The NBA’s 30 best wings, ranked for the 2022-2023 season

Wings have always been the glue that holds great teams together. NBA wings need to be able to shoot from the outside, defend bigger players, defend quicker players, create off the dribble, rebound, and fill the lane in transition.

Wings have taken on even more responsibility in today’s era, with the best of them adding on-ball creation duties to their repertoire. Every team in the league would love to land an oversized ball handler who can pull-up from three, make plays in the pick-and-roll, and defend across the positional spectrum. Of course, there are only a few players in the world who truly have that skill set. It feels like a great wing scorer is still the most coveted player archetype in basketball, at least this side of a 7’5 shot-blocking, three-point shooting video game character.

We already ranked the 30 best guards in the NBA for the 2022-23 season. Here’s our look at who we expect to be the best wings in basketball this season.

Has anyone in this generation of players gotten more out of their talent than PJ Tucker? Now 37 years old, he just locked up a fresh $33 million deal with Philly for the next three years. He’ll be counted on to provide stout point of attack defense and knockdown shooting from the corners, just as he’s done throughout his career.

Brooks has never been the most efficient scorer or the best shooter on the wing, but the Grizzlies just feel more intimidating with him on the floor. The 26-year-old is the emotional catalyst and go-to wing stopper in Memphis, as well as a solid one-on-one scorer when the team needs a tough bucket in the halfcourt. Brooks’ can be a maddening player at times with ambitious shot selection, but he remains a core part of Memphis’ identity as he enters the final year of his contract

Hayward went from a homegrown star in Utah to a max free agent signing in Boston to a steady veteran hand in Charlotte. It’s easy to view Hayward as overpaid on his current deal (a four-year, $128 million contract signed in 2020), but he’s been a reliable two-way wing for the Hornets when he’s on the court, and has helped create some stability around LaMelo Ball. Hayward’s All-Star days are behind him at 32 years old, but he can still be a productive wing in most contexts.

Gordon was supposed to be the final missing piece for the Nuggets as a big, athletic wing stopper when Denver acquired him from Orlando at the 2021 trade deadline. Jamal Murray tore his ACL weeks later, and we never really got to see what the Nuggets look like at full strength. This season will be the ultimate test. Gordon will need to be Denver’s glue guy, defending a variety of matchups, hitting the glass, and beating defenses with opportunistic cuts and spot-up threes. At 27 years old, it’s time for him to prove he can play a role on a winning team.

Porter Jr.’s talent is tantalizing when he can stay healthy. At 6’10, Porter has one of the prettiest jump shots in basketball and the size to shoot over the top of any contest. He’s made 42 percent of his threes for his career when he’s on the floor, but a bad back has been limiting him since college and wiped out all but nine games for him last season. His knockdown shooting is a perfect fit next to Nikola Jokic’s passing in Denver, and he’ll need to prove he can defend and stay healthy if he really wants to be trusted when it matters for a Nuggets team with title aspirations.

Bogdanovic has continued to prove he’s a versatile wing scorer as he’s moved from the Kings to the Hawks, where he’s spent the last two years. At 6’6, Bogdanovic can both stretch the floor with his jump shot and create off the bounce with the ball in his hands. He’s always been a good shooter — 38.4 percent from three in his career — and while he’s not the most aggressive rim attacker, he has enough one-on-one scoring juice to be a secondary creator. With Dejounte Murray joining the group in Atlanta, Bogdanovic’s floor spacing will be even more important, but we’ll see if he’s still getting as many creation opportunities.

Banchero was our No. 1 prospect throughout the 2022 NBA Draft cycle because of his unique shot creation ability at 6’10, 250 pounds. Yes, Banchero has the size and power to score on the block, but he can also create offense with the ball in his hands out on the perimeter: he handles the rock like a wing and already possesses excellent passing skills. He’s never been the most explosive athlete, but Banchero is simply very large and very skilled. He should have no problem producing at the NBA level as a rookie.

The Sixers will probably never live down locking up Harris before Jimmy Butler, but the 30-year-old forward remains a valuable piece for what should be an NBA Finals contender this year. At 6’8 and nearly 230 pounds, Harris is a gifted one-on-one scorer, a capable catch-and-shoot threat from deep, and has become better at avoiding turnovers. Philly would love if he can up the volume and accuracy from three-point range this season.

