Ranking Every NBA Team's Starting Lineup Ahead of Preseason

On the NBA calendar, October is a month of unbridled optimism.

Especially at the start when everyone has the same record, and a huge chunk of the league is purportedly in the best shape of their lives.

It's also a time to reset the landscape. Three-plus months have passed since the last champion was crowned, and it honestly feels like longer given how much has changed between now and then.

So, we're here to predict and rank each starting lineup with the dust all but settled on the offseason. We won't magically heal any injured players or include any unsigned players (cough, Jalen Duren ), but we will peer into our trusty crystal ball to project how any new additions will fit their teams.

The Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks are starting from scratch, creating plenty of fluidity with the first five. With a fair share of veteran holdovers and young talent sure to be promoted upon the first hints of readiness, this is a lineup that could change looks over and over.

For now, though, this feels like the right starting point. Herro has been an All-Star before, and Rollins had a Most Improved Player award argument last season. They should comprise the opening-night starting backcourt, although lottery pick Brayden Burries will have ample opportunity to challenge for his spot.

Up front, Milwaukee might love to see Kel'el Ware and Nate Ament force their way into this five, but that's probably more of a midseason development than an October occurrence. Jaquez, Kuzma and Turner will all have chances to showcase themselves for potential trade-season suitors.

While optimism should run in near limitless supply this time of the year, it'll be tough for Sacramento fans to summon.

LaVine and Sabonis would be gone already if they had a trade market. The same almost certainly applies to Hunter, and Murray keeps moving further away from the buzz that accompanied his arrival as the No. 4 pick of the 2022 draft.

Acuff, then, might be solely responsible for inspiring hope here—as a 19-year-old who averaged nearly as many shots as points and turnovers as assists at summer league. Efficiency figures to be a struggle, but even his volume is far from guaranteed with those veterans needing touches to try attracting any external interest.

Considering how long it was apparent that a rebuild was inevitable in Chicago, the Bulls are almost unforgivably light on young talent. Luckily, though, they've seemingly guessed right on both Buzelis and Wilson, who already comprise one of the Association's most intriguing young forward tandems.

That said, unless the youngsters are way ahead of schedule, there is a distinct lack of star power with this group. Powell at least earned an All-Star nod last season, but that was the first selection of his now 12-year career, and his production plummeted after the break. He's also on the short list of the league's most obvious trade candidates as a 33-year-old starter on a long-term rebuilder.

Giddey can stuff a stat sheet (17 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds last season), but his limitations as a shooter and defender render him less helpful on the hardwood than those numbers suggest ( minus-2.1 career net differential). Claxton's defensive playmaking has really regressed, and on offense, he lacks shooting from the perimeter and size on the interior.

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Grizzlies fans won't love this ranking—but they might begrudgingly get it.

Boozer might have the polish and production of a plug-and-play pro, but he's still an unproven 19-year-old awaiting his first career minutes. Edey's apparent sophomore leap spanned only 11 games before an ankle injury ended his run. Coward cracked the All-Rookie first team, but he might be more solid than special.

After that, Jerome and Grant are neither needle-movers, nor guaranteed starters. The former will be pushed by Scottie Pippen Jr., while the latter—a clear trade candidate—could be challenged by Jaylen Wells, if only for the fact that he has a clearer future with the franchise.

There might be disconnected timelines and competitions for touches here, but there could also be a (relatively) good amount of talent.

Randle has previously booked multiple All-Star trips, Porter posted All-Star numbers last season and the Brown-Dëmin backcourt looked as electric as any on this year's summer circuit. Sharpe's per-minute production suggests he could factor into the Most Improved Player race with a big spike in floor time after Nic Claxton's exit.

Brooklyn probably still isn't a Play-In Tournament factor, and there's surely a price point at which the Nets would deal just about any veteran for assets, but this quintet could look competent if Brown and Dëmin are ready to roll.

The Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers appeared undermanned even before Brandon Ingram was lost to a partial Achilles tear . But that news torpedoed any chances L.A. may have had of escaping the bottom third.

Things aren't entirely hopeless, though. The Garland-Wagler backcourt should provide plenty of potency and creativity, provided the former can stay healthy and the latter can hit the ground running.

