Who says the NBA's Big Three model is dead?

Plenty of teams still have terrific trios that reasonably fall under the umbrella. Are these setups sustainable in the second-apron era? Now that is a separate matter. (The Los Angeles Clippers, of brief Big Three fame, would argue they're not, even though they tried to keep theirs together.)

For our purposes, though, we care only that a smattering of Big Threes exist heading into next season. That will be the focus on these rankings. We're basically drafting NBA throuples based on which we'd rather have when trying to win a title in 2024-25.

A variety of factors will go into determining that hierarchy: age, injury history, last year's performance, the fit together, etc. Threesomes with proven sample sizes (that haven't completely aged past their prime) will generally receive the benefit of the doubt. And remember, we're not ranking the best teams, just the top Big Threes while treating each trio as one entity.

Figuring out which triumvirates qualify for consideration is the real headache. To ensure we're working off some semblance of a baseline, trios must meet one of the following criteria to count as Big Threes:

• They must feature three All-Stars, none of whom have retreated into smaller post-prime roles.
• If you have two entrenched All-Stars, there must be a third player with a clear path to hitting that level in 2024-25.
• If you only have one All-Star, the remaining two players must both have the potential to hit that level next season and still be on their rookie scales. This stipulation is meant to give younger cores a chance while weeding out later-career assumptions (like two of Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. getting their first All-Star nods in 2024-25).  

On to the rankings!

10. Sacramento Kings

Big Three: DeMar DeRozan, De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis

This trio could easily outstrip back-of-the-ballot placement.

The Kings have two players, in Fox and Sabonis, capable of party-crashing the All-NBA discussion. But their place relative to other star troikas is harder to understand when they've yet to play with DeRozan.

Adding the latter is no doubt an upgrade. But it is, for now, most intriguing because of what it can do for Sacramento's staggered lineups. The returns during tandem minutes will be fascinating to watch unfold when neither DeRozan nor Sabonis spaces the floor in high volume.

Everyone involved is talented enough to make it work. And Fox's off-ball shooting (39.1 percent on spot-up threes last year) could cap or eliminate the onset awkwardness.

Until we see everyone in action together, though, the Kings have the rare Big Three that is both real and a mystery box.

9. New York Knicks

Big Three: Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle

Arguments can be waged at nearly every level of this ranking. To get out in front of one I'd expect to crop up: No, OG Anunoby should not be here instead of Randle. The latter has two All-NBA selections under his belt. One can be random. Two doesn't happen by accident.

New York's Big Three features more bankable shot creation than some others. Brunson has graduated to the top-10-player discussion precisely because of his on-ball lethality. And for as divisive as Randle remains, he has the strength, speed, footwork and handle to reach his preferred spots, and his ability to knock down tough jumpers is an asset even if he could stand to scale back on said looks.

There will be underlying concern about Randle's fit in a larger offensive ecosystem. That's somewhat understandable. But he did a better job with the accessory stuff on offense last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

Defense is the bigger issue for this triumvirate. Brunson is a try-hard, but he will be relentlessly picked on. Randle has the size and sturdiness to hold up in more matchups than you'd think. But his energy and effectiveness on the less glamorous end wax and wane.

Bridges' universal scalability nudges up the ceiling. He is about to settle into his perfect role, as a No. 3 option who can redouble his focus and energy expenditure on the defensive end. Still, he has his own limitations as a stopper—Anunoby covers up most of them—and on-ball creator.

Coupled with the fact we've yet to see these three in action, it's impossible to put them much (or any) higher.

8. Phoenix Suns

Big Three: Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant

"But...buckets!" purists probably won't agree with the Phoenix Suns' star trio "falling" this "low." Fair enough. Buckets matter.

What about everything else?

Booker's passing remains underrated, but the Suns clearly missed having a more conventional offensive organizer last year. Even the apex of Beal's on-ball playmaking wasn't enough to cover it up.

Durant's age only complicates matters. He's going into his age-36 season, and while he's still inarguably a megastar, we've seen him fail to hit that extra gear when opposing defenses key in on him. Playing him fewer minutes might help improve his performance against multiple bodies, but Phoenix isn't built to take responsibility off his plate.

Let's not gloss over Beal's availability, either. He has missed fewer than 25 games just once over the past decade. To what end that's distorted by a handful of late-season Washington Wizards shenanigans is debatable. But it matters. Especially after back, ankle and hamstring issues limited him to 53 appearances last season.

Even if we presume these three are fully available, putting them much higher isn't a given. This Big Three tilts too far toward the offensive end of the spectrum, perhaps not enough to be considered one-way, but it's pretty darn close. There's also no guarantee the pinnacle of their offensive chemistry is infallible. Collectively, they don't generate enough rim pressure or launch enough threes—a math problem that could bite them in the highest-stakes moments.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

Big Three: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley

Across-the-board injuries from last season could be adversely impacting the view of the Cleveland Cavaliers' Big Three. Garland, Mitchell and Mobley logged 1,068 possessions together, which is less than half of what they tallied during the 2022-23 campaign.

