Wild Lineups Every NBA Team Should Try This Season

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Aaron Gordon, Anthony Davis and Michael Porter Jr.Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

With the exception of a few outstanding free-agency moves and potential Damian Lillard and James Harden trades, NBA rosters are mostly set ahead of the 2023-24 training camps.

That means it’s time to explore Lineup options for each of the league’s 30 teams.

One caveat before we dive in: As fun as it might be to embrace the headline’s use of the word “wild,” we’re going to focus on lineups we can actually anticipate playing.

Whether those are big, small or shooting-heavy groups, scroll through to read about wild (but realistic) lineups every team should try.

Atlanta Hawks

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Bogdan Bogdanović and Jalen JohnsonMelissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanović, De’Andre Hunter and Jalen Johnson

For the first time since Clint Capela joined the Atlanta Hawks, the team had a better net rating last season when he was off the Floor than it did when he was on. That isn’t necessarily a sign of what’s to come, but it’s at least some justification to roll out more small-ball lineups that can overwhelm opponents offensively.

This group has the scoring and playmaking of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, shooting from De’Andre Hunter (36.2 percent from three over the last two seasons) and Bogdan Bogdanović (38.7 percent for his NBA career) and upside from Jalen Johnson.

Johnson is the “wild” ingredient here (although he has played a handful of minutes at the 5 in his career). He’s 6’9″ with a 7’0″ wingspan and averaged 9.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per 75 possessions in 2022-23. That may be enough center-like production to justify the increase in speed, flexibility and (in theory) shooting that Johnson adds to the mix.

As will be the case with most of the lineups featured here, this isn’t an argument to play this lineup for more than a few minutes. It’d be more of a change of pace than a mainstay.

Boston Celtics

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Kristaps PorziņģisAP Photo/Matt Slocum

Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser and Kristaps Porziņģis

Consider this the “maximize Jayson Tatum’s one-on-one scoring opportunities” lineup.

Not having Jaylen Brown in the group to command one individual defender’s attention might be a mistake, but the four players around Tatum here are all reliable long-distance shooters.

In 2022-23, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser and Kristaps Porziņģis shot a combined 40.5 percent from three. If those four were parked outside the arc, Tatum’s driving lanes would look like Kramer’s two-lane comfort cruise.

While Hauser might be a weak link defensively, this lineup has some potential on that end of the floor as well. White and Tatum are two of the better perimeter defenders in the league, and though he isn’t quite what he was as a shot-blocker for the New York Knicks, Porziņģis can still protect the rim.

Brooklyn Nets

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Ben SimmonsMichael Reaves/Getty Images

Ben Simmons, Mikal Bridges, Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson

As you’ll soon discover, a lot of the lineups featured here are pushes for positionless basketbal. The Brooklyn Nets might be able to do that as aggressively as anyone.

Assuming Ben Simmons is (and can stay) healthy, he’s the key. Having a 6’10” playmaker who can operate as a point guard or point center makes it easy to fill the rest of this lineup with the rangy defenders and capable shooters Brooklyn has throughout the rest of its roster.

Mikal Bridges proved after last season’s Kevin Durant trade that he’s a worthy No. 1 scoring option, and Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson can all be trusted to knock down open catch-and-shoot threes. All five players are plus defenders.

Although this group lacks conventional rim protection and rebounding, it might be able to hit enough threes and wreak enough havoc in passing lanes to win its minutes anyway.

Charlotte Hornets

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LaMelo Ball and Cody MartinTim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington (assuming he’s back)

The first hurdle to get over here is P.J. Washington’s contract situation. He and the Charlotte Hornets are in a stalemate, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, but spending power around the league is mostly gone. Even if he ends up playing on his $8.5 million qualifying offer, he’ll almost certainly be a Hornet in 2023-24.

If so, he’d be an intriguing option as a floor-spacing 5 in a lineup with loads of shooting around playmaker LaMelo Ball.

Washington, Miles Bridges and Cody Martin all have seasons with above-average three-point percentages. Brandon Miller is entering the NBA as one of the 2023 draft class’s better shooters. He shot 38.4 percent from three (on 7.5 attempts per game) and 85.9 percent from the free-throw line. And LaMelo Ball’s ability to break the first line of defense and spray out to those targets would get all of them plenty of open looks.

