Ranking EVERY Bench Unit From All 30 NBA Teams

Over the last few weeks, I've been going through putting out rankings for many different positions and areas of the game of basketball at the NBA level, and today we are once again continuing on this trend. One of those recent videos in particular ranked the sixth men, but depth in the NBA goes beyond just one player, so today we're shifting our focus to the entirety of teams' benches. That's right, today we'll be ranking the bench units from all 30 NBA teams, taking a look at how strong these groups are top to bottom, taking into account high-end talent, quantity of talent, and the balance at each spot. With that being said now, let's dive right in! Starting at the bottom and working our way up to the number one spot, at number 30 we have the Brooklyn Nets bench. The Nets, in general, are a very young, inexperienced, raw team with many of the pieces of their core still needing a ton of development before they consistently contribute anything positive. Players like Nolan Traore, Ben Sharaf, Danny Wolfe, and Drake Powell all fit that bill, Noah Clowney is a hot and cold shooter at the fore, and Moe Wagner and Keon Ellis are both more experienced newcomers, but are not necessarily needle movers to shoot them up this list. Next, at number 29, we have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings do have one of the better sixth men in the league in Malik Monk headlining this unit, they just don't have much depth at all beyond that. Maxime Reynaud also deserves a lot of credit for becoming a bit of a double-double machine last season down the stretch, and he is one of the better backup centers, but beyond those two guys, players like Neek Clifford, Precious Ochoa, and Dylan Cardwell do not stack up comparatively to the backups around the NBA. Next, at number 28, we have the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls bench has the upside to prove they belong a bit higher on this list, but they just haven't done it yet. They're weighed down by flops like Isaac Okoro and Patrick Williams, who have both failed to live up to the expectations after being top five selections in the draft. Rob Dillingham is another player looking like a flop of a lottery pick, still trying to find his footing in the NBA with this group. Trey Jones is a good playmaker, but not a true game-changing floor general. Noah Asengwe missed his entire first season in the league injured last year, and Jalen Smith is actually a pretty reliable backup stretch big man, providing some true promise for them, but he also might get traded at some point this season. Next, at number 27, we have the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have been trending in the wrong direction for a few years now, and their lack of truly high-end depth definitely isn't helping their cause. Al Horford is a complete shell of his former self, not shooting the ball well or playing high-end defense anymore. DeAnthony Melton also didn't really shoot the ball well last season as he was fresh off of an injury. Gary Payton is a good defender, but he also can't really shoot. And while I do like their new signing of Brandon Williams as a dynamic slasher and playmaker, most of his breakout production last season came after the Mavericks already abandoned ship on their season, so he's still unproven in a situation with real expectations. Next, at number 26, we have the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets seem to lose more and more bench pieces every offseason, and their solutions never seem to fully pay off. Their current bench unit is headlined by newcomer DeMar DeRozan, which sounds nice, except for the fact that in the year 2026, DeRozan's bad habits have a tendency to do more harm than good. Yes, he can still fill it up as a scorer, but he goes about doing so by ball hogging a bit, dribbling the air out of the ball, and still avoiding the three-point line, which is a tough fit in Denver's system. After that, they have Tyus Jones, who's coming off of his worst year as a pro, Julian Strother, who is actually a quite serviceable 3&D wing, and then a bunch of unproven commodities elsewhere. Next, at number 25, we have the Portland Trailblazers. Portland's bench actually has a pretty strong backcourt, with Jeroo Holiday likely getting bumped to the second unit after the arrival of Ja Morant and the return of Damian Lillard. But at the same time, Holiday's name has been on the trade block for a while, and there seems to be a good chance that he's on his way out sooner rather than later. After him, there's a lot of uncertainty about this bench unit. Scoot Henderson has shown plenty of flashes, but still has yet to put together a full, strong season start to finish. Robert Williams can't seem to stay healthy, Yong Hansen had a pretty poor rookie season, and Vit Krejci is a good shooter, but he lacks versatility. Next, at number 24, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs have a very strong starting lineup right now, but their bench has become somewhat thin. Jalen Tyson is the highlight of this second unit as a player who broke out last season as a sharpshooting wing with underrated creation skills on the ball and a strong frame on defense. Sam Merrill is another sharpshooting wing that they have off of their bench, but he doesn't really offer much in any other facet of the game, and after those two, the talent level definitely drops off. Right now, Thomas Bryan is their center, Mario