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Building the Best Starting Lineups from Each of the Last 10 NBA Draft Classes
The NBA re-draft machine has been whirring for roughly eternity. That got us thinking: How could we take these rookie-class lookbacks to the next level?
By building a starting five for each of the 10 most recent drafts, of course! And yes, that includes the 2026 rookie crop, even though their NBA samples are so far limited to summer-league reps.
This is not an attempt to identify the five best players from each class. We are trying to construct lineups that make sense. Strengths, weaknesses and positions are major factors in the final results.
Creative liberties will be taken. Not every lineup has a traditional center or a point guard. But no matter how hard we might try to shoehorn as many best-players-period into each fivesome, painstakingly difficult cuts are unavoidable.
2017 Draft Starting Lineup
1 of 10
PG: Donovan Mitchell
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Bam Adebayo
Anyone attempting this exercise on their own should aim to avoid having Donovan Mitchell assume the lead-playmaking role. In that sense, this lineup fails the sniff test. Starting De'Aaron Fox over Derrick White or OG Anunoby would be safer.
Yet between White and Jayson Tatum, we have enough alternatives to ignore the risks. In particular, Tatum guarantees that Mitchell won't see nearly as much ball pressure as he has beside Darius Garland or James Harden.
Giving Anunoby the nod instead of Lauri Markkanen is worth second and third (and fourth) thoughts. Tatum and Bam Adebayo inject enough defensive oomph into the frontcourt, and we'd still have White floating around the perimeter.
But Anunoby is an All-NBA on-ball and off-ball defender rolled into one. In a lineup that already features Mitchell and Tatum, this takes priority over Markkanen's offensive pizzazz.
Biggest Snubs: Jarrett Allen, De'Aaron Fox, Lauri Markkanen
2018 Draft Starting Five
2 of 10
PG: Luka Dončić
SG: Jalen Brunson
SF: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
PF: Mikal Bridges
C: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Damn the torpedoes. We're putting Luka Dončić, Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the court at the same time.
Don't fret about the offensive fit. Brunson and SGA have proved they can work off the ball. And if the NBA playoffs have taught us anything, you can never have too much effective advantage creation.
Worrying about the defense is…encouraged. Jaren Jackson Jr. gives this arrangement a high floor, but tethering him to the 5 isn't the best use of his skill set. Nor does it spell good times on the glass. Mikal Bridges' screen navigation will have to be on point as well.
Fortunately, the offensive output of this quintuplet increases the margin for error at the less glamorous end. The whole may also be greater than the sum of its parts.
Dončić can rebound. SGA will still party-crash passing lanes. Brunson will take charges. The defense may not be a strength, but it's not problematic enough for Mitchell Robinson or Robert Williams III to get a look over Bridges or Brunson.
Biggest Snubs: Michael Porter Jr., Trae Young, Mitchell Robinson
2019 Draft Starting Lineup
3 of 10
PG: Darius Garland
SG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SF: Lu Dort
PF: Zion Williamson
C: Naz Reid
We begin with a simple yet crucial question: Zion Williamson or Ja Morant?
The answer cannot be "Why choose?" Too many question marks and not enough shooting or defense accompany any lineup that features them both.
Zion wins out rather comfortably. The 2019 class has plenty of talented guards from which to choose. Zion's rim pressure and athleticism stand out in starker contrast to other frontcourt options.
Naz Reid isn't necessarily a non-negotiable inclusion. Other bigs like Nic Claxton and Daniel Gafford promise more rim protection. Neither is heart-of-the-defense material, though. We should all prefer to see Zion alongside a floor-spacing big.
Darius Garland isn't a demonstrative upgrade over Morant on defense. But he's the better shooter, both on and off the ball. He renders the inclusion of Lu Dort more palatable—which is great, because this defense needs Lu Dort. And Nickeil Alexander-Walker, too.
Biggest Snubs: Tyler Herro, Cameron Johnson, Ja Morant
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2020 Draft Starting Lineup
4 of 10
PG: Tyrese Haliburton
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Deni Avdija
C: Onyeka Okongwu
Guards, guards and more guards make building the 2020 NBA draft class' five-man lineup a difficult endeavor.
Braver folks will include more than just Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards. LaMelo Ball, Desmond Bane and Tyrese Maxey are all sitting on the bench, which feels icky. But including any one of them costs Jaden McDaniels or Deni Avdija, and the lack of capable big-man depth from this class already limits the amount of size at our disposal.
Edwards is an auto-inclusion. Even if you don't think he's the best player from the 2020 class, none of the other primary offensive weapons in that year's crop have his on-ball defensive switch.
Haliburton-versus-Maxey is a legitimate debate, particularly if you're skittish about the former's performance post-Achilles injury. Little about his game is predicated on explosiveness, though, and he's a lethal off-ball shooter. We'll roll the dice with him over Maxey for the sake of playmaking.
McDaniels and Deni Avdija make it so we don't have to ask too much of Edwards or Onyeka Okongwu at the defensive end. Avdija's drives also take on new meaning in a five-out environment.
Biggest Snubs: LaMelo Ball, Desmond Bane, Tyrese Maxey
2021 Draft Starting Lineup
5 of 10
PG: Cade Cunningham
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Trey Murphy III
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Evan Mobley
Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley have to be the starting 4 and 5 here. The resulting defense is too terrifying to consider anyone else.
That comes at the expense of Alperen Şengün and Jalen Johnson. Them's the breaks. Sliding Barnes down to the 3 to make room for Şengün is offensively untenable. Johnson isn't a good enough shooter or defender to play the 3 himself, either.
Cade Cunningham and Austin Reaves are backcourt nirvana. They leave zero offensive gaps between them. Ideally, we'd pair them with a more accomplished screener than Barnes or Mobley. But that's hardly enough to be a deal-breaker.
Giving the final slot to Trey Murphy III verges on essential to optimize spacing. Barnes and Mobley don't have the volume or efficiency from deep to effectively open up the half-court. Murphy is treated like a five-alarm fire.
Going with him does ratchet up the defensive burden placed upon Cunningham. That's fine. Reaves can offset the energy expenditure by giving Cunningham a break on offense.
There would also be no escaping these gymnastics by going with Franz Wagner. We'd have to select Jalen Suggs or Ayo Dosunmu over Murphy to feel the difference.
Biggest Snubs: Alperen Şengün, Jalen Johnson, Franz Wagner
2022 Draft Starting Lineup
6 of 10
PG: Ryan Rollins
SG: Andrew Nembhard
SF: Jalen Williams
PF: Paolo Banchero
C: Chet Holmgren
Constructing this lineup begins with a fundamental question: Will we use Chet Holmgren as the 4 or 5?
Arguments for Jalen Duren, Walker Kessler and even Jabari Smith Jr. strengthen if we default to Holmgren at power forward. However, this lineup would be sacrificing too much shot creation for size and physicality by going that route.
Putting Holmgren at the 5 clears the way for Paolo Banchero to make a relatively unchallenged appearance. Whine about his efficiency all you want. This lineup allows him to exist within actual NBA spacing. His rim frequency and finishing should climb, and he won't have to work so hard to get off his jumpers.
Jalen Williams is a no-brainer inclusion at the 3. Punching above his weight on defense papers over some of the issues created by a Banchero-Holmgren frontcourt, and he's probably both the best passer and shot creator of this bunch.
Ryan Rollins and Andrew Nembhard are consummate fit-over-flash selections. Players like Dyson Daniels, Shaedon Sharpe and Peyton Watson may have higher individual ceilings, but they each come with larger singular holes in their game.
While we could remove Rollins in favor of a more prototypical center, that would require displacing Banchero or moving him to the 3. No thanks. Besides, Rollins brings more shot creation from the outside-in than most of those left on the board.
Biggest Snubs: Jalen Duren, Jabari Smith Jr., Walker Kessler
2023 Draft Starting Lineup
7 of 10
PG: Keyonte George
SG: Brandon Miller
SF: Toumani Camara
PF: Amen Thompson
C: Victor Wembanyama
Good luck scoring on a frontline populated by Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson and Toumani Camara. They cover so much ground between them, we needn't feel bad about passing on Ausar Thompson or Cason Wallace.
If there's a case for one of the aforementioned two making it over anybody else, I'd love to hear it.
