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The 10 Most Exciting Players Remaining in the 2026 NBA Playoffs

By Ryan Phillips & Liam McKeone Sports Illustrated

Updated May 6, 2026 6:08 AM

The second round of the NBA playoffs is underway. The first round saw a whittling-down of the field that included the exit of some big-name superstar players that fans love to watch in the postseason. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Nikola Jokić were among the stars to head home early after disappointing, upset losses in the opening round of these playoffs. Their elite talents will not grace the floor again until next fall.

But, of course, there are still plenty of similar players worth tuning in for. The NBA is a star-driven league and in the playoffs whoever has the best talent usually wins the day. As such, the postseason is regularly the best showcase for fans of any team to watch the very best players basketball has to offer going toe-to-toe with their peers. It creates memorable moments of all shapes and sizes.

With the second round kicking off, we here at Sports Illustrated wanted to make sure all playoff viewers use their time wisely and focus on the players who are the absolute most fun to watch in the postseason. Thus, here are the 10 most exciting NBA stars remaining in the 2026 playoffs.

10. Ausar Thompson

There are only a few generationally gifted defenders that exist in the NBA, with Victor Wembanyama standing out as the most obvious example; Draymond Green and Kawhi Leonard were the standard-bearers for a long time before him. Outside of Wemby, however, there is only one such defender left remaining: Ausar Thompson, one half of the Thompson twin duo alongside his brother Amen in Houston. And he is an absolute treat to watch most nights.

Thompson is an unusually gifted athlete who floats through the air like the best jumpers in NBA history. He takes that athleticism and pairs it with a truly excellent feel for the game to be a game-changing defender. In the first round, Thompson racked up 16 blocks, tied with Wembanyama (who got there in three and a half games) and Jarrett Allen for most in the postseason field. He paired that with 16 steals, tied for first with Marcus Smart. That sort of versatility is incredibly rare in a wing defender. It's even more rare that you can feel Thompson changing the tide with those defensive highlights. He pops off the screen on defense in the way only the great NBA defenders do and is thriving with how much contact is allowed in the playoffs. Thompson is special enough on that end it makes it easy to overlook his completely invisible offensive skillset.

9. Joel Embiid

Embiid always puts on a show. | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

If you like your basketball up-tempo, then Joel Embiid won't be your cup of tea. But if seeing a player do a bit of everything on a basketball court and quietly take over a game is your thing, he can be one of the game's more exciting players. He's methodical in his approach-and the league's best showman when he's feeling himself.

After undergoing an appendectomy in early April, Embiid returned to the 76ers for the final four games of their opening-round series against the Celtics and took it over. He averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 36.5 minutes per game as he, alongside Tyrese Maxey, dragged Philly back from a 3–1 deficit to win the series. He was on triple-double watch every night as the Sixers played through him for large chunks of the game. After dealing with repeated injuries, the 32-year-old is a bit slower these days, but his skill level and basketball IQ are still off the charts. Despite his struggles to stay on the court for years, he can still pick opposing defenses apart. And Embiid's lack of hesitation to embrace the heel role means he's liable to create a viral moment at any instant.

8. Tyrese Maxey

Maxey ranked fifth this season with 28.3 points per game and didn't slow his roll once the playoffs began. A true speed demon coming into the NBA, the fifth-year Philly star has learned to fully harness that quickness and how to leverage it into open scoring opportunities. The Celtics were reminded of that the hard way in the first round of the postseason. After struggling to handle Maxey all year long, the 76ers guard ripped up Boston's defense to the tune of 26.9 points per night while drilling 41.8% of his three-pointers. Maxey was a huge part of Philadelphia's 3–1 comeback.

While he was stifled in his first game against the Knicks, it won't be long before the young star blows up for a big night. Maxey can leave defenders in the dust whenever he has the ball and stops on a dime to pull up for smooth jumpers. He's a true blur out there and the way he stretches defenses to a breaking point is visible even to the naked eye. An electrifying talent who stands out even amongst his playoff peers.

7. Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell has made the postseason in each of his nine NBA seasons, but has never gotten past the second round. That's a shame, because he has the kind of game that makes playoff basketball exciting. The 29-year-old can be a shot-maker at all three levels and has the explosiveness to be a one-man highlight reel at the rim. He plays with energy and feeds off crowds, particularly at home, where the Cavs are undefeated this postseason.

Perhaps most exciting is Mitchell's ability to get on a heater and take over games. He is a candidate to reel off 10 points in the blink of an eye. Mitchell isn't just a high-volume scorer-he's the kind of guy who can swing the momentum of the game with a quick burst. He has been a steady performer thus far in the 2026 playoffs, but the seven-time All-Star is never far from an offensive explosion.

