We have a little over a month until the NBA wakes up from its late-summer siesta. When players start reporting to team facilities for preseason activity, we'll see some big names in unfamiliar (and even unexpected) places. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in Philadelphia. Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami. LaMelo Ball in Minnesota. Maybe Kawhi Leonard in Toronto?
(For the purposes of the following exercise, Kawhi has been exempted.) Given how some talent has shifted around the league, it's a good time to sort through the top dozen duos in the NBA -- some new, some old, and some that have lingering questions.
Ranking the NBA's 12 best duos
12. Steph Curry and Draymond Green
A classic of the genre. Apologies to Jimmy Butler, who is a better all-around player than Green, but any discussion of best duos as it pertains to the Warriors begins and ends with these two given their extensive history. Curry and Green are coming up on their 15th season as running mates. They've won four NBA titles together. While other important players who were instrumental in securing that hardware -- principally Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant -- have since moved on, Curry and Green remain. Their deep understanding of each other's tendencies on the court has made for some beautiful basketball over the years.
Alas, nothing lasts forever. Curry played just 43 games last season due to various injuries. Green was one of the more durable Warriors in a season rife with medical maladies for the team and played 68 games. Curry will be 39 in March while Green will turn 37 that same month. Curry is in the final year of his contract, while Green just re-upped on a one-year deal after the Warriors missed out on LeBron.
Put all that together, and there's a chance this might be their last season together (though the Warriors believe Curry wants to play his entire career in Golden State). Whether the end is nigh or it's already here and we just don't know it yet, it's been fun while it's lasted.
11. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren
The Jalen Duren contract situation remains unresolved. That can't be a good sign. For now, we'll operate under the assumption that he'll be in Detroit when the season begins, but the still-ongoing negotiation between Duren and the front office probably won't be great for morale.
Prior to the postseason, there would have been an argument for putting this guard-big combo higher -- and then that went poof when Duren no-showed against the Magic and Cavaliers. Duren reportedly wanted a new contract last offseason with an average annual value in the $30 million range. When the Pistons balked, Duren bet on himself. It looked like that bet paid off, with Duren having a fantastic regular season, scoring a career-high 19.5 points per game, along with 10.5 rebounds. As a result, he made Third Team All-NBA. Then he crashed out in the playoffs, averaging just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds.
That flameout has created obvious questions about how much money the Pistons are willing to commit to the 22-year-old. Considering he still hasn't inked a new deal, the answer appears to be not nearly as much as Duren thinks he's worth. Because of the All-NBA nod, Duren is eligible for a five-year deal worth $287.1 million. If you're laughing, the Pistons might be too. Duren isn't getting anywhere near that much, hence the delay.
Meanwhile, Cunningham could use some help. He made First Team All-NBA, finished fifth in the MVP voting, and was the Pistons best and most reliable player during the regular season and the ultimately disappointing playoffs. No notes on his end. Now we wait to see whether he's still throwing lobs to Duren this season. The Pistons reportedly aren't interested in sign-and-trade offers for Duren, but the longer the financial battle of wills continues, it's fair to wonder if they might change their mind on that front.
10. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley
For his entire career, the narrative around Donovan Mitchell was that he couldn't get out of the second round -- then he finally did, only to run into the white-hot New York Knicks on an all-time postseason run. Tough luck. Even so, Mitchell had a phenomenal season and made Second Team All-NBA. The Cavs seemed to get some proof of concept that he and James Harden work together in the backcourt and can be among the contenders in the Eastern Conference this coming season. But Mitchell will be 30 in September, and he has a player option that will allow him to become a free agent next summer if he so chooses. It's a big year for him and the Cavaliers.
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There were reports that the Bucks inquired about Mobley prior to the trade deadline when the Cavs were among the many teams interested in Giannis. The former defensive player of the year shot just 29.7% from 3, but his counting stats across the board were basically identical to the previous season. He'll be 25 this season and the Cavs have him under contract for the next four years.
9. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball
I was tempted to make this Ant and Jaden McDaniels. McDaniels is one of the most underrated two-way players in the NBA. He can be relied on in pressure situations, particularly on the defensive end.
That's not LaMelo's game. Ball is undeniably one of the most exciting offensive players in the league, and he instantly becomes the best passer Edwards has played with. There's a lot to like about LaMelo, but there would be even more if he freelanced less and gave at least passing consideration to what the rest of his team is trying to accomplish at any given moment. There's a reason why the Hornets were all too happy to offload him.
Tim Connelly is one of the smartest executives in the league. He built the Nuggets championship roster, then jumped to Minnesota, where he transformed the Wolves into a team that reached back-to-back conference finals. His decisions tend to work out. Still, I remain skeptical that Chris Finch will be able to harness Ball's considerable talent for the greater good.
That said, Ball alongside Edwards will be highly entertaining. Ant finished third in the league in scoring at 28.8 points per game, to go with 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks. He shot 48.9% from the floor and 39.9% from 3-point range. If not for the infernal 65-game threshold for awards, he would have made All-NBA for the third time in his career. (He played 61 games.) He was an All-Star for the fourth time in six seasons, and for the third straight year he helped the Wolves overachieve in the playoffs. The lingering question is whether Edwards and Ball can do the same sort of damage together.
8. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White
The Celtics finally broke up the Js and sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia. For the purposes of this list, that leaves Tatum teamed up with White, who is beloved by various metrics like defensive EPM (unlike Brown, who had his reputation beschmired pre-trade by one "analytics guy" who didn't think much of him). With Tatum out for much of last season with an Achilles tear, White was asked to do more in Boston and had his highest usage rate as a Celtic -- along with the worst field goal percentage of his career. While he struggled at times at the offensive end, he remained one of the best and most versatile players at the other end and made First Team All-Defense.
Tatum has made five All-NBA teams and was one of the most consistent stars in the league before getting hurt. He was limited to just 16 regular-season games after returning from the injury last season. His shot, which even in the best of times can desert him, looked predictably rusty. A full offseason to work his way back into form should help. The big question in Boston is whether Tatum, White and the reimagined Celtics can achieve the same success without Brown around -- and with him trying to stand in their way.
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo
You have to give Pat Riley this: when he wants a guy, he usually gets the guy. The Heat acquired Antetokounmpo this summer, along with Bobby Portis in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one swap and one second rounder. That's a lot to give up only to land seventh on the duos list.
Giannis is a former Defensive Player of the Year and Bam has made All-Defense five times. The offensive end might be a little trickier considering the Heat don't have a lot of shooting, and the spacing figures to get cramped as it stands. But when you have a chance to get one of the best players in the world, you do it and figure out the rest later. In the interim, Giannis and Bam will have a lot of heavy lifting to do.
The oddsmakers aren't particularly bullish about that prospect. FanDuel has the Heat at +1500 to win the conference. That puts them seventh behind the Knicks, Sixers, Celtics, Pistons, Raptors and Cavs. Oof.
6. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves
When the Lakers empowered Dončić and Reaves as their main offensive options, relegating LeBron to third in usage rate for the first time in his career, L.A. went on a 15-game winning streak late in the season and played some of its best basketball in ages. Now LeBron plays in Philadelphia, and Dončić and Reaves are back to see if they can lead the new-look Lakers through the Western Conference gauntlet without the king.
Luka -- who made First Team All-NBA for the sixth time -- will be 27 this season and previously signed a three-year extension with the Lakers worth $160 million. Reaves just reupped for four years and $184 millon. It's their team (at least on the court as the Lakers ownership saga figures to play out for months) ... for now. But what happens if the revamped roster doesn't achieve anything significant? That Doncic extension has a player option on the back end, giving Luka a potential escape hatch if he wants to go through the free agency exit in the summer of 2028.
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5. Sixers choose your own adventure
Pick two. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are a hyper-athletic blur in the backcourt. Joel Embiid is a massive question mark when it comes to his availability, but he's also a former MVP who helped the Sixers upset the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs and reminded everyone how good he can still be when he's on the floor. Brown is coming off the best season of his career. And LeBron is, well, LeBron.
