Core pieces: Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney  

Too early to tell: Jalen Wilson, Dariq Whitehead, Ziaire Williams

Prediction: 15th in the east

This offseason the Nets committed to a full rebuild, trading star wing Mikal Bridges to the crosstown rival Knicks for a package that included 5 first round picks. They then traded with the Rockets to get their own picks back from the James Harden trade. Many of the young players on their roster are unproven, so look for guys like Noah Clowney, Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson, and Dariq Whitehead to showcase what potential they have. With expendable veteran pieces like Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, and Dennis Schroder most likely getting shipped out before the trade deadline, it’s hard not to envision this team being at the very bottom of the east, with their primary focus this year being to position themselves to get highly touted, Cooper Flagg.

29. Washington Wizards 

Core pieces: Jordan Poole, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington

Too early to tell: Kyshawn George

Prediction: 14th in the east

With the Wizards finally leaning into the youth movement, expectations will again be low this season. All 3 rookies from their 2024 draft class should be in position to have a role on day one. Guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Kyle Kuzma, and Jonas Valanciunas are going to have solid value at the trade deadline, assuming the wizards sell. A bounce back season from Jordan Poole should be in the cards, as he is finally the lead ball handler, but this team is far too young with not enough star power to make any real noise next season.  

28. Utah Jazz  

Core pieces: Lauri Markkanen, Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Cody Williams

Too early to tell: Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski

Prediction: 15th in the west

Usually, a team like the Jazz wouldn’t be finishing at the bottom of their conference, but with how competitive the west is this year, I just don't see how they can get much higher. Lauri Markkanen is an all-star when healthy, but his complementary pieces are either extremely young and unproven, or prime trade assets at the deadline. Look for guys like Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and even potentially Walker Kessler to get moved at the deadline, as Utah leans into a full youth retool around Markkanen. This team has a lot to look forward to in the future with their abundance of young talent, but this year is going to mainly be focused on development rather than getting wins.  

27: Chicago Bulls 

Core pieces: Matas Buzelis, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Josh Giddey  

Too early to tell: Julian Phillips

Prediction: 13th in the east

The Bulls have finally decided to somewhat move out of NBA purgatory by agreeing to the sign and trade of Demar Derozan, and trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey. While there are still many pieces on this roster that should be traded like Zach Lavine, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vucevic, the prior moves signal that Chicago is finally heading into a rebuild. While there is still a good amount of talent on this roster, many of the pieces simply don’t fit, and the roster is redundant. The talent should be enough to win them more games than the previously aforementioned, but the floor for this Bulls team is very low, with the ability to go lower with some more trades.  

26: Detroit Pistons  

Core pieces: Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, Ron Holland II,  

Too early to tell: Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser

Prediction: 12th in the east

After having a historically bad season this past year that included an NBA record 28 straight losses, the pistons look to show signs of improvement under new head coach, JB Bickerstaff. This offseason they signed some much-needed veterans such as Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, they re-signed Simone Fontecchio, and received Tim Hardaway Jr. In a trade. These pieces should provide the Pistons with floor spacing and experience, both of which were badly missed last year. These additions, plus more growth from their franchise cornerstone, Cade Cunningham, and his surrounding pieces, have Detroit pointed in the right direction, with steady improvement this coming season, looking like a good bet.  

25. Portland Trail Blazers 

Core pieces: Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, Deni Avdija

Too early to tell: Toumani Camara, Rayan Rupert

Prediction: 14th in the west

The Trail Blazers had an amazing offseason, from trading for one of the best role players in the entire NBA, who also happens to be young and on an extremely team-friendly deal, in Deni Avdija, to drafting their center of the future in Donovan Clingan. They have lots of tradable assets, with guys like Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, and potentially even Anfernee Simons all being attractive on the market. The young core they’re building in Portland is real, but they just aren’t seasoned enough to keep up with the rest of the western conference yet.  

