There have been many superstar duos throughout the history of the NBA. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen come to mind, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal joined forces in Los Angeles. Today’s NBA has a number of talented duos as well. But what if two of the best players the game has ever seen, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, played alongside one another?
Let’s take a look at 10 players we would love to see team up and form five dynamic duos.
Stephen Curry, LeBron James
Beginning with Curry and James, this has been an idea floated around for years. Curry and James became rivals after playing each other in the NBA Finals multiple times.
James’ Cleveland Cavaliers earned one victory against Curry’s Golden State Warriors, but Curry and the Dubs have formed a dynasty and defeated Cleveland three times.
So how could they end up playing together?
Well, the Los Angeles Lakers and Warriors are both in the middle of mediocre seasons. LeBron’s name has been mentioned in some trade rumors, but James’ agent Rich Paul recently said that arguably the greatest player ever won’t be traded.
James could enter free agency soon, though. The Warriors are committed to Curry, but Klay Thompson will enter free agency during the upcoming offseason. Perhaps Golden State could offer LeBron a contract.
Would James want to even play for the Warriors, a team that became his rival while he was with the Cavs? Possibly, as LeBron certainly wants to win at least one more championship before he retires. And joining Curry would potentially present him with that opportunity.
Plus, seeing Curry and LeBron play together in the NBA would be an incredible sight following everything they have been through since making their debuts in the league.
Many NBA fans want to see Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic join forces. They both place their focus on winning and have emerged as two of the best players in the league.
Doncic and Jokic are both able to find the bottom of the net on a consistent basis. However, they are also both extremely good passers, often dishing out no-look dimes. Their ability to get teammates involved while still leading the offensive charge would guarantee an explosive offense if they were on the same roster.
The thought of Jokic and Doncic bringing their play styles to the same team would have fans instantly dreaming of a dynasty.
This is a duo that just makes sense. Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo are two of the best players in the league. Yet, they only have one championship combined between the two of them.
Of course, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are currently the top two teams in the Eastern Conference at the moment. There’s a good chance that one of them will reach the 2023-24 NBA Finals.
This duo likely would not be able to come to fruition for a while. Tatum is leading a stacked roster in Boston, and Giannis is the superstar in Milwaukee. Both Giannis and Tatum are already involved in superstar duos anyway, with Damian Lillard and Jaylen Brown as their current teammates.
But Tatum is just 25 years old and Giannis is 29. Both players have long NBA careers ahead of them, and there’s a chance we could see them team up someday.
Giannis’ elite ability to finish in the paint combined with Tatum’s versatility as a scorer would make them a nearly unstoppable duo. They could both pad their legacies by potentially winning multiple championships alongside one another.
Tyrese Haliburton is 23 years old, while Victor Wembanyama is just 20. Haliburton was selected as an All-Star starter this year and it’s clear he’s becoming one of the best players in the game. Wembanyama, of course, was the 2023 No. 1 overall pick and features one of the highest ceilings in the NBA.
These two could realistically join the same team down the road. They are still very young and their teams are currently building around them. But once they both have more years under their belts, Wembanyama and Haliburton may opt to play together.
Haliburton is a talented guard who loves to get his teammates involved. Wembanyama is the perfect pick-and-roll option for someone like Haliburton. Of course, Wembanyama is a capable long-range shooter as well.
Defenses wouldn’t be able to contain these two if they played together. Building a roster around Haliburton and Wembanyama would be a recipe for success.
Trae Young’s Atlanta Hawks have struggled in 2023-24 and he was not selected to the NBA All-Star Game, a decision that sparked outrage from NBA fans. The Trae Young-Dejounte Murray duo has not produced winning results this season, and one has to wonder what the future holds for Young in the league.
Meanwhile, the 76ers have a superstar in Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey has performed at an impressive level this season as well. Still, perhaps Young and Embiid will decide to team up someday.
Young is one of the best three-point shooters in the league. He features Steph Curry-like range. Young is also a tremendous passer, often recording incredible assist numbers.
Embiid can find the bottom of the net from anywhere on the court and would play well with a guard like Young on his team. This would be an intriguing duo to say the least.
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