If the guards are good, the frontcourt should be fine. Strus, Hachimura and Lopez have all started for playoff teams in the past. Maybe that's a reason for some win-now shopper to make a run at them, but given L.A.'s glaring need for assets , that would be a welcome development.

The Hornets aren't the easiest team to rank, since there are ways to paint this as unfair in either direction.

On one hand, this is far from a favorable placement for a club that posted the NBA's best net rating from Jan. 1 through the end of last regular season. On the other, it might be a bit generous for a group that will have to forge its identity on the fly while replacing former franchise face LaMelo Ball and longtime starter Miles Bridges.

The wager here is that Knueppel and Miller both take significant steps forward while seizing more control of the offense, while White and Reid take advantage of their promotions to full-time starters.

Diabaté's spot might be the shakiest, but that's only because Charlotte has viable alternatives in Ryan Kalkbrenner and rookie lottery pick Hannes Steinbach.

The Pelicans have enough talent to push for a higher spot, but a good chunk of that talent has been present for a while now, and this club still has 117 losses to show for the last two seasons.

Health is forever a question mark for this club, but so is overall performance. Williamson isn't where he wants to be , Murphy's biggest numbers have come on brutally bad teams and Murray's lone All-Star nod in 2022 feels forever ago.

It's uncertain how the rest of the opening group will take shape since multiple reasonable candidates (like Jeremiah Fears, Saddiq Bey, Bennedict Mathurin and Yves Missi) were left on the cutting room floor.

If this is how new coach Jamahl Mosley chooses to open games, there will be immediate concerns about perimeter shooting and interior defense.

Curry might be one of hoops history's greatest magicians, but even he'll struggle to work miracles with this already injury-riddled roster . Especially if the knee problems that plagued the 38-year-old last season prove problematic once again.

If this is the best Dubs can do for now, things could unravel before they ever get whole. Podziemski is over his skis as a second option, Santos has to hustle his way into glue-guy capacity and the interior combo of Green and Horford is ancient and borderline punchless on offense.

It would still be tough to slot a lineup featuring Curry any lower, but a squad that once touted its strength in numbers feels frighteningly close to being a one-man show.

The Mavs have long signaled their excitement to see Irving and Flagg together, and we're right there with them. The wide gap in timelines figures probably points toward an eventual split, but there could be a lot of fun basketball between now and then.

Flagg was forced to take a lot of tough shots last season, and that burden should be immediately eased by Irving's improvisation, spacing and scoring. If this on-court pairing even approaches its on-paper potential, then the support starters shouldn't have trouble completing the puzzle.

All of that said, there's a chance Flagg is the only Dallas starter who makes it to season's end. Suitors are already circling Irving, they could come for Washington pretty quickly and Gafford would be expendable if Dereck Lively II ever gets healthy .

Christie, 23, could be a long-term keeper, but his ceiling doesn't sit high enough for the Mavericks to treat him as totally off-limits should someone present an aggressive offer.

The Suns surprised and probably overachieved last season—while winning 45 games and finishing 15th in net rating. Their ceiling only stretches so high as a one-star squad, and, no, Bridges doesn't change that label despite Phoenix paying a star-type price to acquire him.

There are solid support pieces around Booker—though not as many as there would be with Mark Williams banged-up —but where is the second needle-mover?

Bridges and Green are inefficient scoring specialists, Brooks just had a career season on 54 percent true shooting (league average was 58.1 ) and Ighodoro is keeping the seat warm until Williams gets healthy or Khaman Maluach leaps forward.

It sounds like Portland plans on rolling with a Morant-Lillard combo in the backcourt, meaning the Blazers are cannonballing right into the too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen concerns. Both are lead guards who do their best work with the ball in their hands, so the fit could be tricky from the start.

Never mind the obvious defensive concerns the pairing presents. Or the worries of what this might do to the on-ball opportunities that fueled Avdija's All-Star ascension last season. Or the fact that this arrangement could force Jrue Holiday to the bench, since the Blazers might view Camara's defense and Clingan's paint protection as absolute must-haves.

