Ranking every NBA team’s Big 3

The NBA is a league of stars. No other sport creates so many marketable names. Every team aims to roster multiple stars. Of course, some teams achieve that goal more easily than others. It can happen through the draft, organically over time. It can happen via trade, or as has been the case more frequently in recent years, trade demands. Or, there’s always the lingering possibility of free agent team-ups.

We are in perhaps the golden era of NBA stardom. The talent level has never been this high, this diverse, and this electric. There are players at every position forcing us to rethink how we process the sport. Each year it feels like a new star emerges, one who has the potential to change the course of the NBA.

In this article, we will rank every NBA team’s Big Three. The best three-man group on each team. Essentially, this is a ranking of each team’s star power. The players at the top of the roster who provide the foundation for success.

30. Spurs — Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell

The Spurs have no intention of competing this season. San Antonio is starting from ground zero. There’s no franchise player in place. No real veteran support system to elevate the young talent. It will be a season of trial and error. Keldon Johnson will get more offensive reps than ever before, Devin Vassell will have the chance to explore the breadth of his skill set, and Jakob Poeltl will probably get traded before the deadline. A primary goal: make sure, when we do these rankings next year, Josh Primo is in the mix.

29. Rockets — Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Eric Gordon

Jalen Green could pour in well over 20 points per game in his second NBA season. The former No. 2 pick found his rhythm late last season, and the Rockets haven’t made any moves that will keep the ball out of his hands. He is the centerpiece of Houston’s next generation. Eric Gordon, meanwhile, is a sure handed veteran who can bomb 3s and coach the youngsters. Jabari Smith Jr. almost went first overall on draft night and should be treated as such. He’s not getting as much buzz as other top-five picks right now,  but he should. A versatile defender and pure shooter at 6-foot-10, it’s not hard to project a strong first season from the Auburn product.

28. Jazz — Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Collin Sexton

The Jazz could strip down the roster even more before the season starts. With Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell out the window, Utah is undertaking perhaps the most drastic rebuild in the NBA. Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley are two solid veterans who could contribute on winning teams. Collin Sexton will show up and get buckets. He will eventually need to prove he can do more than that, but Sexton’s volume and efficiency splits are pretty impressive for a young guard.