Kevin Durant and LeBron James will meet in the first round and both have playoff stats milestones within reach.
The 2025-26 season is complete, the SoFi Play-In Tournament is here and the 2026 NBA Playoffs await.
Plenty of milestones were reached in 2025-26, but as we turn toward the postseason, which records are primed to fall? Below are 11 major individual milestones and several team milestones to have on your radar.
Kevin Durant: Points, field goals & free throws
Kevin Durant spent the regular season moving up in several categories and, most notably, passed Michael Jordan for No. 5 on the all-time scoring list. Provided he and the Rockets have a somewhat long playoff run, Durant can do likewise in the playoffs. He needs 188 points to pass Tim Duncan (5,172 playoff points) for No. 6 and 266 points to pass Shaquille O’Neal (5,250) for No. 5. In his career, Durant has scored no less than 319 points in the postseasons in which his team played at least 10 games.
In terms of field goals, Durant (1,684 career playoff field goals) needs 60 field goals to surpass Karl Malone (1,743) for No. 7 on the list. He’s got a ways to go, though, to reach No. 6 Duncan (1,945) and No. 5 Bryant (2,014). He can also move to No. 4 in free throws (1,251) as he needs 19 more to pass Karl Malone (1,269). If the Rockets have a long playoff run, he might be able to catch Bryant (1,320) for No. 3, but is a ways off from No. 2 Jordan (1,463).
LeBron James: 3-pointers
Our Brian Martin has a must-read review of LeBron James’ many stats milestones as the 2026 NBA Playoffs begin. We’re focusing on one that are possibly within reach should the Lakers enjoy a long playoff run.
James has 480 career playoff 3-pointers and needs 32 more to pass Klay Thompson (501) for No. 2 on that list. James last had 32 or more 3-pointers in the 2020 playoffs (when he led the Lakers to the NBA title), so a long playoff run will be key in passing Thompson.
James Harden: Points, assists, games played, steals
Cleveland Cavs guard James Harden isn’t quite the scorer he was in his prime with Houston, but he’s within range of elite playoff scoring company. Harden has scored 3,895 points in the postseason and is No. 14. He’s three points from passing Larry Bird for No. 13 (3,897), but needs 105 points to become the 12th player with 4,000 or more career playoff points. Harden has scored at least 127 playoff points in every postseason since 2010-11, putting this mark within range.
Assists-wise, Harden has amassed 1,125 playoff dimes and ranks No. 8 in that category. He needs 12 assists to pass Rajon Rondo (1,136) for No. 7 and is 19 from passing Rajon Rondo (1,143) for No. 6. A long playoff run could help Harden as he’s 109 assists from surpassing Chris Paul (1,233) for No. 5.
Harden has appeared in 173 playoff games and ranks No. 23 on that list, but is a long playoff run away from moving up to No. 15. Harden is five games from passing Rasheed Wallace, Dwyane Wade and Andre Iguodala (177) for No. 20 and is 12 games from passing Robert Parish (184) for No. 15.
Lastly, Harden can move into the Top 10 in playoff steals in 2026. Harden has 282 career postseason steals and needs 11 more to pass Manu Ginobili (292) for No. 10 all-time. He had nine steals in the 2025 playoffs and has recorded 11 or more steals in three of his last six playoff runs, so this mark is attainable.
3-pointers: Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum & Paul George
A trio of All-Stars could make their way up the all-time 3-pointers list should their teams enjoy a long playoff run.
Durant has 366 career playoff 3-pointers and needs 20 more to pass Ray Allen (385) for No. 5 in that category. Tatum (292) is only three 3-pointers away from passing J.R. Smith (294) for No. 10, while George (276) needs 19 more to pass Smith and stay in the chase with Tatum for No. 10.
Team playoff milestones
(Editor’s note: Teams lacking an entry means either do not have a player within a realistic range of moving up in a franchise’s statistical category in the playoffs, or there is not a notable stats milestone ranking within range — such as going from No. 17 to No. 12 in ppg.)
Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum
• Forward Jaylen Brown already ranks in the Top 10 in nine categories in Celtics playoff history and can move up higher in 2026. Brown has 2,608 playoff points in his career, ranking No. 9 in that category, but needs at least 302 in the 2026 playoffs to pass Sam Jones (2909) for No. 5. Additionally, he is 11 steals away from passing Marcus Smart (144) for No. 5 in that category and 99 rebounds from passing Paul Pierce (869) for No. 10 in that statistic.
