The 10 NBA Teams That Fit Together The Best (Playstyle Wise)

With the Eastern Conference wide open for this upcoming 2025-26 season, the Orlando Magic have a good chance at making a deep playoff run.

The Magic were a good team when healthy last season, and with a key trade this offseason, they got even better. Orlando traded for shooting guard Desmond Bane, giving up Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and multiple first-round draft picks to the Grizzlies in return. Bane will help provide more scoring to this team that finished 27th in the NBA in offensive rating last season.

Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are both 6'10 forwards, but they play great together. Franz is a versatile connector who can handle the ball, defend multiple spots, and hit open shots, while Paolo is the primary offensive hub, working from the mid-post, isolation, and pick-and-roll. They’re both unselfish enough to share creation duties and either can lead the offense.

The Magic are a unique team, since most offenses don't have their two forwards leading their team in assists. Despite their unconventional style, Orlando’s roster pieces mesh well, and they'll be a fun team to watch next season.

9. Milwaukee Bucks

Earlier this offseason, the Bucks made the bold decision to waive Damian Lillard in response to his Achilles injury, which will keep him out for the 2025-26 season. In his place, Milwaukee pivoted toward balance and defensive identity, signing Myles Turner to anchor the middle. 

Turner’s rim protection and floor spacing have unlocked a cleaner two-way fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, filling the spot that was previously held by an old Brook Lopez. Turner's shooting will be critical for allowing the paint to be open for Giannis to drive to the hoop. Milwaukee's other shooters, such as Gary Trent Jr. and Kyle Kuzma, will also help space the floor.

The Bucks fit well, but the real question is whether they have enough talent outside of Giannis to compete for a title. We shall see.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves are expected to return with the same starting five that propelled them to the Western Conference Finals last season. 

The Wolves had issues with team chemistry at the beginning of last season, as they tried to figure out how to play with their new power forward, Julius Randle, instead of Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite early-season struggles, they got it figured out by the end of the season and finished their last 20 games with a 17-3 record. They proceeded to go on a deep playoff run before falling to the eventual NBA champions, the Thunder, in five games.

Minnesota was able to blend Anthony Edwards’ dynamic scoring and improved playmaking with Rudy Gobert’s elite rim protection and defensive presence to succeed on both ends of the floor. Their supporting cast complements this two-way foundation with shooters and versatile wings who space the floor and switch on defense.

They've got their chemistry figured out now, and bringing back a near-identical lineup to last season will only help them play even better together. 

7. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are shaping up as a versatile, frontcourt-heavy team after trading for Kristaps Porzingis, adding his unique stretch-big skill set alongside their existing core. Porzingis' floor spacing ability matches the Hawks' three-point scoring identity and complements Trae Young’s elite playmaking and scoring as well.

Atlanta's center, Onyeka Okongwu, is a good lob threat for Trae Young's pick-and-roll actions, and has been improving his three-point shooting to potentially become a pick-and-pop threat. Okongwu and Porzingis will likely be trading off possessions and minutes as the two main screeners for Young.

Their shooting guard Dyson Daniels and small forward Jalen Johnson are rapidly improving, and their 20-year-old forward Zaccharie Risacher will likely make a step up next season, too. These players are best at scoring off the catch and shoot, but can also create scoring opportunities for themselves.

This lineup fits great alongside Trae Young, and so the Hawks' offense will likely perform better than most teams next season. Their defense will be questionable, as they have a mixture of poor and good defenders. 

Overall, this team fits very well together and could be a dark-horse team to make a playoff run if they stay healthy.

6. New York Knicks

The Knicks have everything a team needs to be successful in the modern NBA: shot creation, shooting, playmaking, rebounding, and defense. 

Point guard Jalen Brunson brings elite playmaking, crafty scoring, and solid perimeter defense. The Knicks' all-around shooting ability allows him to drive into the lane and create his shot in the paint if he isn't scoring on the perimeter.

New York has three quality wing players - Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and O.G. Anunoby. They are all high-energy, versatile defenders who can guard multiple spots and provide reliable 3-and-D shooting. Hart also adds rebounding for the Knicks, as he averaged an outstanding 9.6 rebounds last season.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns stretches the floor as a shooting big with offensive versatility by shooting threes off the catch or posting up. He can also create his own shot in isolation, so he's a good secondary shot creator when Brunson is on the bench.