24. Charlotte Hornets 

Core pieces: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Tidjane Salaun, Mark Williams  

Too early to tell: Tre Mann

Prediction: 11th in the east  

Every time LaMelo Ball stays healthy, the Hornets always find themselves in the thick of potential playoff/play-in contention, he is that good of a ceiling raiser. The problem is that the past few seasons, it’s been a miracle if he can stay on the court. With the emergence of Brandon Miller next to him, and a potential diamond in the rough in Tre Mann, the Hornets could be quietly competitive in the east this coming season, that is, if LaMelo Ball can put together at least close to a full season. Under new head coach Charles Lee, it appears that there might finally be a culture change in the Queen City.  

23. Los Angeles Clippers 

Core pieces: Kawhi Leonard (?), James Harden (?)  

Too early to tell: Jordan Miller, Kobe Brown, Bones Hyland

Prediction: 13th in the west

This may seem like a harsh ranking for the Clippers, but for them to be back in the playoff mix, they’ll need Kawhi Leonard to stay healthy for an entire season, which lately seems all but lost. They’ll also need James Harden to turn back the clock now that he’s shouldering a bigger offensive load with the departure of Paul George. Kevin Porter Jr is an intriguing signing, and despite the seemingly constant legal issues, he’s been productive on the court, putting up good numbers in Houston in the past. Derrick Jones Jr is a solid addition and bringing back Nic Batum could help fill in some cracks, but overall, this Clippers team just feels like too many unlikely scenarios need to go perfectly for them to remain in the playoff mix this season.

22. San Antonio Spurs 

Core pieces: Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan  

Too early to tell: Malaki Branham, Tre Jones, Blake Wesley

Prediction: 12th in the west

With Victor Wembanyama being probably the best building block in the entire NBA right now, it’s easy to get excited for San Antonio’s future, and for good reason. Between having a Bonafide franchise cornerstone, great young supporting pieces, and now with Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes being valuable vets to a young locker room, the Spurs future potential is off the charts. However, while the future is as bright as ever, they still don’t have a ton of depth, and in the highly competitive western conference, Spurs fans will probably have to wait another year to see a playoff berth.  

21. Toronto Raptors 

Core pieces: Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Jakobe Walter

Too early to tell: Ochai Agbaji, Javon Freeman-Liberty

Prediction: 10th in the east

After a few years of mediocrity and a giant fire sale at last year's trade deadline, the Raptors finally seem on their way back to playoff basketball. With Scottie Barnes emerging into a two-way all-star, and a mix of young supporting pieces and valuable veterans, Toronto has a core that fans can look forward to. Whether they keep guys like Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and Jakob Poeltl remains to be seen, but this roster as currently constructed is good enough to put the Raptors in the play-in picture for this following season.  

20. Los Angeles Lakers 

Core pieces: Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht

Too early to tell: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Max Christie, Bronny James  

Prediction: 11th in the west

The Lakers, besides their two rookies from this class, are essentially running back the same team from last year, a year that yielded disappointing end results. Any team with Lebron James and Anthony Davis on it is instantly going to be held to the standard of a contender, but this roster is far from it. The role players are streaky, and there isn’t a whole lot of youth and energy on the team. With the west gaining more playoff caliber teams this offseason, and the Lakers failure to improve, the 11th seed seems like a good place for them. While the hire of JJ Redick seems fun, I’m not sure how much he’s going to be able to elevate the role players on this team, thus leading to another disappointing season.  

19. Atlanta Hawks 

Core pieces: Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher

Too early to tell: Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin

Prediction: 9th in the east

After the Trae Young, Dejounte Murray experiment didn’t go as hoped for anyone involved, the Hawks opted to go into a retool around Trae Young. Getting lucky and landing the number one pick in the lottery certainly helped, with them selecting promising 3&D wing, Zaccharie Risacher. The Hawks have a lot of quality role players that fit nicely around Trae Young, and if Jalen Johnson builds onto what was a breakout season last year, the Hawks could find themselves back in the playoffs in no time.  

18. Houston Rockets 

Core Pieces: Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr, Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason

Too early to tell: None  

Prediction: 10th in the west

The Rockets added onto what was already one of the best young cores in all of basketball, selecting sharpshooter, Reed Sheppard number three overall in this previous draft. With last season being a breakout year for Alperen Sengun, leaping himself into all-star contention, along with superstar flashes from Jalen Green, and great progress from the rest of the young guys, the mix of explosive young talent and savvy veterans should look to get the Rockets back in the playoffs for the first time since James Hardens departure.  

