NBA power rankings post-free agency edition: Who cracked our top 5?

NBA teams re-made their rosters in notable ways in late June and early July, as they used the draft, free agency and trades to sculpt their teams for next season. We’ll take a look at how every NBA team stacks up now that the dust has settled. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

The Nets made their intentions quite clear ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, as they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for a package of picks. Brooklyn should firmly be in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, as they look to secure the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. USA Today has Flagg going first to the Nets in an early mock draft.

The Wizards didn’t emerge from free agency or the draft in a better place. As long as Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole occupy the majority of Washington’s salary cap, Washington won’t be able to head in the right direction. Sports Illustrated also had their doubts about Alexandre Sarr heading into the 2024 draft, whom Washington selected second overall.

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The Trail Blazers had a sneakily nice move in June, acquiring Deni Avdija from the Wizards. Still just 23 years old, Avdija has playmaking ability and good size at the forward spot, and is on a very affordable contract. Portland needed a player like that to compliment their glut of guards and centers. However, they still have a long way to go to get to respectability.

The Chicago Tribune wonders whether the Bulls are really headed for a tanking season, and the only reasonable conclusion is that they are. Chicago traded Demar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings, which gives the keys to a crop of young players like Coby White and Josh Giddey. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them move Nikola Vucevic before the season as well.

The Pistons signed Cade Cunningham to a five-year, $224 million extension this offseason, and the Detroit Free Press believes they had no choice. It’s still uncertain just how good Cunningham is, considering how bad everything else around him has been in Detroit. Things might be slightly improved on the perimeter, as Detroit brought in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris to stretch the floor.

Sports Illustrated believes that the Hornets should be focused on adding “culture guys” to their roster to help stabilize their team next season. Charlotte is one of the youngest teams in the NBA, and a veteran or two might help unlock the development of Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball.

The Hawks are a tough team to figure out, as they have talent on paper, but it doesn’t seem to fit properly. General manager Landry Fields decided to ship Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, eliminating the redundancy he had at guard with Trae Young. The next question might revolve around Clint Capela’s long-term future with the franchise.

Danny Ainge and his high demands for Utah players will continue to dominate the headlines this offseason. SportsNet New York reports that Ainge rejected two first round picks for Walker Kessler, and he will likely drive up the bidding in any trade involving Lauri Markkanen. It’s possible that Utah’s roster could change significantly before opening night.

The Raptors shelled out high-dollar extensions to keep Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley in Toronto for the extended future. While both are talented players, the price tag for each seemed a bit exorbitant to some. Sportsnet Canada believes the Raptors are “in the midst of competitive limbo.”

It’s not clear how much gas Chris Paul has left in the tank from an athleticism standpoint, but he should greatly help San Antonio’s young roster from an experience and intangibles standpoint. With that said, the New York Times believes that Paul should start for the Spurs on opening night, as the future Hall of Famer wanted a legitimate chance to play.

The Clippers might be one of the hardest teams to rank, given the constant uncertainty about Kawhi Leonard’s status. He recently withdrew from the United States Olympic team, after it seemed like he was good to go. If Leonard’s health isn’t close to 100%, Los Angeles could be one of the worst teams in the NBA next year.

Stephen Curry may have lost a close friend in Klay Thompson, but could have gained a buddy. The Warriors brought in Buddy Hield to presumably replace Thompson’s three point marksmanship. It’s unlikely that this will boost their fortunes in a major way, but Golden State may not be done wheeling and dealing.

The Rockets are a young team on the rise. After struggling for most of the year, Houston went on a torrid run to challenge for a playoff spot last spring. They came up just short, but their improvement should continue in the 2024-2025 campaign. It’ll be interesting to see how head coach Ime Udoka utilizes the plethora of talent at his disposal.

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The Lakers are arguably the most discussed team in sports, and this summer has done nothing to change that perception. They’re going to have an uphill battle moving up the standings in the Western Conference, but Bleacher Report thinks signing Gary Trent Jr. would be a perfect move. His outside shooting could complement LeBron James nicely.

