2024-25 NBA Preseason Power Rankings

The NBA preseason is the ultimate basketball preview — a time to take stock of nearly fully assembled rosters, project the impact of new additions, pontificate on simmering league-wide trends and, most importantly, evaluate a whole lot of shit .

Are you behind in preparing for the 2024-25 season? We are here for you. Over the course of six episodes, spanning a total of almost nine hours, the Group chat The podcast crew took an in-depth look at all 30 teams for their annual Preseason NBA Power Rankings. Check out each episode below (timestamped by team if you want to jump straight into one), along with the hosts' takes on a key question for each team level. —Justin Verrier

30. Brooklyn Nets (Timestamp: 8:07)
29. Washington Wizards (27:15)
28. Portland Trail Blazers (40:02)
27. Detroit Pistons (1:00:12)
26. Charlotte Hornets (1:10:22)

Key question: Can one of these teams' trade candidates win a playoff series?

Of course they can. As proof, look no further than the Hornets and Wizards. The entire Western Conference playoffs were changed by the fact that the Mavs took a chance on PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford at the deadline last year, betting that their talent would be better off on a winning team than one that lost in the lottery is. Who will make a similar bet this season on Washington's Kyle Kuzma or Portland's Jerami Grant? Both could give more static lineups the flexibility they need, whether that means playing bigger or smaller. A big like Brooklyn's Nic Claxton could turn a mediocre defense into a formidable one, and Portland's Robert Williams III (if he's healthy enough to warrant a trade) could single-handedly improve a contender's rim protection. Jonas Valanciunas could potentially coast through a small-ball series if he can leave Washington. Brooklyn appears to be a stopover for Dennis Schroder, who has already proven his mettle in high-stakes games. The worst teams in the league have good supporting players who are highly visible. The trick is figuring out which ones fit the bill as well as Washington and Gafford and which ones could sink under playoff control. —Rob Mahoney

25. Utah Jazz (39:18)
24. Chicago Bulls (52:48)
23. Toronto Raptors (1:02:18)
22. Atlanta Hawks (1:14:19)
21. Houston Rockets (1:26:59)

Key question: Which of these teams will be more exuberant than expected?

The Hawks will be the most exuberant of this group. The partnership between Trae Young and Dejounte Murray never developed in the way that many (including you, really) imagined, both at the time of the trade and after the team hired a highly regarded coach in Quin Snyder. By all accounts, the tandem has failed, and it's hard not to view Murray's departure in an offseason trade as addition by subtraction. Now, for better or worse, the team's logic will crystallize under a very Trae Young-centric paradigm. The main reason to be optimistic about this year's Hawks, however, is the possibility that second-rounder Jalen Johnson will reach his gargantuan potential sooner rather than later. —Wosny Lambre

20. San Antonio Spurs (3:36)
19. Los Angeles Clippers (27:48)
18. Sacramento Kings (40:09)
17. Golden State Warriors (51:48)
16. New Orleans Pelicans (1:06:40)

Key question: Who do you trust to survive the Western Conference Hunger Games?

When sorting through the league's muddy middle, what matters most is benchability – which player or unit you can rely on to rack up enough wins in the latter half of the season. Zion Williamson, for example, could be an MVP candidate this season… but he could also be limited to 20 games after being forced to play small-ball center while the Pelicans play extension chicken with Brandon Ingram. (And to be clear: Herb Jones doesn't actually play center. Some of us are old enough to remember the creative marketing that suggested LeBron James was a “power forward” for the Big Three Heat while Shane Battier had his tendons ground to a pulp.)

As strange as it may seem, the most trustworthy team in this league may simply be the dynasty in decline. The Warriors won't contend for titles until they can land another superstar, but Steph Curry is still an absolute wizard and Draymond Green can get you a mid-range defense all by himself. The last two seasons have been ugly, but Golden State has at least made the play-in both times, despite winning 11 road games one year and sloshing through Draymond's mess the next. There's something similar going on with the Kings: DeMar DeRozan may be undoing the progress Sacramento made on defense last season, but the combination of him and De'Aaron Fox ensures Mike Brown gets a full 48 minutes of top-notch playmaking becomes. —Verrier

15. Miami Heat (4:24)
14. Indiana Pacers (19:42)
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (41:09)
12. Los Angeles Lakers (53:19)
11. Orlando Magic (1:11:24)

Essential question: Which Eastern Conference team in this group has the smartest team? long term Outlook?

The Heat have a long history in the NBA Finals, the Pacers have made an impressive run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Cavaliers have the steadiest floor of any team in this league – but it's hard not to get carried away by what the Magic could be. Orlando is a team with clear strengths and clear opportunities. We can call the Magic one of the best defenses in the league for the next few seasons, with a powerful, physical style that helps mitigate all the pace and space that opponents rely on. Orlando's offense isn't quite as reliable, but that's not for lack of talent; There's a lot of size and skill in the Magic series, but it's not quite calibrated right yet. Maybe Orlando just needs a little more shooting, a dose of which Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could provide. Maybe it takes the right playmaker or one of his key prospects to grow into that role. This is a young team that is still figuring out how best to calibrate its roster. If (or when?) Orlando cracks the code, all bets are off. —Mahoney

10. Phoenix Suns (8:30)
9. Milwaukee Bucks (22:49)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (36:24)
7. Philadelphia 76ers (50:06)
6. Minnesota Timberwolves (1:06:59)

Essential question: Which of these teams has the most at stake in 2024-25?

The Suns have the most at stake here, and it's not just because they're the most expensive team in the league, which is also important. New owners like Mat Ishbia always talk about how money is no object when they first take the reins, and that's a sure way to get a hungry fan base excited about a team's new direction. However, owners with greater means than Ishbia resent the prospect of spending more money year after year for mediocre results. Adding to the financial burden is the fact that Phoenix employs the league's busiest star in Kevin Durant, a player who has exited in far better situations than Phoenix in the past. When you add it all up, you have a team that needs to achieve big things, and right away. —Lambre

5. New York Knicks (3:34)
4. Dallas Mavericks (28:38)
3. Denver Nuggets (41:28)
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (59:17)
1. Boston Celtics (1:09:39)

Essential question: Have the Celtics destroyed the NBA's age of parity?

The Celtics took the 3-and-D boom to its logical extreme last season by fielding an All-Star defender and shooter at all five positions. And while rivals like the Nuggets and Clippers jettisoned key players last offseason to avoid the punishing second frontcourt, Boston doubled down, investing so much in extension money that owners put the franchise up for sale.

But the Celtics' strength comes from their deep talent rather than an individually dominant player, and Kristaps Porzingis' uncertain health leaves the door open for another club – that's why I chose the Thunder, with Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein now on board Personal No. 1 crew. History isn't on Boston's side either: we've now seen another champion in six consecutive years, making it the longest such streak in NBA history.

The Celtics are probably better suited than any of the previous five winners to buck the trend – they're even deeper than last season, and a summer of snubs has somehow left both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown wanting to prove more than first bell before their victory. But it's hard to see that a dynasty would emerge when the league literally changed its bylaws to prevent top-heavy teams like Boston from being too good for too long. —Verrier

Hosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney and Wosny Lambre
Producers: Jessie Lopez, Isaiah Blakely and Eduardo Ocampo
Additional production supervision: Ben Cruz

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