This group would likely struggle on defense, but it also has similar upside as the Nets there. It isn’t quite as experienced or proven on that end, but this lineup could similarly cause some ruckus in passing lanes.

Chicago Bulls

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Nikola Vučević and Zach LaVineAdam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Jevon Carter, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vučević and Andre Drummond

After a bunch of small-ball or positionless lineups to start this exercise, let’s shake things up a bit.

Last season, Nikola Vučević and Andre Drummond shared the floor for only 13 minutes, and it isn’t hard to see why. In terms of size and defensive versatility, both are traditional 5s.

For that reason, the Chicago Bulls couldn’t get away with playing this lineup a ton. But there may be just enough shooting and rebounding to get away with it in stretches.

Vučević has hit 35.6 percent of his threes over the last five years. Jevon Carter and Zach LaVine are at 39.7 and 38.4 percent, respectively, for their careers. Running pick-and-rolls in the middle of the floor with Drummond and surrounding it with three shooters could be the basis of a functional offense.

On the other end, the aggressive on-ball defense of Carter and Alex Caruso could force plenty of tough looks. Meanwhile, the frontcourt of Vučević and Drummond would dominate the boards.

Ultimately, this could be a great vehicle to cover for LaVine’s occasional defensive shortcomings while giving him tons of scoring opportunities.

Cleveland Cavaliers

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Dean Wade and Donovan MitchellJuan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Georges Niang and Dean Wade

Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus will share plenty of floor time this season. When combined with All-Star bigs Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, they’ll likely win their minutes.

But following the offseason acquisitions of Strus and Georges Niang, the Cleveland Cavaliers can now roll out a lineup with five shooters in an effort to pour in points in a hurry.

Mitchell is a career 36.5 percent three-point shooter who’s currently fifth all-time in career threes per game. Garland has hit 38.7 percent of his career three-point attempts. And Strus, Niang and Dean Wade have combined to hit 38.4 percent of their career triples.

The wild card here is the fact that Wade is lining up at the 5. He’s played only 9 percent of his career minutes at that position, but Cleveland would almost certainly struggle on the boards and in the rim-protection department with him there.

This group would therefore have to play in limited circumstances.

Dallas Mavericks

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Dante ExumGraham Denholm/Getty Images

Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Dante Exum and Grant Williams

There’s an inherent wildness with any lineup featuring Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Both have the ability to create shots for themselves and others from anywhere on the floor, which should give the Dallas Mavericks one of the most dynamic and unpredictable offenses in the league (even if plenty of possessions start with isolations or pick-and-rolls).

Clearing the paint and surrounding those two with switchability on defense and shooting on the other end will make it even harder to game-plan against them, especially if Dante Exum can add some tertiary playmaking

Exum entered the NBA as a point guard who struggled to shoot, but he discovered his range playing overseas. He shot 38.8 percent from deep for Partizan Belgrade last season and 53.3 percent for Barcelona the year before.

His Australian countryman, Josh Green, flashed three-and-D chops for Dallas last season, and Grant Williams is more proven than both in that department.

Denver Nuggets

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Christian Braun and Aaron GordonJesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone kept the “Aaron Gordon at the 5” ace up his sleeve until the postseason, where it proved to be a critical ingredient in the team’s championship run.

After unveiling that lineup, could Malone use it more during the 2023-24 season? Or will he opt to spare Gordon the physical punishment that comes with that role?

Consider this a prediction that Malone will land somewhere in the middle. And when Gordon is at the 5, he should be surrounded by a high-end scorer or two.

This lineup has that with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., both of whom can get hot from the outside. But it’s mostly a defense-first group with the versatility of Gordon, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson.

If the playoff intensity of MPJ’s defense and Murray’s takeover ability translates to next season, this lineup has the potential to comfortably win its minutes.

Detroit Pistons

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Cade CunninghamJoe Amati/NBAE via Getty Images

Cade Cunningham, Alec Burks, Joe Harris, Bojan Bogdanović and Isaiah Stewart

This is another lineup with a high-end playmaker surrounded by as much shooting as possible, and this one is headlined by a soon-to-be-22-year-old primed for a breakout.

Cade Cunningham made waves playing as the USA Select Team’s version of Luka Dončić against the World Cup squad, which should give him some momentum heading into 2023-24.

If Cunningham’s combination of size, slashing ability and willingness to pass that helped him perform well against Team USA translates to the regular season, shooters like Alec Burks (41.0 percent from three over the last three seasons), Joe Harris (43.7 percent for his career) and Bojan Bogdanović (40.4 percent over the last six years) will get plenty of open catch-and-shoot triples.