17. Miami Heat 

Core Pieces: Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Kel’el Ware

Too early to tell: Nikola Jovic, Josh Christopher  

Prediction: 8th in the east

Miami is a difficult team to evaluate, on one hand, they seem to find postseason magic near every year on the back of Jimmy Butler. On the other hand, they lack the top end talent that the best teams in the east have. With Jimmy Butler in a contract year, and there being a slightly negative aura around him lately, I expect him to have a bounce back season, and knowing Miami's development system, they’ll create more productive role players, but the teams above them simply have more star power, which is what wins games during the regular season, but I fully expect the Heat to be a team no team wants to see in the playoffs this coming year.  

16. Golden State Warriors 

Core pieces: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski

Too early to tell: Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis

Prediction: 9th in the west

After losing Klay Thompson in free agency, and failing to acquire Lauri Markkanen this offseason, the Warriors are in a tough spot. Steph Curry is still in his prime, and Draymond is effective when he’s on the court and not suspended for his own actions. But the rest of the team is mainly young players and mid-tier role players. Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton fit the team nicely, but they don’t raise the ceiling. The time is ticking for the Warriors to build one last championship contender around Steph Curry, because this year, it’s going to be an uphill battle just to be in the playoffs.  

15. Phoenix Suns  

Core Pieces: Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal

Too early to tell: Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro

Prediction: 8th in the west  

The Suns have arguably the most top-heavy roster in the entire NBA, with two of the game's greatest scorers and Bradley Beal who is a bounce back candidate. Other than that, the roster lacks talent. Tyus Jones is a good pickup, but the fit is interesting. Playing a Tyus, Beal, Booker, Durant, Nurkic lineup is going to get picked on defensively. Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen are two reliable role players, but this team lacks a true interior presence, and they’re one injury to one of Booker or Durant away from plummeting in the standings, as they don’t have an abundance of talent beyond them to make up for it.  

14. Sacramento Kings 

Core Pieces: De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Demar Derozan, Keegan Murray, Devin Carter

Too early to tell: Keon Ellis

Prediction: 7th in the west

The Kings had one of the bigger acquisitions of the offseason in receiving Demar Derozan in a sign and trade with the Bulls. Derozan gives Sacramento another elite halfcourt creator to pair with De’Aaron Fox. Retaining Malik Monk, last year's sixth man of the year, was huge as well, as it was looking increasingly likely that he was going to go elsewhere in free agency. Devin Carter projects to fill in nicely from the jump, and Keon Ellis was a diamond in the rough find last year. This team has lots of offensive firepower, and has the ability to hang in games with anyone, but they lack point of attack defenders and rim protectors to be true championship contenders.  

13. Indiana Pacers 

Core Pieces: Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith

Too early to tell: Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker  

Prediction: 7th in the east

The Pacers had a coming out party last year, reaching the Eastern conference finals for the first time since 2014. With Tyrese Haliburton as their offensive engine, and the addition of star forward, Pascal Siakam at last year's trade deadline, the Pacers could very well replicate last year's number one offense in the league, and while they weren’t a good defense last year, after the deadline, it did improve to being serviceable. With another year of chemistry for their star duo, this ranking could end up being too low, but the East is very top-heavy, and the teams above them have more star power.  

12. New Orleans Pelicans  

Core pieces: Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Yves Missi  

Too early to tell: Jordan Hawkins, Antonio Reeves  

Prediction: 6th in the west  

When it comes to pure roster talent, not many rosters stack up to the level of the Pelicans when healthy, but with Zion’s health always being a question mark, them having one of the worst clutch net ratings in the entire NBA last year, and a lack of elite spacing, they have always been a borderline play-in team in the Zion Williamson era. Brandon Ingram has been in trade rumors for the majority of the offseason, and it makes sense given how badly the Pelicans need a starting caliber center with Jonas Valanciunas signing with Washington. Nevertheless, Dejounte finally gives the Pelicans a true facilitator, who also has the ability to create for himself, and the talent of this roster is enough to keep them out of the play-in this year, even with how questionable the starting center position is.  

