Who are the most underrated players in the NBA? It’s easy to see who the Stars are. They play the most minutes, have the best stats, and make All-Star and All-League teams every season. On every team, though, are one or more unheralded players who have decent stats and great efficiency in limited minutes.
A deeper dive into less-popular statistics like field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and per-36-minute stats reveals the players in the NBA who have a great deal of talent, but don’t get to show it off as much as some of the big names do. While all League teams have three tiers, the all-underrated NBA team will consist of a starter at each position, a big man off the bench, and a perimeter player off the bench. Without further ado, here is the squad.
Point Guard, Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls
Jones was a standout player for Duke during the 2019-20 season, when the Blue Devils went 25-6, but due to COVID-19, he did not participate in the NCAA tournament. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. He was the second-leading scorer on a team that produced seven NBA players and was selected in the second round (41st overall) of the 2020 NBA draft for the San Antonio Spurs.
In four and a half seasons with the Spurs, Jones averaged 8.2 points per game, but it was when he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in a deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio that gave the former Blue Devil a chance to shine. He started the final 17 games of the season for the Bulls last year, averaging 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and five assists per game.
Jones’ averages for the season were 14.1 points and 5.4 assists per game, but per 36 minutes, it was 18.8, 4.2, and 7.2. He shot 55.3% from the field for the year. With Josh Giddey and Norman Powell starting for Chicago in the backcourt, Jones will have to come off the bench next season, but could be a dark horse contender for Sixth Man of the Year.
Shooting Guard, Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota Timberwolves
Dosunmu played three years at Illinois before the Bulls selected him 38th overall in the 2021 NBA draft. In his final year with the Illini, he averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, and was a first-team All-American. Dosunmu spent four and a half seasons in Chicago, averaging just over 10 points per game, before getting traded last February to the Timberwolves.
In 24 games with Minnesota, he averaged 14.4 points per game on 52.1% shooting (41.4% from three). He signed a $112 million extension with the team, and it’s unclear whether he will come off the bench, playing behind LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, or if he can play in a starting small forward role. Either way, he’s a player that fans are not familiar with, but opposing coaches certainly are.
Small Forward, Blake Hinson, Utah Jazz
Hinson was an elite shooter at Pittsburgh. He transferred there from Ole Miss after the 2019 – 20 season, and missed two years with injuries. In his senior season, he averaged 18.5 points per game on 45.4% shooting (42.1% from three). He went undrafted in 2024, instead playing 16 games with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G League.
Hinson started 2025-26 with the Rip City remix, averaging 25.5 points per game before being called up to the Utah Jazz. He only played the end of the season, averaging 20.4 minutes per game, but racking up 11.9 points per game in that short time. That averages out to 21.1 points per 36 minutes, and that’s thanks in large part to shooting 51.3% from the field and an astounding 46.8% from three.
The Jazz rewarded Hinson with a 2-year deal, but despite his efficiency, it’s clear he will have to come off the bench, regardless of whether he plays guard or forward for Utah. Either way, opposing defenses will not get a break when he’s on the floor.
Power Forward, Marvin Bagley III, Denver Nuggets
It may seem strange having a former second-overall pick on a team of most underrated players in the league. It’s clear that his career has not turned out the way scouts and analysts thought it would after a standout freshman season for Duke (21 points and 11 rebounds per game, shooting 61.4% from the field (39.7% from deep).
For whatever reason, it didn’t work out for Bagley with the Sacramento Kings, and after three and a half seasons he was traded, beginning a journey to four different franchises. He’s still only 27 years old and played quite efficiently last year for the Dallas Mavericks, shooting 61.8% from the floor and 46.2% from downtown. He finished the year averaging 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in just 21.4 minutes.
Bagley will vie for minutes behind Cam Johnson and Aaron Gordon with the Denver Nuggets this season, but given his hot shooting, he could be in the running for Sixth Man of the Year. He just has to keep his confidence and not lose some of those backup minutes to second-round pick and summer league standout Trevon Brazile.
Center, Kel’el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks
Ware may have seemed like a throw-in player when he was shipped to Milwaukee along with Tyler Herro in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo. In reality, he could end up being the team’s starting center. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft out of Indiana, where he averaged 15.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, shooting 58.6% from the floor.
Last year for the Miami Heat, he averaged 18 points and 14.7 rebounds per 36 minutes. He shot 53% from the field and 39.5% from three. Not only is he lethal inside, but he’s one of those centers that can stretch the floor, which is invaluable in today’s NBA. Myles Turner is currently slated as the Bucks’ starting center, but was disappointing last year, and losing his spot to Ware in 2026-27 is a real possibility.
Backup Perimeter, Cormac Ryan (SF), Milwaukee Bucks
Ryan averaged 11.5 points per game at North Carolina before going undrafted and then being cut by the Oklahoma City Thunder. After playing for the Wisconsin Herd in 2025 and averaging 22.1 points per game, he was called up to the show. Last season, he averaged 20.9 points per 36 minutes, thanks to shooting 52% from the field and 45.8% from three.
It’s a deep Squad in Milwaukee, and Ryan will be the fifth man on the perimeter depth chart, but should be able to beat out Caris LaVert and Gary Trent Jr for meaningful minutes. He’s definitely one of the reasons that people who are sleeping on the Bucks this season are seriously going to pay for that.
Backup big man, Donovan Clingan (C), Portland Trail Blazers
Clingan is another player who may seem out of place on an underrated players list. Now only because he was a top 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft, but because he started all 77 games he played in last season. Still, his numbers on the year don’t do him justice or get him the attention that he deserves. He averaged 12.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game on 52% shooting.
Clingan had 37 double-doubles last year and 21 games where he pulled in 15 rebounds or more. In a league that’s all about shooting three-pointers and scoring as many points as possible, the guy who plays with his back to the basket and scores efficiently, while pulling in rebounds at a Dennis Rodman-like pace, is incredibly easy to overlook.
2026-27 Preseason Most Underrated Players In The NBA
That’s a full Squad of players that casual fans don’t know, and even some die-hard fans don’t know. If they were put together on a team like this, they probably wouldn’t win too many games, but each of them plays an integral role in their team’s success.
