The NBA world exploded when Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. It is one of the biggest trades in the history of the sport and automatically gives the Bucks one of the best one-two punches in the NBA.

Lillard was traded in a three-team deal that saw Jrue Holiday and Deandre Ayton go to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Jusuf Nurkic land with the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks swooped in from left field to execute a trade that no one saw coming. It is a perfect landing spot for Lillard and is sure to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy. Lillard's scoring prowess combined with Giannis' freakish physical traits is a scary combination to think about, and it motivated us to rank the top 15 best superstar duos in the NBA.

With that being said, here's  our ranking for the Top 15 duos in the NBA heading to the 2023-24 season.

15. Chicago Bulls: DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine

One of the best scoring duos in the NBA, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine don't do enough on the other side of the ball to be threats to reach the NBA Finals. In fact, the Chicago Bulls didn't even make the playoffs this past season. Still, the two combined for 49.3 points per game together. LaVine has great leaping ability for such an impressive 3-point shooter, and DeRozan compliments that well offensively by being the league's best mid-range shooter. However, both are below average–or worse–on the defensive end, and it led to a sub .500 record last season.

14. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram were supposed to form one of the premier superstar pairings in the NBA. Both have all of the talent in the world, but neither has been able to stay healthy, especially Williamson. At their best, Williamson is one of the world's best athletes and an unstoppable force in the paint. Meanwhile, Ingram is a lanky scorer that can hit any shot he wants.

The pairing is still young, but they will need to prove themselves sooner rather than later if they want to remain the New Orleans Pelicans' cornerstones.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns

This duo is bound for a bounce-back season in 2023-24. Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to fit in alongside a fellow big man in Rudy Gobert, and then he struggled with injuries, but it wasn't long ago that Towns was viewed at as one of the best players in the NBA and a unicorn at the center position. Never before has a center been such a good 3-point shooter, and in theory this should pair well with a player like Anthony Edwards.

Edwards is an elite scorer and one of the fastest rising stars in the NBA. After averaging 24.6 points per game in the NBA, Edwards was the top dog for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. While Towns will need to learn to better fit alongside Gobert, the ceiling of Edwards and Towns is sky high. They have room to grow as the duo are only 22 and 27 years old, respectively, and I'd bet on them climbing up this ranking over the course of the season.

12. Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry and Klay Thompson

If this was a ranking of the best starting lineups, the Warriors would be much higher on the list. Steph Curry is the clear top option in the Golden State Warriors, and you can make an argument for any of Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Or Draymond Green as his co-star. Green is the best defender of the bunch, and Wiggins was an All-Star starter in 2022, but I think Thompson is the Warriors' next-best player. Nicknamed the Splash Brothers, Curry and Thompson are both two of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history.

Thompson isn't quite the player he was pre-injury, especially on the defensive end, but he still put up 21.9 points per game last season. Even at 35, Curry is still on top of his game, and he has shown no signs of slowing down. The threat of both of them as shooters has given us a great dynasty and some of the best offensive teams in NBA history.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland

The Cleveland Cavaliers have an elite backcourt. Both Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland stretch the floor and can hit the long ball. Their defensive shortcomings are helped out by a great defensive frontcourt behind them, but as a duo, these two are some of the hardest players to guard. The Cavs underwhelmed in the playoffs in Mitchell and Garland's first season together, but they showed enough flash to warrant being just outside of the top 10 on this list.

Mitchell and Garlands combined for 49.9 points together last season, and they are also both great playmakers.

10. Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid and James Harden

Had this duo formed a couple of seasons prior, it would have easily ranked as the best in the business. However, James Harden has seen some regression in his overall game. He is no longer the league's best scorer like he was with the Houston Rockets. To Harden's credit, he has evolved his game and is now one of the best playmakers in the NBA. Harden led the NBA with 10.7 assists per game last year, and this pairs well with Joel Embiid, who led the NBA in scoring as a result.

This marriage doesn't seem likely to last. Harden has requested a trade and seemingly has no desire to stick around in Philadelphia. He is also 34 years old, meaning the best days of this combination may be in the past.

9. Sacramento Kings: De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis

Perhaps the most underrated duo in the league, De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis put the Sacramento Kings on the map in 2023. The duo is somewhat of a poor man's version of Denver's, and they led the Kings to the third seed last year. Sabonis can operate out of the high post, and he is one of the best passing big men in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Fox has blazing speed that made Sacramento the best transition team in the league. Many people criticized the Kings for trading away Tyrese Haliburton to get Sabonis, but it has made for an impressive offensive combination.

8. Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving

This superstar tandem hasn't spent a lot of time together, but they showed the world what they are capable of in limited time sharing the floor. After being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving only played in 16 games with his new backcourt mate. They only went 5-11 during that time, and they missed the playoffs entirely. There were already concerns about the Mavs' ability to guard anyone, and the duo didn't necessarily ease those concerns.

