List Rules Only current NBA centers. No retired or collegiate players
The best current NBA centers aren't just the best men in the National Basketball Association to play the five position the best but also among the overall best current NBA Players. These pivot players are often times the stars of their respective NBA teams as they sink the shots from in the paint, grab the rebounds, and set screens. While we could argue all day about whether the center position is the most important on a basketball team, few will disagree that these men are the best centers currently in the NBA.
While Joel Embiid might be the overwhelming favorite as the best center in the NBA, that doesn't mean there are not many other great NBA centers in the league today. Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, Joakim Noah, and Hassan Whiteside all come to mind as the top centers in the NBA today. So do the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Brook Lopez, DeMarcus Cousins, and Al Horford.
Not just the top five centers in the NBA, this list has all the current players at this position. So whether you're a fan of the superstars like Embiid and Cousins or the great centers who don't get as much love, like Rudy Gobert, Robin Lopez, and Steven Adams, each is quite valuable to their respective teams. Who do you think is the best current NBA center? Vote below, add more players or re-rank this list in your order, all below! When you're done ranking here, head over and rank the best wing players in the NBA too!
Joel Hans Embiid (born 16 March 1994) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college ...more
2
Karl Anthony TownsMinnesota Timberwolves
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995) is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played ...more
Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel (born June 26, 1992) is a French professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the French national ...more
Nikola Jokić (born February 19, 1995) is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Serbian national ...more
Andre Jamal Drummond (born August 10, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was one of the top rated ...more
Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward ...more
Steven Funaki Adams (born 20 July 1993) is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing one season with ...more
DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Boogie", ...more
Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college ...more
Marc Gasol Sáez (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈmaɾɡ ɡəˈzɔl]; born 29 January 1985) is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association ...more
Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso (born June 3, 1986) is a Dominican professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for ...more
Hassan Niam Whiteside (born June 13, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball ...more
13
Clint CapelaHouston Rockets
Clint N'Dumba-Capela (born May 18, 1994) is a Swiss professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). On June 26, 2014, Capela was selected ...more
Nikola Vučević (born 24 October 1990) is a Montenegrin professional basketball player who currently plays for Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball ...more
Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is an eight-time All-Star, ...more
16
Myles TurnerIndiana Pacers
Myles Christian Turner (born March 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season for the Texas ...more
Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuanian pronunciation: [ˈjoːnɐs vɐɫɐnʲˈtɕûːnɐs]; born 6 May 1992) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball ...more
Jusuf Nurkić (born August 23, 1994) is a Bosnian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. Standing at 6 ft 11 in ...more
Enes Kanter (Turkish: [eˈnes kanˈtæɾ]; born May 20, 1992) is a Swiss-born Turkish professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was ...more
Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star and ...more
Brook Robert Lopez (born April 1, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected 10th overall by the ...more
Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila (; born 18 September 1989) is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ibaka was drafted ...more
Tristan Trevor James Thompson (born March 13, 1991) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of ...more
Tyson Cleotis Chandler (born October 2, 1982) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Chandler was the ...more
Jarrett Allen (born April 21, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas ...more
