Fit is of the utmost importance when constructing an NBA roster, but fit can be wasted without talent. Some of the best big threes in the league are glove fits, but others are a conglomeration of talent that is hard to ignore.
There are so many dominant big threes in today's landscape that a trio of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James does not crack the top five. That's a trio that isn't a match made in heaven, but there is too much talent to exit this piece without giving them a shout.
Austin Reaves is a talented player, but he holds back the Lakers' big three when compared to a team like the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors didn't land in the top five, and they have multiple-time All-Stars in their big three.
Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler were plus-6.3 in 454 minutes together last season, according to PBP stats. Those old men are building chemistry and could easily be one of the most destructive groups out West. The Orlando Magic are the antithesis of the Warriors with their young and unproven big three.
Paolo Banchero has shown he's a franchise changer in back-to-back playoff appearances. Franz Wagner took steps to round out his game a season ago. If the 3-point shot ever returns for Wagner, watch out. Luckily for him and the Magic, Desmond Bane alleviates a ton for Orlando. Bane is a career 41 percent 3-point shooter on 6.3 attempts per game. He will be closer to 10 attempts in Orlando to aid their spacing. This is a talented three, but they aren't top five, yet.
The New York Knicks' big three were a lock last year in most top-five big threes, but it's a new year. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were All-NBA performers, and both rose in the postseason. Is OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges the final member of this big three? Either way you go, a stout defensive wing rounds out this trio, and it's a stomach turner leaving the Knicks out of the top five.
I have the same feelings for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards himself may be enough for this trio to crack the top five this season (another player on this list almost did this). Edwards is primed for his MVP breakout season, and Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert are running mates that don't take the ball out of Ant's hands. Edwards has improved and added layers to his game every season. Last year, it was insane efficiency from 3 on ludicrous volume. Whatever he has in store this season could be a shifter.
The Philadelphia 76ers' big three is our last honorable mention. The talent is second to none, but how much will these guys play together? Tyrese Maxey is certainly entering the best phase of his career, but Paul George and Joel Embiid are getting older, not fresher. In the 2024-25 season, the Sixers trio played 294 minutes together. That's less than the Warriors trio, and Butler arrived in the Bay during the trade deadline. The talent is undeniable in Philly, but we know the old adage. The best ability is availability. Availability is something the fifth-best big three in the league struggles with. This is a make-or-break year for them.
Here are the top Big Threes heading into next season.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell
The Cavs haven't been the healthiest team come postseason, but they are another team on this list, like the Knicks, who could have another star on their roster for their big three. Jarrett Allen is a damn good basketball player and a great locker room guy, from all we know.
Regardless, we landed on the Cavs' backcourt and rising big for their big three. Mitchell and Garland are some of the most creative stars with the rock in their hands. Garland, with his extensive pass selection, and Mitchell, with his cold-blooded shamgod moves, are pure wizardry.
Donovan Mitchell SHAMMGOD pic.twitter.com/zVavifsrqi
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) March 1, 2025
Mobley took all the right steps to become the guy. Mobley shot 37 percent on 3.2 3-point attempts per game and put the ball on the floor more. His ceiling is Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Garnett offensively (we know what he can do on the other side of the ball). Mobley has some playmaking chops that will be ironed out as his career evolves.
The talent in this big three is undeniable, but they aren't a perfect fit. The backcourt features two smallish guards who Mobley has to make up for on defense. Garland is thriving next to Mitchell, but is still a natural floor general — more juice would be squeezed out of him if he were the primary ball handler full-time.
This trio has its warts, but nothing is bigger than their availability. Mobey and Garland were hurt last year during the Cavs' best shot at the Finals. Mitchell was injured in the 2024 playoffs. It's the same story for this team — a dominant regular season to lose in the playoffs, with injuries being the main factor. If they don't come out of the East this season, some conversations will be had.
4. Denver Nuggets: Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokić
Take me and you who is reading this, and put us with Jokić, and he'll have us in the conversation for the best big three. When you put Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon with him, then you're looking at true chaos.
Murray is everything Jokić needs him to be as a fit. Murray can create, work the pick-and-roll with Jokić, and make heart-pounding shots. Murray is as clutch as it gets. So is Aaron Gordon.
Gordon was on his way to a legacy-defining postseason run with his theatrics. His game-winning dunk vs the Los Angeles Clippers was madness. A transition flamer from deep to knock off the OKC Thunder in Game 1 put Denver in position to eliminate the eventual champs. Gordon and Murray do more than carry their weight.
Then there's Jokić. He's arguably the best offensive player to touch a ball. That's not hyperbole if you value playmaking as much as scoring. Even if scoring is your number one way to judge value, Jokić makes it difficult to ignore him. Since the 2022 postseason, Jokić has been gashing defenses, averaging about 29 points on a 61% true shooting percentage. This guy is not real.
