Post NBA-draft and Free Agency team rankings for the upcoming 2024-2025 NBA season

This NBA draft was… well let’s say there were few (probably less than a few) names called that many have never heard before. Yes, this draft was less appealing to the NBA world and fans of basketball, but that shouldn’t stop NBA fans from building excitement for the upcoming season. With a newly crowned franchise, the Boston Celtics, teams are looking to stack their rosters and spend all that cap space to match what Boston did a year ago. There are many familiar faces on new teams for this next season and newly developed rosters looking to do all they can to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy next summer. Will this Celtics team turn into a dynasty? Can the T-wolves get over the hump and how much did this draft help them? Can one team rise and be the dark horse this year? These questions are hard to answer with 100% certainty, but rather 100% honesty from a biased Pistons fan. Here are the post-NBA-draft and FA power rankings:

BOTTOM OF THE BARRELL

30. Detroit Pistons

It pains me, but an honest man must do what is right. Recently firing head coach Monty Williams, the Pistons will now pay his bills for the rest of his life. By now, it is a reoccurring theme to see a Coach of the Year come to Detroit and dig the hole deeper for this young franchise. The addition of Ron Holland will help on the defensive side of the ball, but Detroit has lacked shooting for years now and drafting prospects who can’t shoot doesn’t help. The new additions of Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. are familiar faces to the Pistons and the state of Michigan. Anticipate these two scoring a lot and being the shooting options to produce more scoring. Revolving around Cade Cunningham and young unproven players is their identity and to release themselves from being the worst team in basketball things need to improve soon.

29. Washington Wizards

A team still in the early stages of a rebuild has added some young potential in the draft. Second pick Alex Sarr will have the chance to prove his role early. The recent addition of Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas helps this team gain experience for next season, but there is still a huge lack of depth. Signing Valanciunas was eye-opening to many, but we can expect him to be more of a mentor to Sarr. The few scorers they have are way too inconsistent for the Wizards to muster anything near the playoffs, but hopefully, with new coaching roles, they can develop the young core they have built. Truthfully, they could turn some heads but not by much. I think the Wizards are in a similar spot as the Pistons, just not nearly as bad.

28. Charlotte Hornets

With a new head coach and president of basketball operations, it will be hard for change to occur overnight. The Hornets finished 13th in the East last year which makes many think they should be higher on this list, but by now it should be known how much weaker the East is from the West. The Hornets centerpiece LaMelo Ball is way too inactive each season and tends to get shut down early into the season. Without having a playmaker on the court there is not much the Hornets have to offer as no new additions for the upcoming season have been great pickups. It’s important to form pieces around this young core that has potential when healthy. The organization will also look to develop Brandon Miller in his sophomore season after a solid rookie year.

27. Toronto Raptors

On paper, I think this team is much better. Many will argue they could be much higher on this list, but there are too many missing pieces. The additions of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickly help this team gain offense, but those two players as main options won’t cut it in most games. The departure of OG Anunoby last season shows how tough it is to play winning basketball without a superstar wing player like OG. Also, Quickly recently signing a contract extension and Bruce Brown’s huge contract gives this team not much to work with in the offseason. There is potential for next season, just not much.

26. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers have made a couple of moves in recent weeks, but none that will probably have an immediate impact. Donovan Clingan, the UConn star big man, was drafted by the Blazers and should fit in nicely behind Ayton and Grant. The real question is which player is Portland more likely to move on from in the future. It seems like Ayton’s days are ticking and he might be moved anytime soon or when the opportunity is possible. Also, acquiring Deni Avdija was quite an interesting move, but provides much-needed forward help. This team has always been guard-heavy and will rely on the young prospects Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to develop more as time goes by.

25. Brooklyn Nets

Ever since the big three left Brooklyn, there hasn’t been much hype around the organization. Also, now that star Mikal Bridges has departed across the bridge to the Knicks, it should be interesting to see who on this team will step up and take a lead role. Cam Thomas and new addition Bojan Bogdanovic should provide offensive stability, but with the status of Ben Simmons being unknown, it is hard to believe the Nets will break through this year. Depth is thinning out in Brooklyn with recently acquiring a heavy supply of draft capital. I think it is safe to say we may see a rebuild start to form in one or two years (it has already begun).

24. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls will most likely disappoint people this year. With the organization looking for a mutual trade to shop Zach Lavine away, there is much less talent on this roster. The departure of DeMar DeRozan weakens the amount of veteran talent on this roster and even without Lonzo Ball, the guard play has been solid for the Bulls. Newly acquired Josh Giddey will help to provide a scoring option off the bench where he could acquire a starting role. The amount of defensive talent that has left this roster will start to hurt them along the stretch. It will be difficult for Chicago to make the play-in but a decent chunk below .500 for the season is a good bet.