Grant excelled as a high-energy wing stopper in Denver in the bubble before signing with the Pistons turning himself into a volume scorer. The big question as he moves to Portland this season is whether he can find an appropriate balance of the two to maximize his all-around impact next to Damian Lillard.

Finney-Smith is both a pure distillation of a 3-and-D wing, and proof that players in the archetype can be extremely valuable even deep into the playoffs. Finney-Smith routinely guarded the other team’s best scorer on the Mavs’ run to the Western Conference Finals while also spacing the floor and knocking down big shots. No, he’s not going to create much with the ball in his hands — 88 percent of his field goals were assisted last season — but he’s a perfect complementary piece next to a do-everything offensive stud like Luka Doncic.

R.J. Barrett has already proven he can produce in his role. In his third season with the New York Knicks, he averaged 20 points per game and held his own as a solid defensive wing. At the same time, there’s plenty of room for growth in his game. Barrett’s scoring efficiency was a few ticks below league-average, and he’s never been the sort of player who makes his teammates better as a passer. The next step for Barrett is dialing in his shot selection and making incremental improvements as an outside shooter and decision-maker off the bounce.

It’s easy to forget now that Ben Simmons was named an All-Star in three of his four seasons in Philadelphia. The last time we saw him play, he was turning in back-to-back First-Team All-Defense seasons. Then last year happened: holding out in Philly, forcing a midseason trade to the Nets, and then suffering a back injury right when he supposed to debut in Brooklyn. Simmons should still be very good defensively, but his offense feels like more of a mystery than it should. The Nets know he won’t shoot at all, but he also looked tentative to attack the basket because he didn’t want to get fouled at the end of his tenure in Philly. No one has more to prove this season than Simmons.

It’s sometimes hard to shake the thought of Kuzma as the unrepentant gunner of his early years with the Lakers, but he’s quietly become an effective all-around forward who provides size, shooting, and defense. At 6’9, 220 pounds, Kuzma is a volume shooter who has made 34 percent of his career attempts from three. He’s also also comfortable putting the ball on the floor as a driver, and showing improvements as a passer last year with the Wizards. Defense is probably the best part of his game: he’s rangey on the perimeter, and big enough to hold up inside as a shot blocker or rebounder. The Lakers would swap him back for Russell Westbrook without thinking twice about it.

Harrison Barnes never quite lived up his pre-draft hype as a potential star, but he remains one of basketball’s steadier wings now a decade into his career. At 6’8, 225 pounds, Barnes is a dependable spot-up three-point shooter who hit 39 percent of his triples each of the last two years with the Kings. Barnes has also become a much more efficient scorer from two-point range with the Kings than he was earlier in his career, showing off an improved pull-up game from mid-range and using his plus size and frame to finish well around the rim. Barnes is the sort of piece that would fit nicely on any team.

Jones was a four-year starter at Alabama and the SEC Player of the Year as a senior, but still slipped to the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft with scouts questioning his shooting and overall offensive ability. After one season with the New Orleans Pelicans, it already feels possible Jones will go down as an all-time second round steal. Jones has established himself as an elite defensive player who can lock down at the point of attack, or wreck havoc as a help defender. He has a ton of versatility to guard up or down the lineup at 6’8 with a 7-foot wingspan, and should be someone who competes for Defensive Player of the Year honors soon. He’s far from a zero offensively, too, averaging 9.5 points on league-average scoring efficiency. If Jones continues to improve his three-point shot — he made 33.7 percent of 169 attempts as a rookie — the sky is the limit for his overall impact.

The Raptors have a type, and perhaps no one personifies it more than Anunoby. The 25-year-old wing has a strong 6’7, 232-pound frame with enough quickness to stick with smaller players and enough length (7’2 wingspan) to defend up. He’s been a 37 percent three-pointer for his career, and started to become more comfortable creating offense off the dribble last season. More on-ball reps hurt Anunoby’s scoring efficiency a bit last year, but it also hinted at the type of monster he could become as he continues to flesh out his creation ability. The best is still ahead of Anunoby after five solid pro seasons, and that’s an enticing thought.

Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes got all of the attention in last year’s Rookie of the Year race, but Wagner was just as good as any of them in his debut season for the Orlando Magic. The former No. 8 overall pick is a huge wing at 6’10, 220 pounds who already has legitimate guard skills. Wagner can create his own offense off the bounce with sharp ball handling ability for someone his size, and he’s a crafty finisher when he gets to the rim. Wagner can also make an impact off the ball with cuts to the basket and a pure shot from the corner — he hit 46 percent of his corner threes as a rookie. It will be fascinating to see how Wagner pairs with Paolo Banchero as the Magic unleash two massive shot-creators.