Hezonja is trying desperately to rejuvenate his career with them after he flamed out of the NBA entirely, and Craig Porter Jr. is their only other ball handler. Next, at number 23, we have the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves' recent addition of Jonathan Kuminga means that Ayo Dasumu will likely be stepping into their sixth-man role next season, and immediately, he becomes one of the best sixth men in the NBA, but again, the Wolves lack many high-end backup options besides him. Bones Hyland started to turn a corner playing more efficiently last season with them, but he's way too hot and cold to anoint yet, and after him, the rest of this bench is made up of unproven talent. Terrence Shannon Jr. has promise, but hasn't been a consistent part of the team's rotation yet through two seasons, Yohan Baranjay didn't really see the court much at all as a rookie center last year, and Isaiah Evans was just a second-round pick. Next, at number 22, we have the New York Knicks. The reigning champions deserve so much credit for the run that they just went on, winning the NBA Finals, but this is a team where a majority of the success stems from their dominant starting lineup. They have a few good bench pieces, but nobody truly top-tier in this regard. Jose Alvarado can be a pesky ball handler in spurts, Miles McBride is a great volume shooter who comes in and immediately starts bombing threes, and Landry Shammett showed he could also be an impact shooter in his own right, but after that, things get thin with this group. Andre Drummond is a downgrade as a replacement for Robinson at center, and Jordan Clarkson seems very much washed up. Next, at number 21, we have the Miami Heat. The Heat made a groundbreaking trade to bring in superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and in the process, they gutted a lot of their depth. Pel Larson is a sleeping giant and hidden gem in this group off the bench, but he has to actually prove that on the court long-term first. Klay Thompson can still shoot threes at a high level, but the rest of his game has seemed to fall off quite a bit. Same can be said about Bobby Portis, whose defense has been pretty bad over the last few years, even if he is still a capable stretch big man. Then Nick Richards is a decent backup center, but not one that propels them far up a list like this. Next, at number 20, we have the Los Angeles Clippers. We're now in the tier where these bench units have real impact, they're just largely lacking in high-end depth. Chris Dunn and Derek Jones Jr. are both great defenders, but neither really give you much creation. Bradley Beal is a complete unknown, having looked pretty washed up last season before suffering a season-ending injury, so we'll have to wait and see how he looks post-injury. Max Struess is probably the best of this bunch as a two-way shooter with a ton of experience starting on playoff teams. Then, Yannick Niederhauser is going to have to step into a bigger role as a second-year center without much experience. Next, at number 19, we have the Orlando Magic. The Magic's bench is headlined by Anthony Black, who is emerging as one of the best six-man switch army knife type of talents in the league, capable of handling many different roles in the backcourt, but after him, this is a pretty bang average unit. They're hoping that Jace Richardson can be more involved as a playmaker after a quiet rookie year, because otherwise, this group includes a few capable defenders without that much offensive output otherwise. Next, at number 18, we have the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons bench is made up of players that have settled into key roles capable of helping in spurts, but a few of them have objectively disappointed. Dennis Jenkins did come out of nowhere last season to snag the backup point guard role, but is wildly hot and cold with some bad shot selection at times. Isaiah Joe is a newcomer providing elite shooting, but he doesn't really give you much else. Paul Reed is a great energy guy as a backup big man, but then Ron Holland has disappointed as a former top five pick, not really developing offensively as they liked. Kevin Herder's jumper went pretty cold last season, and rookie Ibuka Okori is so far an unproven commodity who could actually break out. Next, at number 17, we have the Phoenix Suns. The Suns bench unit is honestly pretty serviceable across the board. Colin Gillespie started most of last season, but will now be the backup point guard with Jalen Green healthy again, and he's a volume three point shooter and a smart decision maker. Hopefully Kamon Malowatch can show growth and have a breakout year too. Luke Kennard is another sharp shooting wing they just brought in this summer, plus Oso Iguodoro and Ryan Dunn are both tough-nosed defenders in this unit who do the dirty work for them. Next, at number 16, we have the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies bench has a pretty good mix of proven impact subs and promising young talent with room to blossom. Scotty Pippen Jr. was becoming one of the better backup point guards in the league two years ago, but last season he was hampered by injuries. Jalen Wells is still a streaky shooter, but has shown plenty of signs of being a great two-way wing in the making. Taylor Hendricks' career has also been pretty marred by injuries, but down the stretch of last season, he put together some solid performances as a long defender and a potential