By Tim Bontemps | ESPN, 2025-10-13 19:00:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
如今的NBA或许已经进入了“阵容深度”的时代，但球星实力依然是决定比赛胜负的关键。
在这项每支球队一次只能派上五名球员的运动中，巨星的汇聚一直是打造冠军级球队的明确路径。
但即便一支球队没有现成的三人组球星，审视其阵容中最强的三名球员，也是衡量这支球队短期和长期健康状况，以及预测其未来数月乃至数年发展走向的绝佳方式。
基于这一框架，我们不仅梳理了NBA全部30支球队的核心阵容，还将他们进行了横向对比排名。在排名过程中，我们既考量了这些组合当下的价值，也评估了他们未来的潜力——以及这些球员在中长期内留队的可能性。
跳转至不同档位：
独一档 | 叩响大门
东部翘楚 | 崛起的青年军
过渡之年 | 老将当家，疑云重重
航向转变 | 不上不下
开启重建 | 重建进行时
第1档：独一档
俄克拉荷马城雷霆： 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大、切特·霍姆格伦、杰伦·威廉姆斯
还有谁能占据榜首之位呢？雷霆队不仅在上赛季豪取68胜并夺得队史首个总冠军，他们还凭借NBA历史上最年轻的冠军阵容之一做到了这一点。随后，总经理萨姆·普雷斯蒂 (Sam Presti) 在今年夏天更进一步，与这三位年轻的基石球员锁定了长期续约合同——正式确立了雷霆队在可预见的未来，作为拉里·奥布莱恩杯常年热门竞争者的地位。
去年核心三人组： 吉尔杰斯-亚历山大、霍姆格伦、威廉姆斯
第2档：叩响大门
丹佛掘金： 阿隆·戈登、尼古拉·约基奇、贾马尔·穆雷
掘金队距离豪取三连冠的伟业，或许只差了两场艰难的西部半决赛抢七大战——两年前，他们在主场手握20分领先优势却被明尼苏达森林狼队逆转；而上赛季，他们则是在阿隆·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 受伤的情况下对阵雷霆队。尽管如此，掘金队依然拥有这项运动中最出色的球员尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic)，以及两位与他配合默契的明星搭档——贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 和戈登。他们二人都曾在季后赛的关键时刻屡次打出决定性表现。
去年核心三人组： 戈登、约基奇、穆雷
第3档：东部翘楚
克利夫兰骑士： 达里厄斯·加兰、多诺万·米切尔、埃文·莫布里
与雷霆队相似，骑士队也拥有一个由处于巅峰期或更年轻的球星组成的三人组，并且他们都手握长期合同，球队在上赛季也赢下了64场比赛。然而，与雷霆不同的是，克利夫兰未能将常规赛的成功延续到季后赛，在第二轮以1-4的大比分不敌印第安纳步行者队。这就是为什么骑士队被排在这里，而未能跻身更高档位的原因。如果明年春天他们能打出一轮强势的季后赛，那么情况将很快改变。
去年核心三人组： 达里厄斯·加兰 (Darius Garland)、多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)、埃文·莫布里 (Evan Mobley)
纽约尼克斯： OG·阿努诺比、杰伦·布伦森、卡尔-安东尼·唐斯
纽约队在时隔25年重返东部决赛后，选择与主教练汤姆·锡伯杜 (Tom Thibodeau) 分道扬镳，这清楚地表明尼克斯队相信目前的阵容足以最终打破长达半个世纪的冠军荒。杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson) 和卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 分别是联盟中进攻能力最顶尖的控球后卫和中锋之一，而OG·阿努诺比 (OG Anunoby) 不仅是联盟顶级的侧翼防守者，也已成长为一名出色的三分射手。
去年核心三人组： 阿努诺比、布伦森、唐斯
第4档：崛起的青年军
亚特兰大老鹰： 戴森·丹尼尔斯、杰伦·约翰逊、扎卡里·里萨谢
老鹰队连续第二个赛季由同样的三人组领衔，而与此同时，新任总经理奥恩西·萨利赫 (Onsi Saleh) 正在对球队阵容进行迅速而引人入胜的重塑。特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 依然是这支球队最好的球员。克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porzingis) 可能是第二好的。然而，这两名球员明年夏天都有可能成为完全自由球员。与此同时，戴森·丹尼尔斯 (Dyson Daniels) 是上赛季的进步最快球员，杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson)——如果能保持健康——是备受看好的潜力爆发人选，而扎卡里·里萨谢 (Zaccharie Risacher)，尽管并非库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 或维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 那样的天才，但在被亚特兰大用2024年状元签选中后，也度过了一个不错的新秀赛季。
去年核心三人组： 丹尼尔斯、约翰逊、里萨谢
底特律活塞： 凯德·坎宁安、罗恩·霍兰、奥萨尔·汤普森
一年前，活塞队的阵容还存在巨大的疑问。这些疑问始于凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham)，人们不确定他是否有能力成为一支球队打进季后赛所需要的那种明星领袖。坎宁安用一个辉煌的赛季做出了回应，他首次入选全明星和NBA最佳阵容，同时带领底特律自2019年以来首次重返季后赛。阵容的其他部分仍然存在疑问，但球队拥有几位极具潜力的年轻球员，如罗恩·霍兰 (Ron Holland)、奥萨尔·汤普森 (Ausar Thompson)、杰登·艾维 (Jaden Ivey) 和杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren)，他们都有可能填补坎宁安身边剩下的核心位置。
