LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo & More Make the Cut for NBA’s Prestigious List for 2026–27 Season

HoopsHype published its preseason power forward rankings last year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was still a Milwaukee Buck, and LeBron James was with the Lakers. This year's list is out, and after an offseason that saw both stars change teams for the first time in years, the two future Hall of Famers once again lead the way, just under very different uniforms than fans are used to seeing them in.

HoopsHype's newly released rankings place Antetokounmpo at No. 1 overall among the NBA's power forwards for the 2026-27 season. James checks in at No. 5, still ranked ahead of players nearly two decades younger than him as he enters his 24th season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Antetokounmpo posted per-game averages of 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 62.4 percent shooting last season. Though an injury-plagued campaign limited him to just 36 appearances, even as he reportedly pushed the Bucks to let him keep playing through it.

James, for his part, averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists on 51.5% shooting in his final season in Los Angeles. Numbers that still hold up against players a fraction of his age.

Jalen Johnson comes in at No. 2, followed by Scottie Barnes at No. 3, and Evan Mobley is at No. 4. All three players are still in their early-to-mid 20s and ranked ahead of the 41-year-old James. Showing just how deep the position has become across every generation.

It's a spread that sets up an interesting subplot further down the rankings. Rookies, veterans and rising stars all found room on the same list.

Who Else Made HoopsHype's Power Forward Rankings

Rounding out the list behind the top five are Paolo Banchero at No. 6, Zion Williamson at No. 7, Pascal Siakam at No. 8, Anthony Davis at No. 9 and Lauri Markkanen at No. 10. It gave the middle of the rankings a heavy dose of former All-Stars and franchise cornerstones still very much in their primes.

Others include Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Aaron Gordon at Nos. 11 through 13. The list closes with a pair of true newcomers: rookies Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson round things out at Nos. 14 and 15, the only two players on the list who have yet to play a single NBA regular-season game.

Between the veterans still holding down the top spots and the rookies at the bottom of the list before their careers have even started, this year's power forward rankings capture a position in the middle of a real generational handoff.

For now, though, Antetokounmpo and James remain the two names every other power forward on the list is still chasing, even in their new jerseys.