shooting threat. Plus, they just brought in Isaiah Stewart from Detroit to set the tone on defense and dominate the glass. Next, at number 15, we have the Toronto Raptors. As we approach the middle of the pack, we're starting to see more balance in quality overall, and the Raptors are a leg up from the others that we've discussed so far. Colin Murray-Boyles is an outstanding defensive talent who also rebounds well and can score in the paint at a high level. Jacoby Walter is a 41% shooter from three, and Jamal Shedd is a gritty perimeter defender and useful secondary playmaker. They're just lacking a true shot creator off the bench to boost them even further. Next, at number 14, we have the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans bench has a lot of names that should be really good, but it just doesn't translate to much winning impact right now. Jordan Poole has had some great years in his career, but is coming off of one of his worst. Jeremiah Fears has a ton of playmaking upside, but his rookie season still saw him play pretty inefficiently, and he was a bit turnover prone. New signing Benedict Matherin is a great shot creator off the bench, but he falls into the archetype of getting buckets and not much else that has become more devalued every year. And Eve Meese is a decent backup center who isn't necessarily great at any one thing in particular. Next, at number 13, we have the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have a completely revamped bench unit after the offseason that they just had. Colin Sexton was brought in to run the show with the second unit, and he's been one of the league's scoring threats off the bench for years now, consistently putting up between 50 and 20 points per game, shooting the ball very efficiently inside and out. They also drafted Cameron Carr, who is another very promising young scoring talent who could carve out a role immediately with them. After that, another new signing, Sandro Mamoukalashvili, was one of the league's best stretch fours off the bench last season when he was in Toronto. Then, as long as Jared Vanderbilt can stay healthy, he is an impactful defensive presence in the frontcourt as well. Next, at number 12, we have the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers have dominated headlines for the starting lineup that they have built this summer, but what flies under the radar is how much they have improved their bench as well. Anthony Simons is one of the league's best volume three-point shooters. Dean Wade is a great defender in the frontcourt who can space the floor too. Contavious Caldwell Pope has years of experience starting on the wing for championship contenders as a 3 and D guy. Rookie LeBaron Filon could prove to be one of the steals of the draft as a crafty playmaker and shooter, and then Adem Bona and Dominic Barlow both have potential as backup big men as well. Next, at number 11, we have the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have some new faces in this second unit that should all provide notable improvement. Lou Dort and Aaron Wiggins both come over from the Thunder where they were game changers for the team that won the finals in 2025, bringing championship pedigree into this rotation. Kingston Flemings is a very promising rookie with the poise and playmaking upside to handle some primary ball handling duties in spurts. Corey Kispert is a capable shooter, albeit he's been pretty streaky as of late. Jock Landale is a decent backup center, and Muhammad Gay is a useful stretch big man, so overall they have a lot of strong options. Now to start off the top 10, we have the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets' second unit is pretty deep, but at this point in the rankings, pretty much every group left is too. Dennis Schroeder continues his journey playing for half of the teams in the NBA as a steady backup ball handler. Grayson Allen is one of the league's best shooters. Sion James is a promising young defender, plus Hans Steinbeck and Ryan Kalkbrenner can both rotate in as backup big men depending on the matchup. Royce O'Neal is another steady veteran floor spacer they brought in, and while Dorian Finney-Smith has had a pretty bad year last season, he's hoping he can bounce back in Charlotte as well. Next at number nine, we have the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have a young, exciting group top to bottom, and a lot of this rising talent will be in this second unit. Players like Trey Johnson, Will O'Reilly, and Bob Carrington will spark the offense a lot in this group. Then they brought in Chris Middleton for a steady veteran presence. Bilal Koulibaly is a great athletic long defensive talent, and they also signed DeAndre Ayton to be their backup center, which is probably a role that he's much more suited for after being a decent starting center throughout his career prior to this. Next at number eight, we have the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are another team gearing up for a potential playoff push after years tanking, and it's because they now have a loaded roster with a lot of depth. Ace Bailey will likely be bumped to the bench after a strong rookie season, and he is someone who can get hot at any moment shooting the ball, as can Bryce Sensabaugh, who is another high-level scoring threat they have off the bench. Kyle Filipowski and Jackson Hayes give them different skill sets for backup big men. Isaiah Collier is actually a really