If you’ve watched a single Los Angeles Lakers or Milwaukee Bucks game lately, you’ve probably spent a good chunk of your evening watching a guy stand alone at a 15-foot line while everyone else stands around with their hands on their hips. It’s the free throw show. Honestly, it's getting a little wild. We are deep into the 2025-26 NBA season, and the numbers for most fta per game this season are starting to look like glitches in a video game.
Luka Doncic is currently doing things we haven't seen a guard do since the days of Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. He’s not just leading the league; he’s practically living at the charity stripe.
But it’s not just him. From Giannis Antetokounmpo’s relentless bruising in the paint to the surgical way Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws contact, the art of the whistle has never been more polarizing. Fans are screaming about "foul merchants," while coaches are losing their minds over the "Lakers whistle."
The 2025-26 Free Throw Leaders: By the Numbers
Let's look at the actual landscape right now. We aren't talking about "projections" anymore; we have real, mid-season data. As of January 2026, the race for the most trips to the line is a heavyweight battle between three specific archetypes: the unstoppable force (Giannis), the rhythm manipulator (Luka), and the "don't-touch-me" finesse of SGA.
Luka Doncic: The New King of the Stripe
Luka’s move to the Lakers has clearly had an effect. He is currently averaging a staggering 12.1 to 13.8 free throw attempts per game depending on the week’s stretch.
Wait. Think about that.
That is more than some entire teams averaged back in the early 2000s. He’s on pace to have the highest FTA average for a guard in NBA history. People love to complain that he’s "faking" the contact, but the reality is more complex. Luka plays at a glacial pace. He uses his massive frame to "seal" defenders, and once you’re on his hip, you’re dead. If you breathe on him, he’s going to the line.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Paint Punisher
Then there’s the Greek Freak. Giannis is currently sitting right around 9.8 to 11.1 FTA per game.
His case is different from Luka’s. While Luka baits you, Giannis just runs through you. He’s shooting nearly 80% of his shots within 10 feet of the rim. When you're that big and that fast, the only way to stop a layup is to hack. The Bucks’ offense essentially relies on this. Even with his free throw percentage hovering in the mid-60s, the sheer volume makes him the most physically taxing player to guard in the league.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: The Efficiency God
SGA is the quietest "foul merchant" in the league. He averages roughly 8.9 to 9.2 FTA per game. He doesn't look like he’s hunting fouls, but his footwork is so deceptive that defenders are constantly out of position. He’s the guy who hits 90% of them, too, which makes those nine attempts feel like a guaranteed 8 points every single night.
Why the Most FTA Per Game This Season Is So High
You might be wondering why the numbers feel so inflated this year. It's not just "bad officiating." There’s a tactical shift happening.
First, the spacing is absurd. With everyone shooting threes, the lane is wide open. When a guy like Luka or Paolo Banchero (who is quietly 2026's breakout foul-drawer at 7.8 FTA) gets into the paint, there’s no second line of defense. It’s either a layup or a foul.
The "Lakers Factor" and Team Stats
If we look at team-wide stats, the Orlando Magic and LA Lakers are leading the league in team free throw attempts, both north of 27 per game.
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- Orlando Magic: 28.2 FTA/game
- LA Lakers: 27.8 FTA/game
- Detroit Pistons: 27.2 FTA/game
The Pistons being up there is the real shocker. Cade Cunningham has finally figured out how to use his size, and it’s transformed Detroit into a legitimate Eastern Conference threat. They are currently 28-10, sitting at the top of the East, largely because they've stopped settling for jumpers and started forcing the issue at the rim.
The "Deni Avdija" Outlier
Can we talk about Deni Avdija for a second?
In one of the weirdest statistical anomalies of the 2025-26 season, Deni is currently second in the league in free throw attempts, sitting at roughly 9.9 per game for the Portland Trail Blazers.
How? Seriously. He has a "Free Throw Rate" that rivals Prime James Harden. He’s not a superstar, but he’s playing with a level of aggression that has caught the league off guard. He’s become the poster child for the "Contact Capitalist" movement—players who specifically hunt the whistle to maximize their True Shooting percentage.
Misconceptions About the Whistle
Most fans think that more free throws mean the game is getting softer. Honestly, it’s the opposite.
Defenders are more athletic than ever. To score 30 points in 2026, you have to be able to play through contact. When we look at the leaders for most fta per game this season, we’re seeing the smartest players in the world. They know that a 2-point layup is worth roughly 1.2 points per possession (PPP), but two free throws from an 80% shooter are worth 1.6 PPP.
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It's math. Pure and simple.
What This Means for the 2026 Playoffs
As we head toward the post-season, keep an eye on these numbers. Historically, the whistle tightens up in May and June. If the Lakers are relying on 25 free throws a game to win, they might be in trouble when the refs "let them play."
Conversely, teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder (SGA’s squad) are built to survive without the whistle because their shot-making is so elite.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you're tracking these stats for fantasy or just to understand the game better, here’s what you should look for:
- Look at the Matchup: When a high-FTA player like Giannis plays a "disciplined" team like the Boston Celtics (who allow the fewest FTA in the league), the scoring usually drops.
- Home vs. Away Splits: The "Lakers whistle" is real at home. Luka’s FTA jumps by nearly 2.0 per game when playing in Crypto.com Arena.
- Injury Impacts: With Joel Embiid playing limited minutes and "shaking off rust" (currently at a career-low 7.8 FTA), the hierarchy of the big-man whistle has shifted entirely to the wings.
The 2025-26 season is proving that if you want to lead the league in scoring, you have to be a master of the 15-foot line. Whether you love it or hate it, the free throw is the most important shot in basketball right now.
Next Step: Monitor the weekly NBA officiating reports. If the league office issues a "point of emphasis" on flopping or non-basketball moves in February, expect these FTA numbers for Luka and Deni Avdija to crater overnight.