Who Are the Top Centers in the NBA Right Now? A Complete Breakdown

As I sit down to analyze the current landscape of NBA centers, I can't help but reflect on how dramatically the position has evolved. When I first started covering basketball professionally about a decade ago, the center position was undergoing what many called an identity crisis. Today, it's not only survived but thrived in ways we couldn't have imagined. The modern NBA center has transformed from a traditional back-to-the-basket big into a versatile weapon who can shoot threes, handle the ball, and defend multiple positions. This evolution makes identifying the top centers particularly challenging yet fascinating, especially when we consider how globalization continues to reshape basketball. Just recently, I came across news about B.League's executive officer Nao Okamoto discussing potential exhibition games between Asian and NBA teams, which reminds me how the center position's evolution isn't just happening in the NBA—it's becoming a global phenomenon.

If we're talking about the absolute pinnacle of the center position right now, my mind immediately goes to Nikola Jokić. The Denver Nuggets star isn't just redefining what centers can do—he's rewriting the entire playbook. Last season, he averaged around 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting an incredible 58% from the field. What blows my mind isn't just the statistics but how he achieves them. His basketball IQ is unlike anything I've witnessed in twenty years of covering the sport. He sees passing lanes that don't exist for other players and makes decisions at a pace that seems almost preternatural. I've had the privilege of watching him live several times, and each time I leave the arena noticing something new about his game—how he uses his body to shield defenders, his impeccable timing on rebounds, that quirky but effective fadeaway jumper. He's not just the best center in the league right now; he's arguably the most complete offensive weapon the position has ever seen.

Then there's Joel Embiid, who presents a fascinating contrast to Jokić's finesse-oriented game. The Philadelphia 76ers star combines old-school physicality with modern skills in a way that sometimes feels unfair to opponents. Standing at 7 feet tall with a wingspan of approximately 7'6", he's an absolute force in the paint, averaging about 33 points and 10 rebounds last season before his injury. What impresses me most about Embiid is how he's adapted his game over the years. Early in his career, he was primarily a low-post threat, but now he's comfortable shooting from beyond the arc—he made about 1.5 threes per game last season at a 38% clip. His defensive presence remains elite too; I've charted games where opponents simply avoid driving to the basket when he's patrolling the paint. If Jokić is basketball's grand chess master, Embiid is its wrecking ball with a surprisingly delicate touch.

The conversation about elite centers wouldn't be complete without mentioning Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings. While he doesn't have the flashy scoring numbers of Jokić or Embiid—averaging about 19 points last season—his impact on winning is undeniable. His rebounding is phenomenal, pulling down roughly 13 boards per game, and his playmaking from the high post reminds me of a younger Marc Gasol. Having watched Sabonis develop from his early days in Indiana to his current role in Sacramento, I'm continually impressed by his basketball intelligence. He understands spacing, timing, and how to leverage his physicality without relying on elite athleticism. In many ways, he represents what I call the "connector center"—a player who might not dominate statistically in traditional categories but makes everyone around him better through screens, passes, and intelligent positioning.

What fascinates me about the current center landscape is how international players dominate the conversation. Jokić (Serbia), Embiid (Cameroon), Sabonis (Lithuania)—none are American-born, which speaks volumes about basketball's globalization. This brings me back to that news about B.League's international business officer Nao Okamoto working on exhibition games between Asian teams and professional leagues. Having covered international basketball for years, I've seen how these cross-league collaborations accelerate stylistic evolution. When different basketball cultures collide, we get fascinating hybrids—like Jokić's European passing sensibilities merged with NBA pace, or Embiid's African physical foundation enhanced by American skill development. If these B.League exhibitions materialize, we might discover the next great center prototype emerging from Asia sooner than we think.

Beyond the established stars, we have emerging talents like Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren who represent the position's future. Mobley's defensive versatility—he averaged about 2.5 blocks and 1 steal last season—combined with his developing offensive game makes him a potential future Defensive Player of the Year. Holmgren, despite his slender frame, showed in his rookie season that he can protect the rim while stretching the floor, hitting about 37% of his threes. Watching these young bigs, I'm struck by how the center position has become basketball's ultimate innovation lab. The traditional power forward has largely been absorbed into the wing position, but centers have diversified rather than disappeared, becoming more valuable than ever.

As I wrap up this analysis, I keep thinking about how the center position reflects basketball's broader evolution. The game has moved from position-specific roles to skill-based versatility, and centers have led this transformation. My personal ranking would have Jokić at the top, followed closely by Embiid when healthy, with Sabonis rounding out my top three. But what excites me most isn't the current hierarchy—it's where the position is headed next. With international collaborations like those B.League's Nao Okamoto is pursuing, and with young players reimagining what's possible, the NBA center isn't just surviving; it's pioneering basketball's future. The next time someone tells you traditional big men are extinct, point them to Jokić's no-look passes, Embiid's step-back threes, or Sabonis's quarterback-like vision—then try to tell me with a straight face that the position hasn't entered its golden age.