• This team was built using a $200 million limit on player salaries

• The team below features four different MVP and Finals MVP winners

• This lineup would be the first in NBA history to average 130.0 PPG

As the NBA’s greatest shooter and its top earner for seven seasons running now, Stephen Curry has accomplished all there is to accomplish in his NBA career. He is a four-time NBA champion and one-time Finals MVP with the Golden State Warriors, with all four of those championships coming since 2015. He has also captured two MVP awards, including the only unanimous one in NBA history, and holds several three-point shooting records, including the record for the most made all-time.

What we saw in 2022-23 was a little concerning, however, because not even Curry’s tremendous play and nuclear shooting could save the Warriors from elimination in the NBA playoffs. Speculation continues on whether we have seen the end of the dynasty, especially after the trade of Jordan Poole in exchange for Chris Paul. The fallout remains to be seen, but for now, we wanted to give Curry a break and build the greatest lineup we could with $200 million in order to guarantee another championship for the greatest shooter alive.

There are a few regulations we have to get to before we continue with our lineup. First, we will be using salaries from the 2023-24 season, meaning extensions beyond this year have no bearing on our calculations. Second, we will not be using Stephen Curry’s salary toward our $200 million salary cap. Hey, it builds a much more exciting lineup, and we kept it under $200 million anyway, so no complaining, ok?

What we have built today is quite possibly the most unstoppable lineup both in a modern-day and maybe even on an all-time scale, but we will let you be the judge of that. This is the $200 million superteam that we built around Stephen Curry.

Point Guards – Stephen Curry (N/A), Tyrese Maxey ($4.3 Million), Russell Westbrook ($3.8 Million)

Starting things off on our superteam, we were able to find the perfect blend of superstar, young budding star, and veteran with upside for our point guards, and at a decent price. Of course, the star of the show is Stephen Curry, and with the team, we have built around him today, he will thrive as the greatest shooter that ever lived. With the rest of the superstars around him, Curry will be able to focus on the things he does best and dominate from the three-point line. Curry’s immaculate movement off the ball will be on full display with both the playmaking and passing that will be at his disposal from the rest of the lineup.

While still available at the low rate of $4.3 million, Tyrese Maxey will be the perfect change of pace point guard for our squad. Completely opposite to Curry’s constant movement without the ball in his hands, Maxey will put pressure on the defense with the ball in his hands. In 2022-23, Maxey averaged over 20.0 PPG, and if he can add even three-quarters of that to our second unit, this team will succeed in every way imaginable.

Rounding out our point guards, also on a bargain of $3.8 million, is Russell Westbrook. When placed in a role where he can relax and face minimal pressure from the organization or its fans, Westbrook will thrive while aiding in the development of our team’s young guards. He will likely see less than 20.0 minutes of action if he is lucky to even get that much, but you better believe he will make the most of it when he does.

Shooting Guards – Anthony Edwards ($13.5 Million), Desmond Bane ($3.8 Million), Terance Mann ($10.6 Million)

Just like we did with our point guards, we definitely lucked out financially by using the 2023-24 salaries for our shooting guards. As our starter, we have one of the bright young talents in the game today, Anthony Edwards. He is coming off his first All-Star season in 2022-23, in which he averaged 24.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.6 SPG. It’s scary to think that a player with that type of production would likely be the fifth option on a team, but with the lineup we built, that is the most likely scenario for Edwards. I guess we should be glad we got him before his $260 million extension kicks in, huh?

Another player we decided to snag before his extension kicks in in 2024-25 is Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies. Bane will add some terrific scoring and shooting to our second unit, perfect for the style of play from the bench overall. In 2022-23, Bane shot 47.9% overall and 40.9% from three while averaging 21.5 PPG in 58 appearances. Having an efficient scorer like Bane off the bench adds perfect depth to our lineup.

We were also able to grab another combo guard to fill in some bench depth with Terance Mann of the Los Angeles Clippers. Mann will cost us just $10.6 million and likely have to earn every bit of playing time he gets in such a loaded lineup. Mann played 81 games for the Clippers in 2022-23 at just over 23.0 minutes per game. He averaged 8.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 2.3 APG on the season as the Clippers advanced to the playoffs but fell to the Phoenix Suns in the first round. At his low cost, there isn’t much risk in bringing in Mann for depth and injury replacement reasons.