23. Utah Jazz

The magical run the Utah Jazz had a few years ago seems to have come to an end. The pieces on this team are impressive as this is the first team with a sizeable amount of depth. Utah is still in a rebuild phase while Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler seem to be the only guys playing well night in and night out. Drafting Kyle Flipkowski was a steal at where they got him and he should fit in nicely with Utah culture. Give this team a few years to acquire more firepower through FA and the draft.

22. San Antonio Spurs

Without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs would probably be one of the first teams addressed on this list. It goes to show how good of a player Wembanyama is and how much he can impact a game on both ends of the court. Somewhat drastic moves were made as Chris Paul landed in San Antonio. He provides much-needed veteran guard help who can help players like Stephon Castle fit into the point guard role. The Paul and Wemby mix will be one of the more unknown duos and we will see how much CP3 can contribute to the development of Victor Webanyama. One of the most underrated players in the league Devin Vassell has also been vital to this team. No one else on this team has a significant role, but look for FA signings to occur in San Antonio in the next few years to help complement the next NBA superstar.

PLAY-IN TERRITORY

21. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies for sure had one of the most eye-opening selections in the draft taking Zach Edey with the 9th pick. With Jaren Jackson Jr. most likely being moved to Center to fill the position, I understand the intent Memphis had in getting a true Center. The question is if his college game can translate to the NBA. Ja Morant is coming back from injury and should give the Grizzlies a nice boost. He is one of the best guards in the league and can be a game-changer when healthy. The depth on this team is slim but somewhat proven with players like Santi Aldama and John Konchar stepping up last season when needed. The Grizzlies season depends on the status of Ja Morant which is why ranking them high is a gamble.

20. Atlanta Hawks

Having the first pick in the draft benefited this team a lot as they were able to take Zaccharie Risacher from France. The 6’9 forward was the number 1 prospect and the Hawks selection makes sense with what they need to work on. A tall forward will help Trae Young, but also give Atlanta the room to strengthen their bench. It is tough to see the departure of Dejounte Murray due to his contract but the guard tandem didn’t necessarily pan out how the Hawks expected it to. There are many guys on this roster making upwards of $20 million and coming off the bench indicating why there isn’t enough money to go around for everyone. Atlanta has been stuck in the same tier for some time now and looks to make some changes come playoff time.

19. Houston Rockets

Houston has been able to assemble a solid young core in the past few drafts and added new pieces including Fred VanVleet and Dillion Brooks. Who knows if it will be this year or in the coming years, but this Houston team will surprise people sooner than later. The amount of young talent that this team has is incredible. With experience and rearranging, guys like Tari Eason and Amen Thompson can find themselves a valuable role. The Rockets also have a steal in center Alpren Sengun who improved drastically last season and is undervalued for what he can do on the floor. The Rockets have a bright future and should pat themselves on the back for their work in recent drafts.

18. Golden State Warriors

Now that most of the Warriors bandwagon fans are gone, we can predict that they will all be gone after next season. Warriors fans don’t panic, everything is going to be okay (it won’t be okay). Stephen Curry is still a superstar and can compete at the same level, but sadly the pieces around him are falling one by one. In the past week, the Warriors have lost Klay Thompson who is heading to Dallas, and Chris Paul who is departing for San Antonio. This domino effect may be short with potential departures from all three of The Big Three in the next few seasons. It is only a matter of time before the Warriors dynasty is over. This makes me feel old. It will be hard to win games this season with a lack of experience and most games relying on one guy.

17. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have been on a decline since losing in the NBA finals two seasons ago. The young core of Jamie Jaquez and Nikola Jovic gives the team forward help in the future including a signed extension from Bam Adebayo. The struggle lies with being able to have a true guard take hold of this team. From Kyle Lowry to Josh Richardson, to Terry Rozier, this team struggles to find a true point guard. Tyler Herro when healthy is valuable on offense, but isn’t able to play efficiently on both sides of the ball. The Heat will always be a middle-of-the-pack team until they find a superstar who can facilitate the basketball. The right pieces are in Miami right now. Eric Spoelstra just needs to find out how to use them.

16. New Orleans Pelicans

This is a playoff team every year if all the pieces stay healthy. Too many players like Zion Williamson are always hurt, but with a healthy roster for a full year, I could see the Pelicans jumping into a spot for a top seed in the West. The skilled players on this team are peaking and need to be on the floor for this team to succeed. Newly acquired Dejounte Murray lends more talent to this roster. The Pelicans need to start making playoff runs now until it is too late. There are always question marks surrounding the Pelicans organization. Hopefully, this is the year where the organization can provide results instead.

