The NBA world was in a state of shock when the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard. Fans thought Lillard was going to the Miami Heat, but the Bucks came through with the trade offer to sway the Portland Trail Blazers.

The trade was a three-team deal that saw Jrue Holiday and Deandre Ayton go to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Jusuf Nurkic end up with the Phoenix Suns. It is a team for Lillard as he pursues his first NBA championship. Lillard brings another element that Holiday didn't to the Bucks “Big 3” with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. The thought of Middleton and Giannis working their magic as Lillard waits in the corner to shoot an open three is sure to strike fear into the minds of every team across the NBA.

Here's our ranking for the Top 10 Big 3's in the NBA heading into the 2023-24 season.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley

Mitchell had a career year in his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs had a young core established but needed one more explosive scorer to put them over the top. Mitchell was the answer, averaging 28.3 points per game on 48.4% shooting. Garland is the perfect partner for Mitchell, as his elite playmaking can set up Mitchell for prime opportunities. The team thought they were ready to contend in the East but had a disappointing first-round playoff loss to Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers will be prepared to take the NBA by storm after another year for Mitchell to settle in and another year of development for their young stars.

The team hopes that one player who will reach another level is Evan Mobley. He is an elite two-way player but was inconsistent last season, especially in the playoffs. If Mobley can start contributing consistently and remain a factor in the playoffs, you may see this Big 3 climb up the rankings next season.

9. Los Angeles Clippers: Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook

If a sports fan hadn't watched the NBA for a few years and seen this trio ranked ninth, they would think that the author didn't know ball. This group is a contender for a top-three ranking based on name recognition, but they have been too unreliable for the past two years. The health of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard is a big question mark, and Russell Westbrook's performance with the Los Angeles Lakers was infamously bad.

When healthy, the duo of George and Leonard can be one of the top in the NBA. However, the pair have shared the court in just 142 games over five seasons. Another season of injuries and load management will not help the Clippers in their quest to be champions. If Leonard bounces back from knee surgery, and George makes good on his promise to be different this season, the Clippers will be a top contender in the West.

Westbrook provided 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game in the playoffs last season. If Russ shows up for the Clippers like that again, they will be one of the favorites to win the NBA title.

8. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane

People forget that the Grizzlies are one of the West's best teams due to Ja Morant's actions last season. The 2021-22 season showed what they could do when everyone stays disciplined. Morant will miss the first 25 games of this season due to another violation of the NBA's conduct policy, but once he comes back, they have a formidable big 3.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best interior defenders in the league. Desmond Bane stepped up in Morant's absence last season and averaged 21.5 points per game. The Grizzlies need Morant to return and manage to stay in the lineup and Bane to figure out how to contribute to the offense when Morant is also on the court. If they do that, the Grizzlies will return to being a contender out of the West.

7. Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro

Should a group who were runner-up for the NBA championship last season be higher on the list? The Miami Heat advanced to the finals on the strength of some heroic performances by Jimmy Butler. He averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Bam Adebayo was also a factor with elite defensive play but sometimes struggled to generate offense. Adebayo had some efficient games on their run, but it was wildly inconsistent to the point they didn't know which version of Adebayo they would get each night.

Tyler Herro is an important part of the Heat, but they managed to make the finals with him injured for the entire run. He was also the featured piece of the return in a Damian Lillard trade for the Heat, so they were looking for an improvement over him. It seems like Herro wasn't happy with his name being thrown around in trade talks, so who knows what his mindset will be coming into training camp. “Heat Culture” might have more questions than answers going into the 2023-24 season.

6. Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green

The most successful Big 3 on this list needs to be on here to acknowledge everything they have done. The superteam era has seen some unloyal activity to create the perfect combination. The Bucks were thought to be comfortable with theirs but shipped Jrue Holiday to Portland to replace him with Damian Lillard. Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, tried to form a Big 3 in Brooklyn, and now has another one in Phoenix. James Harden is looking to change teams every season. The Big 3 of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have stuck together and have four NBA titles to show.

This Big 3 isn't getting any younger, but would anyone be surprised if they returned to contender status in the West this season? The team has now brought in Chris Paul for possibly his last run at a championship, so there will be motivation there. If the team can get into the playoffs and put together a two-month run, I wouldn't bet against them.

5. Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves

LeBron James made good on his promise to the city of Los Angeles and won the team an NBA championship in 2020. The Lakers' problem was that there wasn't much depth. Austin Reaves helped LeBron and Anthony Davis change that narrative in the 2023 playoffs, turning into a lethal shooter and reliable third cog on the wheel.

The Lakers started the season with a 2-13 run, and people signaled the end of their run. Instead of trading away assets at the deadline, the Lakers trusted in their players and acquired help to round out their lineup. Anthony Davis returned to the form that made him a top-ten player, and LeBron was LeBron. Everyone waited for them to come back down to earth in the playoffs, but it wasn't until the Western Conference Finals that the Denver Nuggets swept them. This season, they have bolstered their lineup with Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, and Cam Reddish. Fans will want to keep an eye on the Lakers this season, as they are going all-in to win LeBron one more title.

4. Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis

The Celtics Big 3 of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart had a lot of success in their time together. However, the only success that matters in the Boston sports market is championships, something that has eluded this era of Celtics basketball. In the offseason, the Celtics traded away Smart to make room for Kristaps Porzingis. The front office hopes that another floor spacer in Porzingis will give Tatum and Brown the space they need to make their offense more efficient. Smart was a reliable player for the team, but there were times when his inability to fit into the scheme was evident.

According to Bobby Krivitsky of si.com, Porzingis has been rehabbing from plantar fasciitis, which is eerily similar to last year's situation for the Celtics. They brought Danilo Galinari to play the same role as Porzingis, but he tore his ACL in the offseason and never suited up. Porzingis is expected to be ready for training camp, but that type of injury for a man of Porzingis' size will have Celtics fans holding their breath for the entirety of the season. The Celtics thought they had done enough to make themselves favorites in the East until the Bucks one-upped them…

3. Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton

This is the newest and most intriguing Big 3 for several reasons. Giannis Antetokounmpo was starting to give off a vibe that he was unwilling to re-sign in Milwaukee and may explore other options. Damian Lillard was the most loyal man in the NBA but had finally had enough and requested out of Portland. His first choice was Miami, so it will be interesting to see if he is happy with where he has landed. The Bucks had a good thing going with Jrue Holiday being the third member, so how will Lillard fit schematically?

The roster looks good on paper, but it's hard to make them the best trio in the league until we see how it looks on the court. Holiday was well-known for being a great teammate, as is Lillard, but you can't guarantee the chemistry will be the same with Giannis. It's nice for people to imagine Giannis barreling into the paint and drawing the defenders in before kicking out to Lillard for an open three, but we'll have to see it happen first.

2. Phoenix Suns: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal

The same questions can be asked about the Phoenix Suns. They have compiled three of the best scorers in the NBA, making this one of the best Big 3's in the league on paper, easily. Devin Booker is still the leader, and his playmaking and three-level scoring threat is an issue to defend on any night. If the defense shuts down Booker, they then have to contend with Kevin Durant, who just posted the first 55% field goal, 40% three-point, 90% free-throw stat line in NBA history. If that isn't enough, they acquired Bradley Beal in the offseason. Beal is also an elite scorer who can create shot opportunities.

One flaw for the Suns is that there is only one ball on the court, so how will the three scorers manage to share it? The Suns need to figure it out quickly because their team defense will be seriously lacking. The team will be capable of outscoring anyone, but outscoring will take a lot of points every night if they can't get a stop.

1. Denver Nuggets: Jamaal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon

Considering the names listed before them, it might be an unpopular opinion, but the No. 1 honor has to go to the Nuggets. The Nuggets are one of only two teams in the top five who return with the same Big 3. The other team, the Lakers, were swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. The Phoenix Suns were also eliminated by the Nuggets last season, but adding Beal could close the gap. The Nuggets beat the Heat in the NBA Finals, who had won against the Celtics and Bucks. This tells me that the other teams had to bolster their Big 3s to compete with the Nuggets in the playoffs.

Jokic is the best all-around offensive player in the NBA. No one can match up against him, making the Nuggets nearly unbeatable. Murray was able to show his worth as a clutch player in the playoffs, and Gordon's two-way game neutralized the other team's best players. Gordon wasn't always known as a defensive player, but he relished his role and excelled.