Ranking the NBA's Best 'Big Threes' Right Now

The NBA is slowly moving away from Big Threes, but there are still some teams set up nicely with this model.

And while LeBron James' decision will likely impact this list, the bulk of free agency is behind us, and it's time to rank the best Big Threes in the game right now. 

There are some criteria for the rankings. For starters, past success is a key indicator of future performance. Positional balance and roles they fill will also be taken into consideration.

Additionally, where is the defense coming from in this grouping, and how do all the pieces fit together offensively?

These were all key factors in the rankings. 

Two notable omissions from our list: Even though the Los Angeles Lakers are paying Walker Kessler as if he's a third member of a potential big three, he has little track record to make the case, so L.A. is just a Big Two. Same for the Golden State Warriors, who are likely without Jimmy Butler for the season. 

Philadelphia 76ers

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Big Three: Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe

This might be a shot in the dark, claiming this newly formed trio as a Big Three for Philadelphia.

For starters, Joel Embiid is not included because it is hard to count on him consistently given his injury history.

Instead, this group starts with Tyrese Maxey, who took another leap as a lead guard last season. It wasn't just his scoring that stood out, but the way he took control of the team from a leadership perspective. He averaged 28.3 points while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, earned his second All-Star appearance and made his first All-NBA team.

Joining Maxey is Jaylen Brown, whom the Sixers acquired in exchange for Paul George. It's a massive upgrade for Philadelphia. Brown is coming off leading the Celtics to another 50-plus-win season, is only two years removed from winning Finals MVP and finished sixth in MVP voting in 2025-26. Beyond his scoring, he's a high-level defender who is more than willing to take on the toughest assignments.

The third spot requires a bit of faith. VJ Edgecombe had a stellar rookie season, but he still needs to build on it. He was electric in transition whenever seams opened up and attacked the rim with explosiveness. He also showed plenty of promise defensively as a rookie and should handle point-of-attack assignments this season, allowing Brown to match up with bigger wings.

Coach Nick Nurse should have plenty of flexibility in how he deploys this trio. On the nights Embiid is healthy, Philadelphia can create even more lineup combinations. Even without relying on Embiid, though, the Brown trade has given the 76ers the foundation of a legitimate Big Three.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

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Big Three: Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley

Last season was a weird year for the Cleveland Cavaliers. To quickly recap, they started out slow, traded 26-year-old Darius Garland for 36-year-old James Harden, advanced to a seven-game series in the playoffs, all before being swept by the New York Knicks in the conference finals. 

The playoffs left a sour taste in everyone's mouth about this team, but at the end of the day, it has a lot of talent. Mitchell has signed an extension. Harden (assuming he re-signs) will have a full training camp and season with the team. And while Evan Mobley regressed, he is just one year removed from being the Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Star. 

Mitchell, by the way, is in the midst of his prime at 29 years old, coming off a season averaging 27.9 points on 48.3 percent shooting, which is up from the previous two years. Also, Harden averaged 20.5 points and shot 43.5 percent from three while logging 7.7 assists with the Cavs. He can take playmaking responsibilities off of Mitchell as well as let him work off ball. 

For head coach Kenny Atkinson, he has to get the version of Mobley from the 2024-25 season back. That year, Mobley did a great job facilitating the offense, even running the break after grabbing a defensive rebound.

Of course, Mobley's position in the Big Three may change if Ohio's prodigal son, LeBron James, returns for the third time.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

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Big Three: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP and is the head of the snake for this Big Three. When the ball is in his hands, he's able to manipulate defenses and gets to his spot on the floor. On top of all that, he's also proved himself to be an elite closer at the end of games. 

In the middle has been Holmgren. If it was not for Victor Wembanyama, he would have won Defensive Player of the Year this past season. And with Williams out most of the season, he handled the role as the second option, improving his scoring and efficiency while still protecting the rim at a high level. 

The other elite ball handler is, of course, Williams. He's not as smooth with the rock, but he's just as effective. He was voted to the All-NBA third team in 2025, All-Defensive second team, and he was a huge factor in the Thunder's run to the championship. When teams put two defenders on SGA, Williams can make them pay with an off-the-bounce game and playmaking.

2. San Antonio Spurs

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Big Three: Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper

Having Victor Wembanyama as a full-fledged superstar largely impacts the San Antonio Spurs' place on this list. But Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are on the verge of stardom as well. And if these three can stay together, the league will have its hands full with them. 

Wembanyama, the senior of the trio at just 22 years old, is also becoming one of the most dominant forces in the NBA on both ends of the floor. He won the Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in the MVP voting last season.

The scary part for the NBA? He will only get better as he is just scratching the surface of his offensive game. 

San Antonio also hit the jackpot with Castle and Harper. Both bring different skills to the court. Castle is a physical guard that can bully his way to the rim, while Harper is more of a smooth driver getting downhill.

After the All-Star break, both players found their three-point shots, Castle shooting 41.7 percent and Harper shooting 47.9 percent. 

The best part of this Big Three is that all players are strong defenders. Harper came off the bench, but after his stellar performance in the Finals, it will be hard to keep him there for long. 

If this Big Three never improved, they would still be one of the best in the league for years to come. But once they begin to figure the NBA game out, it might be game over for the rest of the NBA.

1. New York Knicks

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Big Three: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby

The NBA champions are more than their Big Three; they won the title with timely contributions from their bench, namely players like Mikal Bridges, Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet, to name a few.

However, their Big Three of Brunson, Towns and Anunoby has to be labeled the best in the league. 

Overall, it is a beautifully organized grouping with each player filling a needed role. Brunson is the primary ball-handler on offense, working off of pick-and-rolls with Towns or out of isolation. And when it comes to crunch time, his number will often get called, and teams in the playoffs could not stop him from coming up big, time and time again. 

Towns, on the other hand, not only operates as Brunson's pick-and-roll partner but is a secondary playmaker the Knicks can use from the elbows. In fact, the adjustment after Game 3 in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks sparked their title run. He is capable of having explosive nights with his deep shooting that spreads the floor. Also, Towns is coming off one of his best defensive seasons in his career. 

The third leg here is Anunoby. It was easy to peg him as a three-and-D specialist early in his career, but he has shown he is much more than that. While he takes on some of the toughest defensive assignments for the Knicks, his offensive game is more than just standing in the corner and waiting for the ball, and he has become a well-rounded player and key cog to New York's Big Three.