15. Los Angeles Lakers

Now that Lebron has his son Bronny James on the team they will be unstoppable! The newly drafted Lakers are interesting picks but at this point anything to admire Lebron’s wishes. The Lakers did not lose many valuable pieces which is why they should make the playoffs next year. The key for this team is Anthony Davis and if he can remain healthy. If so, the Lakers seem to win games more often and can space out the floor much more efficiently. Don’t be surprised if some of these young guys get significant minutes. New head coach J.J. Reddick should find ways to maximize the talent on this roster. Being a new and young head coach, don’t be surprised to see Reddick put all his chips in the pot. They should have a somewhat successful season with Lebron’s years in the NBA coming to an end (hopefully).

14. Sacramento Kings

The Kings have added some pieces to their roster in hopes of changing the trajectory for next season. Signing veteran forward DeMar DeRozan allows the Kings to acquire another scoring option and a player who can fill the gap at the forward position. Moving on from Harrison Barnes after many seasons was the right move if this team wants to create an all-around dominant starting lineup. New addition Jalen McDaniels helps to build defensive stability and depth. They still have younger pieces on the team other than rising star Keegan Murray, who should be expected to make a big step forward. We will still see the beam lit more times than not, even though the dream season a few years ago may not return for some time. You never know with this team and how well they can perform when on a hot streak. The Kings are a very sneaky dark horse team for next season.

13. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have made quite a few moves this offseason. In the past week we saw the organization part ways with superstar Paul George, but also acquiring key pieces including Derrick Jones Jr and Kevin Porter Jr. The Clippers are well known for having great depth and a balanced team even without key players in the starting rotation. This new Clippers team should look interesting and it’s hard to believe they now have much lower expectations next season. It will be key for Kawhi and James Harden to stay healthy and for other players to step up into a bigger role. A middle-of-the-pack spot seems reasonable not knowing how well this team can be with everything that has changed for the organization.

SAFELY A PLAYOFF TEAM

12. Indiana Pacers

This might be a hot take and this young Pacers core did make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but I don’t see them being a top 10 team next season. The pieces surrounding Haliburton on this roster are young and only going to improve. The question is if this Pacers team can consistently play at the level they did in the playoffs. It’s important to remember how much different teams play in the regular season compared to the playoffs and how a good draw often benefits one team over another. With weapons on both sides of the ball, they have all the talent to do so and could easily sneak into the playoffs next year. Finding a way to build off of the playoff momentum created from last season will be essential.

11. Phoenix Suns

It is embarrassing how poorly this team performs in the regular season, but mainly in the playoffs, with how much money was spent on this roster. Four players on this team have been multi-all-stars in their careers, but together struggle when winning the games that matter most. The lack of role players is a big reason why the Phoenix Suns starters play so many minutes and can get fatigued. Every year the Suns start the season with their 5 starters and find the rest of the team later on. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are always able to have all-team years. The hump that Phoenix needs to get over is being able to handle so many scoring options and mouths to feed. Bradley Beal had a horrific season last year. Look for his role to change slightly. Even though the Suns underperform often, they are way too talented to put lower than this.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland has been on the rise after signing star Donovan Mitchell, but there are still many problems to be solved. Darius Garland, who is taking on a huge contract, performed much worse last year than Cavs fans had hoped. This makes it interesting to see if Garland will be traded anytime shortly. Mitchell will likely stay in Cleveland for an extended period, but weirder things have happened. The defensive play and all-around presence of this roster give the Cavaliers an upper hand when competing in the regular season. If Cleveland can’t get over the playoff plague, the dominos could fall soon.

9. Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic in the top 10! This team deserves all of the praise and is looking to step it up even more next year. The young core around Paolo Banchero has proven to be lethal. The Magic have such a young roster that they feel incentivized to dismiss FA options. Developing what they already have will be more important. Recently signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gives this team more shooters and offensive help. Yes, the bench is still young, but experience is needed to help support the young starting roster. Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter have been most impressive and should only get better as the season moves forward.

8. Philadelphia 76ers

Understandably, Philly may be too high here, but with how much Tyrese Maxey has improved and the power of Joel Embiid playing at his prime, this team is hard to beat. Recently acquiring star forward Paul George, it seems as if many things would have to go wrong for this team not to make the playoffs. With the departure of Tobias Harris and others, it can be expected that a big market team like the 76ers will eventually look to sign someone to fill those shoes. While a lack of skill is less of a concern, the injury status of their MVP Joel Embiid is much more worrying. His health and minutes played are key to how well next season will go. Also, drafting Duke star Jared McCain was a great pickup and should provide great depth moving forward.

7. Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks could be lower on this list with how poorly they closed out the season, but there is too much to gain when Giannis is on your roster. Many believed the Giannis and Damian Lillard duo would pan out to be more effective than it was. It was the first year of Dame adjusting to a new team and roster where he doesn’t have to shoot every position, so let’s give it some time. Over the past year, the Bucks have tried to surround the talent they have by drafting younger prospects to fill open bench roles. It will be interesting to see if this organization sees itself as a team that needs to rebuild in the future if title chances become slimmer. If so, we could see many players departing in the next few years. Nothing new has occurred for the Bucks as they look to play better playoff basketball next season.

CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS

6. Dallas Mavericks

I know, the Mavericks made the Finals and had one of the best playoff runs we have seen in a long time running through the West. They were able to have a fantastic season exceeding expectations and look to refuel the roster for another title run. While all of that is possible, it’s important to realize how much better the rest of the West is getting and how other Western Conference teams tend to play better basketball in the regular season. The counter-argument to that would be newly acquired Klay Thompson joining the Mavericks on a three-year deal. Klay provides shooting with experience when open on the court. Luka and Kyrie have proven to be a great duo, while Derrick Lively and other young players will look to build off of great rookie seasons. Losing Tim Hardaway Jr. is not too big of a deal with the arrival of Quentin Grimes to take his place. If things go as planned I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mavs picked up a needed forward next FA to complement the big man play from Lively and Gafford.

5. New York Knicks

Many will disagree and think the Knicks should not be ranked high for adding one guy to their roster. Yes, they have practically spent all of their cap room to keep and sign the players they had on their wish list, but people tend to forget the Knicks finished 2nd in the East last season. The playoffs didn’t go as planned, but this organization is fairly new to the playoffs in recent years. With the young talent of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and recently signed Mikal Bridges, it is hard to see how teams will be able to compete on both ends of the ball. Arguably the best wing play in the league while also having stars on the bench. The Knicks look to make a playoff push now and with how much worse the talent gap is in the East, it won’t be surprising for them to exceed expectations.

4. Denver Nuggets

Last year Denver would probably be the best team on this list after winning back-to-back titles. Unfortunately, the West has gotten so much better in the span of a year and the Nuggets have failed to make any big moves. Having MVP Nikola Jokic is sometimes all you need, but you can only do so much with one player. This team is still dominant and one of the best in the league. Many fans ignore the fact that the Nuggets have been so dominant in recent years and can still play championship basketball. It should be interesting to see how well the Nuggets can perform in the West this season.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves proved last season why they are one of the best teams in the NBA right now. Failing to make the finals, the playoff run that was exhibited showed how the KAT-Gobert big-man duo can be effective and work if used correctly. The coming out of Anthony Edwards also helped to bolster one of the best seasons in franchise history. What changes about this season is how well Minnesota drafted. Newly acquiring Kentucky star Rob Dillingham and other young players help to complete an already stacked roster. Next year could be the year this team is playing at its strongest form. The Timberwolves are here to stay and could be one of the next great NBA dynasties.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder failed to make the conference finals last season, losing to the Dallas Mavericks. The team still hasn’t gotten over that playoff hump even though a big year is likely in store for them. If there were a brightest future award the Thunder would win everyone’s vote. This is one of the youngest teams in the NBA and only getting started. Recently signing Isaiah Hartenstein gives them even more depth at the Center position as they will look to transition young stud Chet Holmgren into the four spot. Forming players around this young core like Alex Caruso and Jaylin Williams makes this team the best defensive roster in the league. The real question is how much these new players will impact and help the Thunder make a name for themselves.

1. Boston Celtics

In my eyes, there is no reason to put any other team in the one spot. Everyone on the championship roster returns and many players were willing to take pay cuts and allow other players to re-sign. Last season it seemed as if no one could stop the Celtics in the regular and post-season. Being in the Eastern Conference certainly helps, but no team has been as dominant all-around as this team. The foot is still on the gas pedal in Boston as they will look to repeat the performance we saw last season. It will be intriguing to see how things play out down the road with Al Horford nearing the end of his career and other contracts expiring. Brown and Tatum still appear to be the best tandem in the NBA and don’t plan on changing that anytime soon. Regardless, the Celtics are the best team in the NBA right now.