With Kevin Durant leaving the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson rehabbing from a torn ACL, there's finally an opening for a new NBA dynasty to rise.

The Warriors have mostly ruled the Association for the past five years, reaching the Finals every summer since 2015 and winning three titles in the process. While no one can completely declare their dynasty dead as long as Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson are still around, a number of teams are already setting themselves up for multiple championship runs.

Some of these franchises are ready right now thanks to years of smart drafting and player development—or simply good luck in free agency and the trade market. Others have stockpiled high draft picks for years and appear just a season or two (or three) away from sustained success.

If we've indeed seen the last of the Warriors' dominant five-year run, the following teams are ready to take their place.

Honorable Mentions

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets should be a playoff lock next season even if their championship hopes are on hold for a year while Kevin Durant recovers from a torn Achilles.

Kyrie Irving is enough to carry the offensive load with Durant out, and the supporting cast of Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan can all be effective either on or off the ball.

While there's plenty of youth to help fuel a dynasty, Durant will be 32 by the time he takes the court for the Nets next season. We don't know how close to 100 percent he'll be, thus moving the Nets this far down in the dynasty rankings.

Dallas Mavericks

While it may take a few seasons to get off the ground, the Mavericks' potential dynasty has a pair of future superstars who are far from hitting their primes.

Luka Doncic, the reigning Rookie of the Year after leading Dallas in scoring last season, won't even turn 21 until February. Kristaps Porzingis celebrated his 24th birthday earlier this month and is one of the NBA's uniquely talented players given his combination of size and skill.

After putting up 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game as a rookie, Doncic could soon become one of the NBA's best players. If Porzingis proves he can return to full strength following a torn ACL, the Mavericks could have one of the league's best duos for the next decade.

Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis may be a few years away from the playoffs, much less a dynasty. But as we've seen from the Grizzlies in the past, a smart and productive point guard-center duo can be good for a long time.

Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. have the potential to be even greater than Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, a pairing that pushed Memphis into the playoffs for seven straight years.

While Morant has yet to play a game in the NBA, he showed the ability to be a big-time scorer and distributor in college. Jackson put up 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game as a rookie while also drilling 35.9 percent of his three-pointers.

The Grizzlies will also have max cap space next summer, giving them an opportunity to add a third star either in the draft or free agency.

Phoenix Suns

This season will officially mark a decade since the Suns' last playoff appearance.

While the 2020 postseason doesn't exactly look promising either, Phoenix should make the 2021 playoffs and establish the beginning of an annual tradition.

Devin Booker (22) and Deandre Ayton (21) are the primary building blocks, but Mikal Bridges (22), Ty Jerome (22), Cameron Johnson (23), Kelly Oubre Jr. (23) and Dario Saric (25) give the Suns the best young core they've had in years.

Booker (26.6 points, 6.8 assists) is already a lethal offensive machine, and Ayton improved defensively while putting up 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a rookie. Pass-happy veteran point guard Ricky Rubio was a smart addition, as he'll work to bring out the best in these talented but juvenescent Suns.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings surprised everyone by jumping from 27 to 39 wins last season, and that's a sign they're ready to end the NBA's longest playoff drought.

The main reasons? De'Aaron Fox (17.3 points, 7.3 assists), Buddy Hield (20.7 points, 42.7 percent from three) and Marvin Bagley III (14.9 points, 7.6 rebounds). Harry Giles, who's still only 21 years old, remains an intriguing prospect, as well.

Surrounding them are a plethora of quality role players, including Harrison Barnes, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cory Joseph, Trevor Ariza and Dewayne Dedmon.

For a Kings dynasty to happen, Fox and Bagley will have to transform into superstars, as the majority of the players on Sacramento's roster (including Hield) are already in their mid-to-late 20s. For now, simply making the playoffs in 2019-20 will do.

5. New Orleans Pelicans

Projected Dynasty Years: 2020-????

The foundation of the Pelicans begins in their front office, one that includes NBA champion David Griffin, three-time WNBA champion Swin Cash and former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon.

New Orleans already has a franchise star to build around in 2019 No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, although unlike other top rookies, he'll have plenty of help. He may not even be a top-two or -three scorer for the Pelicans right away given the number of quality veterans around him.

Jrue Holiday (21.2 points, 7.7 assists, 1.6 steals) gives New Orleans a high floor as the 29-year-old point guard's presence has saved this new era from being branded as a true rebuild. Derrick Favors, 28, should thrive in a starting center role following a trade from the Utah Jazz.

The signing of 35-year-old shooting guard JJ Redick (18.1 points, 39.7 percent from three) will help everyone's spacing and flow, even if he may not be around long enough to see the whole dynasty through.

While New Orleans should be a playoff mainstay starting as early as this year, its rise to a dynasty will largely depend on the collection of young talent and draft picks acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade.

For now, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart have only scratched the surface of their potential, while the haul of draft picks from the Lakers will give the Pelicans tons of flexibility to acquire another star. Add in some additional high-upside rookies in Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and the Pelicans have the potential to be one of the deepest teams in the West for years.

