Ranking NBA's 10 best 25-and-under duos: Spurs lead list, Orlando pairing losing its magic

As the poet Rob Base once said, "It takes two to make a thing go right." He further posited that those same two could make it "outta sight," a sentiment as true today as it was when he first dropped that wisdom back in [checks notes and withers to dust] 1988.  

The NBA has long been enamored with Big Threes, but the league is overloaded with great pairs of players who have made outsized impacts. What follows is a look at the best young duos in the NBA -- defined by both players being 25 or younger. As a result, you'll notice that some teams like the Thunder are represented even though their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is too old to make the cut at 27. At the other end of the age spectrum, Cooper Flagg is only 19 but doesn't appear here because no one else on the Mavericks roster meets the requisite age and talent requirements (with apologies to Derek Lively II, tough to throw him in this mix when he played just seven games this season). The moment Dallas gets Flagg a half-decent running mate who's in the same age range they'll vault toward the top of the list. 

Because we capped the exercise at 10 duos, honorable mentions can be extended to Pelicans rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, the Hornets' Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller (yes that's a purposeful dig at LaMelo Ball), the Bulls' Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, and the Heat's Tyler Herro and…Kel'el Ware? Jaime Jaquez Jr? It's only honorable mention so dealer's choice on that one, Heat fans. 

OK, let's get to it.

1. Spurs: Victor Wembanyama (22 years old) & Stephon Castle (21)

The Spurs have several players who would qualify alongside Wembanyama. I went with Castle, who is hyper athletic and has excellent size. He still needs to work on his shooting and the turnovers are a problem, but he's having a fine sophomore season. If you prefer, you could go with Devin Vassell (24) or the second overall pick from the most recent draft, Dylan Harper (19). Either would be good picks. Not that it really matters. 

This is entirely about Wemby. Applying the same logic as the previously stated Flagg argument, if you put anyone remotely good next to Wembanyama they instantly become one of the best and most coveted pairings in the NBA. In just his third season he's averaging a 24-point double double on 61.9 TS%. He's getting to the line nearly seven times per game and hitting close to 85%. And despite the artificial game requirements placed on winning Defensive Player of the Year, he's the best defender in the NBA by a wide margin. He's averaging almost three blocks per game and he's the runaway defensive estimated plus-minus leader. Anecdotally, on a nightly basis you can watch opponents dribble toward the lane only to realize he's lurking and think better of it. Wemby's mere presence turns some of the best basketball players in the world into real life Abe Simpsons.

Also, he recently kicked a basketball out of the net. That doesn't have anything to do with anything, really. It was just cool and my hamstring hurt watching it. 

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2. Thunder: Jalen Williams (24) & Chet Holmgren (23)

The Thunder have struggled since starting the season 24-1, but this is a good reminder of how deep and talented they are and how well general manager Sam Presti has positioned OKC for the foreseeable future. Having two guys this good and this young as your 1A options to the reigning MVP and Finals MVP is what some might term an embarrassment of riches.

Last season, JDub made his first All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense teams. He's off to a little slower start this season after missing the first 19 games due to injury, but he remains a two-way superstar who can fill it up on offense and then lock down just about anyone that's thrown his way on defense. In the non-Wemby category, Holmgren is the betting favorite to win DPOY and is in the 98 percentile in defensive estimated plus-minus. He's also posting a career-best 66.1 TS%. Both guys signed rookie max extensions this offseason, ensuring OKC's core is locked down moving forward. 

3. Rockets: Alperen Sengun (23) & Amen Thompson (22)

Sengun is a big reason why the Rockets offense has been among the best in the NBA this season, a group that terrorizes the opposition on the glass, leading the league in offensive rebounds and second-chance points. Sengun is just shy of averaging a 22-point double-double while also posting a career-high 6.6 assists per game. Leveling-up his passing has invited comparisons to Nikola Jokić, even though Joker has insisted that the Rockets center is talented enough to make a name for himself. 

In a league that is packed with other-worldly athletes, Thompson is in the uppermost tier of the physically gifted. When Fred VanVleet went down with an ACL injury before the season even began, the Rockets put the ball in Thompson's hands and asked him to do more. It's not a wholly natural fit -- his lack of an outside shot creates limitations -- and yet there have been spectacular playmaking flashes when he has the ball and probes the opposition before finding open shooters. Thompson already made All-Defense last season in just his second year. The upside for both of these guys is immense.

4. Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (24) & Jaden McDaniels (25)

This is the same argument that applied to pairing someone with Wemby. McDaniels is just sort of along for the ride here -- which is not intended to be disrespectful even though it scans that way. McDaniels is a good player. He made All-Defense two seasons ago, and he's improved on offense in each of the last three seasons, going from an afterthought at best to a key contributor at times for the Wolves. He's also always available. He played all 82 games last season and has appeared in at least 70 games in all but his rookie campaign. 

But, here, again, it's about the main man not the age-appropriate sidekick. After years in the NBA wilderness, Ant guided the Wolves to back-to-back Western Conference finals. He initially used his singular athleticism to dunk on and physically dominate the competition before adding to his game and leading the league in 3-pointers last season. And this year he became just the seventh player in NBA history to score 10,000 points before turning 25, joining LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Luka Dončić, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony. That's excellent company. There's been some hand-wringing about who might be the next American to win the MVP award. Edwards has to be on the short list to make it happen one day. 

