Heaviest NBA Players: The majority of clubs will soon have played at least ten games in the 2023–24 season. As we wait to witness even more action on the court, we continue to identify the NBA players who are dominant in some unusual categories that are based on unique physical characteristics. We unveiled the tallest NBA players for this season last week. It’s time to discover which players are slamming the ball around the hardest on the court.
Other NBA stars will be among the top players weighing the most pounds, even if some of the same stars that adorned the list of the tallest players will be present today. A previous MVP, an All-Star, and other elite players are among the greatest frontcourt players in the modern game, including these ten heaviest NBA players.
The ten heaviest NBA players for the 2023–2024 campaign are listed below.
The Top 10 Heaviest NBA Players in 2023–2024
1. Jusuf Nurkic – 290 lbs.
At 290 pounds, Jusuf Nurkic and Boban are tied for the title of the heaviest NBA players. At 6’11”, Nurkic is not on our list of the tallest players, although he did share the top spot in 2023–24, placing him extremely close to the top of the list from the year before. Nurkic is set to start his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns, having played seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The writing was on the wall for Nurkic as soon as Portland agreed to part with Damian Lillard, their franchise player. As part of the Lillard trade that resulted in Deandre Ayton’s return to Portland, he was traded to the Trail Blazers. Nurkic helped the Trail Blazers qualify for the playoffs four times during his seven years there, averaging 14.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
After just ten games with the Phoenix Suns, Nrukci is already leaving a positive impact. Nurkic is contributing to the Suns’ 4-6 start despite their sluggish start. He averages 10.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks a game. They were lacking Nurkic’s aggressive offensive style and hands-on defence when they had Ayton. Even though it’s quite likely that the Suns will turn things around for the 2023–24 campaign, Nurkic has to concentrate on playing his rugged style of basketball and staying healthy. We all know he has the size advantage, after all.
You might also be interested in reading this: Tallest Basketball Players in the History of the NBA
2. Boban Marjanovic – 290 lbs.
Boban Marjanovic not only shares the record for being the NBA’s tallest player at 7’4″, but he also weighs the most at 290 pounds. In 2023–24, Marjanovic is playing in his eighth NBA season—his second with the Houston Rockets. Despite playing little on the court, Marjanovic is regarded as one of the greatest men in the NBA locker room and is well-liked by fans all across the league.
Despite the Rockets’ current 6-3 record, Boban has only played 20 minutes in his three bench appearances for Houston. In just 6.7 minutes a game over that period, Marjanovic is averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds. Supporters will applaud Marjanovic’s name and hope that coach Ime Udoka calls him whenever he can during the season, even if it is obvious that his days of playing for long stretches of time on the floor are finished.
3. Nikola Jokic – 284 lbs.
The current MVP of the Finals, Nikola Jokic, is tied for the third-heaviest player in the NBA. Jokic’s weight has no bearing on him. Despite being one of the larger players in the NBA at 6’11”, Jokic has one of the most fluid games of any player in the league.
Jokic assumed the mantle of the league’s top player in 2022–23 after leading the Denver Nuggets to their first playoff victory in team history. After winning back-to-back MVP honours in 2021 and 2022, many people believed Jokic was already the best player in the world; nonetheless, a title was all it took for the remaining sceptics.
Jokic looks to have continued where he left off at the conclusion of the previous campaign. After leading the Nuggets to an 8-2 record after 10 games, he has already surpassed LeBron James for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list. Jokic leads the NBA in scoring, assists, and thefts per game with an average of 29.8 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 8.3 steals per game. Jokic is also hitting 33.3% from three-point range and 60.6% from the field overall. Denver is still the best team in the NBA right now, and Jokic, who leads them, may win MVP three.
4. Zion Williamson – 284 lbs.
It has been widely reported in recent seasons that Zion Williamson’s weight problems with the New Orleans Pelicans have contributed to ailments that have kept him out of action for extended periods of time. The fact that he is the third-heaviest player on this list at 284 pounds, even though he is by far the shortest player at 6’6″ surely doesn’t look good.
Since his 2021 All-Star season, in which he played 61 games and averaged 27.0 points per game, Williamson has only played 37 games in three seasons. He was sidelined for the entirety of 2022 and played in just 29 games during the previous season due to a foot injury. Williamson’s weight fluctuations have been a big issue for him lately, which has many people questioning if he is genuinely interested in playing in the NBA.
In 2023–24, Williamson has performed admirably, despite his admission that he is “taking a backseat” and “getting used to the system.” After eight games, Zion has averaged 21.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 51.5%. The good news is that Williamson has been relatively healthy during the early grind. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like his lessened role in New Orleans’ offence will keep him content for very long.
5. Brook Lopez – 282 lbs.
The Lopez brothers are divided by one pound as well, with brother Brook weighing one pound more than Robin, even though they are both the same age and height. In contrast to his brother, Brook Lopez has plenty of games left after leading the Bucks to victory in 2022–23.
