Ranking The 10 Best 3rd Options In The NBA In 2026-27

We already ranked the NBA's best second options , but championship basketball comes down to more than two stars. The truly dangerous teams have a third player who can take over a game: a legitimate third option.

That is what makes being a third option such an interesting role. They are the ultimate complementary stars, or the guys who don't need 25 shots to completely change a game.

For the 2026-27 season, the NBA is loaded with ridiculous talent. And honestly, when Joel Embiid and Evan Mobley aren't even the first or second options on their own teams, you know the league has reached another level.

Here are the 10 best third options in the NBA heading into 2026-27.

RJ Barrett at No. 10 says more about the competition than it does about Barrett. He is still one of the best wings in the Eastern Conference when he's playing downhill. He posted 19.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 0.3 BPG on 49.1% FG, 33.9% 3-PT FG, and 71.7% FT over 57 games with 57 starts.

With Kawhi Leonard expected to return to Toronto in a blockbuster move that remains subject to league approval, Barrett ($29,616,071) would be able to attack defenses already occupied by Kawhi and Scottie Barnes . That's a much different life than being asked to create something out of nothing on an average team.

Barrett's biggest strength has always been his ability to get to the basket and use his size against smaller defenders. He isn't going to suddenly become Kevin Durant as a jump shooter, and that's fine.

As a third option, he doesn't have to. If Kawhi is healthy and Barnes develops into an All-NBA talent, Barrett can simply focus on doing what he does best: getting hot at times and being a solid player otherwise.

Miles Bridges ($22,826,087) can look like an All-Star for two weeks and then disappear from the conversation for another two. That's frustrating, but it also makes him a fascinating third option.

Playing behind Devin Booker and Jalen Green (or Dillon Brooks) would dramatically simplify his job. Booker is one of the smoothest pure scorers in basketball, while Green can put enormous pressure on a defense with his athleticism and shot creation.

Bridges would get opportunities to attack tired defenses rather than constantly facing a wall of bodies. Last season, Bridges averaged 17.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 0.4 BPG on 46.0% FG, 33.3% 3-PT FG, and 82.2% FT over 77 games.

Phoenix is where he could thrive. Bridges needs to rebound, defend, run the floor, hit open shots, and occasionally remind everyone that he can jump through the roof. As a third option, that is more than enough for next season.

Desmond Bane is probably one of the most overqualified players on this list. For the Magic, he could comfortably be a second option. But when you're playing next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner , somebody has to take the third billing, and Bane has the smaller "cache" for now with the third-highest salary on the team.

The good news for Orlando is that Bane ($39,446,090) might be the perfect player to do it. He is an elite shooter, a powerful guard for his size, and someone who doesn't need to monopolize the basketball to impact a game.

Bane is coming off a 2025-26 campaign averaging 20.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.5 BPG on 48.4% FG, 39.1% 3-PT FG, and 90.8% FT over 82 games. No doubt, Bane was a workhorse last season.

What makes him especially dangerous is that you can't treat him like a traditional spot-up shooter. Bane can put the ball on the floor, run pick-and-roll, and create his own offense when the possession breaks down. The key for Bane is to continue developing his defense because he has the tools to be a lockdown defender as well.

Yes, seeing Ja Morant listed as a third option is surprising, especially when he is the highest-paid player on the team ($42,166,510). But that's what happens when a roster has more reliable players who seemingly love the game more than he does.

Morant is one of the most explosive guards the league has ever seen. When he is attacking the rim with confidence, there are maybe five players in basketball who create more chaos for a defense. The question is always about whether Morant wants to stay focused on basketball.

Morant endured a difficult season in 2025-26, posting 19.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 8.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.3 BPG on 41.0% FT, 23.5% 3-PT FG, and 89.7% FT over 20 games. Obviously, Morant can do more in the right situation.

If he does dedicate his time to basketball and stop the off-court distractions, putting him behind Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija gives his team a luxury most franchises would kill for. A third option who can score 30 on any given night isn't really a third option. That's a problem waiting to happen for everyone.

Amen Thompson might have the widest range of outcomes of anyone on this list. He is still developing offensively, but the things he already does at an elite level are ridiculous. He averaged 18.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, and 0.6 BPG on 53.4% FG, 21.6% 3-PT FG, and 77.9% FT in 79 games.

His athleticism is generational, his defense is special, and his ability to make things happen in transition can completely change the pace of a game. Luckily for the Rockets, Thompson is only on a $12,258,119 salary as he looks to commit to a long-term deal in short order.