去年核心三人组： 坎宁安、霍兰、艾维
休斯顿火箭： 阿尔佩伦·申京、里德·谢泼德、阿门·汤普森
过去一年里，休斯顿发生了很多变化。一年前，阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson) 差一点就入选了这个核心三人组，现在回想起来，这显然是一个错误。这位2023年的4号秀正在持续成长为一名球星，并且由于弗雷德·范弗利特 (Fred VanVleet) 上个月在季前训练中不幸遭遇前交叉韧带撕裂，汤普森本赛季有机会实现又一次巨大的飞跃。尽管我猜你可能会想：“没有凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)？真的吗？”请记住这个榜单的评选宗旨。杜兰特——至少目前——还没有续约合同，而里德·谢泼德 (Reed Sheppard) 本赛季可能成为球队的首发控卫，并且仍然是休斯顿长远计划中的关键一员。
去年核心三人组： 阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun)、谢泼德、范弗利特
明尼苏达森林狼： 安东尼·爱德华兹、杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯、朱利叶斯·兰德尔
在建队的前34年里仅有一次突破季后赛首轮后，明尼苏达如今已连续两个赛季做到这一点，他们分别在西部决赛中输给了达拉斯独行侠队和俄克拉荷马城雷霆队。现在的问题是，明尼苏达将如何寻求更进一步——尤其是在雷霆队未来将持续统治西部的背景下。答案首先将取决于安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 和杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 的持续进步。朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 在休赛期与球队签下长期续约合同后，也进入了核心阵容。
去年核心三人组： 爱德华兹、麦克丹尼尔斯、鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert)
奥兰多魔术： 保罗·班凯罗、德斯蒙德·贝恩、弗朗茨·瓦格纳
去年，当杰伦·萨格斯 (Jalen Suggs) 遭遇膝伤时，奥兰多的赛季急转直下，这正说明了他对球队的重要性——尽管他不像保罗·班凯罗 (Paolo Banchero) 和弗朗茨·瓦格纳 (Franz Wagner) 那样手握顶薪合同。但奥兰多在今年夏天付出了巨大代价得到了德斯蒙德·贝恩 (Desmond Bane)——他是球队三位本土年轻球员的完美补充——而萨格斯仍因膝伤缺阵，因此贝恩进入了核心阵容。魔术队的赛季表现很可能取决于班凯罗和瓦格纳本赛季能否提升他们的效率——如果他们能做到，就可能在竞争开放的东部取得巨大成功。
去年核心三人组： 班凯罗、萨格斯、瓦格纳
圣安东尼奥马刺： 迪阿隆·福克斯、迪伦·哈珀、维克托·文班亚马
一个球员如何在以第四顺位被选中并赢得年度最佳新秀（就像斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 上赛季所做的那样）之后，还能跌出球队的核心阵容？答案是：这支球队在过去几个月里，交易来了一位全明星控卫（福克斯），并在选秀顺位抽中上上签后，用榜眼签选中了另一位控卫（哈珀）。所有这些不同类型的球员，如何围绕圣安东尼奥在可预见的未来唯一确定的核心球员——文班亚马来配置，将是即将到来的NBA赛季的一大看点。
去年核心三人组： 文班亚马、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔、德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell)
第5档：过渡之年
波士顿凯尔特人： 杰伦·布朗、杰森·塔图姆、德里克·怀特
一年前，波士顿刚刚在TD花园球馆升起了队史第18面总冠军旗帜，并看起来很有机会夺取第19冠。然而，不幸的是，塔图姆在五月对阵尼克斯的东部半决赛中遭遇了跟腱撕裂。现在，波士顿本赛季很可能会原地踏步，等待杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 的回归，并寄望于这套阵容在2026-27赛季能有机会重返冠军争夺战。不过，在此之前，杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown) 和德里克·怀特 (Derrick White) 仍将是NBA中最好的侧翼球员之二，让他们成为本赛季大多数对手羡慕的对象。
去年核心三人组： 布朗、塔图姆、怀特
印第安纳步行者： 泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿、安德鲁·内姆哈德、帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆
在进入NBA总决赛抢七大战之前，印第安纳凭借其非凡的季后赛之旅——上演了一系列由主教练里克·卡莱尔 (Rick Carlisle) 和泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 在印第安纳波利斯推行的打法所驱动的历史性逆转——本应能在这份榜单上名列前茅。但在2024-25赛季的最后一场比赛中，哈利伯顿遭遇跟腱撕裂，这使得步行者队同样面临着漫长的12个月等待期，直到他可能在下赛季初回归。唯一的慰藉是：尽管本尼迪克特·马图林 (Bennedict Mathurin) 因安德鲁·内姆哈德 (Andrew Nembhard) 的崛起而跌出核心阵容（内姆哈德再次打出了精彩的季后赛），但哈利伯顿的缺阵可能会给这位前乐透秀一个在步行者队重新证明自己的机会。