After years of unavailability, Zion Williamson finally stayed healthy for the majority of the 2023-2024 season. The only problem was, he hurt his hamstring in a play-in game the Pelicans had to have, and did not return for their playoff series against Oklahoma City. New Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray hopes to raise their ceiling, and told ESPN he expects a smooth transition.

The Heat are always dangerous under head coach Erik Spoelstra, as their culture allows them to be more competitive than their roster might suggest. With that said, Miami was stunningly rebuffed by Caleb Martin this offseason, who took less money to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. He told the Miami Sun Sentinel that it was a risk he was willing to take.

The Kings didn’t make the playoffs last season, but feel like Demar DeRozan might be the missing piece to help them get back in the mix in the West. The Ringer dissected Sacramento’s decision to double down, as they believe his arrival will accentuate their strengths and diversify an already potent offense.

The Suns will once again try to get over the hump with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but it’s hard to see how much better they’ll be next season. For what it’s worth, Durant spoke to Arizona Sports to clarify his reported frustration with the Suns offense, in hopes that will restore positive vibes heading into the 2024-2025 campaign.

Perhaps no team in the NBA was hit harder by injuries than the Grizzlies a year ago. Bleacher Report noted that Ja Morant has been fully cleared for basketball activities after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Memphis is also hoping that Marcus Smart will be able to stay on the floor after an injury-riddled campaign.

The Ringer believes that Orlando quietly won the NBA offseason. The Magic brought Kentavious Caldwell-Pope into a fold, a two-time champion who adds outside shooting and perimeter defense to the team. They also agreed to a lucrative extension for forward Franz Wagner.

The Cavaliers could have gone in a few different directions this offseason, but decided to commit to a future with Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland could still maneuver in a few different ways, such as trading Jarrett Allen, but they might want to give new coach Kenny Atkinson the full toolbox in his first season with the team.

Sports Illustrated wrote about the all-in approach Indiana took to re-signing Pascal Siakam, who helped lead the team to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance this year. The trick for the Pacers will be proving that this season wasn’t a fluke, as they were able to get by injury riddled teams in the postseason.

The 76ers made arguably the biggest move of the NBA offseason when they signed Paul George away from the Los Angeles Clippers. The trio of George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid might be the best in all of the NBA, but Embiid’s health will ultimately determine how far Philadelphia goes.

The Bucks suffered some crucial injuries at inopportune times, as both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were shelved for all or some of their first round series with Indiana. With a full offseason to adjust and tinker, head coach Doc Rivers hopes to have Milwaukee in a much better position to compete this season.

The Dallas News writes that Klay Thompson shouldn’t be considered as a savior for the Mavericks, but brings a complete shooting makeover. While Thompson, Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall give the Mavericks a different look, it remains to be seen which player will replace Derrick Jones Jr.’s hounding defense.

New Knick Mikal Bridges told Sports Illustrated that he feels like a kid again after joining the team via a blockbuster trade. The transaction has New York fans dreaming big as well, as Bridges’ durability and versatility add to the team’s ability to adjust to different lineups. It’ll be interesting to see how Tom Thibodeau’s rotations shake out on a nightly basis this fall.

In a matter of a couple of months, the Nuggets’ veil of impenetrability has been greatly reduced. Denver was bounced in the second round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they also lost guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic. They should still be on a short list of favorites to win it all, but Denver has some work to do.

Head coach Chris Finch was successful in figuring out the Rudy Gobert/Karl-Anthony Towns pairing, and Anthony Edwards’ stock as an ascendant force only continues to rise. The Timberwolves also stunned many by trading up to acquire Rob Dillingham in the 2024 NBA Draft. CBS Sports called it a huge win for Minnesota.

Oklahoma City was already the top seed in the West, and have gotten even better this offseason by trading for Alex Caruso and signing Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder are still loaded for bear, as they have a trove of draft picks they can use to keep adding to their already potent squad.

The reigning champions claim the number one spot in our power rankings, as the front office locked every relevant player into a lucrative deal for years to come. Boston should be in the title mix for the remainder of the decade, although they might have some challenges navigating the NBA’s new salary cap limits in the near future.

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