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Most NBA franchises look to sign two or more superstars with their available cap space before building a roster around them to become instant winners in a generation that craves immediate gratification.
However, there are still a few teams who believe in building from the ground up, moulding players into future superstars. The Golden State Warriors were one of the latest teams to draft Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green - turning them into NBA champions and superstars in their own right years later.
There are franchises who have followed this logic, building rosters with depth and talent across all positions to become a really solid roster. With that in mind, here's a look at the top five franchises with a well-rounded roster in the NBA right now:
#5 Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have always been one of the most consistent teams in the Eastern Conference, year in and year out. This off-season, the Pacers have made a lot of savvy moves that seem to have propelled them into discussions for the title in the East.
They snagged Malcom Brogdon in a sign-and-trade deal, giving up just a future first-round pick in 2020 alongside two second-round draft picks. He will slot in as the primary point-guard, with TJ McConnell serving as a solid backup option.
Victor Oladipo is the All-Star player on this roster and once he recovers from his knee injury, will be their starting shooting guard next season. Jeremy Lamb and Aaron Holiday will play backup to him, while Lamb may slide between the SG and SF positions.
TJ Warren is also a new acquisition for this team, having been traded from the Phoenix Suns - presumably their starting small forward. Doug McDermott and Lamb will split minutes for the spot in the rotation.
The Pacers usually employ the twin towers of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner in their lineups and have shown no inclination yet towards changing this formula. Having drafted Goga Bitadze and veteran Kyle O'Quinn, they have two backup centers too. They have a great thing going on in Indiana and will look to push on, becoming even more successful this upcoming season.
#4 Los Angeles Lakers
The trade for Anthony Davis finally went through earlier this month, giving the Lakers and LeBron James what they needed: a second superstar in Los Angeles. They attempted to get Kawhi Leonard right up until his dramatic decision to join their crosstown rivals LA Clippers, dashing all hope for a new superstar team in LA.
The point-guard position has young guard Quinn Cook and veteran leader Rajon Rondo both vying for the starting spot, with the pair set to divide minutes heavily given Cook's shooting ability and Rondo, who has shown his elite passing skills.
Danny Green was a superb free agent acquisition for them and will be their starting shooting guard, after an elite season with NBA champions Toronto Raptors last season. They'll be looking for him to be their off-ball star, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to share minutes with Green and newest Lakers recruit Avery Bradley.
LeBron is the team's star and will be their starting small forward, having proven himself as the NBA's best player - tasked with bringing the Lakers back from oblivion this coming season. Jared Dudley will look to fill in minutes whenever the 34-year-old is off the floor.
Kyle Kuzma was the only young star not traded as part of the Anthony Davis deal, which proves they have big plans for him going forward. He will be their starting power forward, with Davis sliding between point forward and center roles.
Davis is their big-money acquisition and naturally, they'll look to slot him into the center role early in the season. They signed his former teammate DeMarcus Cousins in the off-season and depending on how good he shows himself to be, he will either be starting with Davis at PF, or left to split the remaining minutes with JaVale McGee - another player they re-signed.
The Lakers have a really solid frontcourt which will need to carry this team into the playoffs next season, possibly even towards the NBA Finals, which they have a high chance of winning should everyone stay healthy.
#3 Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers probably have one of the league's best rosters in terms of depth and production, which just got a whole lot better when announcing they had signed Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard as a free agent and landed Paul George in a mammoth trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which saw seven first-round picks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari move the other way.
They have veteran point-guard Patrick Beverley to steady the ship and Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams will again come off the bench, splitting minutes at the point and shooting guard positions. Landry Shamet will be their starting shooting guard, with some solid sharpshooting abilities. Williams and Jerome Robinson will be good rotation players for the Clippers.
Kawhi will be the star of this team starting at small forward, with Maurice Harkless a good rotation player. George will split minutes between shooting guard, small forward and perhaps even power forward, with Montrezl Harrell and JaMychal Green off the bench for the Clippers.
Ivica Zubac will be the Clippers' starting center next season, having signed a new four-year deal with them this offseason. JaMychal Green will be the Clippers' backup center, splitting minutes with Harrell should they play a small ball five.
#2 Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have been one of the NBA's biggest success stories for the past two seasons and have been a middling team for a very long time. With the off-season acquisitions they've made, they have asserted themselves as one of the NBA's strongest teams.
Mike Conley Jr. is an All-Star calibre player that they managed to snag from the Memphis Grizzlies and he'll be their starting point-guard. Emmanuel Mudiay and Dante Exum will be backup point-guards in a real contender this season.
Donovan Mitchell is who this team is built around and he'll be the starting shooting guard again, with Royce O'Neal and Thabo Sefolosha backup options. Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic are solid small forwards, both of whom will be splitting minutes for the Jazz.
They have been amazing sharpshooters in the past and the Jazz will hope for another solid season from the pair, while Jeff Green represents another good backup player for them at the forward position.
Ed Davis is one of the most shrewd signings of the 2019 Free Agency. A really good locker room presence, the Jazz will look towards their veteran players as the season intensifies. He's also a really solid rebounder and defender, making them even better defensively, while Green and Ingles are expected to split minutes at the #4 spot too going forward.
Finally, French center Rudy Gobert was the Jazz's best and most consistent performer last season - which ended with him winning the Defensive Player of the Year accolade for the second successive campaign. He will again be their starter at center, with Ekpe Udoh filling in as their backup option.
#1 Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have the NBA's deepest roster heading into the 2019/20 campaign, ending up securing every spot on their squad without having to foray much into the free agency market.
Jamal Murray is one of the league's youngest point-guards and probably second best player on this roster too. His scoring ability is second to none and on his day, he's unstoppable. Monte Morris is a very good backup option, who can make really good passes while providing some offensive support too.
Gary Harris is one of the league's most efficient shooting guards and will be one of the starting five next season. Malik Beasley enjoyed a breakthrough season last year and should see more minutes this coming year, while Torrey Craig will be a backup shooting guard this term.
Will Barton has proven a great presence for a relatively young Nuggets roster, on hand to lift them up when they need a boost. He will start at small forward, while Michael Porter Jr. will be eagerly looking to break into the rotation and take minutes away from Barton after the highly-regarded 21-year-old had a medical red-shirt during his rookie season last year. Their newest recruit, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson too will look to break into this rotation.
Paul Millsap will continue to play with the Nuggets after they picked his team option and decided to retain the core players. A superb defender and rebounder, he's set to help them significantly - as will Jerami Grant, who was traded to Denver from OKC on Monday and will pick up a lot of minutes at the power forward spot.
Last but not least, Nikola Jokic is the generational center talent who can score, pass and defend almost anything. He emerged as a dark horse MVP candidate, leading the Nuggets' impressive season. Now with Bol Bol and Mason Plumlee, they are equipped with a really solid team aiming to reach the NBA Finals this season.
Guess the Lakers players!