11. Orlando Magic 

Core Pieces: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Tristan Da Silva

Too early to tell: Anthony Black, Jett Howard

Prediction: 6th in the east

The Magic surprised a lot of people last year, not only making the playoffs, but taking the Cavaliers to a game 7. Paolo Banchero is on a superstar track, and with him leading this team, the Magic should find themselves in the playoffs for the foreseeable future. Last year, the Magic lacked floor spacing immensely, but after signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason, and banking on a Franz Wagner bounce back season, the spacing should hopefully be league average this season, which is good enough given how tenacious this defense is. They’re still an extremely young team, so there's bound to be some rough patches, but this team has one of the brightest futures in the league.  

10. Memphis Grizzlies 

Core Pieces: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr, Vince Williams Jr, Zach Edey

Too early to tell: GG Jackson, Jake LaRavia

Prediction: 5th in the west

The Grizzlies fell victim to an unbelievably injury riddled season last year, landing them the 9th overall pick, and drafting 7’4 Behemoth, Zach Edey. The down season also gave the young guys a chance to prove themselves, which is exactly what a guy like Vince Williams Jr did. He went from being nothing more than a two-way guy, to now having a key role as a point of attack defender and secondary creator. The last time this team was healthy, they were the second seed in west, and while I don’t think they’re there yet, this team, when healthy, has the star power and depth to compete with anyone.  

9. Cleveland Cavaliers 

Core pieces: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson

Too early to tell: Craig Porter Jr, Emoni Bates

Prediction: 5th in the east

Cleveland dealt with a lot of injuries to their big 4 last season, and still finished as a top 4 seed. With a bounce back season in order from Darius Garland who was banged up for the majority of last season, and Donovan Mitchell building on what was an MVP discussion level season, the Cavaliers should be right back where they belong. The twin towers of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley anchoring the frontcourt gives them a huge shot at having another defense that is firmly top 10 in the league. Cleveland could easily be a championship contender next season, but in order for that, Evan Mobley needs to take a leap offensively, and Darius Garland needs to regain his all-star form.  

8. Denver Nuggets 

Core pieces: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon

Too early to tell: Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, Daron Holmes II

Prediction: 4th in the west

This may seem like a low ranking for the Nuggets, who were NBA champions just 2 seasons ago. But the Loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is big for them, and I’m not sure Christian Braun can be as reliable of a shooter and screen navigator as he was. Their first-round pick Daron Holmes II will miss this entire season due to injury, and their bench is very thin as it is. Relying on an aging Russell Westbrook to carry a reserve unit is a tall task. The Nuggets still have the best player in the world, but the supporting cast got worse this offseason and they are depending on a lot of unproven young guys to pick up a heavy load off the bench. The teams ahead of them in the west got better this offseason, and simply have a deeper team.  

7. Milwaukee Bucks  

Core pieces: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton

Too early to tell: AJ Johnson, Tyler Smith, Marjon Beauchamp

Prediction: 4th in the east  

After a disappointing finish to last season, getting eliminated in the first round by the Pacers, the Bucks are looking for a rebound season. A Damian Lillard bounce back season is certainly expected and predictable, as he didn’t truly look comfortable in his new threads last season. That, coupled with some unfortunate injury luck led to an early exit last season. This year, they are running back the same core, while adding a few quality role players in the mix with Gary Trent Jr, Taurean Prince, and Delon Wright. This team has the pieces to compete for a championship, the question is, will they stay healthy down the stretch, and is continuity the answer?  

6. Dallas Mavericks  

Core pieces: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively  

Too early to tell: Jaden Hardy, Olivier Maxence-Prosper  

Prediction: 3rd in the west

After coming off of an elite playoff run that was capped with a trip to the NBA finals, the Mavs retooled around their star backcourt. Adding Klay Thompson gives them one of the deadliest catch-and-shooters of all time, and while he isn’t the same player he was in his prime, at the very worst, he’s a 40% three-point shooter that is deadly from anywhere off the catch. Losing Derrick Jones Jr hurts, as his point-of-attack defense was super valuable, but Naji Marshall should be at least a stabilizer in that department. If Dereck Lively can add any semblance of a three-point shot, this offense can really take off, and expect them to contend for an NBA finals bid again this season.  

