Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has named his best NBA starting five, and it is packed with star power. Hayes was initially asked by Aron Cohen to name his top five players in the NBA today, but chose to give a starting lineup instead.
“For my PG, definitely taking Steph,” Hayes said. “I’mma probably go Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]. I’m a big Tyrese [Haliburton] fan, too. So, he’s like my honorable mention. My three, I’mma go [Jayson] Tatum, for sure.”
A surprised Cohen asked Hayes why he didn’t include teammate Luka Doncic, and the big man stated he was just being impartial. The 25-year-old wasn’t going to include any Lakers players here.
“If we’re going to do Lakers, I’mma just do literally [Austin Reaves], freaking Luka, [LeBron James], me, and Rui [Hachimura],” Hayes stated.
Hayes, who averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 2024-25, then got back to naming his lineup, but decided to make one change that would please Lakers fans.
“Actually, I’mma switch Tatum with [Kevin Durant],” Hayes stated. “Steph, SGA, KD, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], and [Nikola] Jokic,” Hayes concluded.
Hayes dumping a Boston Celtics superstar from his list would go down well with the Lakers fanbase. You can certainly argue that Jayson Tatum should be in there, but the replacement isn’t too shabby, is he? Let’s take a deeper look at Hayes’ picks.
Stephen Curry is the point guard, and he remains one of the best in the business today. Curry averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Golden State Warriors in 2024-25. He was rewarded for his efforts with a spot on the All-NBA Second Team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a point guard, but Hayes slots him in at shooting guard. Gilgeous-Alexander put up 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2024-25. The Canadian won the NBA title, Finals MVP, and scoring title in 2025. You may not like his style of play, but he is an obvious pick here.
Kevin Durant replaced Tatum in the lineup at small forward and is a solid pick. Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Phoenix Suns in 2024-25. The Suns were a disaster, though, and he has now made his way to the Houston Rockets. It will be interesting to see if Durant can take them to greater heights.
Giannis Antetokounmpo got the nod at power forward, and he is a no-brainer of a pick. Antetokounmpo put up 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25. He made the All-NBA First Team and finished third in MVP voting.
Last but certainly not least, we get to Nikola Jokic at center. Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Denver Nuggets in 2024-25. He, too, made the All-NBA First Team and finished second in MVP voting.
There can be no arguments against Gilgeous-Alexander, Antetokounmpo, and Jokic. They are undoubtedly among the top five players in the world today, with Doncic being the only other unquestioned selection. The fifth spot is up for grabs, and you wonder if someone else will be able to claim it by the end of the 2025-26 season.
