Bleacher Report Ranks Rockets as Fourth-Best Trio in NBA

Up until recently, the NBA was marked by the Big Three movement. We saw countless iterations that won championships, including the Boston Celtics' trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the Los Angeles Lakers' trio of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum (and Lamar Odom), the Golden State Warriors' trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green (and later Kevin Durant), the Milwaukee Bucks' trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, and the Toronto Raptors' trio of Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Marc Gasol.

The latter of which ultimately dethroned those aforementioned Warriors as well.

LeBron James has won titles with several star-laden trios, starting with the Miami Heat's super trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and including the Cleveland Cavaliers' trio of James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love.

Then there are the unsuccessful trios, like the Phoenix Suns' trio of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, which was dismantled after two years, paving the way for Durant to be dealt to the Houston Rockets. 

Speaking of which, the Rockets comprised a Hall of Fame trio in the '90s of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Scottie Pippen, which is generally regarded as one of the biggest Big Three failures. 

The Rockets enter the 2025-26 season with a Big Three of their own, as Durant, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun are a formidable trio in their own right. In fact, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz ranks them as the league's fourth-best ensemble of three.

"Şengün was a first-time All-Star last season at age 22, averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He's improved steadily on the defensive end, contesting the fifth-most shots per game at the rim last season while holding opponents to a career-best 58.5 percent shooting. One of the best passing big men in the NBA, Durant should be thrilled to play alongside Şengün.

Thompson made the NBA's All-Defensive first team at age 22 while averaging 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his 42 starts while shooting 56.0 percent overall from the field. Thompson is quickly becoming one of the best defensive players in the NBA with his combination of size (6'7", 7' wingspan) and athleticism and will allow Durant to guard some of the easier forward matchups. If the outside shot comes around, Thompson is a future All-Star.

Durant's age (37 in September) will start to become a concern, although putting two young, emerging stars around him will lessen his responsibilities on both ends, allowing for fresher legs and continued offensive efficiency."

Star pairings are great -- most title teams have clear, established superstars. However, depth is what carries teams through the postseason. Fortunately, the Rockets are armed with more depth than they've had since 2017-18.