Lillard Teams Up With Antetokounmpo: Where Does This Pair Land in NBA's Superstar Duo Ranking?

• Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo will play on the same team next season
• The two will be one of the best duos in the NBA heading into the 2023/24 season
• Sports Brief ranks the top 5 duos in the NBA

After 11 eventful seasons, Damian Lillard finally left the Portland Trail Blazers. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and will team up with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

With that blockbuster trade, the Bucks are now one of the favorites to win the NBA championship. But they are not the only superstar duo in town.

Almost every top NBA team has at least two star players on their roster, and if you look at the NBA champions in the last decade, almost every one of them had two superstars.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray showed what having two top stars can do. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant dominated the NBA for a few years with the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James had to team up with Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis to win championships.

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Therefore, it is clear that teams need at least two stars and reliable role players to go all the way. So, who are the top duos in the NBA after that blockbuster trade?

Top 5 NBA superstar duos

5. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics

These two Celtics stars have been regular playoff performers. Tatum had a phenomenal 2023/24 season, where he became the first Celtics player to average 30 points in a season, per CBS Sports. He also finished fourth in MVP voting. He's still only 25, meaning he'll be around for a while. Brown recently signed the richest contract in NBA history. The 26-year-old also had a career-best 2023/24. With the pieces they've added this off-season, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Celtics win the 2024 NBA championship.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard - Milwaukee Bucks

Lillard joining the Bucks makes them arguably the best team in the NBA. They both averaged 30+ points last season, and their styles complement each other perfectly. Lillard will wreak havoc from range, while Antentokounmpo will dominate the inside. If they click, the NBA is in trouble.

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3. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker - Phoenix Suns

Booker and Durant are probably the best pure scorers in the NBA right now. Last season, the two were incredible in the playoffs and have a full season to play together and build some chemistry. The duo could be the ones to bring an NBA championship to Phoenix next season, especially with Bradley Beal playing with them now.

2. LeBron James and Anthony Davis - Los Angeles Lakers

These two have already won a championship together and were close to the NBA Finals last season before they ran into Jokic and Murray. James will be 39 in December, and if Davis stays healthy, the Lakers will be a problem. The Lakers have made smart additions to the roster in the offseason, and they should be a contender this season.

1. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets

Jokic and Murray showed what they could do in the NBA last season. Jokic's elite playmaking and scoring and Murray's superb shot-making make these two deadly. Having played together for a while now, their chemistry is great.

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Honorable mentions: Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Joel Embiid and James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo,

Winners and Losers of Lillard's trade

Sports Brief earlier reported on the winners and losers of the blockbuster trade.

Lillard is the obvious winner as he entered the offseason with the goal of finding a new team that would help him reach the promised land and win an NBA championship.

Jrue Holiday and the Miami Heat are the losers from this trade