Dylan Harper, Jarrett Allen Land in 2026 NBA Tier 4 Rankings With 6 Sub-Tiers

9 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 20

Tier 4 rounds out the bottom of the NBA’s top 100, with the analyst framing it as the league’s deepest group of “stars in their role” rather than franchise anchors.
Dylan Harper landed in Tier 4D after an impressive reserve season in San Antonio, with the analyst citing standout defense, mature shot selection and decision-making, and a game built for postseason play.
Jarrett Allen was placed in Tier 4A alongside Isaiah Hartenstein, praised as one of the league’s better rim protectors who scores efficiently in the paint, rebounds at a high level and can defend outside the lane.
The six sub-tiers also include former All-Stars and high-usage veterans such as Jrue Holiday, Michael Porter Jr., Paul George and DeMar DeRozan, underscoring how broad Tier 4 is.
The ranking follows the same 2026 player-tier series that previously slotted rookies Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel in Tier 3, one level above this group.

With stars like Morant and Lillard sidelined by injury, are rookies like Cooper Flagg now the smarter investment for building a contender?

Zion Williamson's career is a high school lesson; will he ever graduate to his first NBA playoff game?

After his playoff struggles, is Jalen Duren's potential $239M contract a championship move or a massive gamble for Detroit?