- The Eastern Conference has a new Big 3 after the Damian Lillard trade
- The Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards don’t have any All-Stars on the roster
- The Miami Heat still have a lethal Big 3 despite not getting Lillard
In today’s NBA, it’s nearly impossible to compete at a high level every night without having a Big 3.
Not every team in the NBA has a traditional Big 3 made up of All-Stars and superstars, but each team in the league has its top players who have the luxury of shooting the ball pretty much whenever they want to.
With the 2023-24 season set to start soon, we decided to take a look at the best Big 3s in the NBA, starting with the Eastern Conference.
15. Washington Wizards
Big 3: Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole, Tyus Jones
The Washington Wizards made big changes this offseason, trading Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns and sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics. Washington acquired Chris Paul from Phoenix in the Beal trade and dealt the future Hall of Famer to the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole. The Wizards also acquired Tyus Jones from the Memphis Grizzlies and signed Kyle Kuzma to a new contract.
Kuzma, Poole, and Jones are the three best players on the Wizards. Washington is in rebuild mode in the post-Beal era, so the team likely won’t win many games in 2023-24. However, Kuzma, Poole, and Jones should be able to put up good numbers since their usage rates will be high.
Kuzma averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season in 64 games, Poole put up 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 82 appearances and Jones averaged 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 80 games.
14. Detroit Pistons
Big 3: Bojan Bogdanovic, Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey
The Detroit Pistons had a putrid 2022-23 season. They won 17 games and finished with the worst record in the NBA.
However, the Pistons should win more games in 2023-24 since Cade Cunningham is healthy again. The point guard only appeared in 12 games last season due to a severe left shin injury.
Cunningham averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists last season. The Oklahoma State product put up 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game during his rookie season.
Jaden Ivey had a strong rookie season for the Pistons. He averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 74 games and made the All-Rookie Second Team. The Pistons believe Cunningham and Ivey can both average over 20.0 points next season under new head coach Monty Williams.
Bojan Bogdanovic is one of the top shooters in the NBA. The swingman averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc.
13. Charlotte Hornets
Big 3: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, PJ Washington
The Charlotte Hornets had a rotten 2022-23 season. The team won 27 games and star point guard LaMelo Ball was limited to 36 games due to injury. Ball is the best player in Charlotte and one of the top young guards in the NBA.
The Hornets drafted Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The younger brother of Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists last season. LaMelo recorded 17 double-doubles and three triple-doubles in 36 starts.
Terry Rozier averaged 21.1 points and 5.1 assists in 2022-23. He may not last the entire 2023-24 season with the Hornets, but while he’s in Charlotte, Rozier will be the second option on offense behind Ball.
PJ Washington averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season. His ability to space the floor creates more driving lanes for Ball and Rozier.
12. Orlando Magic
Big 3: Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
The Orlando Magic went 34-48 last season, finishing in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Magic haven’t made the postseason since 2020, when Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross, and Aaron Gordon were still on the squad.
Despite missing the playoffs last season, the Magic finally have a franchise player in the post-Dwight Howard era. Paolo Banchero had a fantastic rookie season and Orlando’s front office has surrounded the budding star with a reliable supporting cast.
Banchero had a memorable rookie season for the Magic. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 72 games. Only three players in Magic franchise history have won the Rookie of the Year Award: Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Miller, and Banchero.
Wendell Carter Jr. played in 57 games for the Magic last season. The former Chicago Bulls center averaged a career-high 15.2 points. Carter Jr. also averaged 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while recording 21 double-doubles.
Franz Wagner averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc. He is a rising star in the NBA who scored 34 points versus the Toronto Raptors last season in December while shooting 12-of-15 overall.
11. Indiana Pacers
Big 3: Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Bennedict Mathurin
The Indiana Pacers finished the 2022-23 campaign with a record of 35-47. They missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season and were in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings.
However, the good news is that the Pacers have one of the top guards in the NBA in Tyrese Haliburton, who made NBA history last season by becoming the first player ever to average at least 20.0 points and 10.0 assists while shooting 40.0% from beyond the arc. Haliburton and the Pacers agreed to a five-year extension worth up to $260 million this offseason. The All-Star point guard averaged 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists in 2022-23.
The Pacers drafted Bennedict Mathurin with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Arizona product averaged 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists last season in 78 games and made the All-Rookie First Team.
Myles Turner is an outstanding rebounder and defender. He’s led the NBA in blocks per game twice and can stretch the floor with his improved shooting skills. Turner put up 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game in 2022-23 while shooting 54.8% from the field, 37.3% from beyond the arc and 78.3% from the foul line.
10. Brooklyn Nets
Big 3: Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cameron Johnson
The Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant last season after both superstars requested trades. In 2023-24, Mikal Bridges will be the No. 1 option on offense, followed by Spencer Dinwiddie and Cameron Johnson.
Bridges took his game to another level after getting traded to the Nets last season, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 27 games. Many people around the NBA believe Bridges has a chance to make his first All-Star team in 2023-24.
In his second stint with the Nets, Dinwiddie averaged 16.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 26 games. Brooklyn acquired the California native from Dallas in the Irving trade.
Johnson averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25 games with Brooklyn last season while shooting 37.2% from beyond the arc. He started every game for the Nets and that will probably be the case next season as well.
9. Chicago Bulls
Big 3: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic
The Chicago Bulls took a significant step back last season after making the playoffs in 2022 for the first time since 2017. They went only 40-42 in 2022-23 and missed the postseason.
Numerous people around the NBA thought the Bulls would rebuild this offseason, but DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic are still on the roster.