The biggest question mark here is who plays the 5.

Playing Jalen Duren with those four might become a common lineup, but he doesn’t really fit the theme. Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Stewart don’t either, but Stewart at least has a season with a little volume under his belt. In 2022-23, he took 4.1 threes per game.

Golden State Warriors

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Stephen Curry and Chris PaulJim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images

Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green

This could very well be the Golden State Warriors’ starting five, but that doesn’t make it much less wild.

Andrew Wiggins (6’7″) would be the lineup’s tallest player. Draymond Green (6’6″) would be its center, and he’s the same height as small forward Klay Thompson.

Then you have a backcourt of Chris Paul and Stephen Curry, which features two capable but undersized defenders.

Because of the chemistry between Curry, Green, Thompson and Wiggins and offensive awareness of CP3, this lineup would almost certainly score at a decent rate. However, defense and rebounding would be huge concerns.

Houston Rockets

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Jalen GreenStephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Jae’Sean Tate and Jabari Smith Jr.

This lineup feels similar to the Denver Nuggets’ one, with Jalen Green filling the Jamal Murray role as the explosive guard surrounded by rangy defenders.

It doesn’t have a proven three-point shooter like Michael Porter Jr. but Jabari Smith Jr. could theoretically get there (or close). He hit 42.0 percent of his three-point attempts during his lone season at Auburn.

Dillon Brooks and Jae’Sean Tate are flat-out bad shooters, but their defense at the forward spots could cause enough disruption to make up for it.

Finally, Amen Thompson can check the defense box while perhaps being a good enough playmaker to function as the point guard on offense. If his jumper is ahead of schedule, this group could be surprisingly competitive.

Indiana Pacers

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Tyrese HaliburtonJoe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Tyrese Haliburton, Bruce Brown, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin

Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as one of the NBA’s best playmakers, and the Indiana Pacers now have a decent number of shooters whom they can now deploy around him.

Buddy Hield is one of the best shooters of all time, and Bruce Brown and Aaron Nesmith combined to shoot 36.3 percent from deep in 2022-23.

The potential wild cards for this lineup are Brown’s playmaking and Obi Toppin’s mobility.

It would make sense to just leave Myles Turner at the 5 given his outside shooting, but it’s still fair to expect some development from Toppin there. Meanwhile, his mobility might lend this lineup more versatility on both ends.

As for Brown, his ability to fill seemingly any role (including that of a secondary playmaker) would take plenty of pressure off Haliburton to create on every possession.

Los Angeles Clippers

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Robert CovingtonAdam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum

This lineup takes a step past small-ball and into fully positionless territory by starting Terance Mann at the 1 (a position he already spent plenty of time at in 2022-23).

He doesn’t have to do a ton of from-scratch creation there, thanks to the Los Angeles Clippers’ reliance on Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on offense, but he can do a little. Having those three in the same lineup with Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum would give L.A. one of the NBA’s best perimeter defensive units.

There will always be an “if healthy” qualifier for lineups with George and Leonard, but this group could feasibly see a decent amount of time in the postseason (assuming Covington can once again prove his three-and-D worth to head coach Ty Lue).

Los Angeles Lakers

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Austin ReavesJuan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis

After 20-plus years as his teams’ primary creator, we know what we’re going to get from LeBron James-led lineups. So instead of exploring that, we’ll talk about the best possible group (at least offensively) with which to surround Anthony Davis.

Given Davis’ struggles as a jump shooter over the last three seasons, the natural inclination is to surround him with floor spacers. With D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince and Rui Hachimura on the floor alongside him, opponents would crowd Davis on his interior catches at their peril.

This lineup would put a lot of pressure on AD as a defender and rebounder, but that’s a position he’s familiar with. And the Los Angeles Lakers need to start preparing for a LeBron-less future at some point.

Memphis Grizzlies

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Desmond Bane and Luke KennardJustin Ford/Getty Images

Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams

Ja Morant entering the season with a 25-game suspension makes it easier to anticipate non-Ja lineups. While this group could very well start some games, we didn’t use that to disqualify the Golden State Warriors’ lineup.

This lineup features two of the NBA’s best shooters in Desmond Bane and Luke Kennard. Their combined career three-point percentage is 43.2, and Kennard has led the league in three-point percentage in each of the last two seasons.