Scottie Barnes proved he could make an immediate impact even without an NBA-ready three-point shot during a surprise run to Rookie of the Year honors last season. Barnes brings non-stop energy and a huge frame — 6’9, 230 pounds, with a 7’3 wingspan — to provide defensive value all over the floor. He was a consistent scorer all season, too, averaging 15 points per game with efficient scoring at the rim and from the short mid-range area. Barnes is just super versatile on both ends of the floor, and legitimately skilled with great size. He can become anything he wants.

Mikal Bridges personifies the idea of the 3-and-D wing. A long and agile 6’7 swingman, Bridges has become a very good spot-up shooter and one of the league’s peskiest perimeter defenders. Bridges’ skill set puts everyone else in Phoenix in position to succeed in the halfcourt while also helping juice their transition attack with his ability to force turnovers and run the open floor. While he’s not exactly the type of wing to get you a bucket in a pinch, Bridges is the type of player winning teams need, and it’s no coincidence that the Suns’ turnaround happened with him as a staple of the lineup.

Wiggins was a can’t-miss prospect who couldn’t cut it as a primary option in Minnesota. A trade to the Golden State Warriors revitalized his career, putting Wiggins in position to leverage his ridiculous physicality without needing to manufacture his own offense in the halfcourt. Now Wiggins feels like the most overqualified role player in the league, a super long, super fast, super bouncy athlete on the wing who can play lockdown defense, hit the glass, and still get a bucket against bent defense in a pinch. Wiggins can no longer be called a bust after his inspired effort in the 2022 playoffs helped the Warriors win another ring. Wiggins may have never become the superstar he was supposed to be, but he was certainly a star in a role in the biggest moment of his career.

Jaylen Brown has always been the sort of powerful and explosive athlete on the wing that NBA teams covet. As he readies for his age-26 season, it feels like he’s fully grown into his physicality while developing a skill set to match. At 6’7, 225 pounds, Brown is at his best when he’s getting downhill and attacking the rim. He’s become a reliable three-point shooter since entering the league, and has consistently upped his volume from deep. He’s also a strong point-of-attack defender who isn’t going to be bullied by anyone. Brown can still become a more efficient scorer and sharper off-ball defender, but he proved in the 2022 playoffs that he’s already ready for the league’s biggest stages.

Ingram looked like the future of the position when he was taken No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft as a 6’8 wing with a 7’3 wingspan who shot threes at a 40 percent clip in college and was just starting to scratch the surface of his skill level. It took him a few years to find his footing, but Ingram fully transformed from prospect to star player last season. While the three-point ball has fallen off some (only 32 percent last year), he’s an incredible midrange shot-maker whose skill set is even more valuable in the playoffs. The Pelicans will be Zion Williamson’s team moving forward, but Ingram is going to be a critical crunch-time option in the halfcourt whenever New Orleans needs a tough bucket. If he becomes more comfortable spacing the floor and playing off the ball, the Pelicans will start dreaming big.

Middleton feels like one of the most unlikely success stories of this era. A former second round pick by the Pistons, the Bucks acquired him as a throw-in in the Brandon Knight trade after his rookie year. He immediately surprised as a capable starter, but didn’t stop there: soon, Middleton became the All-Star wing the Bucks thought they were getting when they drafted Jabari Parker No. 2 overall. Never the best athlete or flasiest scorer, Middleton has won with tough shot-making from mid-range and a near 40 percent career three-point stroke. He was remarkable in the 2021 playoffs as the Bucks claimed the championship. If they want to get back to the top, the biggest key might be Middleton rebounding from a slightly down year a season ago.

DeRozan’s days as an elite player were supposed to be over, but he somehow turned in the best year of his career as he debuted for the Chicago Bulls at age-32. DeRozan was a high-flyer in his younger years, but has since remade his game in the mold of a rugged ‘90s shooting guard: he’s an assassin from midrange, gets to the foul line at will, and still has crafty tricks to score around the basket. He’s also incredibly reliable in the clutch, icing so many games for the Bulls last year because he takes care of the ball and knows how to get to his spots on the floor. DeRozan will never be a volume three-point shooter or a plus defender, but he’s become the best player he can be even with those shortcomings. His career-year was proof that you’re never too old to improve.