Small Forwards – Kevin Durant ($47.6 Million), Shaedon Sharpe ($6.3 Million)

With all of the financial flexibility we gave ourselves over the first two positions, and by not including Curry’s salary, we can finally start adding some superstars to our team. The first of these superstars will be Kevin Durant, who we have seen able to win championships alongside Curry without the other added talent around them. Well, talent as good as this lineup, anyway. Durant is still one of the NBA’s most lethal and efficient scorers leading to what could be a record-breaking offense coming from our team. Coming off a 29.1 PPG season on 55/40/90 shooting, Durant and Curry will dominate the NBA on their way to another title together, even if Durant misses some games due to injury or regular rest.

Backing up Durant from the first forward position will be a young player with a huge upside. Shaedon Sharepe will cost us just $6.3 million toward our cap. In 80 games in 2022-23, 65 of which came off the bench, Sharpe impressed with his athleticism and improvement as the year went on. He finished with 9.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.2 APG in his rookie season but 23.7 PPG and 6.1 RPG over his final 10 starts. He will be a welcomed addition to both our immediate and long-term future.

Power Forwards – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($45.6 Million), Jarred Vanderbilt ($4.7 Million)

We can also afford to add another superstar to each position in the frontcourt, starting with Giannis Antetokounmpo at $45.6 million. The possibilities are endless for the duo of Giannis and Curry on the court, together with Durant added in the mix as well. The pick-and-roll would be beautifully executed, with the defense perplexed as to which poison to pick. If they collapse on Ginnis when he gets the ball, right back out to Curry it goes. If you cheat, you’ll get burned by a bucket inside or three from Curry. He will also serve as the primary interior defender for our squad, a task any former Defensive Player of the Year is up to.

Backing up Giannis will be a young player whose name got known across the nation in 2022-23. Jarred Vanderbilt came over to the Lakers at the trade deadline and became one of the catalysts for their resurgent season. Vanderbilt’s athleticism and hustle on the defensive side of the ball propelled the Lakers to the league’s best defense heading into the playoffs, and having him on our second unit here bolsters that end of the floor. Vanderbilt’s versatility to step in with the starters and take on the opponent’s best offensive player will be a priceless decision as well.

Centers – Nikola Jokic ($46.9 Million), Chet Holmgren ($10.4 Million)

As if it weren’t unfair already, we now get to add the reigning Finals MVP and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, to our lineup. Jokic makes this team completely unbeatable, as they can now attack from every angle on the court. Jokic’s addition makes Stephen Curry the most dangerous man on the court, and here’s why. Jokic’s bread and butter is his beautiful and accurate cross-court pass. With Curry’s movement away from the ball, these two will be picking apart defenses all day long. This is without even mentioning Giannis as a threat in transition or Durant off the ball, either. With Jokic there to clean up the glass and make plays where he is most comfortable, this team is an automatic lock for multiple NBA championships.

The last player we will be able to add to our lineup for just over $10 million is Chet Holmgren. Honestly, we do not know how much or what to expect from Holmgren is what will technically be his rookie season after missing all of 2023 with a foot injury. What we do know is that he will be getting a lesson from two of the game’s best bigs, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic, while also learning from two of its best scorers in Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Holgrem already has raw s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s and the tools to be great. With the guidance of this lineup, there are no limits to what he will accomplish.

How Many Championships Will This Team Win Over The Next Four Years?

Once again, let’s take a look at our starting lineup. It consists of Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. Each of the last Finals MVP award winners on one team, along with a combined seven MVP awards and eight NBA championships. As long as this team remains healthy and on the court together, they will win every championship they set out to capture in the NBA. There are no weaknesses offensively for this team, and we could see a lineup average 130.0 PPG. That is how seriously dominant they could be.

There may be some holes defensively, as Curry and Edwards aren’t exactly the best defensive pair, and Jokic has had his issues as well, but that point is moot when it comes to firepower this strong on the other side of the ball. This team is also built for the future, with players like Giannis and Jokic leading the way, supported by Edwards, Holmgren, Vanderbilt, and Maxey around them. This team will be looking at multiple championships beyond the four they will win in a row, guaranteed.

Overall, we spent $197.5 million to build the perfect superteam around Stephen Curry, delivering multiple championships into his lap like we promised at the start of this piece. We would have spent $241 million if we included Curry’s salary, which doesn’t seem all that bad in the grand scheme of things. After all, this is a far-fetched scenario, and we could never see all of the players on the same team anyway. Isn’t that what makes this game so fun, though?