Surrounding them with the grit and defense of Marcus Smart and Steven Adams makes sense. Jaren Jackson’s three-and-D prowess is an obvious add, too.

So, what exactly makes this group wild?

With Ja out and Tyus Jones gone, Memphis will need plenty of playmaking, and this group can get it from three sources. Smart is the easy call there, but Kennard averaged 4.1 assists in his last season with the Detroit Pistons. And in 2022-23, Bane averaged 5.7 assists per 75 possessions when Morant was off the floor (and 7.7 when Morant and Jones were both off).

Miami Heat

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Jaime Jaquez Jr.Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Bam Adebayo

For the Miami Heat, we’ll imagine a lineup without Jimmy Butler for the same reason we talked about one without LeBron for the Lakers.

There isn’t much mystery left for groups headlined by Butler and Bam Adebayo.

This lineup, on the other hand, frees up Adebayo to do more of something that made him a bit more unusual two seasons ago.

In 2019-20 and 2020-21, Adebayo averaged 5.3 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals in 136 games. No one else in the league matched or exceeded all three of those marks in the same stretch (and only nine players in history have matched or exceeded them over any 136-game run).

Surrounding Adebayo with shooters like Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson (without too many other playmakers) could unleash a bit more of that. And he, Caleb Martin and Jaime Jaquez Jr. could all put pressure on the rim and pull defenses away from the shooters.

Milwaukee Bucks

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook LopezMike Stobe/Getty Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez

The Milwaukee Bucks are a little light on point guard depth at the moment. That could open the door to an approach they haven’t tried since 2015-16, when Giannis Antetokounmpo played nearly half of his minutes at the 1.

When Jrue Holiday rests, the Bucks might be wise to have Giannis engineer possessions from the outset. Ideally, he’d be surrounded by shooting in those situations.

Last season, Grayson Allen shot 39.9 percent from deep. Bobby Portis has hit 40.2 percent of his three-point attempts during his three years with the Bucks. And despite his recent injury issues, Khris Middleton is a career 38.8 percent three-point shooter who can relieve Giannis of some playmaking responsibility.

Brook Lopez is the key to this lineup, though. He’s hit 35.1 percent of his threes over five seasons with Milwaukee. During that stretch, Kristaps Porziņģis is the only big who’s hit more shots from 28-plus feet out.

When opposing centers know they have to stay attached to a big that far from the basket, driving lanes get roomy. Few players can exploit a roomy driving lane quite like Giannis.

Minnesota Timberwolves

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Anthony EdwardsPhoto By Joaquin Corchero/Europa Press via Getty Images

Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert

The Minnesota Timberwolves made quite a zag last summer when they acquired Rudy Gobert to pair him with Karl-Anthony Towns.

While plenty of teams were trending toward versatility and small-ball, the Wolves almost had to play two bigs and punish people inside. But a calf injury that limited KAT to 29 regular-season games last year prevented Minnesota from giving that philosophy a real chance.

This lineup does just that. In fact, it boasts size at every position while also embracing the superstar leap we’re witnessing from Anthony Edwards as he dominates for Team USA.

With Edwards as the nominal point guard in a lineup with at least three other plus defenders (Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson and Gobert), this group could stifle opposing offenses.

Having Gobert and Anderson on the floor could make things a little cramped on offense, but Anderson’s craftiness as a creator helps a bit. Edwards-Gobert pick-and-rolls would have the potential to be devastating, too.

New Orleans Pelicans

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Zion WilliamsonCole Burston/Getty Images

Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Larry Nance Jr.

This one follows a similar philosophy as the Bucks lineup by putting the ball in Zion Williamson’s hands and having him operate as a full-fledged point guard.

The primary function of the other four players differs slightly from the Milwaukee group, even though Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III can provide some spacing for Zion. Ingram, Murphy, Herb Jones and Larry Nance Jr. make up a dynamic defensive foursome that could slow down almost any attack.

While Ingram and Murphy would need some scoring opportunities, this lineup would clearly revolve around Zion, the fourth-most prolific per-possession scorer in NBA history.