去年核心三人组： 哈利伯顿、帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆 (Pascal Siakam)、马图林
第6档：老将当家，疑云重重
达拉斯独行侠： 安东尼·戴维斯、库珀·弗拉格、凯里·欧文
与一年前相比，达拉斯的情况发生了翻天覆地的变化。当时，独行侠拥有卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic) 和凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving) 组成的后场组合，并且刚刚打完NBA总决赛。现在，欧文前交叉韧带撕裂，东契奇去了洛杉矶，而弗拉格——在经历了一番惊人的选秀乐透好运之后——成为了球队的新星，与安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 搭档独行侠的前场。即使这一切已经发生数月，仍然令人难以置信。尽管如此，达拉斯本赛季仍有机会成为一股不可忽视的力量——但这需要弗拉格能立即做出贡献，戴维斯保持健康，以及欧文能在季后赛前从膝伤中满血回归。
去年核心三人组： 欧文、东契奇、德雷克·莱夫利 (Dereck Lively)
金州勇士： 吉米·巴特勒、斯蒂芬·库里、德雷蒙德·格林
上赛季，在交易截止日从迈阿密热火队得到吉米·巴特勒 (Jimmy Butler) 后，勇士队在巴特勒和斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 共同出战的比赛中取得了22胜5负的战绩。他们觉得，如果不是库里在对阵明尼苏达森林狼队的系列赛中因腿筋受伤而赛季报销，他们本可以打进西部决赛。毫无疑问，这支球队的上限非常高——前提是保持健康。但考虑到他们的核心球员都已35岁或以上，“前提是保持健康”这个问题将整个赛季都伴随着这支球队。
去年核心三人组： 库里、德雷蒙德·格林 (Draymond Green)、布兰丁·波杰姆斯基 (Brandin Podziemski)
洛杉矶快船： 詹姆斯·哈登、科怀·伦纳德、伊维察·祖巴茨
快船队经历了一个成果丰硕的休赛期，他们引进了约翰·科林斯 (John Collins)、布鲁克·洛佩斯 (Brook Lopez)、布拉德利·比尔 (Bradley Beal) 和克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul)，并且詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden) 和伊维察·祖巴茨 (Ivica Zubac) 预计也将打出强势的赛季。然而，关于科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 的问题——无论是场上还是场下——都如同阴云般笼罩着这支球队。在过去六个赛季里，伦纳德缺席了他可能出战的比赛中超过40%的场次，上赛季也只打了37场，他能保持健康吗？此外，随着联盟对潜在规避工资帽行为的调查仍在进行，这会给他和快船队带来任何麻烦吗？这一切只有时间能给出答案。
去年核心三人组： 哈登、伦纳德、祖巴茨
洛杉矶湖人： 卢卡·东契奇、勒布朗·詹姆斯、奥斯汀·里夫斯
湖人队有理由相信，一支由东契奇和勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 领导的球队可以与任何对手抗衡。然而，这需要两名球员都保持健康。詹姆斯已经开始处理坐骨神经痛的问题，这在他辉煌的职业生涯中首次威胁到他的赛季开局——再加上他已是联盟中最年长的球员，即将迎来41岁生日——健康将是一个持续存在的问题。而这还没有考虑到球队潜在的投篮问题，以及外线和内线的防守隐患。
去年核心三人组： 詹姆斯、奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves)、安东尼·戴维斯
密尔沃基雄鹿： 扬尼斯·阿德托昆博、鲍比·波蒂斯、迈尔斯·特纳
正如ESPN的沙姆斯·查拉尼亚 (Shams Charania) 上周报道的那样，扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 在密尔沃基的未来是整个NBA热议——并为之准备——的话题。但随着新赛季临近，他仍然是一名雄鹿球员，如果能保持健康，鉴于他将拥有大量的球权，他本赛季应该会是MVP的候选人。尽管迈尔斯·特纳 (Myles Turner) 取代了布鲁克·洛佩斯成为核心阵容中能拉开空间的中锋，但从达米安·利拉德 (Damian Lillard)——现已回到波特兰——到鲍比·波蒂斯 (Bobby Portis)（或者你选择的任何第三人，如凯尔·库兹马 (Kyle Kuzma) 或AJ·格林 (AJ Green)）的实力落差是巨大的。这也说明了为什么即使有一个健康的阿德托昆博在场上肆虐，密尔沃基也可能迎来一个充满挑战的赛季。
去年核心三人组： 阿德托昆博、利拉德、洛佩斯
第7档：航向转变
孟菲斯灰熊： 塞德里克·考沃德、小贾伦·杰克逊、贾·莫兰特
要了解孟菲斯目前的状况，你只需要知道这些：小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.) 正在从休赛期手术中恢复；贾·莫兰特 (Ja Morant) 现在很可能因脚踝扭伤错过赛季初的比赛；扎克·伊迪 (Zach Edey) 也在从休赛期手术中恢复；而上赛季年度最佳新秀投票中排名第三的杰伦·威尔斯 (Jaylen Wells) 和孟菲斯在今年六月选秀中向上交易到第11顺位选中的塞德里克·考沃德 (Cedric Coward)，也都在上赛季末受伤。德斯蒙德·贝恩的交易重塑了灰熊队的阵容——孟菲斯随后在考沃德身上下了重注——但这支球队的上限依然取决于莫兰特和杰克逊能带队走多远。这也再次提醒我们，NBA的变化有多快，就在不久前，“莫兰特-杰克逊-贝恩”组合还被视为联盟中最顶尖的年轻基石之一。
去年核心三人组： 莫兰特、杰克逊、贝恩
费城76人： VJ·埃奇库姆、乔尔·恩比德、泰瑞斯·马克西
