In the most recent NBA offseason, some remarkable and possibly game-changing moves took place, including the transfer of star point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks to join Giannis Antetokounmpo.
How does the new Lillard-Antetokoumpo collaboration compare to other well-established teams, some of which have won the NBA championship?
Following that, here are the top five NBA duos for the upcoming 2023–24 season.
- Phoenix Suns players Kevin Durant and Devin Booker
Durant and Booker, two of the league’s top offensive players, will be playing for the Suns for the first time this season.
While Booker, 26, continues to develop into one of the league’s top players and makes a compelling argument for becoming the best shooting guard in the game, Durant, 35, maintains his standing as an elite player despite his advanced age.
Durant’s 2022-23 averages: 29.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG
Booker’s 2022-23 averages: 26.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
- The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis
After a shaky 2-10 start to last season, James and Davis led the Lakers to a deep run in the Western Conference Finals, where they defeated the eventual champion Denver Nuggets and eliminated the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
James, who is 38 years old, continues to play at a high level despite his advanced age, and Davis, who is 30 years old, is still one of the league’s best big men.
James’ 2022-23 averages: 28.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 6.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Davis’ 2022-23 averages: 25.9 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG
- Boston Celtics players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Tatum, 25, continues to establish itself as one of the top players in the league despite not making it back to the NBA Finals last year. He set career highs in points, rebounds, and assists while also becoming the first Celtic to average over 30 points per game.
The Celtics, meanwhile, showed their faith in Brown, 26, by awarding him the biggest NBA contract in history, paying $304 million over five years.
Tatum’s 2022-23 averages: 30.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Brown’s 2022-23 averages: 23.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
- Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard
NBA 75 member Lillard, 33, joins the Bucks, forging a partnership with Antetokounmpo, 28, the league’s undisputed best player, in what is arguably the offseason’s biggest transaction. Both have recently completed impressive 2022–2023 individual campaigns with over 30 PPG.
They efficiently balance each other’s shortcomings while enhancing their combined strength on the court with their respective inside and outside playing styles. If they may be the league’s top partnership, only time will tell.
Antetokpunmpo’s 2022-23 averages: 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Lillard’s 2022-23 averages: 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG
- Denver Nuggets players Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray
The Nuggets’ first championship in franchise history was won in 2023, when Jokic, 28, and Murray, 26, both excelled in the postseason. With both of them reaching the later stages of their primes at once, they could be achieving much more.
Murray, who recovered fully from an ACL tear in 2021 without having to worry about rehabilitation, might be eager to earn his first All-Star selection.
Jokic’s 2022-23 averages: 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 9.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Murray’s 2022-23 averages: 20.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG