Tier 3: Offensive Engines
10. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
One year ago, Kyrie Irving was coming off of a terrible end to the season, joining the Dallas Mavericks as they fell apart down the stretch and missed the Play-In Tournament entirely. He secured a lucrative contract to stay with Dallas that looked like a serious overpay given the apparent trajectory of his career.
Then he turned in another sublime offense season, as only Kyrie Irving can do, and showed incredible chemistry alongside Luka Doncic as they made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Irving remains one of the league's best finishers and purest shooters, and he appears to still be in his prime at 32 years old.
9. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers struck gold with the 21st pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, landing a guard in Tyrese Maxey who grew from a quick bench guard to an All-Star last season, and they were happy to hand him a max contract this summer. His ability to attack defenses that were initially geared up to stop Joel Embiid is lethal, and he is a confident scorer and shooter who is coming into his own as an offensive engine.
8. De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings committed to De'Aaron Fox over Tyrese Haliburton two years ago when they traded for Domantas Sabonis, and while that deal hasn't necessarily panned out -- they are overpaying Sabonis and Haliburton is higher on this list -- Fox has become an extremely gifted and impactful point guard in his own right.
Fox led the league in steals last season and is a titan in transition, and his craft in the halfcourt continues to improve. He still has some work to do on the margins to improve as a defender and passer, but his leadership and offensive ability have been crucial to the best Kings team in over two decades.