Ranking Luka Doncic's 10 greatest teammates

03/24/2025 04:15 PM

Luka Doncic is fast establishing himself as a rising star in the NBA, penciled to take over the league. However, he also made the headlines this year after the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade also involving Anthony Davis. The move was a shocker given that Doncic was supposed to be the face of the franchise in the present and the future. To make matters more interesting, he had just led Dallas to a NBA Finals appearance.

With Doncic joining the Lakers, the move will certainly impact his trajectory. Furthermore, this also gives him the opportunity to play alongside arguably the best basketball player in the world. Here are Luka Doncic’s 10 greatest teammates throughout his career, ranked.

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1. Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving tops this list because he has been the best teammate of Luka’s career thus far, helping him reach the 2024 NBA Finals with the Mavericks. They played 109 games together, winning 59.6% of their games. Among Luka’s teammates, Irving also averages the second-highest points, scoring 24.4 points per game.

2. LeBron James

The best player of this list is LeBron James. However, given that Doncic just joined the Lakers at this year’s trade deadline, it remains to be seen whether James can climb up the list in the near future. Nonetheless, James is certainly the most decorated player to ever play alongside the Slovenian sensation. He’s not only the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, but he also has four NBA championships, four NBA Finals MVPs, one NBA Cup title, one NBA Cup MVP, and four NBA MVPs to his name.

3. Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson was a diamond in the rough who was discovered by the Mavericks after drafting him in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft with the 33rd-overall pick. The lefty guard was a reliable sixth man for Dallas, helping them make an appearance at the 2022 Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, Brunson’s partnership with Doncic was cut short after contract negotiations fell through. Brunson took his talents to the New York Knicks, transforming into an All-Star caliber player.

4. Kristaps Porzingis

With Doncic developing into a rising star, Mark Cuban and the Mavericks front office decided to bring in disgruntled Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis. Doncic and Porzingis formed a dynamic one-two European punch. Porzingis averaged 18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game alongside Doncic. They also won 59.8% of their games together. Unfortunately, KP had issues staying healthy, prompting the Mavs to move on from him. Coincidentally, the duo faced each other in last season’s NBA Finals.

5. Klay Thompson

Fresh from an NBA Finals appearance, the Mavericks made a splash during free agency by acquiring Klay Thompson in a multiteam sign-and-trade deal, prying him away from the Golden State Warriors. Alongside Doncic, Thompson scored 14.9 points per game. He also knocked down 40.0% of his shots from beyond the arc in a Mavs uniform. However, the partnership didn’t last long, as the Mavs traded Doncic to the Lakers.

6. Dereck Lively II

Doncic loves playing alongside lob threats. Having an athletic center share the court with him makes his teams more dangerous. In fact, Dereck Lively II ultimately thrived alongside the five-time NBA All-Star. With Doncic beside him, Lively was able to nab a spot at the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He also made his first NBA Finals appearance as a rookie. The 7-foot-1 also tallied 8.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game when sharing the court with Doncic.

7. Dirk Nowitzki

It’s a shame that Dirk Nowitzki was already entering the twilight zone of his career when Doncic entered the NBA. Nonetheless, it was still a treat for Mavericks fans to witness a changing of the guard. Nowitzki was responsible for the Mavericks’ first-ever championship banner, capped off by a historic title run. The championship path was considered by many as one of the most difficult, as they took down Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, Kevin Durant’s Thunder, and LeBron James’ Miami Heat.

8. DeAndre Jordan

Speaking of lob threats, another big man that benefitted big time by playing alongside Doncic was DeAndre Jordan. He was already 30 years old when he joined the Mavericks. It was his first stint outside of his Lob City days with the Los Angeles Clippers. Nonetheless, the onetime NBA All-Star probably extended his relevance in the NBA when he played alongside the Slovenian star. He averaged 10.9 points and 13.5 rebounds per game with Doncic as his teammate.

9. Dorian Finney-Smith

Luka Doncic isn’t exactly known for his defense. In fact, sometimes, he’s considered a defensive liability. As a result, to compensate for his weaknesses, playing him alongside Dorian Finney-Smith was always a great way to hide his shortcomings on the other end of the floor. DFS continues to play alongside Doncic, having played together since their days with the Mavericks before reuniting once more with the Lakers. Together, they have a winning percentage of 55.6%.

10. Harrison Barnes

Defenses are always focused on Doncic. As a result, this often opens up space for other shooters like Harrison Barnes. Barnes has no problems with capitalizing when Doncic is his teammate, averaging 17.2 points per game, which is the fourth most among the Slovenian star’s teammates throughout his career. In fact, the NBA champion loved playing alongside Luka Doncic during their lone season together in 2018-19.

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