5. New York Knicks  

Core Pieces: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, Donte Divincenzo, Josh Hart  

Too early to tell: Tyler Kolek

Prediction: 3rd in the east

The Knicks are back everyone. With Jalen Brunson as the head of the snake, and him being surrounded by some of the best 3&D players in the NBA, this team has all of the making to be a contender. Julius Randle being back in the fold after missing a big chunk of the year will be interesting to see how he blends with this core, but if he can buy into the culture and mesh well with the plethora of wings, that just adds to an already elite team. A big question mark is the center position, as Mitchell Robinson has struggled with health issues and Precious Achiuwa is undersized, but the depth of this team should be more than capable to cover it up.  

4. Philadelphia 76ers 

Core pieces: Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, Jared McCain

Too early to tell: Ricky Council IV, Adem Bona

Prediction: 2nd in the east

This is the best team Joel Embiid has had around him in his career, and it is on him to deliver in the playoff moments. Tyrese Maxey blossoming into an all-star guard that compliments Joel’s playstyle has been huge, and now with the addition of Paul George who fits seamlessly, this creates one of the NBAs most lethal big threes. Bringing back Kelly Oubre was big as well, as he was an important energy guy and productive 3&D wing. With signing Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond in free agency, this gives Philly much more depth than they’ve had the previous few seasons. It is starting to turn into championship or bust mode for Philadelphia, and if this roster can’t do it, I’m not sure a Joel Embiid centric team can.  

3. Minnesota Timberwolves 

Core Pieces: Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Jaden Mcdaniels, Naz Reid, Rob Dillingham

Too early to tell: Terrance Shannon Jr, Jaylen Clark, Josh Minott, Leonard Miller  

Prediction: 2nd in the west

The Timberwolves broke out last season, advancing to the western conference finals for the first time in 20 years. After a clunky first year, the Rudy Gobert trade looks like a huge success for the Wolves, anchoring them as the top defense in basketball. With Anthony Edwards ascending into superstardom, and coming off of an Olympic gold medal run, the Wolves are poised to stay towards the top of the west. After losing rotational players Kyle Anderson, Monte Morris, and Jordan Mclaughlin in free agency, they injected new, offensive life into the team with the additions of Dillingham and Joe Ingles. If the Wolves can maintain their top defense, and manage to take a jump offensively, they will be in championship contention once again.  

2. Oklahoma City Thunder 

Core pieces: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe.  

Too early to tell: Ousmane Dieng, Dillon Jones, Nikola Topic  

Prediction: 1st in the west  

The Thunder, while being one of the youngest teams in basketball, are also one of the best. They have probably the best young core in the NBA, and they have an abundance of draft picks in the future. Shai emerged as a top 5 player this season, and proved to be an MVP candidate for years to come, and Chet Holmgren had one of the best rookie seasons in recent history, and would have won Rookie of the Year in almost any other season. The role players are all elite at specific skills that make this team so hard to hang with. Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso are top tier perimeter defenders, Isaiah Joe is a sharp shooter from three, Aaron Wiggins is an amazing off ball offensive weapon, and Chet and Hartenstein are an elite rim protection duo. This team is elite now, and will be scary for many years to come.

1. Boston Celtics 

Core pieces: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White  

Too early to tell: Baylor Scheierman

Prediction: 1st in the east

The Celtics are coming off of an extremely dominant championship run, and they are bringing back every important piece of that championship winning team. This starting five is by far the best in basketball, and the bench, while not flashy, has more than enough pieces to get it done. Lonnie Walker IV is a high ceiling player that has yet to carve out a consistent role, Boston could be a perfect fit with their need of shot creation off the bench, but this team has no glaring weakness. Championship hangover is always possible, but this team has all the potential in the world to go back-to-back.