LaVine averaged 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Bulls in 2022-23, DeRozan averaged 24.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists and Vucevic averaged 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
If the Bulls are struggling near the 2024 trade deadline in February, don’t be surprised if LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic are traded.
8. Atlanta Hawks
Big 3: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off another short postseason run. After winning 41 games during the 2022-23 regular season, the Hawks lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in six games. Atlanta has lost in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back postseasons after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and Clint Capela are the top players in Atlanta once again. The Hawks will go as far as those three players can take them.
Young averaged 26.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 10.2 assists last season. The two-time All-Star recorded 40 double-doubles and was ninth in the NBA in total points, 10th in points per game, first in total assists, and second in assists per game.
In his first season with the Hawks, Murray averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists. Atlanta rewarded the 26-year-old with a four-year, $120 million extension this offseason.
Capela will start for the Hawks next season if he’s not traded. The former Houston Rockets big man averaged 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds last season while shooting 65.3% from the field.
7. Toronto Raptors
Big 3: Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby
There’s a new Big 3 for the Toronto Raptors since Fred VanVleet is no longer on the team. Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and OG Anunoby are now the leaders of the team.
Siakam averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists last season. The Raptors are eligible to sign Siakam to a maximum contract extension of four years and at least $192 million. Thus far, there have been no substantive conversations surrounding an extension. And for Siakam’s part, the NBA champion has never requested to be traded.
Barnes appeared in 77 games for the Raptors in 2022-23. He averaged 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. The former Rookie of the Year will see a huge jump in his usage rate since VanVleet is gone.
Anunoby averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last season. He signed a four-year, $72 million rookie contract extension in December 2020 and is eligible to sign a four-year, $116 million extension with the Raptors right now.
6. New York Knicks
Big 3: Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett
The New York Knicks had a special 2022-23 season. They won 47 games in the regular season and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in five games. It was the Knicks’ first playoff series win since 2013.
Jalen Brunson left the Dallas Mavericks last offseason for the Knicks on a four-year, $104 million contract. The lefty was spectacular for New York in 2022-23. He averaged 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.
Randle averaged 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists last season. He made the All-NBA Third Team.
The Knicks drafted RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Duke product averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 73 games during the 2022-23 regular season.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
Big 3: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a remarkable regular season in 2022-23, winning 51 games and making the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The Donovan Mitchell trade paid huge dividends for the Cavaliers, who were the fourth seed in the East.
Mitchell is one of the best players in the NBA. He averaged 28.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists last season and made the All-NBA Second Team.
Darius Garland put up 21.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game in 2022-23. He recorded 18 double-doubles in 69 starts.
Evan Mobley has star potential for the Cavaliers. He made the 2021-22 All-Rookie Team and the 2022-23 All-Defensive First Team. While Mobley did struggle against the Knicks in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, averaging only 9.8 points, his best days are ahead of him since he’s only 22. Mobley averaged 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks last season.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
Big 3: James Harden, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey
James Harden has requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Harden will never play for the Sixers again and has no plans of taking part in training camp if he’s still on the team. It will be fascinating to see how this situation plays out. Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists last season. He led the NBA in assists.
Tyrese Maxey is one of the top young players in the league. He averaged 20.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 2022-23. His usage rate would skyrocket if Harden got traded.
Joel Embiid averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds last season. He won the MVP Award over Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. In 394 regular-season games with the Sixers, Embiid is averaging 27.2 points and 11.2 rebounds. He has made six All-Star teams, five All-NBA teams, and three All-Defensive teams and won one MVP Award.
3. Miami Heat
Big 3: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro
Damian Lillard requested a trade to the Miami Heat. However, the Heat weren’t able to acquire the Weber State product, so their Big 3 will remain the same as last season.
One of the best players in the NBA, Jimmy Butler, averaged 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists for the Heat in 2022-23. He has guided Miami to two trips to the NBA Finals since joining the franchise in 2019.
Bam Adebayo averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists last season. The two-time All-Star is one of the top two-way players in the NBA, as he’s been an All-NBA defender four times.
Tyler Herro thought he was going to get traded by the Heat in a Lillard deal. However, it looks like the Kentucky product will stay in South Beach. Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 2022-23.
2. Boston Celtics
Big 3: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis
The Boston Celtics have one of the best Big 3s in the NBA. It’s going to be intriguing to see how far the team goes in 2023-24.
Jayson Tatum averaged 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists last season in 74 games. The 25-year-old has already made four All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams in his career.
Jaylen Brown signed a five-year, $304 million supermax extension with the Celtics this offseason. It’s the richest deal in NBA history. Brown averaged 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 2022-23. He was eligible to sign a designated veteran extension because he made an All-NBA team last season.
Kristaps Porzingis averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks for the Wizards in 2022-23. Although Boston had to part ways with Marcus Smart, the team did trade for a player (Porzingis) who leads the NBA in active games with three-plus 3-pointers and three-plus blocks.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
Big 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton
The Milwaukee Bucks shocked the NBA world by acquiring Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. They now have the best Big 3 in the East and maybe the entire NBA.
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists last season for the Blazers while shooting 46.3% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc and 91.4% from the free-throw line. He will take Jrue Holiday’s spot.
Khris Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 2022-23. The forward underwent successful surgery on his right knee shortly after the 2023 playoffs and will be ready to go once training camp starts.
In 63 games for the Bucks last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while shooting 55.3% from the floor, 27.5% from beyond the arc and 64.5% from the free-throw line. The seven-time All-Star recorded 46 double-doubles and six triple-doubles.
