What a difference a summer makes. Unlike in years past, when all the greatest minds from the East Coast flocked west in search of better weather and proximity to industries like tech and film, brain drain is suddenly going in the opposite direction in the NBA.
For the first time in a long time, the seat of power in the NBA resides in the East. The New York Knicks are champs, LeBron James took his talents to South Philly, and pending a dragging investigation, Kawhi Leonard could make his way back to the Toronto Raptors.
However, that’s not to say the West has fallen; far from it. Two looming dynasties still reside out west, with last year’s conference finals a taste of what we could expect for years to come between the young cores of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Couple that with the fact that the conference still has arguably the three best players in the world and two of the brightest young American stars in the game today. The West has reigned supreme for years; don’t count it out now.
With that being said, after ranking the top 10 starting fives in the revamped Eastern Conference last week, it’s high time to do the same for the West. Here’s a look at the best units in the conference.
1. San Antonio Spurs
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Tobias Harris, Victor Wembanyama
Fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, there’s an argument to be made that the Spurs are well ahead of schedule. Years of tanking have paid off in a huge way for San Antonio, netting them 2024-25 rookie of the year Castle, breakout guard Dylan Harper, and perhaps the future face of the league, Victor Wembanyama.
Turning all that into a Finals appearance in three years is perplexing, but such is the talent they managed to accrue in the draft, and their willingness to build a contending team to get it done as quickly as possible deserves a tip of the cap.
While they haven’t swung any major deals this summer, picking up forward Tobias Harris in free agency on a two-year, $31 million deal is a nice add, giving them some more veteran stability, along with sure-handed three-point shooting and defence. The one question when it comes to the Spurs is whether they’d actually be better served sitting a guy like Fox, who struggled in the playoffs, for Harper, who lived up to his billing as the No. 2 pick with a stellar post-season showing. Luxury problems, really.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein
It’s hard to go wrong with having the reigning two-time MVP on your roster, and Gilgeous-Alexander’s star doesn’t seem likely to fade anytime soon. The Hamilton, Ont., native is heading into his age-28 season and has aged like fine wine, keeping his scoring average at 31.1 points per game last year at the most efficient mark of his career — a 59.7 effective field-goal percentage and 66.5 true-shooting percentage.
Not a bad starting-off point for the Thunder, but they should be expecting much more from a talented group, one that isn’t much different from the one that went all the way in 2025. OKC parted ways with enforcer wing Luguentz Dort over the summer, but the expectation is that their bevy of combo guards — Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain — can replicate his work in the aggregate or take it a step further.
Additionally, the Thunder should expect that Jalen Williams won’t be hamstrung by injury after the All-NBA wing missed all but 33 games last season, and averaged only 17.1 points when he did manage to play — a steep drop from his 21.6 the year prior. If he’s back to full strength, so too should the Thunder.
LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert
Perhaps the most boom-or-bust team in the West after putting together one of the busier off-seasons this summer. The Timberwolves have the potential to get over the hump or crash spectacularly.
The Timberwolves will still march to the beat of Edwards’ drum, as the emerging superstar continues to raise his game. He scored a career-high 28.8 points per game last season while upping his efficiency to a 57.2 eFG and 61.7 true shooting, both career marks. The main issue last year came from the lack of a bona fide secondary star, one to guide the offence in his absence.
Enter LaMelo Ball, who was acquired in a blockbuster deal from Charlotte that shipped out forwards Naz Reid and Julius Randle. One of the most creative point guards the league has seen, Ball enjoyed one of his healthiest campaigns last year, suiting up for 72 games and helping Charlotte to its best finish in 10 years. With his offensive aptitude setting up Edwards and filling in when the guard is off, the T-Wolves could be one of the most fun teams in the league next year.
Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
One of the teams to keep an eye on heading into the 2025-26 campaign after their acquisition of Kevin Durant, the Rockets failed to live up to expectations as the young core couldn't take the next step, and their lack of a true point guard stood out like a sore thumb.
With VanVleet back in the mix after taking last season off recovering from a torn ACL, the Rockets hope the 32-year-old can be the saving grace at point, steering the offence after players like Durant and Sengun were left to their own devices too often last year.
The defence should remain a bright spot after finishing with the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA last year (113.2) as players like Thompson and Smith continue to find their footing, and Durant continues to adapt his game with age. The question remains on offence, as Thompson’s game still feels one-dimensional, VanVleet is a career inefficient shooter, and Sengun’s shot remains suspect.
Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, but it’s easy to convince yourself otherwise when you employ a guy like Jokic.
Since winning the title in 2023, the Nuggets have, for the most part, stood pat. They swapped out Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson last summer — a net-neutral or negative move, depending on how you look at it — then followed it up with a quiet off-season this year, resting on their laurels and perhaps even losing a key piece in Peyton Watson. But such is their cap situation, stuck past the second apron and paralyzed by expensive deals for players like Braun and Murray.
Should they hope to contend once more with Jokic in his peak years, time is ticking, as the three-time MVP is heading towards unrestricted free agency next summer, and progress on a deal looks to have stalled.
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Walker Kessler
Whenever LeBron James has left a team — be it the Cavaliers in 2010-11, the Heat in 2014-15, or Cleveland again in 2018-19 — that side usually falls into disarray the following season. That’s unlikely to be the case here, as James has left Doncic in charge as the figurehead of the Lakers’ new era.
Though Doncic alone can’t will the Lakers to an 18th championship, a busy off-season and a reworked roster could help. Los Angeles’ major move of the summer was trading for Kessler from the Jazz, sending most of their remaining draft capital the other way to secure the ideal centre to pair with Doncic. Kessler will serve as both a play finisher for the most gifted pick-and-roll operator in the NBA and the last line of defence for a team desperate for interior presence last season.
Just as important was keeping Reaves around, re-signing him to a four-year, $185 million extension to work alongside Doncic for the foreseeable future. Doncic was at his best when he had Kyrie Irving at his side. Expect much of the same in LakerLand.
Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan
One of last season's big surprises, the Trail Blazers will look to build on a successful breakout campaign for first-time all-star Avdija. To best supplement his emergence, they opted to buy low on Morant, a high-risk, high-reward swing for a player who had fallen out of favour in Memphis.
It’s an interesting shout, as his high-flying ability and dynamic transition play should pair well with guys like Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson coming off the bench. But when it comes to his fit within the starting five, it’s tough to envision a role on a unit that ranked in the bottom half of the league in transition points per possession and frequency. Morant has also been unable to develop as a three-level scorer and saw his outside shooting fall off a cliff in limited action last year, hitting at only 23.5 per cent. For a team already third-last in three-point efficiency (34.3 per cent), spacing remains a glaring issue.
8. Utah Jazz
Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jusuf Nurkic
The biggest surprise of this list so far, the Jazz look primed to emerge from their rebuild at last after nabbing Peterson No. 2 overall and trading for former defensive player of the year Jaren Jackson Jr. last year.
Peterson looks like the high-level scoring punch and steady hand at the two-guard spot this Jazz team needs. His spot isn’t necessarily secured for opening night, however, as he’ll have to compete with Ace Bailey, the No. 5 pick from 2025, who found his footing late in the year. That showdown should be one of the training camp battles to watch in the coming months.
Supplanting the newfound guard depth is the continued prowess of Markkanen, who scored a career-high 26.7 per game last season, and the entrance of Jackson Jr., who played only three games before being shut down for the remainder of the season in mid-February.
9. Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams
Destined for a down year after trading away Durant, the Suns managed to stay in the playoff hunt despite a roster facelift and a re-centring around Booker and a smattering of guards.
The five-time all-star continued to grow into his role at the point, averaging 26.1 points and six assists, but took a step back in efficiency, scoring at only a 50.7 eFG and 58.5 TS clip. However, it wasn’t just Booker’s team, as the Suns found an identity with the addition of Brooks and got secondary ball-handling and creation from guys like Green and bench guard Collin Gillespie.
Coming into the fold for the 2026-27 season is Miles Bridges — acquired from the Hornets — who should provide the Suns with another scoring option and give them the verticality they’ve been desperate for on offence. The Suns aren’t contenders by any stretch, but staying afloat through awful trades and odd decisions the past few years is noteworthy, nonetheless.
10. Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington Jr., Dereck Lively II
Throughout his rookie-of-the-year-winning campaign, Flagg did nothing but affirm his status as one of the best American prospects in recent memory, leading the freshman class in scoring while showing the defence that earned him the Wooden Award in his lone year at Duke.
Though the Mavs finished the season 26-56, good for 12th in the West, they basically threw in the towel at the halfway mark and dealt with a bevy of injuries to players expected to be key support systems for Flagg. Notably, Irving is set to return from an ACL injury that sidelined him last year, giving Flagg the point guard he desperately needed. Additionally, the Mavs are hopeful young centre Lively II can stay healthy for more than seven games as they attempt to piece together one of the top defensive frontcourts in the NBA.
The placement on this list is a big bet on Flagg's continued growth, but nothing points to him heading the other direction, while the rest of the West looks either unproven (Sacramento, Memphis) or aging (Golden State).
