99OVR

Guides / Reference

Franchise wheel directory

By the 99OVR editorial team at Sameer Studios

Best Player runs spin two reels: a franchise and a decade. This is every combination the wheel can land on — 57 all-decade rosters across 27 franchises — with the team that earned each slot and what you are walking into.

How a landing becomes a roster

Each franchise slot on the wheel was earned by one specific team — the 1996 Bulls, the 2004 Pistons — but the roster you read is bigger than that team. When the reels stop on a franchise and decade, the game deals every player the franchise used in those ten years, with the headline team listed first. That is why a 2000s Lakers landing can hand you both a three-peat champion and a role player from a lottery season.

Some slots were earned by lottery teams on purpose. Those landings are not lost rounds: the full decade roster usually hides more than the headline season suggests, and grades compare your pick with the rest of that roster, so finding its one real defender earns the same top grade as taking the best defender on a champion. Your build’s OVR is where the difference shows. The team and decade re-spins exist for exactly this tradeoff; the rules page covers how many you get.

All-time, solid and rough

When the reels settle, the landing card shows a badge. On the franchise wheel it describes the whole decade roster, not the headline season.

All-time
The decade’s best players are elite at something. Expect several legitimate answers in most rounds, and a jackpot sound when the card lands.
Solid
Good players without an overwhelming peak. There is usually a strong pick for each skill, but it may not be the famous one.
Rough
Reserved for thin rosters. Because every franchise landing deals ten years of players, none of the current franchise rosters comes up rough; you will see the badge in positional runs, where it judges the twelve players you were dealt on the current skill.

When a franchise has two headline seasons in the same decade — the 2001 and 2005 Lakers, say — they share one landing and one roster.

Every franchise on the wheel

Atlanta Hawks · 80s, 10s

Dominique Wilkins’ high-flying 1980s teams, and the 2015 group that won 60 games with four All-Stars and no single superstar before Cleveland swept them.

  • 80s Hawks (solid, 66 players)1988: Fifty wins, one human highlight film, no Finals. Headliners: Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers, Kevin Willis, Randy Wittman.
  • 10s Hawks (all-time, 111 players)2015: 60 wins, four All-Stars, no superstar. Then Cleveland swept them. Headliners: Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, DeMarre Carroll.

Boston Celtics · 80s, 90s, 00s

The wheel’s biggest mood swing. The 1980s are Bird, McHale and Parish; the 1990s bottom out with the 15-win 1997 team; the 2000s end with Pierce, Garnett and Allen winning the 2008 title.

  • 80s Celtics (all-time, 49 players)1986: The best Celtics team ever assembled. It is not close. Headliners: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson.
  • 90s Celtics (solid, 91 players)1997: 15-67. The tank year that missed on Duncan. Headliners: Antoine Walker, David Wesley, Eric Williams, Rick Fox.
  • 00s Celtics (all-time, 87 players)2008: Ubuntu. 24 wins to a banner in one summer. Headliners: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo.

Chicago Bulls · 90s, 00s, 10s

The six-title 1990s dynasty, the rebuild of the early 2000s, and Derrick Rose’s 2011 MVP team. Three decades, three completely different rosters.

  • 90s Bulls (all-time, 70 players)1996: 72-10. The apex of the sport and everybody knew it live. Headliners: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley.
  • 00s Bulls (solid, 93 players)2002: 21-61. Six seasons of rubble after the dynasty. Headliners: Jalen Rose, Ron Artest, Marcus Fizer, Fred Hoiberg.
  • 10s Bulls (all-time, 86 players)2011: 62 wins and the youngest MVP ever. Then the knee. Headliners: Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah.

Cleveland Cavaliers · 10s

Both Cleveland eras sit inside the 2010s — the 2011 team after LeBron James left and the 2016 champions after he returned — so they merge into a single all-decade roster.

  • 10s Cavaliers (all-time, 130 players)2011: 19-63 and a 26-game losing streak. The Decision hangover. Headliners: Antawn Jamison, J.J. Hickson, Mo Williams, Baron Davis.2016: Down 3-1. The block, the shot, the stop. Cleveland finally. Headliners: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith.

Dallas Mavericks · 90s, 10s

The franchise’s floor and ceiling: the 11-71 team of 1993 and Dirk Nowitzki’s 2011 champions. Because rosters span the decade, the 1990s landing also reaches Jason Kidd’s first stint and the late-decade arrival of Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash.

  • 90s Mavericks (solid, 94 players)1993: 11-71. One of the worst teams in modern history. Headliners: Derek Harper, Jim Jackson, Sean Rooks, Terry Davis.
  • 10s Mavericks (all-time, 117 players)2011: Dirk over the Heat. The most satisfying upset of the decade. Headliners: Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler.

Denver Nuggets · 00s, 20s

The 17-win 2003 team that landed Carmelo Anthony in the draft, and Nikola Jokić’s 2023 champions. The 2020s roster is one of the smallest on the wheel, so the stars are easy to find.

  • 00s Nuggets (solid, 89 players)2003: 17-65. The tank that landed Carmelo Anthony. Headliners: Juwan Howard, James Posey, Nene, Chris Whitney.
  • 20s Nuggets (all-time, 55 players)2023: Jokic, Finals MVP, and Denver's first banner. Sixteen playoff wins, four losses. Headliners: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon.

Detroit Pistons · 80s, 00s, 10s

Two championship identities built on defense — the Bad Boys of 1989 and the 2004 starting five that beat the Lakers — plus an early-2010s rebuild with far fewer stars.

  • 80s Pistons (all-time, 77 players)1989: Bad Boys. They swept the Lakers and enjoyed it too much. Headliners: Isiah Thomas, Adrian Dantley, Joe Dumars, Mark Aguirre.
  • 00s Pistons (all-time, 76 players)2004: No superstar. Beat the Lakers 4-1. Still the best team defense of the century. Headliners: Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince.
  • 10s Pistons (solid, 95 players)2012: 25-41 in a lockout year. The Palace was quiet. Headliners: Greg Monroe, Rodney Stuckey, Brandon Knight, Tayshaun Prince.

Golden State Warriors · 00s, 10s

The “We Believe” upset of 2007 and the Stephen Curry dynasty that won titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

  • 00s Warriors (all-time, 100 players)2007: We Believe. An eight seed took out 67-win Dallas. Headliners: Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Monta Ellis.
  • 10s Warriors (all-time, 95 players)2017: 16-1 in the playoffs. The most talent ever assembled. Headliners: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green.

Houston Rockets · 90s, 10s

Hakeem Olajuwon’s back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, and James Harden’s three-point-heavy teams of the late 2010s. Very different offenses, both with an elite headliner.

  • 90s Rockets (all-time, 80 players)1995: Clutch City. Sixth seed, back-to-back, nobody believed it. Headliners: Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Otis Thorpe, Vernon Maxwell.
  • 10s Rockets (all-time, 120 players)2018: 65 wins. Chris Paul's hamstring cost them a title. Headliners: James Harden, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, Clint Capela.

Indiana Pacers · 90s, 00s

Reggie Miller’s 1990s Pacers, perennial playoff rivals of the Knicks, and a late-2000s team rebuilding after the 2004 brawl in Detroit.

  • 90s Pacers (solid, 59 players)1995: Reggie scored 8 in 9 seconds. The Garden never recovered. Headliners: Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Byron Scott, Dale Davis.
  • 00s Pacers (solid, 74 players)2008: 36-46. Still paying for the Malice at the Palace. Headliners: Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Jermaine O'Neal, Troy Murphy.

Los Angeles Clippers · 00s, 10s

A 15-win team at the start of the 2000s and the Lob City era of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in the 2010s.

  • 00s Clippers (solid, 104 players)2000: 15-67 in the Sports Arena. Attendance optional. Headliners: Maurice Taylor, Derek Anderson, Lamar Odom, Tyrone Nesby.
  • 10s Clippers (all-time, 117 players)2014: Lob City at full altitude. 57 wins and no conference finals. Headliners: Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick.

Los Angeles Lakers · 80s, 00s

Showtime in the 1980s, then a 2000s decade that holds both the Shaq-and-Kobe three-peat and the lean season after O’Neal was traded. Because decade rosters merge, a 2000s landing can deal from either version.

  • 80s Lakers (all-time, 57 players)1987: Showtime at full volume. Magic finally took the MVP. Headliners: Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
  • 00s Lakers (all-time, 66 players)2001: 15-1 through the playoffs. The most dominant month ever. Headliners: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox.2005: 34-48 and no playoffs. The year after Shaq left. Headliners: Kobe Bryant, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Chucky Atkins.

Memphis Grizzlies · 00s, 10s

The first season in Memphis, with Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol, and the Grit and Grind teams of the 2010s that won with defense and a famously slow offense.

  • 00s Grizzlies (solid, 95 players)2002: First year in Memphis. 23 wins and a Rookie of the Year. Headliners: Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, Jason Williams, Stromile Swift.
  • 10s Grizzlies (all-time, 125 players)2013: Grit and Grind. Slowest offense in the league, conference finals anyway. Headliners: Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, Marc Gasol.

Miami Heat · 00s, 10s

Dwyane Wade’s 2006 title alongside Shaquille O’Neal, then the LeBron James, Wade and Chris Bosh teams that won in 2012 and 2013.

  • 00s Heat (all-time, 92 players)2006: Down 0-2 to Dallas. Wade decided it wasn't happening. Headliners: Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, Jason Williams, Antoine Walker.
  • 10s Heat (all-time, 87 players)2013: 27 straight wins. Ray Allen's corner three. Back-to-back. Headliners: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen.

Milwaukee Bucks · 70s, 20s

Two decades fifty years apart, and both end with a banner: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson in 1971, Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021. Either landing tends to be generous at the rim and on defense.

  • 70s Bucks (all-time, 66 players)1971: Kareem and the Big O. 66 wins, one sweep, zero drama. Headliners: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge, Jon McGlocklin.
  • 20s Bucks (all-time, 68 players)2021: 50 points in the closeout game. Fifty years of waiting, over. Headliners: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez.

Minnesota Timberwolves · 00s, 10s

Kevin Garnett’s 2004 MVP season and the franchise’s deepest playoff run of that era, then the Kevin Love years in the following decade.

  • 00s Timberwolves (solid, 87 players)2004: 58 wins, a KG MVP, and the only conference finals in franchise history. Headliners: Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Wally Szczerbiak.
  • 10s Timberwolves (all-time, 111 players)2014: 40-42 and no playoffs, which ended the Kevin Love era. Headliners: Kevin Love, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, Corey Brewer.

New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets · 00s, 10s

Jason Kidd’s back-to-back Finals trips in the early 2000s, then the 12-70 season that opened the 2010s. The 2010s roster is the largest on the wheel.

  • 00s Nets (all-time, 95 players)2002: Kidd arrived and a 26-win team went to the Finals. Headliners: Kenyon Martin, Jason Kidd, Keith Van Horn, Kerry Kittles.
  • 10s Nets (solid, 143 players)2010: 12-70. Started the season 0-18. Nobody was hiding. Headliners: Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Courtney Lee.

New York Knicks · 90s, 10s

Patrick Ewing’s bruising 1990s contenders, and a 2010s decade that contains the franchise’s worst season, 17-65 in 2015.

  • 90s Knicks (all-time, 75 players)1994: Seven games from a title. Starks went 2-for-18. Headliners: Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Smith, Charles Oakley.
  • 10s Knicks (solid, 121 players)2015: 17-65. The worst season in franchise history. Headliners: Carmelo Anthony, Andrea Bargnani, Amare Stoudemire, Langston Galloway.

Orlando Magic · 90s, 00s

Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway reached the 1995 Finals; a decade later Tracy McGrady won scoring titles on teams that could not win games.

  • 90s Magic (all-time, 90 players)1995: Shaq and Penny at 23. The scariest what-if in the sport. Headliners: Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson, Horace Grant.
  • 00s Magic (solid, 82 players)2004: 21-61 with a scoring champion on the roster. Explain that. Headliners: Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Gordan Giricek, Drew Gooden.

Philadelphia 76ers · 80s, 00s, 10s

Three very different Philadelphias: Moses Malone and Julius Erving’s 1983 champions, Allen Iverson’s 2001 Finals team, and the 2015 roster that was built to lose. The 2010s roster is one of the largest on the wheel because so many players passed through.