There is talent here, though, and maybe a good deal of it if Avdija picks up where he left off, Lillard shows no rust after a season-long layoff and Morant looks healthy and explosive. The puzzle pieces just don't obviously align and may never until Portland thins out its guard group.

This sentiment hasn't been raised in a while, and it may lead to eventual egg-on-face regret, but here it is: We are bullish on the Wizards. OK, maybe bullish is too strong of a term for a team coming off three consecutive 60-loss campaigns, but we're at least optimistically intrigued.

Washington needed an on-court organizer and found one of the league's most prolific playmakers in Young (career 9.8 assists). It lacked defensive protection on the back end and now has a five-time All-Defensive honoree back there in Davis. It looked short on star potential and then struck lottery gold with Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick of the celebrated and highly anticipated 2026 draft class.

This group obviously lacks a track record together, and the incumbents haven't spent an NBA second in a winning environment. Still, this squad is starting to make real sense, especially if Sarr and George can continue their ascensions from last season.

The Jazz share a host of similarities with the Wizards—including the recent tank jobs and new expectations surrounding recently acquired in-prime stars and the just-drafted blue-chip prospects—making it all the more appropriate to keep these clubs closely connected.

A direct Washington-vs-Utah assessment might be a coin flip, but Utah gets the slightest nod for being more proven on the court. Because the Jazz not only have a pair of prime stars in Markkanen and Jackson, they also have an ascending 22-year-old who has already authored a breakout in George.

Throw in Peterson as, at worst, a combo guard with impact at both ends and Nurkić as a dot-connecting bruiser and slick-passing center, and the pieces just align a tad more tightly.

With Suggs, Wagner and Banchero all residing in the 25-and-under tier, Orlando feels like it should have some unrealized potential. Yet, three consecutive first-round exits give the Magic much more of a plateaued appearance.

Maybe new coach Sean Sweeney can change that. Or perhaps it's just as simple as having everyone healthy at the same time.

It doesn't feel impossible for this club to flip the proverbial switch, but it clearly needs to happen sooner than later. This quintet might only be one sluggish start away from a significant shakeup.

Pistons fans might be in an uproar, as 15th is hardly a favorable perch to put a team coming off a 60-win campaign. However, these rankings reflect only the projected starters, not the team at large, and this group is notably lacking two things.

The first is would-be starter Jalen Duren, who still hasn't signed yet and is drumming up enough sign-and-trade interest to wonder whether his future will be spent elsewhere. Yes, even while the Pistons keep insisting that it won't .

The second is the still-missing second shot-creator who would immediately relieve some of the heavy burden being shouldered by Cunningham. In fact, this group might have even less creativity than it did before with self-sufficient scorer Tobias Harris, who had Detroit's second-most points in the playoffs, having been replaced with the play-finishing Collins.

At 36 years old with a couple of serious leg injuries in his past, Thompson's days of manning the 2 should probably be behind him. Yet, he was recently labeled "the leading candidate" for that exact starting spot by Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald , who cited the Heat's need for outside shooting as the primary rationale.

But regardless of whether the spot goes to Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr. or even rookie Ryan Conwell, it seems earmarked for a shooting specialist with limited creation. And since the Heat aren't getting creation from Wiggins either, that puts a ton of pressure on Mitchell to keep improving as a playmaker and on coach Erik Spoelstra to bring the best out of his star bigs.

Speaking of, Antetokounmpo and Adebayo should be awesome together. Each possesses unfair versatility for someone with their size and strength, and they're both comfortable handling the ball and attacking downhill. Spacing remains an obvious (and maybe ominous) concern, but the star power still pushes Miami into the upper-half.

Dončić, Reaves and Kessler are starting-lineup locks. Little is known about who will fill the other two spots, beyond Redick's deadpan comment to reporters at media day that they "will not be two white guys."

Dončić and Reaves should rank among the most productive backcourts in basketball. They'll also comprise one of its most generous guard groups, too, which makes the interior presence of Kessler so critical to this club's success.

Those are three impact players, but the last two spots will lag behind regardless of how Redick fills them.

Grimes and LaRavia both have three-and-D traits that could make them the best complements, but if they were better fits for that role, this debate would have been settled already.

