Philadelphia will open subsequent season with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid. The projected beginning 5 has 36 All-Star alternatives, 5 MVP awards, and 5 Finals MVP awards between them. James accounts for 22 of the All-Star nods.
These 5 have by no means been on the ground collectively.
Philadelphia ranks third right here. The 2 groups forward of it have gained championships with the identical beginning group.
.@ShamsCharania studies the Philadelphia 76ers are planning on LeBron James taking part in a while on the level guard place 👀 pic.twitter.com/s5LeiAqzb1
— ESPN (@espn) July 27, 2026
5. Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokić.
Jokic averaged 27.7 factors, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists final season. He led the NBA in rebounds per recreation and in assists per recreation, the primary participant to do each in the identical season. He was an MVP finalist for the sixth time in seven years and has gained the award 3 times.
Murray, Gordon, and Braun have been on the ground collectively for a championship. Denver has 5 roster spots left to fill and sits $7.7 million under the second apron earlier than a brand new contract for restricted free agent Peyton Watson, who averaged 17.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds, and a pair of.2 assists in 40 begins.
4. San Antonio Spurs
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Fort, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama averaged 25.0 factors, 11.5 rebounds, and led the NBA with 3.1 blocks. He grew to become the youngest Defensive Participant of the 12 months and the primary unanimous one, and San Antonio completed third in defensive ranking on the best way to 62 wins and the second seed within the West.
The Spurs beat Oklahoma Metropolis in seven video games within the convention finals and misplaced to New York in 5. Keldon Johnson gained Sixth Man of the 12 months off this bench. Fox begins a four-year, $221 million extension this fall, and Dylan Harper voiced displeasure about his position and taking part in time final season, based on ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
Champagnie is the fifth starter right here. Tobias Harris signed in free company and can push him for the job.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid.
Brown averaged 28.7 factors, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists and completed sixth in MVP voting. Maxey averaged 28.3 and completed fifth within the league in scoring. Embiid averaged 26.9 factors, 7.7 rebounds, and three.9 assists. James averaged 20.9 factors, 6.1 rebounds, and seven.2 assists. Edgecombe averaged 16 factors, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists as a rookie and made the All-Rookie First Group.
No different lineup within the league has 4 gamers who averaged no less than 20 factors final season.
Embiid performed 38 video games. He has performed 490 video games in his profession and missed 495. Philadelphia completed twenty third in 3-point share at 34.9%, and the 2 new starters don’t clearly repair that. James shot 31.7% from deep, the fourth-worst mark of his profession. Edgecombe took 5.2 threes a recreation as a rookie.
The protection is the opposite drawback. Philadelphia was sixteenth in defensive ranking. Paul George drew the project on opposing perimeter scorers final season and is now in Boston. Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. signed elsewhere. Brown can guard, and he’s additionally coming off a season at a 36.2% utilization fee.
2. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein.
Gilgeous-Alexander gained his second straight MVP after averaging 31.1 factors and 6.6 assists in 68 video games. He gained Clutch Participant of the 12 months with 96 of the 100 first-place votes. Oklahoma Metropolis went 64-18 for the very best document within the league.
The Thunder traded Lu Dort this summer time, which is the one motive this group shouldn’t be first. Wallace will get the job now. He began 58 of his 77 video games final season and made the All-Defensive Second Group. Hartenstein agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract that lower his wage by $5.4 million.
San Antonio beat them in seven within the convention finals.
1. New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Cities.
This 5 went 16-3 within the playoffs. It swept Philadelphia, Cleveland, and beat San Antonio in 5 video games for the franchise’s first championship since 1973. That group had a plus-13.9 internet ranking over the run.
All 5 are beneath contract. New York re-signed Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, and Mohamed Diawara and stayed beneath the $222 million second apron. Mitchell Robinson signed with Boston. Andre Drummond changed him within the frontcourt rotation.
The Subsequent 4
Indiana returns Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam, a bunch that posted a plus-29.1 internet ranking with out Myles Turner on the ground final season, and Ivica Zubac replaces Turner at middle. Haliburton is getting back from an Achilles tear.
Atlanta runs the identical 5 again after re-signing CJ McCollum for one yr and $21 million. That group posted a plus-21.4 internet ranking over 822 possessions, which put it within the ninetieth percentile, per Cleansing the Glass. 4 of the 5 are 27 or youthful. The Hawks additionally added Dort.
Cleveland has 4 starters who’ve made All-Star groups. Houston begins Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun.
Philadelphia and New York play within the Atlantic Division. They meet 4 occasions.