Any combination could prove to be their best duo on any given night. As Brown said at his introductory press conference, it doesn't have to be anybody's team.
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams
SGA was named back-to-back MVP. Jalen Williams' season didn't go nearly as well. He played just 33 games due to injuries and missed the entire postseason. That had to come as a huge disappointment for the 25-year-old, considering the season he had prior. Not only did the Thunder win the NBA championship in 2025, but Williams made his first All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense teams.
The Western Conference is beyond loaded, but despite losing to the Spurs in seven games in the conference finals, the Thunder are the betting favorites to win it all next season. Their depth is a huge reason why, but the top-line talent of SGA and JDub is what really supercharges the team. If Williams had been healthy during the playoffs, it's entirely possible the Thunder would have played the Knicks in the finals. As it stands, the Thunder will be in title contention for a while. SGA, 29, has four years left on his contract while the 25-year-old Williams has five years remaining.
3. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns
Brunson has been overlooked and undervalued nearly his entire basketball career, from being underdrafted out of Villanova, to the Mavericks letting him walk in free agency, to persistent questions from pundits and doubters about whether he could be the No. 1 option on a championship team. Each time, he has proven his critics wrong, including leading the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years. There are plenty of other players who would be good options when you need a bucket in a pressure-filled situation, but you wouldn't want any of them more than Brunson.
Like Brunson, there have been questions about KAT for much of his career. The self-professed best-shooting big man in NBA history was also seen as a goofy fouling machine who was often questionable on the defensive end, someone who was good in Minnesota but not so good that they didn't mind shipping him off to New York to rearrange their finances. Around the trade deadline, there were even reports that New York was dangling him in a potential Giannis deal. Then he stuck around and had the postseason of his life, outplaying Victor Wembanyama for parts of the Finals. If not for Brunson and KAT both stepping up, the Knicks don't finally raise that banner.
2. Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray
Jokić finished second in MVP voting and made his eighth All-NBA team. He averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists on 56.9/38.0/83.1 shooting. The rebounds and assists were career highs, and it was the second straight season that he averaged a triple-double.
While the Nuggets were crushed by injuries last season -- Joker, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson all missed significant time -- Murray had a career year. The point guard averaged 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists, all of which were career highs. He also shot a career best 48.3% from the floor and 43.5% from beyond the arc. As a result, he made All-Star and All-NBA for the first time. Murray is 29 and Jokić is 31. They're both still in their prime. If they were slightly younger, they'd be atop the list.
1. Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle/Dylan Harper
Wembanyama is only 22 years old. That makes him the youngest player in NBA history to make First Team All-NBA and reach the finals. He was also the first player in NBA history to be named unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. If he stays healthy and clears the 65-game threshold, he'll have a stranglehold on DPOY in perpetuity, and he'll also go into next season as the MVP favorite. Yes, the Knicks dispatched the Spurs in five games and, no, Wembanyama wasn't particularly efficient in that series. But the fact that he's this good, this soon makes the Spurs championship contenders for the foreseeable future.
As for his running mate in this particular exercise, you can't go wrong with either young guard. Both Castle and Harper are excellent choices. Castle upped his game during the postseason, averaging 18.2 points, 5 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He also shot 35% from 3 and 81.6% from the line (on 5.9 attempts per game), both of which were better than his regular-season averages. The 21-year-old is also a big, athletic body with All-Defense-level ability that makes him a massive problem for opponents at both ends of the floor.
At just 20 years old, you could argue that Harper was the Spurs most consistent player during the postseason and especially the finals. He shot 51.5% from the floor and 82.7% from the line in the playoffs. He showed remarkable poise in pressure situations and outplayed De'Aaron Fox, a veteran eight years his senior. Whichever guard you fancy more alongside Wembanyama, the fact that they're all in their early 20s and have already reached the finals should terrify the rest of the league. The Spurs are a problem, and they aren't going anywhere.
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