There's really no limit to how long New Orleans could keep a dynasty going. A decade from now, Williamson will still be in his 20s.

4. Atlanta Hawks

Projected Dynasty Years: 2021-26

The Hawks are already a delight to watch and were the NBA's fastest team last season with a 104.6 pace.

Atlanta hasn't just drafted the best players available; it's also done so while distributing the talent throughout all five positions.

Trae Young is the centerpiece of any potential dynasty and would have been the clear favorite for Rookie of the Year had it not been for Luka Doncic. Young put up a whopping 24.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game after the All-Star break last season, displaying the confidence and poise of a 10-year veteran.

The rest of the Hawks core is also extremely young but already productive.

John Collins, 21, led Atlanta with 19.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in just his second season while showing the ability to hit the three-ball (34.8 percent on 2.6 attempts). A natural power forward, he could see more time at center with the loss of Dewayne Dedmon in free agency. Kevin Huerter, 21, is a 6'7" shooting guard who drilled 38.5 percent of his three-pointers as a rookie next to Young.

While these three were enough to give Hawks fans hope, Atlanta nailed the draft by adding De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish to the mix. Hunter can play either forward position and projects as a lockdown defender, which Atlanta needed to make up for Young's weaknesses on that end.

Reddish is the wild card here. His fellow rookies voted the No. 10 overall pick as the most likely to have the best NBA career even though he was the third player selected from his own college. If he can develop into a star, the Hawks will have the potential to completely take over the Eastern Conference.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Projected Dynasty Years: 2019-25

Unlike all the previous teams on this list, the Sixers are ready to begin their dynasty now.

Philly already has the star power and playoff experience needed to make the jump to the Finals, headlined by Joel Embiid (25), Ben Simmons (23), Tobias Harris (27) and Al Horford (33).

Even Horford, the oldest member of the Sixers, should be productive into his late 30s with a game based around fundamentals and awareness, not speed and athleticism.

Losing Jimmy Butler was softened by the addition of the 25-year-old Josh Richardson, who was the Miami Heat's best player last season.

Harris will have to play the role of third star with Butler gone, and that's a role for which he's being more than compensated after signing a five-year, $180 million contract. He'll also have to show the ability to play both on the wing and in the post, depending on how head coach Brett Brown handles minutes for Horford and Embiid. 

At a minimum, the Sixers should be one of the NBA's best defensive teams next season with their length and athleticism and should challenge the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the East. 

If Simmons can finally showcase an outside shooting game and Embiid can play more than 64 games in a season, Philadelphia should punch a ticket to the NBA Finals.

2. Denver Nuggets

Projected Dynasty Years: 2019-26

Much like the Sixers, the Nuggets are built to win now.

Denver had the Western Conference's second-best record at 54-28 last season while its best player was just 23 years old and its first-round pick (Michael Porter Jr.) missed the entire year. That's kind of remarkable.

Now 24, Nikola Jokic should only build on a 2018-19 campaign in which he averaged 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists, numbers that led the Nuggets in all three categories. He's arguably the most talented big man in the NBA, and he could become a top player in the league with tighter defense and a better outside shot.

Jamal Murray is only 22 but looks like a franchise player after putting up 18.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists as the team's starting point guard. He's got plenty of help in the backcourt with 24-year-old Gary Harris (12.9 points), 22-year-old Malik Beasley (11.3 points) and 24-year-old Monte Morris (10.4 points, 3.6 assists).

Veteran power forward Paul Millsap continues to anchor the team's surprising 10th-ranked defense, while Will Barton, Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee can contribute valuable minutes, as well.

In order for Denver to truly become a powerhouse, it'll need to hit on Porter or Bol Bol. Both fell during back-to-back draft nights due to injury concerns, but they have the potential to be some of the best players in their entire classes.

If Denver can turn one or both into a star, it'll be set up for the next decade.

No. 1: Los Angeles Clippers

Projected Dynasty Years: 2019-23

With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George added to a 48-win team, we could be witnessing the rise of the first Clippers dynasty. 

While it may not have the potential lasting power of a Nuggets, Sixers, Hawks or Pelicans run, the Clippers have the best chance of all to win the 2020 NBA title.

Leonard (28) and George (29) are squarely in their primes and coming off the best seasons of their lives. The former is the reigning NBA Finals MVP, and the latter finished third in regular-season MVP voting. Even without a quality supporting cast, the Clippers would be in the title discussion given the two-way impact of both superstars.

Additionally, Los Angeles has a championship-winning coach in Doc Rivers and an ultra-aggressive front office. It also has perhaps the best supporting cast and bench around any pair of superstars, headlined by Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet, Maurice Harkless and Ivica Zubac.

The one problem facing the potential dynasty? Both George and Leonard only have two years remaining on their contracts before they can opt out and test free agency. While it would be surprising to see both L.A.-area natives leave such a desirable situation, the Los Angeles Lakers could potentially poach one away if the Clippers haven't won a title by then.

For now, the combination of star power, supporting cast, coaching and front office ability put the Clippers at the top of the dynasty rankings, a spot they could firmly establish by winning the 2020 title.

Greg Swartz covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter. All stats via Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.