The Golden State Warriors are signing veteran NBA guard Seth Curry to the roster. Seth Curry joins his older brother Steph in the Bay Area. Guard Pat Spencer, whose brother Cam plays on the Memphis Grizzlies, also plays for Golden State.
It got us thinking: who is the best current brother duo in the NBA?
One way to tell is to rank each pair on its combined talent and accolades. However, that method would favor the one-sided heavy lifting of vaunted NBA greats such as Steph or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
So let’s do this another way — a hypothetical two-on-two, March Madness single-elimination tournament, games to 11.
There were 17 pairs of siblings on Opening-Night rosters; the Currys now make 18. Some, like Evan and Isaiah Mobley, don’t count because only one brother (Evan, with the Cavaliers) currently has an NBA contract. The Morris and Lopez twins also miss the cut, as between the four, only Brook Lopez remains on an NBA roster this season.
For the sake of this simulation, I chose the top eight pairs of brothers in terms of career combined scoring. To mitigate the vast differences between the two players’ averages and give weight to dominant players, I added the brothers’ combined career scoring averages rather than taking the mean of the two. Giannis’ career average of 24.0 points per game was added to Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2.4, for a total of 26.4, instead of a 13.2 average.
The Currys are a tough omission, however, rules are rules. We considered duos on Opening Night rosters, and Seth was not on one. The Currys would have been the No. 1 seed with a 34.8 combined average. But while the duo possesses spellbinding shotmaking, wouldn’t they have struggled guarding any of the bigger brothers in the league?
Oh, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are cousins, so they didn’t qualify. This likely would have ended differently if the MVP and his respected two-way 3&D cousin walked into this hypothetical gym.
Here’s how the siblings ranked:
- LaMelo and Lonzo Ball: 32.1
- Franz and Moe Wagner: 28.5
- Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo: 26.4
- Jrue and Aaron Holiday: 22.3
- Jalen and Cody Williams: 22.3
- Amen and Ausar Thompson: 22.2
- Keegan and Kris Murray: 18.6
- Tyus and Tre’ Jones: 16.1
- Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr.: 15.5
- Andrew and Ryan Nembhard: 15.4
- Julian and Justin Champagnie: 14.5
- Caleb and Cody Martin: 14.1
- Cason and Keaton Wallace: 13.1
- Obi and Jacob Toppin: 9.9
- Max and Cam Christie: 9.9
- Pat and Cam Spencer: 9.8
- Leonard and Emanuel Miller: 7.7
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Balls vs. No. 8 Jones
This one’s not much of a contest. While the injury odds for the Balls over a full season are high, that doesn’t come into play in an imaginary two-on-two brother battle. The Jones brothers are simply too little. And while both Tre and Tyus are well respected in their ability to generate cunning baskets despite both being under 6-foot-1, Lonzo Ball remains one of the premier perimeter defenders in the league and holds more than four inches of height advantage. Lonzo has a career 110.1 defensive rating. For context, six-time career all-defensive team member Jrue Holiday has a career defensive rating of 109.5 (The lower the better).
As for either Jones brother stopping LaMelo Ball on an island with any regularity? No. The ultra-talented Charlotte Hornets guard thrives on space, rhythm and freedom. LaMelo Ball averaged 25.2 points per game last season, hitting nearly four 3s a night in 47 games. Maybe Tre or Tyus find a few buckets against LaMelo, but the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft cooks anyone who steps onto his island.
Balls win, 11-4
No. 2 Wagners vs. No. 7 Murrays
After a promising rookie season in which he shot 41.8 percent from 3, set a Kings record for 3s and earned first-team All-Rookie honors in 2022-23, Keegan Murray’s growth stalled. His 3-point percentage has steadily declined, and after jumping from 12.2 to 15.2 points per game in Year 2, Murray’s average dipped back to 12.4 in his third season. His brother, Kris, still has a ways to go before becoming a meaningful NBA contributor for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Franz Wagner, meanwhile, has been a revelation for the Magic. The 6-10 forward averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season, with his older brother Moe providing complementary size and skill. (We’re assuming Moe Wagner is fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered last December.)
The Murrays can catch fire as spot-up shooters, but 2-on-2 requires shot creation, an area both still need to develop. The Wagners overwhelm with a mix of size and versatility.
Wagners win, 11-6
No. 3 Antetokounmpos vs. No. 6 Thompsons
This is tough. Giannis’ dominance is capable of carrying the Antetokounmpos. He’s averaged 29.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in nine games against the Thompson brothers in his NBA career. While they haven’t always been Antetokounmpo’s primary defenders, they’d have to be that here.