6. Cade Cunningham

Cunningham is a great passer and scorer all rolled into one. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

To keep with his "Motor Cade" nickname, Cunningham is like an SUV out on the court. His broad, stout frame allows him to plow through opponents of all sizes. It's incredibly difficult to move him off his spot on either end of the court, with balance and touch usually not seen in a 6' 6" frame with shoulders made of titanium.

Coming off the best season of his career, the 24-year-old All-Star leveled up again in the playoffs. In leading the Pistons back from a 3–1 deficit Cunningham averaged 32.4 points per game (second among all playoff scorers in the first round), including a magnificent 45-point outing in Game 5 to save his team's season. He pairs those scoring numbers with great vision, ranking sixth this postseason with 7.1 assists per game. As the only true threat offensively for Detroit, Cunningham usually has to score on loaded defenses, which can make it a slog-but that reality also makes his best plays even more impressive.

5. Jalen Brunson

No guard in the NBA fits New York better than Jalen Brunson, which is why it's pefect that he plays for the Knicks. He's equal parts tough and flashy. He hits big shots that can bring a Madison Square Garden crowd to its feet, but he's not above doing the dirty work to help his team.

Brunson thrives on a challenge, which is why it wasn't surprising to see him go off for 36 points in his duel with Tyrese Maxey in Game 1 against the 76ers. Or when he dropped 39 at MSG against the Hawks in a must-have Game 5 in the opening round. He's a big game player, the kind that is thrilling to watch in the postseason.

4. LeBron James

If a 41-year-old averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals in the NBA playoffs isn't exciting to you, I question your sanity. What LeBron James is doing right now is stunning. In the first round against a young, athletic Rockets team, James averaged 38.5 minutes per game. He had 29 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a clutch three in a stunning comeback in Game 3. Then, when the Lakers needed him to step up the most, he dropped 28 points, and added seven rebounds and eight assists in a Game 6 victory to close out the series.

I get that there's plenty of LeBron fatigue out there, but the man is unbelievable, and the fact that he's still a winning player in his 23rd year in the league is staggering.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander's reputation as a professional drawer of fouls is fair and earned. But it can sometimes overshadow how awesome he is at scoring the basketball.

SGA needs only the slightest hesitation from his defender to slide right by them. Not because he's faster, like Maxey, but because he is superhumanly quick. He may as well teleport, he gets from the three-point line to the basket so quickly. And once Gilgeous-Alexander has a step, it's over. He swishes midrange jumpers of all types with ease and can put all types of spin on his layups to make shots from ludicrious angles. As the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year, SGA is always ready to put on a show when it's time to grab the popcorn in a close game.

SGA is downright amazing as a scorer. Few have made it look so effortless. It's why the foul-baiting can grow to be so frustrating-he obviously doesn't need a referee's help to dominate. He will rain points on the most diligent defender and there isn't a single thing that can be done to stop him when the reigning MVP is feeling himself. He's one of the league's most exciting players and a stamped playoff riser after winning a championship last season by averaging 29.9 points per game in the postseason.

2. Anthony Edwards

Edwards will talk trash to anybody and everybody. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Edwards enters the second round limping, literally, after hurting his knee against the Nuggets in the first round. It's the second knee injury of the last six months for the young superstar and he clearly was moving a bit gimpy in Game 1 against the Spurs earlier this week.

As we saw, though, that will not stop the Ant Man.

Edwards is a walking quote who refuses to stop talking trash under basically any circumstances. That alone gives him a very high floor in the entertainment department. Even if he produced like Dillon Brooks, Edwards would still be fun to watch due to his sense of showmanship and inclination to take every matchup very personally. But Edwards is a star for a reason-he's a very gifted scorer with a buttery jumper. His injuries have sapped him of the runway athleticism that allows for the best poster dunks in the NBA, but watching him find ways to score even so has been arguably more eye-popping to see thanks to some truly impeccable footwork.

It's not the same Edwards we're used to seeing out there, but he seems dead-set on putting a show regardless. So we can count on him for the fun factor no matter what.

1. Victor Wembanyama

Watching Victor Wembanyama play basketball is an almost overwhelming experience. There is at least one moment in every game where he'll make viewers say, "Wait, did he just do that?" It's often hard to reconcile the way Wembenyama plays visually, even when he does something routine. That's what happens when someone is 7' 4", 235 pounds and moves like a guard. The combination of size, athleticism and skill level is unlike any player in NBA history.

In Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Timberwolves, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year had a triple-double with 12 blocks. Twelve! His 11 points, 15 rebounds and five assists were completely forgotten because he was a Magic Eraser at the rim. His defense is appointment viewing. While his game isn't as flashy as some of the other guys on this list, it could be argued that Wembanyama is the NBA's most exciting player, given that he's doing things in a way we've never seen before. He can take over games at the rim on both ends, but is also a creative shot creator and genuinely has no ceiling.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 10 Most Exciting Players Remaining in the 2026 NBA Playoffs .

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 6:00 AM.