Shot-making ability and malleability from Garland and Mitchell alone gives this group a ceiling significantly higher than No. 7. That remains true even after caking in the former's uneven performance this past year. But we can't just overlook that they struggled to maintain a league-average offense last season when on the floor together.

Functional overlap is the root cause. Cleveland's offensive rating with Garland, Mitchell and Mobley went from 115.4 (52nd percentile) when playing beside Jarrett Allen to 121.7 (91st percentile) in lineups with Mobley as the sole big. But the latter sample size was tiny (249 possessions). More than that, if you're best optimized without one of your top four players, it's either a matter of fatal roster construction or pending development.

In this case, it could be a matter of development. Cleveland should explore more big-on-big actions under head coach Kenny Atkinson, and most critically, Mobley's three-point volume can still go from exploratory to staple. Failing that, the Cavs can always pivot to more Mobley-at-center arrangements.

That's invariably one or two too many if-then instances. Cleveland's Big Three has the individual talent to rank among the Association's most devastating forces. For the time being, though, this partnership is hovering uncomfortably close to the whole being less than the sum of its parts.

6. Memphis Grizzlies

Big Three: Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant

Absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder. And yet, our time apart from the Memphis Grizzlies' Big Three appears to have culminated in some degree of memory loss.

Bane, Jackson and Morant recorded under 400 possessions together last season. That's not a large enough sample to read into Memphis barely winning those minutes. To be fair, their 2022-23 total wasn't write-home-about-it better, checking in at under 1,000 possessions. But the Grizzlies did notch a plus-11.2 net rating during those reps while turning in a top-tier defensive rating.

Availability concerns must be a part of any Big-Three-rankings talk here. Jackson and Morant are hardly 8K UHD portraits of durability. Morant's defense and Jackson's rebounding are warts that can't be glossed over, either.

But it's perfectly acceptable to bet on these three, individually and collectively, getting better. Bane will be the elder statesman when next season tips off...at the age of 26. Both himself and Jackson could be especially positioned for mini leaps after navigating life without Morant.

Memphis saddled each of them with additional offensive responsibility. It had no choice. That transition came at the cost of efficiency, particularly in JJJ's case. It also amounted to functional-expansion-by-fire.

Bane went from seeing most of his baskets come off assists in 2022-23 to having the majority of his buckets go unassisted last season. Jackson saw his iso frequency skyrocket. They should both be better, more well-rounded, higher-end offensive players for going through forced exploration. And that, in turn, gives this entire trio the conceptual oomph to flirt with top-five status.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

Big Three: Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns

It is tempting to put the Minnesota Timberwolves' trio higher. Edwards already has a case to be the NBA's best two-way player. Going on 23, he should only get better.

For those wondering: No, Gobert turning 32 doesn't (much) factor into "limiting" them to fifth place. His defensive impact should be equally transcendent next year.

A relative lack of secondary creation is the culprit. (Again: This is stupid. Placing fifth isn't an insult.) Gobert has added an extra coating or two to the surface of his offense, but he's still not a complex decision-maker or a viable hub. Which is OK. It's not supposed to be his role.

That burden falls to Towns, who remains a dynamic enough scorer from virtually every level to effectively shoulder it. But his inconsistency—the wild passes, the questionable shots and takeoff points inside the arc—can range from a maddening hindrance to occasionally detrimental.

Others might not be able to square away how valuable this troika is with Towns as the de facto 4. That doesn't really bug yours truly. He would be more of an offensive mismatch as the lone big, but Gobert sets the defensive ceiling for Minnesota's Big Three.

Even if it's imperfect, even if it's too frontcourt-heavy, this trio is closer to championship-caliber than not.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

Big Three: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams

Too high too soon? Maybe. Potentially. Possibly.

Probably not.

Inserting the Oklahoma City Thunder's trio into this exercise is not a rush to coronate. SGA just finished second on the MVP ballot and secured back-to-back All-NBA First Team selections. He is him, and he is here.

Holmgren and Williams are lightyears from finished products. That complicates this process. It's also part of the point. If you came away from Chet's rookie romp and J-Dub's sophomore soiree thinking these dudes aren't both on an All-Star track, I'm not really sure what to say.

Williams might make an All-NBA team next season. His playoff debut is rough—and part of the reason Oklahoma City's triumvirate didn't steal the No. 3 spot. But just think about where he was as a rookie compared to last year. He went from a full-steam-ahead scorer to someone with a deeper armory of counters in the half-court and a higher threshold of initiating the offense for others.

Nothing encapsulates his year-over-year growth better than his step-back volume. J-Dub went 6-of-12 on step-back threes as a rookie. He upped that total to 52 last season (and nailed them at a 44.2 percent clip). The postseason may not have been pretty, but he will assuredly return for Year 3 with more layers.

Granted, this threesome could still be at a shot-creation deficit when journeying beyond SGA. Williams isn't the only one who will improve here, though. Holmgren complements his outside touch with a nifty floor game the Thunder have the spacing and, following the Josh Giddey trade, usage bandwidth to explore in greater depth.