After winning an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021, Brook will be in his sixth season with the team in 2023–2024. Having averaged 2.5 blocks per game in 78 games, Lopez was a nominee for Defensive Player of the Year in the 2022–2023 season. After agreeing to a contract for $48 million over the following two seasons, Lopez made the decision to return to Milwaukee this offseason.
The 2023–24 season has not started off for Brook Lopez as productively. For the Bucks, he has started ten games, although his average is only 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds on 40.7% shooting per contest. In light of the high expectations they had going into the season, the Bucks have gotten off to a disappointing 6-4 start. Brook Lopez will be leading the charge in any turnaround efforts if they are to improve the situation.
6. Robin Lopez – 281 lbs.
At 281 pounds, Robin Lopez is the sixth-heaviest player in the NBA, one pound heavier than Joel Embiid. At seven feet one inch, Lopez was also among the NBA’s tallest players in 2023–2024.
In 2023–24, Lopez will play in his 16th NBA season and his second with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he will be paired with his brother Brook. Before 2023–24, Robin Lopz had played in fewer minutes on the court than he had in the previous two seasons. Lopez participated in 37 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022–23 after playing just 36 games with the Orlando Magic in 2021–22.
Despite the Bucks’ extraordinary skill, particularly in their frontcourt, Lopez has only appeared in one game for a total of two minutes for Milwaukee in their ten games played in 2022–2023 this season. Lopez has watched the best of his NBA career pass him by, and the 2023–24 campaign could be the last one in which we see him play.
7. Joel Embiid – 280 lbs.
Joel Embiid, the current league MVP, is an incredible man, as we have all seen on the floor. Most nights, he makes good use of his stature to his advantage for the 76ers on both sides of the court. Embiid, who weighs 280 pounds, is aiming to win his third consecutive scoring championship in 2023–24 after averaging 33.1 points per game in 2022–23. In addition, Embiid averaged 10.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game, which helped him win MVP awards and be named to the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team.
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now after winning eight straight games. They are now 8-1 and leading the Eastern Conference. Embiid is leading the early-season offensive assault with 32.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game on 50.5% shooting from the field.
We may be in for the fourth straight season in which Embiid and Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic are in close competition for the MVP award if he keeps up his current level of dominance. Jokic has won two accolades thus far compared to Embiid’s one, but Embiid may equal the score with more consistent performance at this level.
8. Andre Drummond – 279 lbs.
One of the eighth-heaviest NBA players this season is Andre Drummond, who will be playing in his 12th NBA season in 2023–2024 at a weight of 279 pounds. Drummond is a vital rotational player for the Chicago Bulls off the bench, starting the 2023–24 season where he left off in the 2022–23 campaign.
In 67 games for the Bulls in 2022–2023 Drummond averaged 12.7 minutes each night of play. With 6.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on average, he was a decent two-way backup for Nikola Vucevic. Drummond is even more of a bench warmer than he was the year before, with a 4–7 Chicago Bulls record in 2023–24.
The 30-year-old centre is grabbing 1.4 steals per game in addition to averaging 6.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. Drummond’s position might grow if the Bulls continue to struggle to establish themselves, particularly if they decide to trade centre Nikola Vucevic at any moment. Even if it seems implausible at this point, as the season goes on, it is something to watch out for.
9. Omer Yurtseven – 275 lbs.
After spending two seasons with the Miami Heat in 2022 and 2023, Omer Yurtseven started his first season with the Utah Jazz in 2023–2024. During his two seasons at Miami, Yurtseven participated in 65 games, averaging 5.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 53.3% from the field per game. Despite having a fantastic rookie season, Yurtseven only made nine appearances with the Heat in 2022–2023 and eight during their run to the Finals the year before.
In his first taste of free agency this summer, Yurtseven signed a $5.8 million, two-year contract with the Utah Jazz. Yurtseven had made six appearances for the 3-7 Jazz in 2023–24, averaging just over 5.0 minutes per game. Yurtseven has averaged 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, making the most of his five minutes.
For the time being, Yurtseven’s role with the Jazz appears to be unchanged from his time in Miami, requiring him to play only after the game has already gone out of hand.
10. Kenneth Lofton Jr. – 275 lbs.
Kenneth Lofton Jr., a forward for the Memphis Grizzlies in his second season, leads off at 275 pounds. Lfton joined the Memphis Grizzlies for his second season in 2022–23, having appeared in just 24 games for the team. Lofton performed admirably in those 24 games, averaging 5.0 points and 2.1 rebounds on 52.7% shooting.
Lofton, who has played 9.0 minutes per game in six of Memphis’ first ten games, has also had a difficult start in 2023–24. With ace point player Ja Morant out for most of the 2023–24 season, Lofton is averaging 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game for the 2–8 Grizzlies. It’s uncertain how much of a role Lofton will play for Memphis this season, but there’s little doubt that the team may benefit from his height and talent if given more opportunities.