If you imagine the ideal NBA wing in your head, that player probably looks a lot like Paul George. At 6’8, he has a tremendous combination of size, speed, and leaping. He has sharp ball handling ability, and a smooth three-point shot whether he’s pulling up or ripping it off the catch. He’s also one of the better defensive wings of this generation. Now 32 years old, George is hoping to author his career-defining moment alongside Kawhi Leonard on the Clippers as perhaps the league’s best No. 2 option.

Jimmy Butler is the NBA’s premier self-made superstar. He went from a JUCO player who couldn’t land a DI scholarship out of high school to a first round pick, and then from a role player to an All-Star to the biggest star on an NBA Finals team inside the bubble. Multiple organizations have thought Butler wouldn’t be worth a max contract by this point in his career, but he’s still earning every penny as he enters his age-33 season. He remains a tenacious defender, a careful ball handler, and a crafty scorer inside the arc. Even as his three-point shot has betrayed him in Miami, Butler is still as great as ever, and hasn’t shown any real signs of slowing down yet.

Tatum was identified as a stud wing scorer from early in his high school career, and he’s lived up to the hype every step of the way. Tatum was more comfortable operating out of the elbows during his one-and-done year at Duke, but the Celtics quickly optimized his game for the modern NBA. Tatum is now a 6’9 ball handling wing who can effortlessly hop into stepback threes, run pick-and-rolls, and carry a team all the way to the NBA Finals. Still only 24 years old, Tatum is one of the league’s best players and still has plenty of room to grow by cutting down on the turnovers and becoming a more efficient scorer. Boston drafted and developed their own franchise cornerstone, and he seems to take another step with each passing season.

Kawhi Leonard built his reputation as a lockdown wing defender. By the time he was at the peak of his powers, he was also one of the league’s most unstoppable scorers with a deadly midrange game and a nearly 40 percent three-point stroke. Kawhi showed he could be an all-time great two-way wing early in his career with the Spurs when he earned Finals MVP honors with a title over LeBron’s Heat. With the Raptors, he proved once and forever that he could be the singular star a championship team orbits around. Leonard now has the team he’s always wanted with the Clippers, and his presence gives them legitimate championship aspirations if he can successfully recover from a torn ACL that cost him all of last season. Still only 31 years old, Kawhi remains impossibly long and strong with the skill level to match his ridiculous physicality. The Clippers have no ceiling with him as their lead star.

NBA defenses have spent 16 years trying to figure out how to stop Kevin Durant, and they haven’t found an answer. At nearly 7-feet tall, Durant can shoot over the top of anyone, and has the ball handling ability to get wherever he wants on the floor. He has remarkably soft shooting touch from all three levels, and will go down as both one of the best pure shooters and pure scorers in league history. There’s also more to KD’s game than just buckets: he made major strides as a passer in the second half of his career, and also turned into an incredible defender. Durant has done everything a player can do in the NBA, but still seems to be searching for something after his offseason trade demand. Durant may never find true happiness with one organization, but there are few players who exude more joy on the court. KD is a hooper’s hooper, and still an unstoppable force as he turns 34 years old.

LeBron James is still huge — listed at 6’9, 250 pounds by the Lakers. His skill level remains extremely high, with world class passing ability, a tight handle, a 36 percent three-point stroke, and consistently great finishing craft around the basket. He might have the best ‘feel for the game’ in league history, and that hasn’t diminished at all on the brink of his 38th birthday. While James has lost a step athletically over the years, he set such a high bar in his prime that he’s still quicker and faster than many of his peers even after declining.

LeBron James isn’t the best player in the NBA as he enters Year 20 (I’d go with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who we’re labeling as a big), but he isn’t that far behind.

LeBron averaged 30.3 points per game last season, the second highest-scoring year of his career, and percentage points off the league lead. He did it with remarkable 61.9 percent true shooting, which made him even more efficient than scoring champ Joel Embiid. James would probably prefer to pass more and score less at this stage (he just put up his lowest assist rate since he was 22 years old), but the Lakers needed him to score, so that’s what he did. His ability to dictate the terms of the terms of the game remains unmatched. There’s still a strong case that there’s no one you’d rather have in a playoff series than LeBron.

The Lakers let LeBron down last year, not the other way around. He’s still playing at a high enough level to compete for championships.