The only minor issue is that Karl-Anthony Towns is an inconsistent interior defender, and they don't have any other rim protectors to back him up on defense. The Knicks allowed 48.6 points in the paint last season, which was their biggest defensive weakness. Besides that, this Knicks squad fits well together.

5. Houston Rockets

The Rockets are headed into this 2025-26 season as one of the tallest teams in the NBA. Their most likely starting five includes Fred VanVleet (6'0), Amen Thompson (6'7), Kevin Durant (6'11), Jabari Smith Jr. (6'10), and Alperen Sengun (6'11). Despite their abnormal height, they fit wonderfully together.

Last season's Rockets had multiple prominent strengths and weaknesses. Their two strengths were defense and rebounding, especially offensive rebounding. 

On defense, they lost Dillon Brooks (a good defender) and Jalen Green (a mediocre defender), and gained Dorian Finney-Smith (a good defender) and Kevin Durant (a good defender), so it's likely they'll see the same defensive success as last season. For rebounding, they still have Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, as well as an overall taller lineup than before, so their rebounding ability will remain strong as well.

The Rockets' biggest weakness last season was their shooting and shot creation, but that should be fixed for this upcoming season. They lost a decent shooter (Dillon Brooks) but gained a great shooter (Dorian Finney-Smith). They lost a good shot creator (Jalen Green) for a great shot creator and scorer (Kevin Durant).

With Houston's strengths still intact and improving on their weaknesses, this Rockets team fits together great and should be a deadly team for the 2025-26 NBA season.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a very well-rounded, complete team. Their offense last season was first in the league, and they'll be bringing back the same offensive talent this next season.

What makes their offense elite is their balanced scoring attack. Donovan Mitchell led the team in points per game last season with 24.0 PPG, but Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen provide multiple different scoring options on each possession as well.

The aspect where they fit the best together is Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell's passing ability, combined with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen's height and athleticism in the paint. This combination made them one of the best teams at throwing and finishing alley-oops in the league. 

The Cavs capitalized on this strength, as they led the league in pick-and-roll frequency and were also first in pick-and-roll points per game. This blend of elite playmaking and athletic finishing not only makes their offense versatile but also keeps defenses constantly on their heels. 

It wouldn't be surprising if they're the number one offense in the league again next season.

3. Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have been known for their 'pace and space' offensive system for the last 10 years. Their system allows them to take advantage of their strengths, which include shooting, passing, and playing at a fast pace.

They haven't made any significant roster changes since this last season, so their current starting five is still Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. 

With Stephen Curry as the main scoring option and Jimmy Butler as the secondary option and primary scorer when Curry is on the bench, this Warriors offense has thrived. Curry and Butler's scoring is what mainly drives their offense, but their wing shooters are also very important to their success. Curry's gravity and playmaking, along with Draymond Green's playmaking, screening, and basketball IQ help get their wing shooters efficient shot attempts from three.

When all healthy, this lineup proved they can be one of the best in the league. With Jimmy Butler in the lineup after last season's all-star break, the Warriors were on fire and had a 20-7 record in that stretch. They were on track for a deep playoff run before Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry suffered injuries that derailed their impressive season.

If they are able to stay healthy next season, the Warriors will have another good year and possibly make a deep playoff run in 2026.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a perfect representation of the modern NBA. 

On offense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the team as a score-first point guard. Jalen Williams is an excellent second scoring option, they have an abundance of good shooters such as Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso, and their big men can shoot too.

Defensively, they use their length, switchable wings, and rim protection from Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein to force deflections and steals; which they led the league in last season. Their steals help them push the ball in transition for open threes and layups. 

The Thunder fit seamlessly with each other, and they have no glaring weaknesses. Credit to Thunder GM Sam Presti for assembling such a perfect squad.

1. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have assembled a perfect supporting cast around their superstar center Nikola Jokic, and they did it without needing any star-level players. 

This current Nuggets squad is very similar to the 2023 Nuggets team that won the finals. Every player surrounding Jokic in their starting five can shoot the three-ball very well, which is critical for Jokic to thrive since he's terrific at finding open shooters. 

Defensively, they look similar to their former championship team as well. Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, and Aaron Gordon are all good, versatile defenders. They also brought Bruce Brown back, who was a big piece in their 2023 title run because of his defense and shooting.

We know the Nuggets will have an elite offense this upcoming season, so all they need is at least an average defense to become contenders for another NBA championship. With their versatile wing defenders and decent paint protection provided by Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets fit together wonderfully on both offense and defense, and are in a great position to contend for another championship.