The NBA strikes fast. Just a couple of seasons in the past, a checklist of the prime duos would have included Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on the Celtics, LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was paired with Damian Lillard in Milwaukee. Just a season in the past, a comparable checklist would have included James Harden and Ivica Zubac on the Clippers, but by the commerce deadline, both were on new groups.
Which is to say, groups need to take benefit of the home windows with prime duos while they can. Heading into the 2026-27 season, here are the NBA’s prime seven duos.
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1. Nikola Jokic & Jamal Murray (Denver)
This is the most examined and dependable elite duo in the NBA — we know how properly they play off each other, and we’ve seen them carry the Nuggets to a title. Both also are coming off monster seasons. Jokic averaged a triple-double of 27.7 factors, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per recreation, shot 38% from 3, and completed second in MVP voting. Murray had his best statistical season, averaging 25.4 factors and 7.1 assists — both profession highs — and taking pictures 43.5% from 3-point vary, which earned him All-Star and All-NBA honors.
When Jokic and Murray were on the court collectively last season, the Nuggets had a +11.6 internet score. This stays one of the league’s elite duos. What held back Denver last season — and the concern heading into this one — is health and the depth around Jokic and Murray. But that duo? Nobody is anxious. Jokic is making midseason passes in the preseason.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City)
We did not see much of this duo last season. While Gilgeous-Alexander was on his manner to his second consecutive MVP award, Williams performed just 33 regular-season video games and 5 in the playoffs due to accidents. J-Dub was not himself.
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Williams is back healthy this season, and he and SGA are prepared to resume the kind that had the Thunder with a +13.1 internet score when they shared the court two seasons in the past — the season they lifted OKC to the title. Gilgeous-Alexander, 29, and Williams, 25, are at their peak, have unbelievable depth around them (it’s actually a trio with Chet Holmgren), and will have the Thunder back in title competition again.
3. Victor Wembanyama & Stephon Castle/Dylan Harper (San Antonio)
Wembanyama’s standing in the recreation is unquestioned: He grew to become the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year last season, and at age 22 was the youngest participant in NBA historical past to both make First Team All-NBA and lead his staff to the NBA Finals. He is the MVP betting favourite heading into this season for a cause.
The query is who you pair with him in a duo. A yr in the past at this time, we would have said De’Aaron Fox, but during the common season Stephon Castle regarded like the higher match with Wemby, averaging 16.7 factors and 7.4 assists per recreation while taking pictures 35% from 3, and the Spurs had a +17 internet score when they shared the court. Then during the playoffs, Dylan Harper asserted himself — particularly in the NBA Finals — and regarded like the future No. 2 option for the Spurs.
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This season, either Castle or Harper could take over that function — but if you begin to look at them as an elite trio, San Antonio becomes that much scarier. And they are all 22 or youthful.
4. Jalen Brunson & Karl-Anthony Towns (New York)
If you need to argue this duo should be greater up the checklist, I’m not going to push back — the proof comes on opening evening when Adam Silver arms them their championship rings.
The stats around this duo are spectacular — the Knicks had a ridiculous +20.3 internet score when Towns and Brunson shared the court in the playoffs — but their tales are even higher. Jalen Brunson has been dismissed and questioned before he even got to Villanova, and Dallas underestimated him so much he walked out the door. Town confronted comparable questions about whether he was actually a championship large, and Minnesota shipped him out to keep away from the second apron of the luxurious tax. Together, Brunson and KAT bonded, ultimately discovered a rhythm on the court and grew to become New York legends. The Knicks need to pay up to keep this duo collectively.
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5. Giannis Antetokounmpo & Bam Adebayo (Miami)
We have not seen this duo collectively yet, but they deserve to be on the checklist. We may have questions about how easily they match collectively on offense, and whether there is enough expertise around them, but make no mistake, Pat Riley went out this summer season and made the Miami Heat must-watch again.
What is this all going to look like?
“You got two front court guys that can dribble, shoot, pass. Who can rebound,” Adebayo said on the LeBatard Show lately. “Obviously, the defensive side is what it is. We know how great we want that to be. But you got two guys going downhill that are very mobile. They have high IQ that can pass. People are underappreciating it right now because they haven’t seen it, but as the time goes by people will learn to appreciate what we will do.”
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6. Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)
Luka Doncic is as elite an offensive participant as there is in the recreation. An MVP-level participant just getting into his prime at age 27. A six-time All-NBA participant who last season averaged 33.5 factors, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per recreation.
Doncic also works best with a high-level secondary shot creator next to him, which is why the Lakers paid up this summer season to retain Austin Reaves (4 years and $184 million). Reaves is coming off a season where he averaged 23.3 factors and 5.5 rebounds per recreation and confirmed he could run the staff when Doncic is out.
When Doncic and Reaves are tight, they have a Jalen Brunson-and-Josh Hart variety of comedy vibe off the court. They also work on the court, where the Lakers had a +8.9 internet score last season when the duo performed collectively. However, Los Angeles wants them to do that in more than 41 video games (accidents restricted both at instances last season), and the Lakers need a lot of other issues — their protection, Walker Kessler, depth — to go proper as properly to get to the stage Rob Pelinka likes to speak about.
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Anthony Edwards & LaMelo Ball (Minnesota)
Minnesota will be must-watch this season. Anthony Edwards paired with the best passer he’s ever performed with, LaMelo Ball, will lead to a dynamic, up-tempo offense full of highlights. Whether that leads the Timberwolves back to the Western Conference Finals is a completely different query, but we’re not going to be ready to take our eyes off them.
Edwards averaged 28.8 factors and 5 rebounds a recreation last season, taking pictures 39.9% from 3-point vary. He’s going to get some simpler appears now, Rudy Gobert is going to be ending alley-oops and the Timberwolves are going to be entertaining. However, the actual key to their season may be whether Jaden McDaniels takes another step ahead. That and whether LaMelo Ball is prepared for this highlight and this variety of playoff stress.
Two duos of observe not on this checklist:
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• No Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren from Detroit, who came very close to taking the last spot (from the Timberwolves). To be truthful, Cunningham and Duren proved they can lead a 60-win staff, but that playoff efficiency has given me pause (particularly since Pistons management did not sort things this offseason). It actually can’t be said enough: if Duren and Ausar Thompson both stay non-shooters, enjoying them collectively in the postseason is going to be an subject.
• No Philadelphia 76ers are on this checklist because I do not know what to do with them as a duo: Reach into a hat and pull out the names of two of Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. Two of them in all probability should be on this checklist, which two is the query. The 76ers may not have the reply to their best duo until around Christmas, so they were not making the cut here before the season suggestions off.
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