问题？在费城？怎么可能！说笑归说笑，房间里的大象显然是乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 的健康状况，更不用说保罗·乔治 (Paul George) 了。如果他们两人本赛季能保持在场上，费城可能成为东部的一支劲旅。但我们无法确定何时能看到这两位76人球星出场，也无法确定他们的出勤率。与此同时，乔治正处于他去年夏天以自由球员身份签下的顶薪续约合同的第二年，但他本赛季跌出了核心阵容，取而代之的是六月选秀的探花秀VJ·埃奇库姆 (VJ Edgecombe)。
去年核心三人组： 恩比德、泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey)、乔治
第8档：不上不下
芝加哥公牛： 马塔斯·布泽利斯、诺亚·埃森格、约什·吉迪
这是一支永远深陷泥潭的球队。有人可能会说公牛应该被分到更低的档位——但那等于说公牛肯定会致力于摆烂重建。历史表明，他们会赢下38或39场比赛，然后进入附加赛——在本赛季的东部，这完全有可能。在休赛期签下长期合同后，约什·吉迪 (Josh Giddey) 成为了核心球员。科比·怀特 (Coby White) 尽管是球队最好的球员，但由于他将带着一份到期合同进入新赛季，因此不在核心之列。取而代之的是，今年选秀的12号秀诺亚·埃森格 (Noa Essengue) 与去年的11号秀马塔斯·布泽利斯 (Matas Buzelis) 一同入选。
去年核心三人组： 吉迪、怀特、帕特里克·威廉姆斯 (Patrick Williams)
迈阿密热火： 巴姆·阿德巴约、泰勒·希罗、克尔·威尔
热火并不是一支习惯于停滞不前的球队，但在上赛季又一次以附加赛结束征程后，他们似乎正处于这种境地。随着巴特勒如今远走金州，热火正式开始寻找下一位能与巴姆·阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo) 搭档的长期球星。或许那个人是泰勒·希罗 (Tyler Herro)，如果他能在上赛季首次入选全明星的出色表现后再次实现巨大飞跃的话。克尔·威尔 (Kel’el Ware) 作为一名极具活力的高个防守型内线，同样潜力无限。但这支球队需要更多助力，才能摆脱目前的困境——即便是在东部。
去年核心三人组： 阿德巴约、希罗、吉米·巴特勒
萨克拉门托国王： 扎克·拉文、基根·穆雷、多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯
2023年季后赛首轮与勇士队的七场大战感觉已像是十年前的事了。迪阿隆·福克斯现已身在圣安东尼奥，迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 去了纽约，国王队则演变成了芝加哥公牛队的诡异翻版，让扎克·拉文 (Zach LaVine) 和德玛尔·德罗赞 (DeMar DeRozan) 再次联手。基根·穆雷 (Keegan Murray) 很可能在未来几天内与萨克拉门托完成续约，尽管他因拇指伤势将缺席新赛季的头几周，但他仍然是这支球队唯一的长期亮点。其余的人呢？要么正值巅峰，要么正从巅峰滑落，目前还不清楚这支球队未来的走向。
去年核心三人组： 穆雷、多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 (Domantas Sabonis)、福克斯
多伦多猛龙： 斯科蒂·巴恩斯、布兰登·英格拉姆、科林·穆雷-博伊尔斯
斯科蒂·巴恩斯 (Scottie Barnes) 在同意签下一份巨额顶薪续约合同后，已锁定了一个核心位置，但谁会与他并肩作战呢？答案是：上赛季交易截止日的重磅引援布兰登·英格拉姆 (Brandon Ingram)，以及多伦多在休赛期的大手笔——六月NBA选秀的9号秀科林·穆雷-博伊尔斯 (Collin Murray-Boyles)。尽管如此，我们很难看到这个组合的长期上限能超越上一代猛龙季后赛球队的末期水平：一支刚好能打进季后赛，然后在竞争激烈的首轮系列赛中被淘汰的球队。
去年核心三人组： 巴恩斯、格雷迪·迪克 (Gradey Dick)、伊曼纽尔·奎克利 (Immanuel Quickley)
第9档：开启重建
夏洛特黄蜂： 拉梅洛·鲍尔、康·诺伊佩尔、布兰登·米勒
如今，黄蜂队已进入总经理杰夫·彼得森 (Jeff Peterson) 和主教练查尔斯·李 (Charles Lee) 执掌的第二个完整赛季。他们希望本赛季能看到队中那些有趣的年轻才俊们更频繁地出场比赛，上赛季包括拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball) 和布兰登·米勒 (Brandon Miller) 在内的一系列伤病阻碍了这一点。然而，伤病潮也让黄蜂队有机会在六月的选秀中用四号签摘下康·诺伊佩尔 (Kon Knueppel)。他应该能成为鲍尔和米勒在侧翼的完美搭档。但问题出在内线，在二月份与湖人队的交易失败后，黄蜂队又在六月将上赛季的核心成员马克·威廉姆斯 (Mark Williams) 送往菲尼克斯，使得他们的内线建设回到了原点。
去年核心三人组： 鲍尔、米勒、威廉姆斯
新奥尔良鹈鹕： 杰里迈亚·菲尔斯、德里克·奎因、锡安·威廉姆森
锡安·威廉姆森 (Zion Williamson) 以极佳的状态出现在新奥尔良的训练营中，鹈鹕队希望这最终能转化为他本赛季持续的健康和高水平表现。然而，尽管德章泰·穆雷 (Dejounte Murray) 和特雷·墨菲 (Trey Murphy) 仍留在新奥尔良，但当初交易来穆雷、并选中和续约了墨菲的决策者——大卫·格里芬 (David Griffin)——已经离任。因此，新管理层选中的两名乐透秀，杰里迈亚·菲尔斯 (Jeremiah Fears) 和德里克·奎因 (Derik Queen)，成为了鹈鹕未来的核心成员。鉴于鹈鹕为了得到奎因而做出的那笔交易（其中包括送给亚特兰大一个明年选秀大年的无保护首轮签），奎因的表现将备受关注。
去年核心三人
组： 威廉姆森、穆雷、墨菲
菲尼克斯太阳： 德文·布克、瑞安·邓恩、哈曼·马鲁阿奇