There might not be a better defensive alchemy on this list—except at the tippity top. It's probably a stretch to say each of SGA, Chet and J-Dub can make All-Defense in a given season. That invariably has more to do with Gilgeous-Alexander's role. He was ultra-disruptive last season, but the Thunder do an excellent job of insulating him and streamlining his responsibility—understandably so when you look at the offense workload he must ferry.

At any rate, Oklahoma City's Big Three is a unique combination of incredible and incomplete. That's a pretty terrifying notion when you look at where they've landed here.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Big Three: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton

Perception of the Milwaukee Bucks has generally skewed critical ever since they made the Damian Lillard trade (and, by doing so, set the stage for Jrue Holiday to land with the eventual-champion, possibly generational Boston Celtics). That's not unfair. But the current qualms should have less to do with the top of Milwaukee's roster and everything to do with a dearth of depth and athleticism in supporting capacities.

Was this group perfect last year? No. Not even close. But its issues were, by and large, correctible.

Synergy between Giannis and Dame should get better once they go through another training camp together. In the meantime, Giannis deserves credit for adapting his stylistic leanings and cleaning up his shot profile

Lillard underperformed last season compared to his usual efficiency. That's potentially alarming as he enters his age-34 campaign. But aside from steering a notch or three too far into his mid-range game, Lillard's drop-off was most fueled by his 32.3 percent clip on catch-and-shoot triples. Even if you're bracing for overarching regression, that part of his game will only get better.

Middleton poses the most pressing curveball among this trio. His age shouldn't bother us. Going on 33, his defense has slipped. But the cadence at which he plays offense and manufactures buckets will age perfectly. This trend of his getting injured, taking a while to ramp up and then reminding us that he's still an All-Star level talent by first round's end is tougher to reconcile.

All of these concerns in mind, including the prospective defensive deficit outside Giannis' all-world disruption, the Bucks' Big Three still got the job done when on the floor. Milwaukee outscored opponents by 16.3 points per 100 possessions in their time together—a differential that held up even during (brief) stints without Brook Lopez.

Doubt the Bucks' supplemental talent all you like. Just don't let that skepticism color your impressions of a Big Three that already eclipsed so much of the competition despite operating below their idealized peak.

2. Philadelphia 76ers

Big Three: Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey

Sticking a Big Three this high that has yet to take the floor is a risk. Formations of this magnitude can take time to jell.

Sometimes, though, they coalesce into something instantly incredible.

This is going to be one of those times.

Unlike other star groupings, the Philadelphia 76ers' trio has functional symmetry. These three can operate cleanly at the 1, 3 and 5 spots (with George sponging up work at the 4), and they all have extensive experience playing off the ball. That last part is important, especially given the unfamiliarity between everyone involved.

Truthfully, there's a chance no threesome in the league is as well-rounded. Embiid gives you that top-end MVP talent who can anchor a defense entirely on his own. Maxey has transformed into a lethal three-level scorer with developing playmaker chops. George's off-ball motion will brutalize defenses yet he still has the on-ball skill necessary to generate looks from scratch. His defensive slippage has also been dramatized, even if the Sixers may wind up a little too reliant on him during non-Caleb Martin minutes.

There is likewise something to be said about the "has the best player at every spot" factor. Embiid's playoff track record is iffy, but he can be the top performer in almost any postseason matchup if healthy. Both Maxey and George are good enough to outpace some rival No. 2s, and they are each, right now, overqualified third wheels.

Philly's throuple came oh-so-close to bagging the top spot. Embiid's health, with a peppering of George's age (34), ended up being the difference. Well that, and the Big Three to come has an actual sample size of not just working but thriving together.

1. Boston Celtics

Big Three: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday or Derrick White

Narrowing down the Boston Celtics' third best/most important player after Brown and Tatum is too difficult. Holiday fits the traditional criteria. White spit out a legitimate All-Star case this past year and does more, at this point, to drive the offense.

Fortunately for my sanity, I don't have to choose.

Slot in whomever you like to finish off the Big Three. Boston's ranking doesn't change.

No other trio is populated by three players who are this valuable at both ends of the floor. Brown and Tatum are in the "Annual All-NBA candidacy" phase of their careers, and all three players, regardless of combination, could plausibly crack an All-Defensive team in any given year.

Central playmaking looms as this group's weakness whether you're using Holiday or White to round out the tripling. We just saw how much that concern mattered en route to one of the league's most dominant championship runs.

Bemoan the lack of opposing greatness encountered by Boston this season all you want. It does nothing to detract from the dominant balance at the tippy top of their roster.

If you're looking to win a title next season, Big Three style, you're not doing better than Brown, Tatum and Holiday or White as your starting point. Philly's threesome comes closest, and we'd be remiss not to acknowledge the upside overflowing out of Oklahoma City. But the Celtics' best stars are a meld of available and proven in a way the marquee-name trios of the Thunder and Sixers have yet to be.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.

Unless otherwise cited, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass. Salary information via Spotrac. Draft-pick obligations via RealGM.