Sports

The Best Current NBA Small Forwards 

Ranker NBA
Originally by
Updated June 25, 2020 32k votes 4.4k voters 39.5k views 47 items

List Rules Vote up the top small forwards in the league today.

Who are the best small forwards currently in the NBA? Certainly, this list includes some of the greatest small forwards playing right now, and potentially some of the top NBA players of all time. Check out these lists of the best current shooting guards and greatest point guards in NBA history, along with the most clutch NBA players today. Having an awesome small forward gives any NBA team a huge advantage. It's a deep position, one often filled by a true leader.

Outstanding small forwards who are currently playing in the NBA are certainly among the overall top current NBA players, too (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George come to mind immediately). The highly skilled NBA players on this list can make or break a team's performance on the court. They are lightning fast players who manage to effectively defend the perimeter. These small forwards are expert ball handlers who are able to cut to the paint and shoot from the wing.

Vote for the current small forwards that you think are the most important, key players for their respective teams, and if your favorite player isn't listed, add him. You can also re-rank this list of SFs in any order you want.

list ordered by
1
Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward and Point forward from Athens, Greece

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks

Age: 25

Number: 34

Giannis Antetokounmpo (born December 6, 1994) is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Greek ...more

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#1,752 of 2,181 The Best Athletes Of All Time #164 of 243 The Best White Players in NBA History #46 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time

2
Kawhi Leonard is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Shooting guard and Small forward from Riverside, California

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers

Age: 28

Number: 2

Kawhi Anthony Leonard (, born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played two seasons of ...more

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#30 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #5 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time #13 of 98 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today

3
LeBron James is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward and Power forward from Akron, Ohio, United States of America

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

Age: 35

Number: 23

LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His accomplishments ...more

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The Best LeBron 15 Colorways, Ranked #262 of 274 The Most Trustworthy Celebrities in the World #10 of 2,181 The Best Athletes Of All Time

4
Kevin Durant is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward from Washington, D.C., United States of America

Teams: Brooklyn Nets

Age: 31

Number: 35

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college ...more

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The Best KD 10 Colorways, Ranked #1,943 of 2,181 The Best Athletes Of All Time #21 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time

5
Paul George is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Shooting guard and Small forward from Palmdale, California

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers

Age: 29

Number: 13

Paul Cliftonantho George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a six-time NBA All-Star ...more

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#68 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #71 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today #17 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time

6
Jimmy Butler is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward from Houston, Texas

Teams: Miami Heat

Age: 30

Number: 21

Jimmy Butler III (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing one year of college ...more

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#91 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #83 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today #41 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time

7
Jayson Tatum is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards

Teams: Boston Celtics

Number: 0

Jayson Christopher Tatum (born March 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of St. Louis, Missouri, ...more

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#340 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #68 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time #66 of 98 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today

8
Tobias Harris is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward and Power forward from Islip, New York

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers

Age: 27

Number: 34

Tobias John Harris (born July 15, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. He played one season of college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers before ...more
9
Brandon Ingram is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Lorenz Sioson added Brandon Ingram Small forward from Kinston, North Carolina

Teams: New Orleans Pelicans

Number: 14

Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Los ...more
10
Gordon Hayward is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward from Indianapolis, Indiana

Teams: Boston Celtics

Age: 29

Number: 20

Gordon Daniel Hayward (born March 23, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played two seasons of college ...more

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#21 of 243 The Best White Players in NBA History #167 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #51 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today

11
Jaylen Brown is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Jaylen Brown

Teams: Boston Celtics

Number: 7

Jaylen Brown (born October 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball ...more

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#490 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #81 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today #79 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time

12
Ben Simmons is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Rusty Shackelford added

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers

Number: 12

Benjamin David Simmons (born 20 July 1996) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball ...more

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#125 of 243 The Best White Players in NBA History #157 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #28 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today

13
Khris Middleton is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward and Forward from Charleston, South Carolina

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks

Age: 28

Number: 32

James Khristian Middleton (born August 12, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Porter-Gaud ...more

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#351 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #73 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time #84 of 178 The Greatest Shooting Guards in NBA History

14
Danilo Gallinari is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward and Power forward from Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder

Age: 31

Number: 8

Danilo Gallinari (Italian pronunciation: [daˈniːlo ɡalliˈnaːri]; born August 8, 1988) is an Italian professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball ...more

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#932 of 2,181 The Best Athletes Of All Time #85 of 243 The Best White Players in NBA History #272 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time

15
Joe Ingles is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Samael Chao added Shooting guard and Small forward from Happy Valley, Australia

Teams: Utah Jazz

Age: 32

Number: 2

Joseph Howarth Ingles (born 2 October 1987) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. He also represents the Australian national ...more

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#100 of 243 The Best White Players in NBA History #480 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #39 of 98 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today

16
Andre Iguodala is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward from Springfield, Illinois

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies

Age: 35

Number: 9

Andre Tyler Iguodala ( ig-wə-DAH-lə; born January 28, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The swingman was ...more

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#1,746 of 2,181 The Best Athletes Of All Time #103 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #52 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time

17
Kelly Oubre Jr. is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
arnas added Small forward and Shooting guard from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Teams: Phoenix Suns

Number: 3

Kelly Paul Oubre Jr. (born December 9, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Oubre played one season of college ...more

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#158 of 275 The Hottest Men Of 2020, Ranked #674 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #153 of 320 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today

18
Joe Harris is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Shooting guard / Small forward from Chelan, Washington

Teams: Brooklyn Nets

Age: 24

Number: 12

Joseph Malcolm Harris (born September 6, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for ...more

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#138 of 320 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today #54 of 54 The Best Current Wing Players in the NBA #19 of 23 The Hottest NCAA College Basketball Players

19
Bojan Bogdanović is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Shooting guard and Small forward from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Teams: Utah Jazz

Age: 30

Number: 44

Bojan Bogdanović (Croatian pronunciation: [ˌbǒjan boɡˈdǎːnoʋit͜ɕ]; born April 18, 1989) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association ...more

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#76 of 243 The Best White Players in NBA History #59 of 98 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today #26 of 136 The Best European NBA Players of All Time

20
Harrison Barnes is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward and Power forward from Ames, Iowa, United States of America

Teams: Sacramento Kings

Age: 27

Number: 40

Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes (born May 30, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college ...more

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#329 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #13 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today #63 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time

21
Robert Covington is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Forward from Bellwood, Illinois

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves

Age: 29

Number: 33

Robert Covington (born December 14, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The small forward played ...more

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#504 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #27 of 78 The Best Philadelphia 76ers of All Time #88 of 320 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today

22
Luka Dončić is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Guard and Small forward from Ljubljana, Slovenia

Teams: Dallas Mavericks

Number: 11

Luka Dončić (born February 28, 1999) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Slovenian national team. Born in ...more

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#39 of 243 The Best White Players in NBA History #201 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #94 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today

23
Caris LeVert is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards

Teams: Brooklyn Nets

Number: 22

Caris Coleman LeVert (born August 25, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the ...more

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#676 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #141 of 320 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today #41 of 55 Who Is The Fastest Player In The NBA Right Now?

24
Miles Bridges is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards

Teams: Charlotte Hornets

Number: 0

Miles Emmanuel Bridges is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State ...more

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#55 of 95 The Most Overrated Players In The NBA Today #115 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time #150 of 320 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today

25
Rudy Gay is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Current NBA Small Forwards
Small forward from Baltimore, Maryland

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

Age: 33

Number: 8

Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6'8" small forward ...more

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#209 of 870 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #105 of 137 The Best Small Forwards of All Time #78 of 98 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today