  • 80s 76ers (all-time, 74 players)1983: Fo, fi, fo. Moses called it and then delivered it. Headliners: Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, Maurice Cheeks.
  • 00s 76ers (all-time, 85 players)2001: Iverson's MVP year. One Finals game stolen in LA. Headliners: Allen Iverson, Theo Ratliff, Dikembe Mutombo, Aaron McKie.
  • 10s 76ers (all-time, 131 players)2015: 18-64. Trust the Process was a real slogan people believed. Headliners: Michael Carter-Williams, Robert Covington, Nerlens Noel, K.J. McDaniels.

Phoenix Suns · 90s, 00s

Charles Barkley’s 1993 MVP season and Steve Nash’s Seven Seconds or Less offense a decade later — two of the most entertaining teams of their eras, and both deep in athleticism.

  • 90s Suns (all-time, 86 players)1993: 62 wins, an MVP, and purple uniforms that still slap. Headliners: Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle, Kevin Johnson, Richard Dumas.
  • 00s Suns (all-time, 94 players)2005: Seven Seconds or Less. 62 wins and the offense everyone copied. Headliners: Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, Steve Nash.

Portland Trail Blazers · 90s, 00s

Clyde Drexler’s early-1990s Finals teams, then the mid-2000s rebuild after the “Jail Blazers” years. The 90s roster is far stronger, but both reward reading past the headliners.

  • 90s Blazers (all-time, 73 players)1992: 57 wins and a Finals trip. Then Jordan shrugged. Headliners: Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, Cliff Robinson.
  • 00s Blazers (solid, 87 players)2006: 21-61. The Jail Blazers hangover, before Roy and Oden. Headliners: Zach Randolph, Darius Miles, Ruben Patterson, Voshon Lenard.

San Antonio Spurs · 90s, 10s

Tim Duncan bookends both decades: the 1999 Twin Towers title with David Robinson and the ball-movement clinic of 2014.

  • 90s Spurs (all-time, 83 players)1999: Twin Towers, lockout season, first banner in San Antonio. Headliners: Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson.
  • 10s Spurs (all-time, 77 players)2014: The Beautiful Game. They passed Miami to death. Headliners: Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili.

Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder · 90s, 10s

The franchise lands as the 1990s SuperSonics of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, and as Oklahoma City’s 2010s teams built around Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and, for a while, James Harden.

  • 90s SuperSonics (all-time, 70 players)1996: 64 wins, green and gold, and the last great Seattle team. Headliners: Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf, Hersey Hawkins.
  • 10s Thunder (all-time, 90 players)2012: Durant, Westbrook, Harden. All on rookie deals. All in the Finals. Headliners: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka.

Toronto Raptors · 90s, 10s

A young expansion team in the late 1990s and the 2019 champions led by Kawhi Leonard — one of the steepest climbs on the wheel.

  • 90s Raptors (all-time, 63 players)1998: 16-66 in dinosaur pinstripes. A teenage McGrady watched. Headliners: Doug Christie, John Wallace, Dee Brown, Walt Williams.
  • 10s Raptors (all-time, 94 players)2019: The bounce. Four times. Canada got a banner. Headliners: Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry.

Utah Jazz · 90s, 00s

Stockton-to-Malone at its late-1990s peak, then the mid-2000s rebuild that followed both of them leaving.

  • 90s Jazz (all-time, 59 players)1997: Stockton's shot beat Houston. Then Jordan happened. Headliners: Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton, Bryon Russell.
  • 00s Jazz (solid, 68 players)2005: 26-56. The first year with neither Stockton nor Malone. Headliners: Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Matt Harpring.

Washington Wizards · 70s, 00s

The franchise appears twice under two names: the 1970s Bullets of Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld, who won it all in 1978, and the 2000s Wizards, where a 38-year-old Michael Jordan spent his final seasons.

  • 70s Bullets (solid, 59 players)1978: The Fat Lady sang. Nobody picked them and they won it. Headliners: Elvin Hayes, Bob Dandridge, Mitch Kupchak, Kevin Grevey.
  • 00s Wizards (solid, 82 players)2002: Jordan came back at 38 and dragged them to 37 wins. Headliners: Michael Jordan, Richard Hamilton, Courtney Alexander, Christian Laettner.