Without question, Boston stepped backward this summer. The question is just how much ground that retreat covered.

If Tatum returns to his old superstar form, and White rediscovers his shooting efficiency, then maybe it isn't much. But it's definitely some, as the Celtics replaced a 29-year-old MVP candidate in Jaylen Brown with a 36-year-old who last booked an All-Star trip in 2024—and played just 78 games the past two seasons combined—in George.

Coach Joe Mazzulla has other options to fill out his five, but Payton Pritchard and Mitchell Robinson might be best deployed off the bench. The Celtics might also prefer Scheierman's versatility over Sam Hauser's shooting.

The Pacers have an argument for a higher ranking than this. And it is a rather compelling one. Eighty percent of this lineup pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the 2025 NBA Finals, and the one who wasn't around for that run, Zubac, earned All-Defensive second-team honors that same season.

Still, it would be assuming quite a bit to think the Pacers can just jump back on the bicycle after everything that has changed since. Haliburton just lost an entire season to an Achilles tear suffered in Game 7 of that championship round, and while the early returns sound promising , there's no telling of whether he'll be as impactful after such a serious injury.

This group could also be a bit more squeezed for spacing. Zubac is an upgrade over Myles Turner in many respects, but long-range shooting is the obvious exception. And maybe it proves a big one if Siakam, a career 34.2 percent three-point shooter, can't consistently find his range.

The Hawks had a productive offseason, but they probably didn't nab a new starter over the offseason.

Lottery pick Kingston Flemings should eventually push for an opening role if everything goes right with his development, and Lu Dort's championship experience should earn him a nod, but Atlanta has had good success with this projected lineup.

Great success, actually. This fivesome logged nearly 400 minutes together last season and trounced opponents by 20.3 points per 100 possessions when it did.

That said, that successful run was a relatively short one (30 games), and it largely came against a favorable schedule down the stretch. It also failed to carry over to the playoffs, where this group had a minus-14.4 net rating across 82 minutes.

Throw in the lack of a certified superstar, and it would be harder to slot the Hawks any higher.

Minnesota has much more of a mystery-team feel than you'd expect from a club with 154 wins and five series victories to show for the past three seasons. But the Wolves may have reached identity-changing levels with their offseason adjustments, captured here by the additions of Ball and Kuminga.

They probably widened the gap between their best- and worst-case scenarios, but they probably made their offense more dynamic, too. Edwards told reporters he's "happy" to have Ball behind the wheel now and thinks the change could give him more fuel for the defensive end now.

The returning trio of Edwards, McDaniels and Gobert posted a plus-6.9 net rating over 1,007 minutes last season. That's a really good number, it's just not quite a great one. Minnesota clearly believes it has a higher gear it can reach. This ranking leaves that door open but stops well short of guaranteeing any breakthrough.

Leonard is back north of the border for a second stint with the Raptors and hoping history repeats itself. During his previous single-season tenure with the team, Toronto won 58 games and captured its only title in franchise history.

Asking for a repeat would be asking too much, but Toronto boasts a talented roster, and this fivesome shows it.

The Raptors have a legitimate go-to offensive option in Leonard now, plus an ascending co-star in Barnes. Quickley and Barrett both pack an offensive punch, and Poeltl is a capable anchor when his back isn't bothering him. This quintet could prove elite on defense and good-to-really-good on offense.

Was Houston's failure to launch last season really all about VanVleet's absence and the subsequent lack of an on-court conductor? Honestly, it could have been. The Rockets were atrocious in clutch situations, sitting 24th in net rating and 29th in turnover percentage—borderline impossibly awful numbers for a club with a closer like Durant.

With VanVleet's organizational skills, the Rockets can take full advantage of their talent level. That should mean cleaner looks—and, by extension, more efficiency—for everyone. It could also mean even more defensive activity for Thompson, who shouldn't be tasked with nearly as many playmaking duties.

This is all assuming, of course, that VanVleet, who turns 33 in February and lost last season to an ACL tear, is healthy now, stays that way all season and looks exactly how he did before the injury. Between that and the chances Houston's issues ran beyond the point guard spot, there are some reasons to be skeptical.

