Best NBA Three-Point Shooters: Who Led by Each Measure in 2025–26?
Compare Kennard, Knueppel, Murray and Curry using 2025–26 three-point accuracy, attempts and makes—and see why each measure gives a different answer.
Luke Kennard led qualified NBA players in three-point percentage at 47.8% in 2025–26, while Kon Knueppel led in total makes with 273. Those are different achievements, not conflicting answers to who shot best. (NBA: Kennard’s percentage title, Hornets: Knueppel’s season)
This comparison uses the latest completed regular season, 2025–26, rather than the opening games of 2026–27. It separates accuracy, shooting workload and availability; it is not an all-time ranking or a prediction of this season’s leaders.
What the shooting numbers measure
Three-point percentage (3P%) = three-pointers made ÷ three-pointers attempted × 100. It tells you how often a player’s recorded attempts went in—not how many shots he created or how difficult they were.
Read it alongside:
- 3PM: total three-pointers made, combining accuracy with opportunity and games played.
- 3PA: total three-point attempts, showing the size of the shooting sample.
- 3PA per game: attempts divided by appearances, distinguishing a heavy nightly workload from a large season total.
For the NBA’s full-season three-point percentage leaderboard, the qualifying minimum is 82 makes, not 82 attempts or 58 games. Shooting-percentage eligibility is based on shots made rather than games played. (NBA statistical minimums)
Standout NBA three-point shooters in 2025–26
The table includes the four qualified percentage leaders, plus selected players who illustrate high-volume shooting. It is a comparison, not an overall ranking. All figures cover the regular season only; Kennard’s totals combine Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Source: NBA percentage data filtered to at least 82 makes and season totals. Attempts per game are calculated from totals and rounded to one decimal.
| Player | Games | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | 3PA/game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Kennard | 78 | 117 | 245 | 47.8% | 3.1 |
| Bobby Portis Jr. | 67 | 135 | 296 | 45.6% | 4.4 |
| Cam Spencer | 72 | 146 | 325 | 44.9% | 4.5 |
| Jaylon Tyson | 66 | 133 | 298 | 44.6% | 4.5 |
| Jamal Murray | 75 | 245 | 563 | 43.5% | 7.5 |
| Kon Knueppel | 81 | 273 | 642 | 42.5% | 7.9 |
| AJ Green | 78 | 232 | 554 | 41.9% | 7.1 |
| Stephen Curry | 43 | 190 | 484 | 39.3% | 11.3 |
Best accuracy: Luke Kennard
Kennard made nearly half his attempts, winning his third NBA percentage title after leading in 2021–22 and 2022–23. That repeated success strengthens his case beyond a single hot season. (NBA)
But his 245 attempts were fewer than half Murray’s 563. Kennard’s percentage establishes superior accuracy on the shots he took; it does not establish that he would maintain 47.8% with Murray’s workload.
Most makes: Kon Knueppel
Knueppel paired 42.5% accuracy with 642 attempts and 81 appearances. He became the first rookie to lead the NBA in three-pointers made. His season stands out because the accuracy came with both substantial volume and near-full-season availability. (Hornets)
Murray offers another strong accuracy–volume combination: 245 makes at 43.5%. Green’s 232 makes at 41.9% also deserve attention rather than disappearing behind the highest percentages.
Why Curry’s total needs context
Curry finished with fewer makes than Knueppel, Murray or Green, but played only 43 games. He attempted 11.3 threes per appearance—well above every other player in this table.
Totals alone hide that nightly workload. It does not erase the accuracy gap: his 39.3% was below the other listed players’ percentages. A fair season comparison keeps both facts visible.
Curry’s historical case is a different question. In 2015–16, he made 402 of 886 attempts—45.4%—in 79 games, an exceptional combination of accuracy and volume. (NBA: 2015–16 shooting figures) For comparisons with Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and others, see our all-time three-point shooter ranking.
How to compare beyond the leaderboard
Start with percentage plus attempts, then examine shot type: catch-and-shoot versus off-the-dribble, corner versus above-the-break, and open versus contested.
Attempts per game also depend on minutes played; they are not a pace-adjusted measure. A faster-paced team can provide more opportunities, while a different offensive role can change the difficulty of those opportunities. No single box-score column captures all of that.