Playing both Ausar and Amen together would culminate in nightmare spacing. Pairing Amen, a better finisher than Ausar, with the rangier Camara is the way to go. Wallace doesn't have an argument over Keyonte George or Brandon Miller once you start digging into the jump-shooting and ball-handling ramifications.
It's hard to find cracks in the armor of this final five. Playmaking versatility gets a little dicey after George, but Amen is a willing passer out of drives, and Miller has enough reps under his belt to hit Wemby and Thompson for lobs.
Biggest Snubs: Ausar Thompson, Cason Wallace, Brandin Podziemski
2024 Draft Starting Lineup
8 of 10
PG: Ajay Mitchell
SG: Reed Sheppard
SF: Stephon Castle
PF: Matas Buzelis
C: Donovan Clingan
Real consideration was given to Kyshawn George over Reed Sheppard. But this fivesome needs more live-dribble creators and shooters. Sheppard checks that box way more than George.
Ajay Mitchell and Stephon Castle will ensure this perimeter trio doesn't give up too much on defense despite rolling smaller. (Ditto for Sheppard's own defensive playmaking.) They are also critical as two ball-handlers with a proven track record of puncturing the paint.
Donovan Clingan over Alex Sarr and Zach Edey isn't an easy choice. It's not an especially agonizing one, either. Sarr and Edey have broader offensive bags, but Clingan is better suited to propping up the back line on defense. His three-point exploration as a sophomore offers enough utility to give him the nod.
Matas Buzelis fits like a glove. He won't be saddled with too much self-creation alongside Castle, Sheppard and Mitchell, allowing him to focus on transition, catch-and-drive and spot-up jump opportunities. His defensive playmaking is also another layer of insulation against this lineup not having a lockdown wing defender standing taller than 6'6".
Biggest Snubs: Zach Edey, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr
2025 Draft Starting Lineup
9 of 10
PG: Dylan Harper
SG: VJ Edgecombe
SF: Kon Knueppel
PF: Cooper Flagg
C: Collin Murray-Boyles
This is the only reasonable iteration that can be constructed. Maybe there is a Kon Knueppel vs. Cedric Coward debate to be had, but this lineup needs the former's unrelenting three-point volume.
Slotting Collin Murray-Boyles at the 5 could pose defensive challenges. There won't be many, and big-man alternatives like Maxime Raynaud and Derik Queen aren't helping much anyway. Cooper Flagg can let CMB focus on traditional big-man stuff, and the Dylan Harper-VJ Edgecombe duo will cut off dribble penetration at its knees.
The transition ceiling on this quintet is off the charts. Harper, Edgecombe and Flagg are all open-floor menaces. They get even more dangerous when defenses have to account for Knueppel orbiting their dead sprints.
Rebounding and screening are probably the biggest concerns. This group will survive anyway. Flagg can anchor the defensive glass. CMB provides a second-chance pulse. Harper and Knueppel offer strong presences on the boards relative to their positions, too.
Biggest Snubs: Ace Bailey, Cedric Coward, Tre Johnson
2026 Draft Starting Lineup
10 of 10
PG: Mikel Brown Jr.
SG: Darryn Peterson
SF: AJ Dybantsa
PF: Cam Boozer
C: Caleb Wilson
Without even a partial season's NBA sample off which to work, we get to build our 2026 rookie-class starting five almost entirely based on vibes.
Sticking with each of the top four picks is obligatory. Perhaps Caleb Wilson could get swapped out in favor of a truer big...but then he went on a record-breaking summer-league explosion to quash that idea.
If we operate like Wilson is a must-have, it doesn't make sense to include another big. First of all, the pool of options isn't that deep. More importantly, neither Wilson nor Cam Boozer should have to slide down into the 3 spot. Boozer can do it on offense, while Wilson can likely do it on defense. That still profiles as a misuse of resources.
Mikel Brown Jr. won't be everyone's choice to round out the lineup. Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler will each have their devotees. But Brown should scale seamlessly to off-ball work alongside Boozer, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa and has also shown he can be a defensive playmaker.
Truth be told, if we went in a different direction, Brayden Burries would be a more intriguing alternative. This group requires complementary offense and defense more than it needs prospective star power.
Biggest Snubs: Darius Acuff Jr., Brayden Burries, Keaton Wagler
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
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