The combination of Jokić's greatness with Murray's and Gordon's clutch gene makes them a formidable big three. The addition of Cameron Johnson doesn't rank them higher on a big three list, but his gravity and connectivity (the antithesis of MPJ) will open things up even more for the Nuggets trio. Denver is a serious title contender once again.
3. Los Angles Clippers: Ivica Zubac, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard
The Clippers adding Bradley Beal this summer has fans losing their minds. It's 2025. There's no way Beal is over Zubac when forming a big three. Zubac was legit one of the best centers in the league last year. Opponents shot 56 percent with Zubac at the rim — a better number than Brook Lopez, Myles Turner, and Evan Mobley.
Offensively, Zu took a step, destroying smalls in the post. His hook game is better than ever. According to Cleaning The Glass, Zu shot 71 percent on a career high 503 rim attempts. He's getting it done. Not to mention Zu's glove fit with James Harden. A Harden-Zubac PnR is free money. Harden to Zu was the number one assists combination (209). They are unstoppable once they rub shoulders in screen action.
Zu was All-Defense last year, and Harden was All-NBA. The 36-year-old still has another gear in the tank and proved his portability is on another level. Kawhi is out, we need you to get 40, no problem. Kawhi is back, we need you to become Rajon Rondo, no problem. There's no guard role Harden can't fill, even during this late stage of his career. That's something Kawhi Leonard must appreciate because Harden can steer the ship while he's out.
Leonard in the lineup does nothing but complement those two members of the Clippers' big three. Kawhi was ultra-efficient and a winner in the games he played last year. The Clippers won 71 percent of the regular-season games suited up in. Zu can be Zu when Kawhi plays, and Harden is versatile enough to change his game to suit Kawhi's needs. This is a big three that works well with each other. They are an example of talent plus a good fit. We are in the dark about what the next big three are.
2. Houston Rockets — Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Kevin Durant
We haven't seen the Rockets' big three on the floor, similarly to the Orlando Magic. The Rockets added Kevin Durant this offseason, not Desmond Bane, so it's a bit different. The Rockets' offense needed juice, and they went out and got arguably the greatest scorer ever. They're going to be a problem.
But this isn't just about Durant, it's about the Rockets' big three as a whole. Şengün is an All-Star. He's another young player who's gotten better each season. Şengün is one of the best big man passers, and he's grown defensively. His quick hands (1.5 STL%) have always been three, but Şengün is developing into a great positional defensive big. He'll never have the athleticism of Amen Thompson to be a lockdown defender on he perimeter, but Şengün being in the correct spots with active hands will keep Houston in the best defense in the league territory.
The presence of Amen Thompson does the same. Thompson can guard the go-to scorer on virtually every team, and it's clean up on aisle seven when he's a helpside defender. Thompson fits with Şengün and Durant offensively as he's a dynamic cutter and a road runner in transition.
Şengün is a known great passer, and Durant is an underrated one. The fit here shouldn't be too challenging, as none of these three are exclusively ball-dominant. Durant can dominate isolation, Şengün in the post, and Thompson with breathtaking blow-bys, but all these guys will play without the ball in their hands in plenty of moments. '
Durant's shot-making should open up the rim for Şengün, as he shot only 65 percent from the cup. We'll see how much Durant's gravity draws players out of the paint, opening up lanes for Şengün and Thompson. Big threes help each other.
1. OKC Thunder — Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
There isn't a big three that helps each other more than the Oklahoma City Thunder. These 20-somethings have already raised a Larry O. The potential is limitless.
I'd go Jokić or Giannis, but Shai has the historical case for best player in the league. He won the scoring title, MVP, and Finals MVP last year. With those accolades by his name, I can't blame anybody for taking him as the guy. Unlike Jokić and Giannis, Shai has All-NBA guys next to him. We discovered how good JalenWilliams is last year.
We can start with how the 6-foot-6 wing played center for the Thunder over two weeks when their bigs were down and out. Williams is one of the most versatile defenders in our game. He manned the paint, and OKC didn't miss a beat. When Williams is assigned to wings and larger power forwards, he makes their lives miserable, too. Per Bball Index, Williams' defensive versatility graded out at an A+. There's never a matchup he's ducking, and he can lock up many different archetypes.
While Williams is an all-around All-Defense player, Holmgren is on his way to becoming a monster rim protector. He's already there; we just need to see it over 82. Opponents shot 44 percent with Holmgren at the rim.
He only defended 200 shots at the cup last year due to games played, but sub-45 percent is better rim-protecting numbers than heavy hitters like Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren is an alien with perfect timing and paint discipline. His 3.0 foul percentage (73rd percentile) demonstrates his ability to contest without fouling. Holmgren is the goods and has room to grow as a scorer.
Shai's room for improvement is doing the same thing again and again. My whole life is consistent, said Shai when discussing his dominance at that point. Shai has averaged over 30 points on over 50 percent from the field in three consecutive years. That's Michael Jordan-level stuff. He's already accomplished so much at the age of 27, and his running mates are even younger than he is. The Thunder will be around for a while.