一年之间，物是人非。去年的这个时候，太阳队拥有一套围绕三位巨星——德文·布克 (Devin Booker)、凯文·杜兰特和布拉德利·比尔——打造的极其昂贵的阵容。如今，杜兰特和比尔已经离队，布克留守，而太阳队——他们的薪金空间在未来十年都充斥着死钱，并且同期内没有任何属于自己的选秀权——正在开启重建。队中不乏一些有趣的年轻球员，以瑞安·邓恩 (Ryan Dunn) 和哈曼·马鲁阿奇 (Khaman Maluach) 为首，但菲尼克斯要扭转局面尚需时日——而且他们需要展现出比马特·伊什比亚 (Mat Ishbia) 两年多前买下球队以来任何时候都更强的耐心。
去年核心三人组： 布克、比尔、杜兰特
第10档：重建进行时
布鲁克林篮网： 尼克·克拉克斯顿、叶戈尔·德明、诺兰·特拉奥雷
如果你需要任何关于篮网队发展方向的线索，只需看看六月的NBA选秀就够了。当时布鲁克林手握五个首轮签——并且全部保留，选中了叶戈尔·德明 (Egor Demin)、诺兰·特拉奥雷 (Nolan Traore)、后卫德雷克·鲍威尔 (Drake Powell) 和本·萨拉夫 (Ben Saraf)，以及大个子丹尼·沃尔夫 (Danny Wolf)。他们，连同两年前的首轮秀诺阿·克劳尼 (Noah Clowney)，是布鲁克林的未来——再加上篮网在2026年选秀中选中的任何人。尼克·克拉克斯顿 (Nic Claxton) 仍然是核心成员，因为他身背长期合同，并且考虑到他正值25岁左右的年纪，应该还能重拾之前的状态。另一方面，卡梅伦·托马斯 (Cam Thomas) 在休赛期签下了一年期的资质报价合同，因此不在核心之列。
去年核心三人组： 克拉克斯顿、克劳尼、托马斯
波特兰开拓者： 图马尼·卡马拉、多诺万·克林根、谢登·夏普
很少有球队比波特兰更难判断其发展方向。开拓者的阵容中充满了有趣的年轻天才，如多诺万·克林根 (Donovan Clingan)、谢登·夏普 (Shaedon Sharpe)、斯库特·亨德森 (Scoot Henderson) 和杨瀚森 (Yang Hansen)。但他们在休赛期又交易来了朱·霍勒迪 (Jrue Holiday) 并续约了整个赛季都不会出战的利拉德。杰拉米·格兰特 (Jerami Grant) 会首发吗？亨德森从腿筋伤势中恢复后会首发吗？上赛季可以说是球队最佳球员的德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija) 在首发五人组中处于什么位置——或者他能首发吗？这里的变数实在太多，让人难以确切了解波特兰的目标是什么——这也将使本赛季变得异常有趣。
去年核心三人组： 克林根、亨德森、夏普
犹他爵士： 艾斯·贝利、沃尔特·克莱顿、劳里·马尔卡宁
爵士队再次保持了其在NBA选秀乐透抽签中从未提升过一次顺位的不光彩记录，这导致他们在拥有联盟最差战绩的情况下只拿到了五号签。尽管如此，他们最终还是选中了整个赛季都被公认为前三选择的艾斯·贝利 (Ace Bailey)，这也是奥斯汀·安吉 (Austin Ainge) 担任球队篮球运营总裁后的第一个举动。他紧接着用第18号签选中了赢得过全国冠军的控球后卫沃尔特·克莱顿 (Walter Clayton)，让他也成为了核心球员。尚未获得续约合同的沃克·凯斯勒 (Walker Kessler) 则不在核心之列，而劳里·马尔卡宁 (Lauri Markkanen) 将力争找回他两年前展现出的状态。
去年核心三人组： 马尔卡宁、基昂特·乔治 (Keyonte George)、凯斯勒
华盛顿奇才： 比拉尔·库利巴利、特雷·约翰逊、亚历克斯·萨尔
作为另一支在乐透抽签中高顺位希望破灭的球队，奇才队再次致力于锻炼和培养他们的年轻天才。这就是为什么比拉尔·库利巴利 (Bilal Coulibaly)、亚历克斯·萨尔 (Alex Sarr) 和特雷·约翰逊 (Tre Johnson)——他们分别是过去三届选秀中的高顺位新秀——仍然是华盛顿核心阵容的前三名球员。然而，本赛季的目标将是继续观察在奇才队聚集的众多年轻球员中，谁能脱颖而出，因为他们现在阵容中已有多达10名球员身背首轮新秀合同。
去年核心三人组： 库利巴利、萨尔、巴布·卡林顿 (Bub Carrington)
点击查看原文：NBA roster tiers: Ranking top trios for all 30 teams
NBA roster tiers: Ranking top trios for all 30 teams
The NBA might be in its depth era, but star power still wins the day.
In a sport in which only five players take the floor for each team at a time, a concentration of stars has been a clear way to build a championship-level team.
But even when a team doesn’t have a trio of ready-made stars, looking at the top three players on each roster is a good way to measure both the short- and long-term health of an organization and where a franchise is headed over the next few months and next few years.
With that rubric in mind, we not only have laid out the cores of all 30 NBA teams, but also ranked them in comparison to one another. And we’ve done so by taking into account both the group’s present and future value – along with the likelihood that these players will be with their respective teams for the medium to long term.