New York Knicks

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Quentin Grimes and Immanuel QuickleyMichael Reaves/Getty Images

Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart and Julius Randle

Over the course of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle’s four years together (regular season and playoffs), the New York Knicks are:

• minus-2.5 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor;
• plus-3.4 with both off the floor;
• minus-1.8 with Barrett and without Randle; and
• plus-3.6 with Randle and without Barrett

It’s tough to survive these days with two non-shooters in a lineup. That problem is compounded by them often playing with Mitchell Robinson, another non-shooter. So, the initial goal here is to separate those two.

Since Randle impacts more facets of the game than Barrett, he’s the relatively clear choice to stay in. A lineup with him operating as something of a point center and surrounded by more shooting than he’s used to makes sense.

With Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Josh Hart all in the mix, this group is tiny at spots 1 through 4, but there’s good range here. Besides, Brunson, Quickley and Hart all play bigger than their listed height. Hart is a ferocious rebounder for a wing, too.

These five would have their challenges on defense, but spreading the floor for Randle and giving him good options to kick out to would make it dangerous on the other end.

Oklahoma City Thunder

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Chet HolmgrenJoe Amati/NBAE via Getty Images

Vasilije Micić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Aleksej Pokuševski and Chet Holmgren

The Oklahoma City Thunder can get outrageously wild with their various lineup combinations. This one has scoring, length, playmaking and all kinds of Serbian flair.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off an All-NBA campaign in which he averaged a career-high 31.4 points per game. This lineup surrounds him with three passers in Vasilije Micić, Josh Giddey and Aleksej Pokuševski to set him up.

It also addresses what was perhaps last season’s biggest weakness by adding a rim protector in Chet Holmgren.

While plugging Jalen Williams into the Poku spot would make this lineup better, it would significantly lower the “wild” quotient. A lineup with two 7-footers who weigh less than 200 pounds puts that mark off the charts.

Orlando Magic

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Paolo Banchero and Franz WagnerEric Espada/NBAE via Getty Images

Markelle Fultz, Joe Ingles, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac

Paolo Banchero operating as a backup 5 for Team USA makes it tempting to line him up as a center for this exercise, but that’s mostly semantics with this lineup.

Functionally, Banchero and Jonathan Isaac would be almost entirely interchangeable. You might even be able to add 6’10” forward Franz Wagner to that mix as well.

Add a good-sized backcourt of Markelle Fultz (6’3″ with a 6’9″ wingspan) and Joe Ingles (6’8″), and you have a lineup that can switch all over the floor defensively and create from just anywhere on the other end.

This lineup would work a lot better if Banchero takes a huge leap forward as a shooter, but even if that isn’t imminent, it’s versatile enough to cause problems for opponents. Orlando is early enough in this particular rebuild timeline to justify some experimentation.

Philadelphia 76ers

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Joel Embiid and Tyrese MaxeyTim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Tyrese Maxey, Patrick Beverley, De’Anthony Melton, P.J. Tucker and Joel Embiid

Having Patrick Beverley, De’Anthony Melton and P.J. Tucker at spots 2 through 4 makes this lineup mighty small, but all three are ultra-competitive defenders who won’t willingly give anything up on that end.

Besides, this lineup is mostly about getting Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid into a situation that calls for as much two-man game as possible between them.

Whether James Harden plays for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023-24 or not, Maxey and Embiid are their future. They need reps as the team’s top two, and none of Beverley, Melton or Tucker will complicate that.

On the contrary, those three will focus entirely on defense and taking the open threes they get flanking Maxey and Embiid’s actions in the middle of the floor.

Phoenix Suns

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Deandre AytonChristian Petersen/Getty Images

Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop and Deandre Ayton

As tempting as it is to roll with any combination involving the Phoenix Suns’ four max players, let’s go with what we’ll call the “boost Deandre Ayton’s trade value” lineup.

Eric Gordon would get his opportunities in this group, but Ayton would undoubtedly be the No. 1 option.

With Gordon, Keita Bates-Diop (39.4 percent from deep last season) and Yuta Watanabe (39.0 percent for his career) spacing the floor, Ayton would have ample space to operate and score inside.

While it would make sense to go with another shooter like Damion Lee in that final spot, a little grit, defense and rebounding from Josh Okogie isn’t a bad option.

Portland Trail Blazers

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Jerami Grant and Shaedon SharpeSteph Chambers/Getty Images

Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant

The Portland Trail Blazers figure to eventually trade Damian Lillard, but each passing week makes a deal feel slightly less likely.

If he’s still on the roster when the season starts, Portland can roll out lineups that are loaded with playmaking by teaming Lillard with Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons.

