NBA Hall of Fame Tiers: First-Ballot Locks and Potential Contenders

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's class of 2026 has been inducted, but the question remains: who will make it in future classes? While retired players like Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook are sure to be first-ballot inductees, the focus is on currently active players. CBSSports.com has broken down the current crop of NBA players into tiers, identifying those who are likely to be first-ballot Hall of Famers and those who may have to wait. ## First-Ballot Locks The following players are considered first-ballot locks for the Hall of Fame: ### LeBron James Arguably the greatest of all time, LeBron has played for three franchises and won at least one MVP and a championship with each. He's the all-time leading scorer in both regular and postseason games, with four championships and four Finals MVPs to his name. ### Stephen Curry Curry has won four titles since 2015, including three head-to-head Finals wins over LeBron. He's the all-time 3-point leader and the greatest shooter to ever live, changing the game in a way few players have. ### Kevin Durant Durant is the purest scorer to ever play, with a 50% career shooting percentage and four scoring championships to his name. He's also a two-time member of the exclusive 50-40-90 shooting club and has four Olympic gold medals to his credit. ### Nikola Jokić Jokić is the best player on the planet, with three MVPs in four years and a legitimate case as the greatest offensive center of all time. He's the only player in history to lead the league in assists and rebounds per game in the same season. ### Giannis Antetokounmpo Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP and the 2021 Finals MVP, with nine straight All-NBA nods and five All-Defense team selections to his name. He's one of the most physically overwhelming and forceful downhill drivers in the league. ### James Harden Harden is one of the greatest individual creators to ever play, with a virtually indefensible one-man offense and a consistent ability to score at an elite level. He's a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer. ### Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gilgeous-Alexander is one of 14 players in history to have won two MVPs and one of eight with a Finals MVP and scoring title to boot. He's already too secure for the "if they retired today" list, despite only playing eight seasons. ### Joel Embiid Embiid's peak may end up being among the shortest of any player on this list, but it was also better than just about anyone else's. He's a two-time MVP runner-up and has averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in his MVP season. ### Draymond Green Green feels like a player many people will label as a fringe Hall of Famer, but that's ridiculous. He's a generational defender and a criminally underrated offensive weapon during his prime, and should absolutely go into the Hall on the first ballot. ### Kawhi Leonard The NBA cares a great deal about whether Leonard conspired with the Clippers to circumvent the salary cap, but the Hall won't. He's rightfully going in on the first ballot, his inconsistent health notwithstanding. ### Klay Thompson Thompson is the second-greatest 3-point shooter and greatest 3-and-D player in history. He's a core part of four championships and has saved the Warriors on multiple postseason occasions. ## Potential Contenders The following players are considered potential contenders for the Hall of Fame, but may have to wait: ### Anthony Davis Davis is a 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, and five-time All-Defensive team selection. He's a dominant force on the court, but may not have the same level of accolades as some of the other players on this list. ### Kyrie Irving Irving is a two-time NBA champion and one-time NBA Finals MVP, but his inconsistent play and off-court controversies may make it harder for him to get in on the first ballot. The debate over who will make it into the Hall of Fame in future classes is ongoing, but one thing is clear: these players are the best of the best, and will be remembered as some of the greatest of all time.