good floor general type of backup point guard, and Josh Akogi is the go-to perimeter defender for this group. Next at number seven, we have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks aren't expected to be very good overall next season, but their bench unit ranks so highly because, funnily enough, the talent gap between this group and their starting lineup isn't that big. Kevin Porter Jr. started most of the time last season when he was on the court. Kelel Ware is definitely good enough to be a starting center and could take over that job by the end of the season. Gary Trent Jr. is hoping to bounce back as a three-point shooter. Rookies Nate Ament and Brandon Burries come in with a lot to be excited about, and Kasperus Jakuchonis was another valuable addition as a result of that Giannis Anadokoumpou trade. Next at number six, we have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were one win away from winning the finals in 2025, and now this season with Tyrese Halliburton back on the floor, they're hoping to get back into contention with yet another deep roster. TJ McConnell may not stuff the stat sheet throughout the year, but he's always one to play his best in critical moments. Obi Toppin is an awesome energy guy off the bench who can space the floor as well. Jay Huff and Jairus Walker are also both versatile front court depth pieces, and Kelly Oubre is a new addition bringing defense and secondary scoring to this unit as well. Next at number five, we have the Boston Celtics. The Celtics bench may not be quite as deep as it's been in prior years, but they have a few of the best bench options in the whole league. Peyton Pritchard is arguably the best sixth man in the NBA as an electrifying creator and shooter on the ball, basically counting as a sixth starter. Mitchell Robinson is fresh off of winning the finals with the Knicks and is one of the best backup centers in the NBA, so he was a big addition for this group. Sam Hauser is a marksman three-point shooter who's a career 41% shooter from three. Then young guys like Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, and Chris Senech all have paths to key roles this season based on their defensive output. Next at number four, we have the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are another team that may not be in the mix for anything meaningful this year, but there's still a lot of talent throughout this roster overall. Najee Marshall has quietly become an assassin scorer in his role. Daniel Gafford is one of the best backup centers in the league. Zachary Resache is looking to find his stride here after being traded from Atlanta. Santi Aldama provides a ton of versatility on both ends of the floor and a ton of raw athleticism to tap into, making this quite the bench squad. Next at number three, we have the Houston Rockets. As we approach the top spot on this list, we're now discussing groups that have multiple players that count as some of the top bench options at their given positions. Reid Shepard gives this team's offense a major boost every time he subs in with deep shooting range and a tight crafty handle. Tari Eason is the ultimate jack-of-all-trades forward talent off the bench who improved a ton as a shooter last season. Marcus Smart is coming in to give this group more experience off the bench as a secondary creator and as a high-end defender. Steven Adams is a strong bruising big man that dominates the glass and holds this defense together. And Bogdan Bogdanovich is another newcomer they brought in who may be getting older, but he can still score in bunches. Next at number two, we have Oklahoma City Thunder. The reason why OKC have been able to dominate the league for the last three years is because they not only have one of the best starting lineups, but they also have one of the best benches to add to it. Alex Caruso is the ultimate game wrecker in the backcourt as a truly elite perimeter defender. AJ Mitchell showed in the playoffs that he's capable of big time explosive scoring outings in the biggest moments. Jared McCain is one of the best movement shooters off the bench in the league. Jalen Williams is a triple double threat as a backup center. And then rookies Ade Mara and Bennett Sturtz both come in with a lot of upside in their own right. And now coming in as the number one ranked best bench in the NBA, we have the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are strength in numbers to the highest degree. What's crazy is that they have the reigning winner of the sixth man of the year award in Keldon Johnson, and yet he's not even their actual best bench player. Dylan Harper is good enough to be a high level starting point right now, but he has to wait his turn behind De'Aaron Fox in the meantime. Julian Champagny is also a tough sharp shooting forward who will be moved to the bench with the addition of Tobias Harris this offseason. Harrison Barnes is still a useful veteran in the frontcourt. Luke Cornette protects the rim well in spurts at center. Plus Carter Bryant is a great perimeter defender with room to grow as well. So all in all, this is a ridiculously stacked bench unit, and it was a big reason why they were in the NBA finals last season. And with that being said, that's all I have for you today. Make sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and comment down below what you think about the bench units around the NBA. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you all next time.