He also needs 96 more field goals to pass Robert Parish (1,073) for No. 5. He’s also 43 free throws away from passing Dennis Johnson (436) for No. 10 in that category and 34 free throw attempts to pass Tom Heinsohn (568) for No. 10 in that stat.
• Forward Jayson Tatum also has several playoff stats records, ranking in the Top 10 in 11 different stats. He can move up to No. 3 in Celtics playoff scoring lore as he needs 247 points to pass Kevin McHale (3,182) for that spot. Tatum is also one steal away from passing Smart (144) for No. 4 in that category and 91 field goals from passing Parish for No. 5 in that stat.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley
• Guard Donovan Mitchell is gearing up for his fourth playoff run with Cleveland and has made a mark in the team’s playoff record books. He’s No. 9 in scoring (678) points, but can move ahead of J.R. Smith (809) with 132 points or more for the No. 5 slot. In the 2025 playoffs, Mitchell amassed 266 points in eight games, and another playoff run like that could have him closing in on Kevin Love (966 points) for No. 3.
Additionally, Mitchell needs 24 assists to pass Delonte West (141) for No. 5, another 46 field goals to pass Larry Nance (283) for No. 5 and 134 field goal attempts to pass Zydrunas Ilgauskas (656) for No. 5 in that stat, too. He’s also three 3-pointers away from passing Kyle Korver (72) for No. 5 and 84 3-point attempts from passing Kyrie Irving (294) for No. 4.
• Evan Mobley is a former Kia Defensive Player of the Year winner and already ranks in the Cavs’ Top 10 in blocks. He’s on the cusp of joining the Top 5, needing 14 swats to surpass Hot Rod Williams (53) for No. 5. In the 2025 playoffs, Mobley notched eight blocks, but had 26 in 2024 when the Cavs had a dozen playoff games. He’s also 29 rebounds away from passing Smith (254) for No. 10 in rebounding (Mobley has notched at least 50 rebounds in each of his playoff runs).
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon
• There aren’t many stats categories for which center Nikola Jokić is not the Nuggets’ all-time leader. Jamal Murray is the team’s all-time playoff leader in 3-pointers made and attempted, but Jokić can get to No. 2 in that category in 2026. He is two 3-pointers and 20 3-point attempts from passing Michael Porter Jr. (166 3-pointers, 444 3-point attempts) for No. 2 in both categories.
Much like Jokić , Jamal Murray has entrenched himself in Nuggets playoff lore, stats-wise. He is in the Top 10 or Top 3 in several categories, and can move up in two other categories. Murray needs eight rebounds to pass Dan Issel (393) for No. 4 in rebounds and needs three blocks to pass Kenyon Martin (32) for No. 10 and move into a tie with JaVale McGee (33) for No. 9. Lastly, he is 17 free throws from passing Alex English (300) for No. 3 and 43 from passing English (345) for No. 3 in free throw attempts.
• Aaron Gordon is No. 5 in team playoff history in assists (176), No. 14 in steals (36) and No. 8 in blocks (34) and can move up in each of those categories in the 2026 playoffs. Gordon needs 82 assists to pass Lafayette Lever (257) for No. 4, needs eight steals to move into No. 7 and needs 13 blocks to pass Danny Schayes (42) for No. 5 in that category.
Gordon is also three 3-pointers and 24 3-point attempts from passing Smith (65-for-169 on 3-pointers) for No. 4 in those categories.
Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green
• In Golden State lore, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry rank at or near the top in nearly every category. While Green is mostly known for his playoff defensive efforts, he’s capable of scoring and could move up in the field goals department in the playoffs. He needs seven field goals to pass Rick Barry (693) for No. 3 on the all-time list and five free throws to pass Barry (378) for No. 2 in that category.
Houston Rockets: Clint Capela
• It’s fair to wonder if center Clint Capela would perhaps be making headway toward Hakeem Olajuwon’s all-time franchise rebounds record (1,602) had Capela not been traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 2020. Be that as it may, Capela (468 playoff rebounds) is 15 rebounds away from passing James Harden (482) for No. 3 in rebounds. Capela logged 50 rebounds for the Rockets in the 2025 playoffs, which means passing Harden is likely more than reasonable.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James
• Lakers standout forward LeBron James is known for his defensive skills and can move up in team playoff lore in two defensive categories. James needs 10 steals to pass Jamaal Wilkes (83) for No. 10 in that category and is 13 blocks from passing Magic Johnson (64) for No. 15 in that stat. For context, James had 10 steals and nine blocks in the 2025 playoffs, which lasted only five games for the Lakers.