To lean into the high-speed, offense-first philosophy of that three-player backcourt, we’ll round this lineup out with Shaedon Sharpe as the nominal 4 and Jerami Grant as a small-ball 5.

These five would likely get scored on at will, but they’d also be pouring points in on the other end. In small bursts, it might be feasible.

Sacramento Kings

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Sasha VezenkovTolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes, Sasha Vezenkov and Trey Lyles

Sacramento Kings lineups without Domantas Sabonis were significantly worse on offense last season, but the offseason addition of 2022-23 EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov could help on that front.

With him, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles, Sacramento can surround De’Aaron Fox with loads of shooting and defensive switchability and free him up to do what he does best.

This group would almost certainly run a five-out attack that would keep the middle of the floor open for Fox’s drives. Having four good options to kick out to for threes would make it difficult for opposing defenses to collapse on those drives.

Fox could absolutely feast in this lineup.

San Antonio Spurs

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Victor WembanyamaEthan Miller/Getty Images

Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama and Zach Collins

Like the Timberwolves, the San Antonio Spurs have the personnel to play some jumbo lineups.

While this one certainly lacks some playmaking, forcing Keldon Johnson to grow in that regard wouldn’t hurt. He averaged a career-high 2.9 assists last season, but this lineup would demand more of him as a passer.

In theory, he’d be flanked by three shooters in Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama and Zach Collins (with Wembanyama being the theoretical component there). The length of this group—particularly in a frontcourt that includes Wembanyama, Collins and Jeremy Sochan—would have the potential to be stifling defensively.

At least in his first season, any lineup with Wembanyama has the potential to feel a little wild. The 7’5″ wing (big? guard?) figures to be a defensive game-changer right away.

If he can hit jump shots, he might run away with Rookie of the Year.

Toronto Raptors

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Scottie Barnes and O.G. AnunobyCole Burston/Getty Images

Scottie Barnes, O.G. Anunoby, Jalen McDaniels, Otto Porter Jr. and Pascal Siakam

Priority No. 1 for the Toronto Raptors, whether we’re talking about wild lineups or not, should be the development of point Scottie Barnes.

That’s the position he essentially played at Florida State. If he never figures out how to hit threes consistently, he might have to play that position in the NBA, too.

With the ball in his hands, defenses have to pay him at least some attention. If he’s sharing the floor with decent shooters like O.G. Anunoby and Otto Porter Jr., his drives could open up plenty of assist opportunities.

Wha makes this lineup especially intriguing is that it’s truly positionless. Perhaps more than any group detailed so far, this one can switch 1 through 5 on defense thanks to the length of all of the above, plus Jalen McDaniels and Pascal Siakam.

To an extent, Toronto has tried this in the past. But replacing the 6’1″ Fred VanVleet with the 6’9″ Barnes would make a huge difference.

Utah Jazz

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Kelly Olynyk and Lauri MarkkanenAlex Goodlett/Getty Images

Talen Horton-Tucker, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler

The Cleveland Cavaliers laid the groundwork for this in 2021-22 when they successfully played 7’0″ Lauri Markkanen at the 3. The Utah Jazz got us a step closer last season when they made him an All-Star while starting him alongside various combinations of Kelly Olynyk, Walker Kessler and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Now that we’ve seen what that looks like, how significant is a move from one wing spot to another?

With Markkanen at the 2 and John Collins possibly walking a similar path to occasional minutes at the 3, Utah could stick with starting Olynyk and Kessler to fill out a massive lineup.

At this point, this lineup is about as wild as any featured here, regardless of which guard fills the fifth spot. But Talen Horton-Tucker has a 7’1″ wingspan that certainly fits the theme of this group, and he averaged 20.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game over his final 15 appearances last season.

Washington Wizards

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Jordan PooleRyan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images

Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma

We’ll wrap up this exercise with the Washington Wizards and one more lineup in the “playmaker surrounded by positionless basketball” mold.

Jordan Poole is going to put up loads of points on the Wizards. Corey Kispert’s shooting and Kyle Kuzma’s one-on-one scoring will only help in that pursuit by pulling defensive attention away from him.

If Deni Avdija figures out how to consistently knock down threes, that would help as well, but he and Bilal Coulibaly are here more for defense.

With this sort of two-way balance in place to support Poole, he could have the second breakout of his career.