The second round of the NBA playoffs is underway. The first round saw a whittling-down of the field that included the exit of some big-name superstar players that fans love to watch in the postseason. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Nikola Jokić were among the stars to head home early after disappointing, upset losses in the opening round of these playoffs.
Their elite talents will not grace the floor again until next fall. But there are still plenty of similar players worth tuning in for. The NBA is a star-driven league and in the playoffs, whoever has the best talent usually wins the day.
As such, the postseason is regularly the best showcase for fans of any team to watch the very best players basketball has to offer going toe-to-toe with their peers. It creates memorable moments of all shapes and sizes.
With the second round kicking off, we here at Sports Illustrated wanted to make sure all playoff viewers use their time wisely and focus on the players who are the absolute most fun to watch in the postseason. Thus, here are the 10 most exciting NBA stars remaining in the 2026 playoffs.
Generational Defenders
There are only a few generationally gifted defenders that exist in the NBA, with Victor Wembanyama standing out as the most obvious example. Draymond Green and Kawhi Leonard were the standard-bearers for a long time before him.
Outside of Wemby, however, there is only one such defender left remaining: Ausar Thompson, one half of the Thompson twin duo alongside his brother Amen in Houston. And he is an absolute treat to watch most nights.
Ausar Thompson, Houston Rockets
Thompson is an unusually gifted athlete who floats through the air like the best jumpers in NBA history. He takes that athleticism and pairs it with a truly excellent feel for the game to be a game-changing defender.
In the first round, Thompson racked up 16 blocks, tied with Wembanyama and Jarrett Allen for most in the postseason field. He paired that with 16 steals, tied for first with Marcus Smart. That sort of versatility is incredibly rare in a wing defender.
It's even more rare that you can feel Thompson changing the tide with those defensive highlights. He pops off the screen on defense in the way only the great NBA defenders do and is thriving with how much contact is allowed in the playoffs.
Thompson is special enough on that end it makes it easy to overlook his completely invisible offensive skillset.
Elite Playmakers
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
If you like your basketball up-tempo, then Joel Embiid won't be your cup of tea. But if seeing a player do a bit of everything on a basketball court and quietly take over a game is your thing, he can be one of the game's more exciting players. He's methodical in his approach—and the league's best showman when he's feeling himself.
After undergoing an appendectomy in early April, Embiid returned to the 76ers for the final four games of their opening-round series against the Celtics and took it over. He averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 36.5 minutes per game as he, alongside Tyrese Maxey, dragged Philly back from a 3–1 deficit to win the series.
He was on triple-double watch every night as the Sixers played through him for large chunks of the game. After dealing with repeated injuries, the 32-year-old is a bit slower these days, but his skill level and basketball IQ are still off the charts.
Despite his struggles to stay on the court for years, he can still pick opposing defenses apart. And Embiid's lack of hesitation to embrace the heel role means he's liable to create a viral moment at any instant.
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Maxey ranked fifth this season with 28.3 points per game and didn't slow his roll once the playoffs began. A true speed demon coming into the NBA, the fifth-year Philly star has learned to fully harness that quickness and how to leverage it into open looks for himself and his teammates.