Additionally, James can move up on the Lakers’ all-time playoff 3-pointers list. He has 110 3-playoff 3-pointers (No. 5), but needs 15 more to pass Michael Cooper for No. 3. In the 2025 playoffs, James made 10 3-pointers but in the Lakers’ last playoff run of 10 or more games (2022-23), he made 28 3-pointers.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels & Julius Randle
• In just four playoffs worth of work, Anthony Edwards has climbed into the Wolves’ playoff record book in various categories. Normally, we wouldn’t highlight games played, but Edwards is closing in on the team’s all-time mark and needs five playoff games played to pass Kevin Garnett (47) for No. 1. That’s not the only Garnett playoff mark Edwards can snag, though.
He needs seven assists to pass Garnett (236) for No. 1 in that category, 20 field goals to pass him for No. 1 (415) there and 13 free throw attempts to pass Garnett (272) again. For context, Edwards shot 135-for-298 (in 15 games) during the 2025 playoffs, including a 64-for-89 mark on free throws.
• Center Rudy Gobert is, not surprisingly, in the Top 5 in team playoff history in rebounding and blocks. He needs nine steals to pass Anthony Peeler (32) for No. 5 in that category and can move up in the Top 5 in free throws and free throw attempts, too. Gobert is five free throws from passing Wally Szczerbiak (100) for No. 4 and 15 free throw attempts from passing Karl-Anthony Towns (170) for No. 3.
• Like Gobert and Edwards, forward Jaden McDaniels is sprinkled among the team’s all-time leaders in a variety of categories. The most notable jumps he can make in the 2026 playoffs are in field goals: he needs 31 field goals and 100 field goal attempts to pass Karl-Anthony Towns (207-for-442) for No. 3 in both categories. Additionally, he needs one 3-pointer to pass Nickeil Alexander-Walker (56) for No. 3 there, too. In last season’s run to the West Finals, McDaniels was 87-for-169 from the field (and 21-for-55 on 3-pointers), so another long playoff run with similar stats would push him past Towns.
• Forward Julius Randle is renowned for his scoring as well as his playmaking and he’s got a chance to enter the team’s Top 5 playoff assists list. Randle (74 playoff assists) needs six more to pass Alexander-Walker (79) for No. 5 and 14 more to pass Terrell Brandon (87) for No. 4. Randle had 74 assists in 2025, 36 assists in 2023 and 20 assists in 2021 (when he played for the New York Knicks), which means passing Brandon’s mark is nearly a certainty.
New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson
• Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has enjoyed lengthy playoff runs in each of his three seasons with New York. Those runs have also fueled his place in several key all-time stats categories in team history, and he’s primed to raise his ranking in 2026. Brunson needs 84 points to pass Dave DeBusschere (1,340) for No. 5, 96 points to pass John Starks (1,352) for No. 4 and 102 points to pass Willis Reed (1,358) for No. 3 in scoring. For the record: Brunson scored 530 points in the 2025 playoffs and has not tallied less than 306 points in a postseason since 2023.
Additionally, Brunson needs 108 assists to pass Starks (392) for No. 2 in that category and needs 70 field goals to pass Bill Bradley (510) for No. 5 there. While this one won’t happen in the 2026 playoffs — barring an otherworldly and historic hot streak, of course — Brunson is also 76 3-pointers and 174 attempts from passing Starks for No. 1 in those categories, too.
• Swingman OG Anunoby is a reliable 3-point threat and has been one in the playoffs for New York throughout his time there. He is No. 5 all-time in playoff 3-pointers made (57) and attempted (160) and can easily move to No. 3 in the 2026 playoffs. Anunoby needs 13 more 3-pointers to pass Allan Houston (69) and eight more 3-point attempts to pass Derek Harper (167) for No. 3 in both categories.
