the case. All 30 teams would absolutely love to roster a player like McDaniels. He guards the other team's best scorer effectively every night, and scales into his role perfectly.
His raw scoring numbers aren't going to pop off the page, but that's going to happen when you've shared the court with Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell, and others for your entire career. If McDaniels were on the Sacramento Kings, he would likely put up All-Star-level numbers. The only guys he is behind are proven All-Star-caliber players.
We saw how good he can be in the playoffs when he needs to take on an increased offensive role. 32 points and 10 rebounds to close out the Nuggets in Game 6 is nothing to scoff at. While for now, he's a role player, he's one of the best ones in the league, with plenty of room to grow.
7. Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg is on his way to becoming a top 15 player in the NBA. His rookie season started slightly rocky, but he quickly lived up to the hype and then some. On April 3, against the Orlando Magic, Flagg spazzed for a career-high 51 points, and then the very next game, he proceeded to drop 45 points on the Los Angeles Lakers.
There are minimal holes in his game. He can create for himself and others; he can defend multiple positions; he's an elite positional rebounder; and he is an improving spacer, although that's probably his biggest weakness currently. Trading Luka Doncic and lucking into Flagg the following summer is a crime. Regardless, Dallas has itself a budding superstar, and he's the easiest candidate to skyrocket this list next summer.
6. Jalen Williams
Jalen Williams was the second-best player on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that became NBA champions in 2025. However, last season was one to forget for Williams, as he was hampered by a lingering hamstring injury that plagued him for nearly the entire season, including the playoff run.
When he's himself, he's one of the best two-way players in the NBA, and I'm confident that next season, he'll remind the league of the type of player he was two years ago. He's another guy that all NBA teams would love to have, given his versatility and youth.
5. Deni Avdija
A lot of people don't love Deni Avdija's game due to his extremely high free-throw rate, but he was a genuine number-one option on a playoff team in a highly competitive Western Conference. I don't take that lightly. When he started his career in Washington, he was a solid connective wing, but he never really blossomed until he got to Portland.
This year will be interesting for sure, because the Trail Blazers' level of spacing is going to be horrendous, which might limit Avdija's best trait: getting to the rim. But he turned himself into a nightly triple-double threat and a true offensive engine of a playoff-caliber team.
4. OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby is the best role player in the sport. No, he might not ever have the numbers to be selected to an All-Star or All-NBA team, but he is the perfect third option and someone the New York Knicks don't win the championship without.
He is an all-defense-level defender; he doesn't miss open shots, and he is the blueprint for young wings to succeed in the league. Everything he is expected to do on the NBA court, he does at the highest level, and he's as consistent and rock-solid as they come. His importance cannot be overstated to whatever team he's on.
3. Jaylen Brown
Brown put up a career season last year in Boston while Jayson Tatum was rehabbing his torn Achilles, and starting next season with a Philadelphia 76ers team absolutely loaded with talent, it wouldn't surprise me if his counting stats take a dip, but his efficiency goes up.
A lot of people counted out the Celtics last season, but Brown was able to carry them all the way to the second seed in the Eastern Conference, shocking everyone. In the past, he was a Finals MVP and perennial All-Star, and he's pretty established as a top-20 player in the sport.
2. Kevin Durant
Simply put, Durant is the best pure scorer to ever walk the earth. Even at age 37, he can score 25-30 points per game while sleepwalking. The Rockets themselves underperformed as a whole last season, losing to the hobbled Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, but Durant was only playing in one of those games.
With Fred VanVleet back this season for the Rockets, I would expect a lot of the playmaking pressure to be lifted off of Durant. That offense lacked a lot of structure last season, and in turn, Durant dealt with frequent double teams and a lot of uncomfortable situations on offense. It says a lot that he had as good a season as he did with that much offensive imbalance.
1. Kawhi Leonard
Yes, I know about the allegations. Yes, I know what he's been in the headlines for. This is talking about pure basketball, and there is no better small forward in the game right now than Kawhi. The dude is an absolute machine. When he's on, there's absolutely nothing any defender is going to do to slow him down.
He's been a playoff riser his entire career. He is still in an elite class of defenders, and even at age 35, he had his career-best offensive season. No, the Clippers didn't make the playoffs, but let's be real, that roster wasn't good. With the Raptors this season, I expect them to be in the top tier of title contenders, because there aren't 10 better basketball players on the planet than Kawhi Leonard.
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