Jump to a tier:
A league of their own | Knocking on the door
Best of the East | Ascendant young teams
Gap Years | Old stars with big questions
Changing the course | Stuck in the middle
Starting a rebuild | Rebuilding
Tier 1: A league of their own
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams
Who else could be atop this list? Not only did the Thunder win 68 games and their first championship last season, but they also did so with one of the youngest title-winning rosters in NBA history. Then, to cap things off, general manager Sam Presti went out this summer and proceeded to lock all three of his young cornerstones into long-term contract extensions – officially cementing the Thunder as the perennial favorites to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the foreseeable future.
Last year: Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Williams
Tier 2: Knocking on the door
Denver Nuggets: Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray
Denver is a pair of rough Western Conference semifinal Game 7s – blowing a 20-point lead at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves two years ago before playing with an injured Gordon against the Thunder last season – from having a potential chance at ripping off three straight titles. Denver still has the best player in the sport in Nikola Jokic, though, and a pair of co-stars who fit extremely well alongside him in Murray and Gordon. They both have delivered repeatedly in huge playoff moments.
Last year: Gordon, Jokic, Murray
Tier 3: Best of the East
Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley
The Cavaliers, like the Thunder, have a trio of prime-age or younger stars locked into long-term contracts and a team that won 64 games last season. Unlike the Thunder, however, Cleveland was unable to follow it with playoff success, losing in five games to the Indiana Pacers in the second round. That is why the Cavaliers are placed here and not even higher up this list. A strong playoff run next spring, and that will quickly change.
Last year: Garland, Mitchell, Mobley
New York Knicks: OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns
New York enters the season having moved on from coach Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years – a clear indication that the Knicks believe this group is good enough to finally snap a half-century championship drought. Brunson and Towns are two of the best offensive point guards and centers, respectively, in the league, while Anunoby is as good as any defender on the wing on top of becoming an excellent 3-point shooter, too.
Last year: Anunoby, Brunson, Towns
Tier 4: Ascendant young teams
Atlanta Hawks: Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher
For the second straight season, the Hawks have the same trio leading the way, all while the franchise has undergone a rapid and fascinating reimagining of the roster by newly installed general manager Onsi Saleh. Trae Young remains this team’s best player. Kristaps Porzingis could be its second. And yet, both players are able to be unrestricted free agents next summer. Meanwhile Daniels was last season’s Most Improved Player, Johnson – if he can stay healthy – is a popular breakout candidate and Risacher, although no Cooper Flagg or Victor Wembanyama, had a fine rookie season after Atlanta selected him No. 1 in the 2024 draft.
Last year: Daniels, Johnson, Risacher
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham, Ron Holland, Ausar Thompson
A year ago, there were massive questions about the Pistons’ roster. They began with Cunningham, and whether he was capable of being the kind of star leader a franchise needs to become a factor in the playoffs. Cunningham responded with a brilliant campaign, earning All-Star and All-NBA honors for the first time while leading Detroit back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Questions remain about the rest of the roster, but there are several intriguing young players such as Holland, Thompson, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, who could all fill the remaining core spots around Cunningham.
Last year: Cunningham, Holland, Ivey
Houston Rockets: Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson
A lot has changed in Houston over the past year. Thompson was a very near miss from inclusion in this group a year ago, and in hindsight that was an obvious mistake. The No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA draft continues to blossom into a star and has a chance to take another massive leap forward this season due to the unfortunate torn ACL for Fred VanVleet last month during preseason workouts. Although I’m sure you’re thinking, “No Kevin Durant? Really?” remember the purpose of this list. Durant remains – at least for now – without a contract extension, and Sheppard could be the team’s starting point guard this season and remains a key player for Houston long term.
Last year: Sengun, Sheppard, VanVleet
Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle
After advancing out of the first round of the playoffs once in its first 34 years of existence, Minnesota has now done so in back-to-back seasons, reaching the Western Conference finals before losing to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively. The question now is how Minnesota will find a way to advance further – especially with the Thunder looming over the West moving forward. The answer will begin with continued improvement from Edwards and McDaniels. Randle moves into the core after inking a long-term extension with the franchise this offseason.
Last year: Edwards, McDaniels, Rudy Gobert
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner
Orlando’s season going sideways last year when Jalen Suggs suffered a knee injury is a sign of just how important he is – despite the fact that he, unlike Banchero and Wagner, is not on a max contract. But Orlando paid a king’s ransom to land Bane – a perfect complement to its three young homegrown players – this summer, and Suggs is still sidelined with the knee injury, so Bane moves into the core for this group. The Magic’s season will likely hinge on whether Banchero and Wagner can make improvements in their efficiency this season – which, if they can, could lead to huge success in a wide-open East.
Last year: Banchero, Suggs, Wagner
San Antonio Spurs: De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Victor Wembanyama
How do you get picked fourth and win Rookie of the Year, as Stephon Castle did last season, and fall out of a team’s core? By that same team trading for an All-Star point guard (Fox) and drafting another (Harper) with the second pick after jumping up in the lottery, as the Spurs did over the past few months. How all of these different players fit around the one certain core player in San Antonio for the foreseeable future, Wembanyama, will be one of the big stories of the upcoming NBA season.
Last year: Wembanyama, Castle, Devin Vassell
Tier 5: Gap years
Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White
A year ago, Boston was coming off raising banner No. 18 to the TD Garden rafters and looked poised to have a real chance at claiming a 19th title. Then came Tatum’s unfortunate torn Achilles in May against the Knicks in the conference semifinals. Now, Boston is likely to spend this season spinning its wheels waiting for Tatum to get back and give this group a chance to potentially be back in the title fight again in 2026-27. Until then, though, Brown and White will still remain two of the better wing players in the NBA, and the envy of most of the opponents they’ll come up against this season.
