After falling in 2022-23, NBA three-point volume climbed for two consecutive seasons before easing back in 2025-26. Teams attempted 37.0 threes per game last season, down from a record 37.6 in 2024-25, according to Basketball-Reference’s league averages.
The decline amounts to 0.6 attempts per team per game, or approximately 1.6%. It is not evidence that the three-point era has ended. It is evidence that the league’s shot profile is capable of moving in both directions after years of treating continued growth as inevitable.
NBA three-point attempts over five seasons
| Season | 3-point attempts per game | 3-point percentage | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 35.2 | 35.4% | 110.6 |
| 2022-23 | 34.2 | 36.1% | 114.7 |
| 2023-24 | 35.1 | 36.6% | 114.2 |
| 2024-25 | 37.6 | 36.0% | 113.8 |
| 2025-26 | 37.0 | 36.0% | 115.6 |
Source: Basketball-Reference league per-game averages.
The five-year pattern is more complicated than a straight climb. Attempts dropped by 2.8% in 2022-23, rose by 2.6% the following season and then jumped another 7.1% in 2024-25. The 1.6% pullback in 2025-26 erased only a small part of that surge.
Shooting accuracy remained stable. The league made 36.0% of its threes in both 2024-25 and 2025-26, which means the decline was about shot selection rather than a sudden change in whether those shots went in.
Scoring continued to rise without more threes
The most interesting number in the table may be 115.6 points per team per game. That was the highest scoring average of the five seasons shown, even though teams attempted fewer three-pointers than the year before.
That combination suggests offenses found production elsewhere. More efficient transition play, improved finishing at the rim, free throws and selective use of the midrange can all raise scoring without increasing three-point volume. A leaguewide average cannot identify which explanation mattered most, but it does disprove the assumption that scoring growth requires another record in attempts from deep.
The 2024-25 peak forced a leaguewide conversation
The previous season’s record generated concern about offensive variety. At least six teams were taking 45% or more of their shots from three, and Boston had pushed the model particularly far after winning the 2024 championship with nearly half of its field-goal attempts coming from beyond the arc.
League executives addressed the debate without proposing an immediate rule change. Evan Wasch, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics, said the league was not looking for solutions to a problem it had not established. Commissioner Adam Silver nevertheless acknowledged that offensive diversity was worth monitoring.
The 2025-26 decline matters in that context. The league did not move the line or impose a new restriction, yet aggregate volume still fell. Strategic imitation can reach a point where defenses adapt, roster construction changes and teams search for advantages in spaces opponents have begun conceding.
Attempts per game and three-point rate are not identical
Attempts per game count how many threes a team takes. Three-point attempt rate measures what share of all field-goal attempts come from behind the arc. Pace can raise or lower raw attempts even when a team’s preferred shot distribution barely changes.
That distinction is important when comparing seasons. A team can play faster, take more total shots and increase its three-point attempts without becoming more dependent on threes. It can also reduce raw attempts while maintaining a similar rate if its overall possession count falls.
The figures above describe leaguewide attempts per game. A complete evaluation of whether the NBA is changing direction must also track attempt rate, shot location and which teams produced the movement.
What the decline means for 2026-27
One season cannot establish a lasting trend. The league experienced another decline in 2022-23 before setting a record two years later. The 2025-26 figure could therefore mark a temporary pause, the beginning of a plateau or the first stage of a broader adjustment.
Team-level evidence will provide the next answer. If several high-volume offenses deliberately diversify their shot diets, the decline could continue. If the movement was caused largely by injuries or roster turnover among a few teams, attempts may quickly return to their previous trajectory.
Training camp and preseason will offer the first clues through lineup construction and shot distribution. The three-point revolution remains central to modern NBA offense, but the latest season shows that its growth is no longer automatic. The question for 2026-27 is not whether teams will keep shooting threes. It is whether the league has reached the point where taking more of them is no longer the easiest available advantage.