• Reliable big man Mitchell Robinson is a quality defender and rebounder, traits he has shown throughout his playoff runs in New York. He’s No. 15 on the team’s playoff rebounding list, but is 64 rebounds from passing Bradley (333) for No. 10 in that stat. Additionally, Robinson is No. 4 all-time in playoff blocks for New York (37) and needs 18 more to pass Charles Smith (55) for the No. 3 slot. In the 2025 playoffs, Robinson logged 127 rebounds and 14 blocks, and similar such stats would put him in the running for passing Bradley and Smith, respectively.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams & Chet Holmgren
• Reigning NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is, perhaps, another playoff run away from moving higher into franchise playoff stats history. Gilgeous-Alexander needs 283 points to pass Shawn Kemp (1,386) for No. 5 in scoring and needs 98 assists to pass Kevin Durant (340) for No. 5 in assists. In last season’s championship run, Gilgeous-Alexander amassed 688 points and 150 assists in 23 games. In the 2024 playoffs, he amassed 302 points and 64 assists in 10 games.
Another long playoff run can also help Gilgeous-Alexander move into the Top 5 in field goals and field goal attempts. He needs 117 field goals and 265 field goal attempts to pass Fred Brown (499-for-1,082) for No. 5 in franchise lore. In that run to the 2026 title, Gilgeous-Alexander was 233-for-504 and, the season before, was 111-for-224.
• Forward Jalen Williams was a crucial player in the 2026 title run and, like Gilgeous-Alexander, is on the verge of moving up in playoff franchise record lore. Williams is 289 points away from passing Dennis Johnson (967) for No. 10 in franchise history. Additionally, Williams is five assists from passing Detlef Schrempf (169) for No. 10 in that stat, 105 field goals from passing Johnson (357) for No. 10 and 229 field goal attempts from passing Serge Ibaka (784) for No. 10. In the 2025 playoffs, Williams scored 492 points on 178-for-396 shooting and registered 111 assists as well.
• Center Chet Holmgren is one of the better interior defenders in the NBA and showcased his value in that department during the 2025 title run. He’s No. 4 in playoff franchise history with 68 blocks and is 39 blocks from passing Kevin Durant (106) for No. 3. That may seem like a tall order, but consider Holmgren had 43 blocks in 2025 and 26 in 2024, which means a lengthy-ish playoff run puts him within range of Durant in 2026.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero
• Former Kia Rookie of the Year winner Paolo Banchero has only been to the playoffs twice, but he tends to be productive when he’s there. Should the Magic enjoy even a long first-round stay, Banchero can move into the Top 10 in playoff lore in several categories. He needs 132 points to pass Horace Grant (467) for No. 10 and needs 46 field goals to pass Tracy McGrady (167) for No. 10 in that stat.
Additionally, he is 20 rebounds from passing Dennis Scott (121) for No. 10 in that stat and is seven blocks from passing Hedo Turkoglu (15) for No. 10 in that stat as well. Finally, Banchero is just five 3-pointers away from passing Darrell Armstrong and Brian Shaw (32) for No. 10 in that stat.
Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey
• All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey has proven to have a deft scoring touch in both the playoffs and regular season. While cracking the all-time playoff record ranks for the 76ers is tough given their lengthy history, Maxey can move up in a few categories in the 2026 playoffs. He needs 28 points to pass Billy Cunningham (757) for No. 15 in scoring and is 30 3-pointers and 17 3-point attempts from passing Allen Iverson (115, No. 1) and Tobias Harris (237, No. 2), respectively, in those categories. In the 2024 playoffs (Maxey’s last appearance), he scored 179 points and shot 22-for-55 on 3-pointers in six games, while in the 2023 playoffs (11 games), he scored 226 points and was 34-for-85 on 3-pointers.
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker
• In Suns regular-season history, few have as many records as star guard Devin Booker does in team lore. Surprisingly, Booker is not No. 1 in any playoff category in Phoenix history, but he can move closer to a handful of them in the 2026 playoffs. Booker is 51 points from passing Steve Nash (1,365) for No. 2 in scoring, is 51 assists from passing Walter Davis (296) for No. 5 and is 38 field goals and 54 field goal attempts from passing Nash (501-for-1,008) for No. 3 in both categories.
Booker is also six 3-pointers and 42 3-point attempts away from passing Dan Majerle (115-for-324) for No. 1 in both of those categories. Booker last appeared in the playoffs in 2024 (four games), finishing with 110 points on 32-for-65 shooting (7-for-20 on 3-pointers) and 24 assists. Phoenix’s last lengthy playoff run, in 2023, saw Booker finish with 371 points on 141-for-241 shooting (31-for-61 on 3-pointers) and 79 assists.