Did the Cavaliers finally do it? Was their aggressive sign-and-trade acquisition of Watson the attempt that solved their issue at small forward once and for all?

Cleveland staked plenty on that being the case, in terms of both the acquisition cost and the drained asset pool left behind. The Cavs will have nothing to regret if the wager hits, though. And it just might, given Watson's documented defensive impact and opportunity to continue his offensive ascension.

It's still fair to question the defensive viability of this backcourt and raise concerns over the frontcourt's lack of shooting, but it's also easy for the imagination to run wild should everything click. The sample size was tiny, but when the Cavs had Harden, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen together last season, they walloped opponents by 26.7 points per 100 possessions.

Like Michael Porter Jr. last offseason and Peyton Watson this summer, the Nuggets keep making financial squeezes that cost them talented players. And they might keep getting away with it, because Jokić, who has no interest in hooping elsewhere , is the NBA's resident rising tide lifting all boats around him.

"When you have the best player in the world, anything's possible," Nuggets newcomer DeMar DeRozan told reporters .

If Denver can keep everyone in this first five upright, it should have one of the league's top lineups. That's mostly because Jokić anchors it, but Murray is a legitimate co-star, and Gordon (when healthy) fills the perfect support role. Braun and Johnson are both in need of bounce-back efforts, but both have been helpful role players in the past.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson has a wealth of talent at his disposal—and some difficult decisions as a result. It sure sounds like Dylan Harper feels ready and worthy of a starting spot, and a camp competition for a starting forward spot could include the likes of Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes and newcomer Tobias Harris.

What Johnson also has, though, is his most utilized starting five (and lineup overall ) from last season, when San Antonio reeled off 62 wins and pushed its way through to the NBA Finals.

If Johnson doesn't bother trying to fix something that obviously isn't broken, San Antonio might leave its opening quintet untouched (for now). The Spurs won 21 of the 24 games these five started together during the regular season, and they bettered opponents by 17.6 points per 100 possessions across their 284 minutes together.

With Oklahoma City coming off of consecutive 64-plus-win campaigns, you might think there would be nothing for head coach Mark Daigneault to figure out. But after tightening the budget this summer, the Thunder need a replacement for Lu Dort, a starting-lineup staple for the past six seasons.

Daigneault will choose between Wallace and Ajay Mitchell. Wallace, an All-Defensive second-teamer last season, is the cleanest stylistic replacement. If OKC wants more offensive oomph, though, Mitchell boasts the deeper bag as a scorer and shot-creator.

If Williams is healthy, though, the offense should be in great shape. That might nudge the needle toward Wallace, who could be similarly tenacious to Dort on the ball and more of a playmaker off of it (and still more threatening offensively).

Should the backbone of the reigning champs be automatically awarded the No. 1 spot? Maybe, but slotting New York above both San Antonio and Oklahoma City already feels like a hat-tip acknowledgment of that awesome run.

Before that run, this group was merely pretty good, posting a plus-2.3 net rating across 541 regular-season minutes. For context, that would have ranked 12th overall . In the postseason, though, this lineup became a statistical steamroller, pulverizing opponents by 12.5 points per 100 possessions, which would have easily ranked No. 1.

Did these five punch above their weight class? It's possible, but this lineup covers all of the bases you would want with an MVP candidate in Brunson, a skilled co-star in Towns, a couple of two-way support wings in Anunoby and Bridges, plus perhaps the league's ultimate glue guy in Hart.

The individual parts are all solid or better, but the chemistry and cohesiveness of the collective are what make the whole spectacular.

No, these Sixers haven't logged a single second together. And, sure, the lineup has a host of unanswered questions, like availability, defense, spacing and offensive chemistry.

Still, when this much talent gets stacked together, you just trust that it will figure things out. Edgecombe, a 21-year-old spring-loaded athlete with endless energy and on-court electricity, is the least notable member of this quintet and it's not close. That's how much firepower Philadelphia possesses.

James and Embiid have five MVPs between them. Brown and Maxey were All-NBA honorees last season. All four have averaged at least 28 points and five assists at least once within the past four seasons.

It could take time for everyone to find their footing, but if the pieces get aligned, this will be the best show in basketball and the best starting lineup in the league.