Last year: Brown, Tatum, White
Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam
Entering Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Indiana was likely going to be right near the top of this list after a remarkable playoff run that featured a series of historic comebacks fueled by the style of play coach Rick Carlisle and Haliburton have employed in Indianapolis. But after Haliburton suffered an Achilles tear in that final game of the 2024-25 campaign, the Pacers are also staring at a long 12 months until his likely return at the start of next season. One silver lining? Although Bennedict Mathurin fell out of the team’s core thanks to the emergence of Nembhard, who had another brilliant playoff run, Haliburton’s absence could give the former lottery pick a chance to reestablish himself with the Pacers.
Last year: Haliburton, Siakam, Mathurin
Tier 6: Old stars with big questions
Dallas Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving
Things are drastically different in Dallas compared to a year ago, when the Mavericks had Luka Doncic and Irving together in a backcourt that was coming off an NBA Finals appearance. Now, Irving has a torn ACL, Doncic is in Los Angeles and – after a stunning bit of lottery luck – Flagg is the star of the show, playing alongside Davis in the Mavericks’ frontcourt. It’s all pretty hard to believe, even months after it all took place. Still, Dallas could have a chance to be a factor this season – but that will require Flagg to instantly contribute, Davis to remain healthy and Irving to come back from his knee injury ready to go by playoff time.
Last year: Irving, Doncic, Dereck Lively
Golden State Warriors: Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green
Last season, the Warriors went 22-5 with Butler and Curry both available after acquiring Butler at the trade deadline from the Miami Heat, and they feel they’d have advanced to the Western Conference finals if they hadn’t lost Curry for the rest of the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a hamstring injury. There’s little doubt this team has a very high ceiling – if healthy. But given their core is all 35 or older, the “if healthy” question is going to follow this group around all season long.
Last year: Curry, Green, Brandin Podziemski
LA Clippers: James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac
The Clippers had a very productive offseason, going out and landing John Collins, Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, and should get strong seasons from both Harden and Zubac. Questions about Leonard – both on and off the court – hang over this team like a lead balloon, however. Can Leonard, who has missed just over 40% of the possible games he could’ve played for the Clippers over the past six seasons, and played just 37 last season, stay healthy? And, with the investigation into potential cap circumvention ongoing, will that cause any issues for him and the Clippers? Only time will tell on both fronts.
Last year: Harden, Leonard, Zubac
Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves
The Lakers – fairly – believe a team led by Doncic and James can contend with anyone. However, that requires both players to be healthy. And with James already dealing with a sciatica problem that threatens the start of his season for the first time in his remarkable career – plus his status as the league’s oldest player, who is approaching his 41st birthday – health is going to be a constant question. And that’s before the potential shooting issues, as well as the perimeter and interior defensive concerns for this team.
Last year: James, Reaves, Anthony Davis
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Myles Turner
As ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week, Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee is a much-discussed – and planned-for – topic around the NBA. But as the season approaches, he remains a Buck, and he should be an MVP candidate this season if he remains healthy given how much he’s going to have the ball in his hands. Although Turner slots in for Brook Lopez as the floor-spacing center in the core, the drop-off from Damian Lillard – now back in Portland – to Portis (or Kyle Kuzma or AJ Green or whomever you choose for the third person to be) is massive and shows why it could be a challenging year in Milwaukee, even with a healthy Antetokounmpo terrorizing opponents.
Last year: Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Lopez
Tier 7: Changing the course
Memphis Grizzlies: Cedric Coward, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant
Here’s all you need to know about the state of things in Memphis: Jackson is recovering from offseason surgery; Morant is now likely to miss the start of the season with an ankle sprain; Zach Edey is also recovering from offseason surgery; and both Jaylen Wells, No. 3 in last season’s Rookie of the Year balloting, and Coward, whom Memphis leapt up in the draft to take at No. 11 this past June, ended last season hurt. The Desmond Bane trade reconstituted the Grizzlies’ roster – Memphis subsequently placed a big bet on Coward – but this team can still go only as far as Morant and Jackson can take it. This is also another reminder of how fast things can change in the NBA, as it wasn’t long ago that Morant-Jackson-Bane was seen as one of the elite, young cornerstone foundations in the league.
Last year: Morant, Jackson, Bane
Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey
Questions? In Philadelphia? Never! Jokes aside, obviously the elephant in the room is the health of Embiid, let alone that of Paul George. If the two of them can stay on the court this season, Philadelphia could be a factor in the East. But there’s no certainty of when, or how often, we will see the two 76ers stars out there. George, meanwhile, is in the second year of a max extension that he signed as a free agent last summer, but he falls out of the core this season in favor of Edgecombe, the third pick in June’s draft.
Last year: Embiid, Maxey, George
Tier 8: Stuck in the middle
Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue, Josh Giddey
This is a franchise perpetually stuck in the mud. One could argue the Bulls should be in a lower tier than this – but that would be saying the Bulls are definitely going to be committed to bottoming out and rebuilding. History suggests they will win 38 or 39 games and be in the play-in – which, in this season’s East, is very possible. After signing a long-term deal this offseason, Giddey is a core player. Coby White, although the team’s best player, is not as he enters the season on an expiring deal. Instead, the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft, Essengue, is one alongside Buzelis, last year’s No. 11 pick.