The problem is that Thanasis would be a liability on both ends. Amen and Ausar’s athleticism and speed would let them blow by him with ease. The question is whether they can hit enough shots with Giannis roaming the paint.
I think the Thompson twins can make just enough plays — and maybe get a stop or two on Giannis in half-court situations — to pull an upset.
Thompsons win, 11-9
No. 4 Holidays vs. No. 5 Williamses
Jalen Williams broke out in his third season, earning All-NBA third team and All-Defense second team honors in 2024-25.
Jrue Holiday, meanwhile, has been doing this defense thing. He has been named to an All-Defensive team every year but one since 2018. He’s stonewalled players of Jalen’s caliber or higher before. Their duel would be a battle of wills.
Cody Williams, the 10th pick in the 2024 draft by the Utah Jazz, endured a rough rookie year, shooting just 32 percent from the field and 26 percent from three — the lowest and second-lowest, respectively, among lottery picks. Aaron Holiday’s eight years of NBA experience give him an edge and will help his duo generate some crafty buckets.
Jalen holds his own, but Jrue’s defense and veteran savvy tip the balance. Experience narrowly wins out over youth.
Holidays, 11-8
Semifinals
No. 1 Balls vs. No. 4 Holidays
Jrue Holiday has put plenty of guards in purgatory in his 17-year career. For whatever reason, be it his 6-foot-7 frame, his quality long-range shooting, or tight handle, LaMelo Ball has been his unsolvable puzzle. Ball averaged a resounding 30.1 points, 7.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds in eight games versus Holiday in his career.
This semifinal stops and ends there. If Jrue — of all people — hasn’t been able to find the answer to slowing LaMelo, Aaron won’t. On the flip side, the elder Holiday has been a capable scorer in his career, averaging 15.8 a game. But that number dips to 13.8 against Lonzo. With Lonzo limiting Jrue offensively, LaMelo pouring it in on him defensively, Aaron a near non-factor — and the size advantage as both Ball brothers are taller than both Holidays — the Balls cruise to the final.
Balls win, 11-5
No. 2 Wagners vs. No. 6 Thompsons
The Wagners hold the size edge, but not enough to dominate outright. Franz will get his points — he’s skilled off the dribble, deadly from outside, and crafty attacking the rim. In seven career games against Ausar Thompson’s Pistons, he’s averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from three. Still, not all of that came on Ausar. In a matchup on Jan. 25, he allowed just five of Franz’s 32 points.
Ausar would have his hands full, but he’d find a stop or two. Both Thompsons are emerging as top-tier defensive stoppers — ultra-athletic 6-foot-7 wings with seven-foot wingspans who can disrupt almost anyone.
Offensively, neither’s jumper forces the Wagners out of the paint consistently, with Amen shooting 22.2 percent from three on his career and Ausar 20.9 percent. Still, they attack the rim relentlessly. Amen’s highlight reel is filled with circus finishes, and together the twins’ pace and pressure force the Wagners to adjust.
Their dexterity and vice-grip defense narrowly give the Thompsons the edge in this hypothetical.
Thompsons win, 11-10
Championship
No. 1 Balls vs. No. 6 Thompsons
Unlike Holiday, Ausar Thompson has found answers to limiting LaMelo. The youngest Ball brother only averages 18.5 points per game against the young Pistons defensive stopper, while shooting a measly 26 percent from the field and 20 percent from deep. He’s averaged 22.8 against Amen, so Ausar steps up to that task here. Lonzo hasn’t shown to be dynamic enough as a scorer off the dribble to consistently find buckets against Amen. However, the Thompsons aren’t offensive powerhouses themselves, so this one likely becomes a stingy brick fest of tough shots, each side battling to see who can make contested buckets.
However, in the end, without a paint presence, LaMelo is forced to guard in space on the perimeter. Either Thompson twin licks their chops at the opportunity of one cross-and-go, simply beating LaMelo around every corner and flying to the rim. Also, Ausar’s shooting has soared to 33.3 percent from deep early in the 2025-26 season, which is a sign of vast improvement. He’ll step out and hit a few from downtown. The championship goes back and forth and LaMelo finds some buckets because that’s who he is, Lonzo maybe gets inside a time or two, but the Thompsons overwhelm the Balls and take it.
Thompsons win, 11-8
So there you have it. In a hypothetical, should the siblings of the league roll the ball out and engage in a 2-on-2 tournament, the lockdown defense and boundless athleticism between the Thompsons would help them run the table to glory.