Here’s a quick list of the top 10 small forwards under the age of 26, ranked in the order of a combination of current performance and trade value (regardless of salary).

I’ll also list the player’s age and his Player Efficiency Rating.

1. LeBron James, Cavs
Age: 23
PER: 33.28
27.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists on a 20-4 team – can you spell M-V-P?

2. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Age: 24
PER: 18.50
The Nuggets are sitting atop the Northwest with a 16-7 record and with the arrival of Chauncey Billups, ‘Melo is starting to play defense, as evidenced by his career-high 8.2 rebounds.

3. Danny Granger, Pacers
Age: 25
PER: 18.67
His boards are down, but his points and assists are up. I bet that the six teams that drafted other guys ahead of him – Magic (Fran Vasquez), Clippers (Yaroslav Korolev), Bobcats (Sean May), T-Wolves (Rashad McCants), Nets (Antoine Wright) and the Raptors (Joey Graham) – are all wishing they could have that draft back.

4. Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Age: 22
PER: 16.54
I’d like to see better assist numbers (1.7), but he’s still scoring at a terrific clip even though ROY candidate O.J. Mayo is in town. But what’s up with that three-point percentage (29%)?

5. Luol Deng, Bulls
Age: 23
PER: 13.41
It’s not good to see your FG% take a dive (to 43%) the season after you sign a fat contract. Even though his minutes are about the same, Deng’s production is down across the board.

6. Thaddeus Young, Sixers
Age: 20
PER: 13.32
Philly is asking a lot more of Young this season, which is why his run has taken a 12-minute jump. Predictably, his numbers are all up, but he’s not as productive on a per-minute basis, which has a lot to do with the dip in his FG% (-6.6%).

7. Trevor Ariza, Lakers
Age: 23
PER: 19.45
It’s not clear why the Knicks and Magic let him go – well, Isiah is to blame in one case – but their inability to see Ariza’s promise worked to the Lakers’ advantage. Defensively, he’s a terror. If he could only shoot the long ball, he’d be the answer to the team’s problem at small forward.

8. Al Thornton, Clippers
Age: 25
PER: 13.37
Thornton’s numbers are up across the boards thanks to increased minutes (+10.4) and better accuracy from the field (+2.6%).

9. Brandan Wright, Warriors
Age: 21
PER: 20.80
Wright is wildly productive in the 17 minutes of playing time he gets each night, but one wonders why Nellie is barely playing him? It’s not like the Warriors have a ton of great players; they’re 7-17 for Pete’s sake.

10. Jeff Green, Thunder
Age: 22
PER: 14.47
Green has made a big jump from his rookie season. His points (15.6), rebounds (5.5) and assists (2.4) are all up, but more importantly, he’s shooting with increased accuracy from the field (+3.2%) and long range (+13.7%). After looking like a bit of a bust last season, he now looks like he’s capable of being Kevin Durant’s sidekick for the long haul.

Who am I missing? Before you jump all over me for leaving someone off, be sure to check the player’s age – all these guys are 25 or younger.

Other lists:

Top 10 Young Point Guards
Top 10 Young Shooting Guards

I’ll also list the player’s age and his Player Efficiency Rating.

1. Chris Paul, Hornets
Age: 23
PER: 30.99
He’s the best point guard in the league, regardless of of age.

2. Deron Williams, Jazz
Age: 24
PER: 16.82
Better jumper than CP3, but doesn’t have his quickness or vision.

3. Derrick Rose, Bulls
Age: 20
PER: 17.51
What he’s doing in his rookie year (18.7 points, 5.8 assists) is phenomenal.

4. Devin Harris, Nets
Age: 25
PER: 27.81
He’s absolutely blowing up – 24.8 points, 6.1 assists – right before our very eyes. That sound you hear is Mark Cuban grinding his teeth.

5. Mo Williams, Cavs
Age: 25
PER: 15.91
Mo is still figuring things out on the defensive end, but he’s a nice sidekick for LeBron, despite the so-so FG% (43.7%).

6. Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Age: 22
PER: 18.73
Handled the point during the C’s championship run. Does it with passing (7.2 assists) and defense (2.2 steals).

7. Ramon Sessions, Bucks
Age: 22
PER: 17.67
It was Sessions, not Ridnour, that prompted the Bucks to trade Mo Williams away. 15.6 points and 5.8 assists indicates he’s the point guard of the future in Milwaukee.

8. Jordan Farmar, Lakers
Age: 22
PER: 14.84
He’s struggling with his shot this season (41.9%) and is still playing behind Derek Fisher.

9. Nate Robinson, Knicks
Age: 24
PER: 17.88
He’s thriving in Mike D’Antoni’s system (14.5 points, 4.2 asissts), but at just 5’ 9”, is he limited in his upside?

10. Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Age: 20
PER: 15.06
He just joined the starting lineup, but is still averaging 12.3 points and 4.1 assists.

Before you blast me for missing a player or two, be sure to check his age. All these guys are 25 years-old or younger.

12/4 Update: Mo Williams is 25, not 23.

Other lists:

Top Young Shooting Guards
Top Young Small Forwards