Last year: Giddey, White, Patrick Williams
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware
The Heat are not a team accustomed to being stuck anywhere, but that’s where they seem to be after yet another play-in finish last season. With Butler now having decamped to Golden State, the Heat are officially on the hunt for their next long-term star to pair with Adebayo. Perhaps that player is Herro, if he can make another big leap after a great season earned him his first All-Star berth. Ware, too, has a lot of promise as a super-active, long defensive big. But this team needs more if it’s going to leap out of the doldrums – even in the East.
Last year: Adebayo, Herro, Jimmy Butler
Sacramento Kings: Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
The seven-game series against the Warriors in the first round of the 2023 playoffs feels like a decade ago now. De’Aaron Fox is now in San Antonio, Mike Brown is now in New York, and the Kings have morphed into a bizarro version of the Chicago Bulls with LaVine and DeMar DeRozan back together again. Murray is likely to get an extension done with Sacramento in the coming days, but he’s the one long-term bright spot on this roster despite missing the first several weeks of the upcoming season with a thumb injury. The rest? Either in their prime or aging out of it, and it’s unclear what path this team will take from here.
Last year: Murray, Sabonis, Fox
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Collin Murray-Boyles
Barnes was guaranteed to be a part of this core after agreeing to a massive max contract extension, but who would be alongside him? It turns out, it’s last season’s big trade deadline acquisition, Ingram, and Toronto’s big offseason acquisition, Murray-Boyles, the No. 9 pick in June’s NBA draft. Still, it’s hard to see the long-term upside of this group to be anything more than what the tail end of the previous Raptors playoff team was: one good enough to make it and lose in a competitive first-round series.
Last year: Barnes, Gradey Dick, Immanuel Quickley
Tier 9: Starting a rebuild
Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller
The Hornets, now in their second full season under general manager Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee, will hope to see their collection of interesting young talent on the court far more often this season, after a number of injuries – including to Ball and Miller – precluded it last season. What the injury woes did do, however, was give the Hornets the chance to land Knueppel with the fourth pick in June’s draft. He should be a perfect complement alongside Ball and Miller on the wings. The questions, though, are inside, where Charlotte is back to square one after sending Mark Williams, a core member last season, to Phoenix in June after the failed trade to the Lakers back in February.
Last year: Ball, Miller, Williams
New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, Zion Williamson
Williamson showed up for training camp in great shape for New Orleans, and the Pelicans hope that finally translates into sustained health and high-level play from him this season. But although Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy remain in New Orleans, the man who traded for Murray and drafted and extended Murphy – David Griffin – is not. So, instead, the two lottery picks from the new front office, Fears and Queen, become core members for the Pelicans going forward. Queen will be fascinating to watch given all the attention around the trade the Pelicans made to acquire him, which included giving up an unprotected pick in next year’s loaded draft to Atlanta.
Last year: Williamson, Murray, Murphy
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, Ryan Dunn, Khaman Maluach
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the Suns had a wildly expensive roster built around three big stars – Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Now, Durant and Beal are gone, Booker remains, and the Suns – who have dead money on their books for the rest of the decade and none of their own draft picks under their control for the same time period – are starting a rebuild. There are some interesting young players, led by Dunn and Maluach, but it’s going to take time for Phoenix to turn this around – and the Suns are going to need to show more patience than they have at any point since Mat Ishbia bought the team two-plus years ago.
Last year: Booker, Beal, Durant
Tier 10: Rebuilding
Brooklyn Nets: Nic Claxton, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore
If you need any hint to the direction of the Nets, look no further than June’s NBA draft, when Brooklyn had five first-round picks – and kept all of them, drafting Demin, Traore, guards Drake Powell and Ben Saraf, and big man Danny Wolf. They, along with Noah Clowney, a first-round pick two years ago, are the future in Brooklyn – along with whomever the Nets land in the 2026 draft. Claxton remains a core member because he’s on a long-term deal and, given he’s in his mid-20s, should still be able to rediscover his prior form. Cam Thomas, on the other hand, is not, after he signed the one-year qualifying offer this offseason.
Last year: Claxton, Clowney, Thomas
Portland Trail Blazers: Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe
There are few teams harder to parse in terms of their direction than Portland. The Blazers have a roster full of interesting young talents, such as Clingan, Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Yang Hansen. But then they went out this offseason and traded for Jrue Holiday and re-signed Lillard, who won’t play all season. Will Jerami Grant start? Will Henderson when he comes back from a hamstring injury? Where does Deni Advija, who was arguably the team’s best player last year, fit in the starting five - or does he? There’s just so much noise here that it’s hard to know exactly what Portland’s goals are – which will make for a very fascinating season.
Last year: Clingan, Henderson, Sharpe
Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton, Lauri Markkanen
The Jazz, once again, kept the dubious distinction of having never moved up once in the NBA’s draft lottery, causing them to land the fifth pick after having the league’s worst record. Still, they wound up drafting Bailey, who spent all season as a consensus top-three selection, as the first move of Austin Ainge’s tenure as the team’s president of basketball operations. He quickly followed it up by landing Clayton, the national championship-winning point guard, with the No. 18 pick to make him a core player, as well. Walker Kessler, without a contract extension, isn’t one, and Markkanen will look to get back to the form he showed two years ago.
Last year: Markkanen, Keyonte George, Kessler
Washington Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr
Another team that had its high lottery hopes dashed in the lottery, the Wizards are once again committed to playing and developing their young talent. That’s why Coulibaly, Sarr and Johnson – their top picks in each of the past three drafts, respectively – remain the top three players in Washington’s core. This season, though, will be about continuing to see who can emerge from the many young players the Wizards have assembled, as they’re now up to 10 players on first-round rookie contracts on their roster.
Last year: Coulibaly, Sarr, Bub Carrington
By Tim Bontemps | ESPN, via ESPN