5. Pistons: Cade Cunningham (24) & Jalen Duren (22)

Put Cunningham on that same short list. He took a huge leap last season and made his first All-NBA team. This season, he has the Pistons on top of the Eastern Conference and he's third in the betting odds to win MVP behind SGA and Luka. With apologies to Dončić, I'd have him second. He's been that good, and without him the Pistons wouldn't be anywhere near the best team in the conference. 

Duren had a chance to sign an extension this offseason but negotiations broke down when he was reportedly seeking an average annual value of around $30 million, a number the Pistons evidently thought was too high. Now that seems like a bargain. Duren is averaging a career-high 17.9 points (six points more than last season) along with 10.6 rebounds and has significantly improved on the defensive end where he's gotten much better in pick-and-roll situations and protecting the rim. For a team that does a lot of damage in the paint, having a young guard/big combo of this caliber is a huge deal and a big reason why they fancy themselves as contenders. 

6. Cavaliers: Darius Garland (25) & Evan Mobley (24)

Garland just barely qualifies for the age cutoff; he'll be 26 at the end of this month. Things haven't gone quite as smoothly for him or the Cavaliers this season as they did last year when they were leading the Eastern Conference. Garland had surgery on his left big toe in the offseason, an injury that caused him to miss several games this season. When he returned, he looked alternately tentative and rusty. Lately he's looked more like himself — he's averaged 20 points and more than seven assists over the last month — and it's clear how much better Kenny Atkinson's crew is when Garland is fully fit and confident in his body and his game. 

Donovan Mitchell is Cleveland's most dynamic offensive weapon, but Mobley might be the most indispensable overall. He can play inside and out on offense (though that free-throw percentage really needs some work), and he's a terror on defense where he's the reigning player of the year. 

7. 76ers: Tyrese Maxey (25) & VJ Edgecombe (20)

Cunningham and Jalen Brunson are top-five MVP candidates according to the betting odds, but depending on which statistical model you favor there's a case to be made that Maxey isn't far behind. With respect to Brunson, Maxey was the best player on the floor in the Sixers two most recent wins over the NBA Cup Champion Knicks. In a season where the Sixers had little-to-no expectations, Philly is fifth in the Eastern Conference. That has everything to do with Maxey, an absolute blur of a lead guard who is third in the league in scoring behind only Luka and SGA while averaging career highs in points (30.9), rebounds (4.5), assists (6.7), steals (1.9) and blocks (0.9) on 48/40.9/87.6 shooting splits. 

The Sixers got a little luck from the lotto gods and took Edgecombe third overall last June. His athleticism was never in doubt, but there were questions and concerns about his shooting coming out of Baylor. He's shooting 38.2% from deep in his first season, an encouraging number the Sixers will happily take. For years, the organization's fortunes were tied to Joel Embiid's health. Now, anything they get from the big man is considered a plus. The present and the future is about their young backcourt, which is one of the fastest and most entertaining in the league. 

8. Hawks: Jalen Johnson (24) & Dyson Daniels (22)

The Trae Young trade clued casuals in on what everyone who was paying attention already knew: The Hawks have been Jalen Johnson's team for a while now. After taking a big step forward last season before getting injured, he's continued on that upward trajectory this season. Through 37 games, he's averaging 23.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists, all of which are career highs. Only Joker has more triple-doubles this season. He's been excellent.

Like other pairings on this list, this is mostly about Johnson. Daniels made All-Defense last season and is excellent at that end. Offensively, he's still a work in progress. But these two are part of the reason why, despite the record this season, the Hawks have hope going forward in a new post-Trae Young world. New general manager Onsi Saleh has some good young pieces to build around. 

9. Magic: Franz Wagner (24) & Paolo Banchero (23)

This one is a Rorschach Test. Some people might wonder why they're not higher. Individually, both Wagner and Banchero are supremely talented. Together, I'm still not sure they work the way the Magic hoped and intended. 

Both Wagner and Banchero have dealt with injuries. After getting off to a hot start, Wagner has missed the last 16 games with an ankle issue. Meanwhile, Banchero's counting stats are impressive, but he's a career 31.5% shooter from deep. Wagner isn't much better at 32.5% for his career (though in fairness he was shooting 36% on four attempts per game before getting hurt). The spacing has always been a little wonky and concerning with these guys. When both play, the Magic have a ho-hum 100-95 record. (Orlando is 24-17 when only Wagner is available, and just 13-20 when only Paolo can go.) Do they work together long-term?

10. Trail Blazers: Deni Avdija (25) & Shaedon Sharpe (22)

The Blazers have really found something in Avdija, who took over the principal playmaking duties when Jrue Holiday was injured. Avdija is in line to be named an All-Star for the first time in his career. He's averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists with a 61.2 TS%. All but the rebounds are career highs. He's also on one of the best contracts in the league, and will make just $11.8 million in the final season of his four-year rookie extension. It will be interesting to see what the Blazers do when Holiday (who recently returned and was on a minutes restriction in his first game back) is fully healthy and then, beyond that, when Dame Lillard comes back from an Achilles injury next season. This is Avdija's team now. Everyone else should have to fit around him. 

Sharpe is a bucket averaging a career-high 21.5 points. He's young and athletic and capable of physics-defying dunks. If he sands down the rough edges on his outside shot (he's shooting 32.7% from 3, which is right in line with his career average) he could be dangerous.