The fit next to Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun is fascinating because Thompson doesn't need to be the primary scorer. Durant can do the impossible shot-making, Sengun can orchestrate from the post and elbow, and Amen can spend his energy doing all the stuff that wins games.

And if his jumper continues to improve? Watch out. That's when Thompson could move from being an incredible complementary player into a legitimate star. Let's hope he gets there in the 2026-27 season.

Jaden McDaniels isn't going to dominate the conversation the way Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball will. That's precisely why he works so well here. McDaniels is coming off a 2025-26 campaign averaging 14.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.0 BPG on 51.5% FG, 41.2% 3-PT FG, and 83.5% FT over 73 games.

Every great team needs somebody willing to do the dirty work while the stars receive the headlines. McDaniels ($25,750,001) has developed into one of the league's premier defensive wings, and that's a valuable skill on a roster with two high-usage offensive stars.

The question for Minnesota is whether the new-look roster has enough balance, but McDaniels gives them a foundation. Edwards can attack, LaMelo can create, and McDaniels can make life miserable for the other team's best player. Let's see if McDaniels' offense can follow suit.

Chet Holmgren at No. 4 feels almost unfair because he is already capable of being a franchise centerpiece. Instead, he gets to play alongside the reigning two-time MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and one of the best sidekicks, Jalen Williams .

Holmgren's rim protection and shooting are what make him so valuable. Chet averaged 17.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 1.9 BPG on 55.7% FG, 36.2% 3-PT FG, and 79.2% FT in 69 games. At his size, he can erase mistakes around the basket, then run to the other end and pull down a traditional center 25 feet away from the rim.

And the scary part is that he doesn't need to force anything. Shai can control the offense. Williams can handle his own scoring and playmaking responsibilities. Holmgren ($41,240,250) can pick his moments, which means he often gets the exact shots and matchups he wants.

Evan Mobley is one of those players whose impact goes far beyond his scoring average. At nearly seven feet with extraordinary mobility, Mobley has become the prototype for the modern defensive big. Mobley averaged 18.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 1.7 BPG on 54.6% FG, 29.7% 3-PT FG, and 60.6% FT in 65 games.

He can protect the rim, switch onto smaller players, recover after mistakes, and cover an absurd amount of ground. His skills are priceless in the modern NBA, and that explains his $50,105,628 salary in 2026-27.

Offensively, playing next to Donovan Mitchell and James Harden should create opportunities everywhere. Harden and Mitchell demand so much attention as creators that Mobley doesn't need to become a high-volume scorer to be devastating.

Joel Embiid as a third option is just hilarious, because we are crowning Tyrese Maxey as the first option and Jaylen Brown as the second option. Embiid is an MVP, a dominant scoring center, and one of the most physically overwhelming players of his generation.

Under normal circumstances, you build the entire organization around him. Embiid only played 38 games last season, but averaged 26.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 1.2 BPG on 48.9% FG, 33.3% 3-PT FG, and 85.4% FT.

Obviously, when looking at the numbers, health and the faith we have in him next season are the reasons he falls this "low" on the list.

If Embiid is healthy, Philadelphia can put three players on the floor who have all proven they can carry enormous offensive responsibilities. Jaylen Brown brings championship experience and two-way power, Maxey brings speed and perimeter creation, and Embiid can still destroy a defense from the post, mid-range, and free-throw line.

Oh, and there is LeBron James , one of the greatest players ever who will gladly accept a 4th option role for most of the season.

That might actually make Embiid more dangerous. He won't have to initiate every possession or carry a massive scoring burden for 82 games. He can pick his spots and save himself for the playoffs. Get ready, NBA.

The best third option in basketball heading into 2026-27 is OG Anunoby , and the Knicks should feel incredibly lucky about that. OG ($42,500,000) is coming off a championship season averaging 16.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.7 BPG while making the All-Defensive Second Team.

Jalen Brunson is the offensive superstar. Karl-Anthony Towns is the two-way All-Star with the ability to score from virtually everywhere. Anunoby is the guy who fits around both of them without requiring anyone to sacrifice. And as he proved in last year's Finals, OG can come up clutch when it truly matters.

That versatility is why he's No. 1. The Knicks bring back a loaded, stable core heading into the season, and Anunoby remains one of the most important pieces because he fills gaps that stars can't always fill. We have to give the reigning NBA champ the credit at this point.