Still, Irving and Doncic are two of the best offensive weapons ever, and they might simply be able to outscore everyone. They averaged 59.4 points combined in their limited time together to end the season. This would have led the NBA over a full season and was a taste of what could be to come. Some people thought the Mavericks would let Irving walk in free agency, but they proved that they were willing to see this combination out when they signed Irving to a three-year deal.

7. Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George

The Clippers brought Kawhi Leonard and Paul George together to form one of the best duos ever. They are premier two-way players that can lock down the opposing teams best player and then get a bucket on the other end. Unfortunately, due to injuries, it hasn't worked out that way. The duo is entering their fifth season together, and they have little to show for it. They have only been on the court together for 142 games together, including playoffs.

If the twosome can stay healthy, they are definitely a threat to win the NBA Finals. With each passing season, that seems more and more unlikely.

6. Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo might not be the flashiest duo, but the have proven production and have made two NBA Finals appearances together. They are both great defenders, and they are a nuisance to their opponents. Adebayo is an elite rim protector, while Butler does all of the little things right and is the rare superstar who is also an elite hustler.

Offensively, they are somewhat inconsistent for championship contenders, but they have had plenty of big moments on that end, too. Butler is a throwback scorer who finds tough ways to get the ball in the hoop. He is also a great plate-setter for his teammates. Adebayo can pass well for a big man, and his jump shot is improving as well. The Heat have been so close in recent years, but they haven't been able to get over the hump. Damian Lillard was supposed to be the piece to do that, as the Heat were frontrunners to trade for the point guard. Now he is with the Milwaukee Bucks, so the Heat will once again rely on what they know best.

5. Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis

LeBron James is getting older, and Anthony Davis is getting more injury-prone, but the former best duo in the NBA proved they still have something left in the tank when they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. James is obviously one of the best players ever, and he has always thrived at getting his teammates involved. Meanwhile, Davis has a rare combination of scoring and defensive versatility.

The pair have struggled to stay on the floor together recently, but the results have still been great when they take the court at the same time. At 54.8 points combined, they scored the fourth most points as a twosome in the NBA last season. They are also both physically imposing players, which can be hard for smaller teams to stop. The duo has won a ring together before, but if they want to do it again, they will need to do it soon, as the team's window appears to be closing rapidly.

4. Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

The Boston Celtics duo has always played well together, but for whatever reason, people have always wanted them to split up. The Celtics showed their commitment to making the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combination work when they gave Brown a supermax contract this offseason. Both players are dynamic scorers who get it done on the other side of the ball as well.

Tatum and Brown averaged 56.7 points together last season, the most of any duo who played the whole season together. The one area they can improve together is learning how to play better off the ball. Both have oftentimes resorted to isolation ball, forcing the other superstar to stand still and not move within the offense.

3. Phoenix Suns: Kevin Durant and Devin Booker

An injury after his trade from the Brooklyn Nets forced Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to only see eight games of regular season action together last year. Their lack of cohesion and familiarity certainly contributed to their playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. The Suns seem destined to figure it out this year, though. Durant is one of the best scorers in NBA history and is still going strong, and Devin Booker announced to the world that he is an MVP-caliber player with his play last year.

They will have another superstar to get acclimated to with the arrival of Bradley Beal, but there is no doubt that Durant and Booker can score with anybody.

2. Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray

The  Denver Nuggets duo has a lot of continuity together. The pair have gotten better together each year since Jamal Murray was drafted in 2016. It came full circle with an NBA Finals victory this past season. No team's best players have better chemistry together than these two do. The duo are among the league's best at assisting each other. They also form one of the best pick-and-roll combinations in the league. Their chemistry and versatility were most on display in their Game 3 victory in the NBA Finals. The duo became the first teammates ever to both have 30- plus point triple-doubles in the same game.

It helps that Nikola Jokic is not only arguably the best player in the NBA but also a unique big man who thrives as a facilitator. Even with Jokic's passing expertise, both players can get a bucket any time they want, and both elevate their games come playoffs. Last year was Murray's first back from ACL recovery, and it took a little while for the point guard to get his feet under him, so it is possible the duo will get even better following their championship victory.

1. Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard

The newest superstar duo of them all. The Bucks made a brilliant trade to acquire Lillard, and they didn't even have to trade an arm and a leg to get him. There were concerns about Antetokounmpo becoming unsettled in Milwaukee, and pairing him with one of the best point guards ever is sure to appease those concerns. While you can't be 100 percent sure the connection will work since we haven't seen them on the court together, in theory, this duo has more talent than any other by a long shot.

The Greek Freak is arguably the best player in the NBA. A two-time MVP and former Defensive Player of the Year, Antetokounmpo brings everything that Lillard has lacked in his previous teammates. Antetokounmpo's stellar defensive play makes up for any concerns of Lillard's on that side of the ball. Offensively, Antetokounmpo's strength and gravity will open up the floor for Lillard even more. Lillard is already one of the best scorers ever, and his range extends to near half-court. Things will only get easier for him with his new teammate. The Bucks were already the top-scoring team in the NBA; now they add a top-five scorer in the league.