Philadelphia 76ersNeeds: Ahead helpPicks: 3, 35
Philadelphia went all in final 12 months making an attempt to compete. With an MVP-caliber participant in Joel Embiid on the roster, a former MVP candidate in Paul George, and two thrilling younger guards in Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, you’ll count on the Sixers to have a minimum of been a good group. Alas, the group floundered amidst accidents and disappointing seasons from gamers they anticipated to hold them, ending 24-58. Paul George missed a number of video games early within the season, stopping him from discovering his groove on his new group, earlier than shutting it down utterly for the ultimate two months of the season. In the meantime, Joel Embiid’s ongoing damage points proceed to solid a shadow over the franchise, as he solely suited up for 19 video games this season. It’s troublesome to construct round a participant, irrespective of how proficient, if he isn’t constantly out there to anchor the lineup. Since becoming a member of the league, Embiid has solely performed a mean of 41 video games per season. Should you take out his first two seasons within the league, that jumps as much as 50, but it surely stays a significant challenge that has solely worsened the final two seasons. Philadelphia could have to start out having conversations just like what New Orleans has relating to Zion Williamson. What do you do with a high-level distinction maker that’s simply as more likely to be in road garments as in double figures in scoring and rebounding on a given evening? Fortunately, Philly has two dynamic younger guards on their roster in Maxey and McCain to construct round, but it surely has to make them nervous that each additionally ended the season injured, with Maxey taking part in solely 52 video games and McCain displaying out in a small pattern measurement of solely 23 video games.
The Sixers are unlikely to commerce Embiid this offseason, since you merely don’t promote low on a participant of his caliber until the participant forces his manner out. Nevertheless, the group might completely discover the chance throughout subsequent season if they will’t flip it round in an enormous manner. It is a group that won’t have wage cap area to make use of to enhance the group, and few commerce property with any worth exterior of gamers they clearly won’t wish to hand over. No one is touching that Paul George contract, so the group should add items by means of the draft to bolster this lineup. Luckily, they landed the third general choose within the lottery. With that choose, Ace Bailey of Rutgers is more likely to be out there and can be an intriguing addition. He’s a high-upside scorer able to making robust pictures, however his shot choice might be erratic, and he’ll seemingly expertise the standard rookie rising pains. The query is how the group’s veterans will reply when these struggles affect tight video games. That mentioned, regardless of him not being essentially the most pure match with this present group, the Sixers are arguably not a real contender in the mean time—and when selecting this excessive within the draft, the group has an obligation to take the participant with essentially the most long-term upside moderately than focusing solely on match. Different choices might be Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, who would overlap with their different younger guards however arguably has as a lot upside as Bailey and comes with a bit of extra construction, or Jeremiah Fears, who they might think about for his capacity to play level guard with toughness. In the end, Philly might be caught making an attempt to make the perfect out of a flawed roster subsequent season both manner, however the query shall be how laborious do they attempt to cling to what they imagine is a contending standing versus tearing it down and constructing towards the longer term?
Brooklyn NetsNeeds: Extra expertise overallPicks: 8, 19, 26, 27, 36
Brooklyn completed with a 26-56 document final 12 months, however not like Philly, they totally anticipated to be a nasty group. The Nets have been ready to clear cap area to allow them to look to make the most of a mixture of wage area and the attract of their main market to herald distinction makers. The Nets can have De’Angelo Russell’s and De’Anthony Melton’s large contracts come off the books this offseason, paving the way in which for them to have as much as round 90 million, though it can seemingly be a lot lower than that primarily based off of who they find yourself trying to retain from final season’s roster. Nonetheless, between having cap area and 4 first spherical picks, they need to see an inflow of expertise for subsequent season. Within the draft, they might look to package deal a few of their picks to maneuver up within the draft or defer to future drafts, however they seemingly won’t make the most of all 5 complete picks they personal on this 12 months’s draft.
Assuming they keep at choose 8, they’ll seemingly take a protracted take a look at gamers reminiscent of Texas Longhorn Tre Johnson, BYU Cougar Egor Demin, French level guard Nolan Traore, or fellow French prospect Noa Essengue, who has been heating up of late within the French league and affords excessive long-term upside. With their second first-round choose at 19, a participant like Illinois wing Will Riley might be a possible constructing block—an upside swing who provides measurement and scoring potential on the perimeter. If they will purchase a main ball handler, it will liberate Cam Thomas to deal with being the scorer he’s able to being. In free company, Brooklyn will look to make a splash, and will look so as to add a significant piece reminiscent of Fred VanVleet, Julius Randle, or Ty Jerome. This offseason would be the first step of their rebuild as they’re lastly freed from the monetary constraints which have restricted them for years. With picks 26, 27, and 36 additionally in hand, they might look to package deal some mixture of these to maneuver up within the draft or goal gamers hovering across the late first/early second vary—names like Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton, or Drake Powell might all be in play as high-upside rotation items.
Toronto RaptorsNeeds: Expertise, Rebounding, shot creationPicks: 9, 39
The Raptors made an aggressive transfer final season to amass Brandon Ingram from New Orleans. With Ingram becoming a member of Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, Toronto now has an intriguing however probably overlapping core of ball-dominant wings and forwards. The match will should be sorted out, significantly on offense, the place spacing and decision-making might grow to be difficult with out sturdy secondary playmakers and floor-spacers round them. Staff president Masai Ujiri has usually favored worldwide prospects and gamers with long-term endurance in Toronto, which makes the group’s worldwide leanings a probable issue once more in 2025. Two sturdy choices who match that mould — and are worthy of choice at No. 9 — are Nolan Traore, a dynamic French lead guard with high-level creation abilities and velocity, and Noa Essengue, a strong, athletic ahead who defends a number of positions and brings power and toughness. Essengue’s sport does barely overlap with Ingram and Barnes by way of measurement and position, but when the Raptors view him as the perfect expertise out there, they will all the time make roster changes or future trades to type out the match.
If Traore and Essengue are off the board, Kon Knueppel can be a dream state of affairs if he falls — although that’s more and more unlikely. Different names to look at embrace Nique Clifford of Colorado State, an athletic wing with defensive versatility, and Kasparas Jakucionis, the expert Lithuanian guard now at Illinois, who affords sharp decision-making and playmaking upside. The Raptors might also look to handle their frontcourt, the place Derik Queen stands out as a refined low-post scorer who might thrive in pick-and-roll units with their perimeter stars. Toronto’s roster seemingly received’t change dramatically past the draft and a minor free agent addition or two, however the presence of Ingram — who didn’t swimsuit up post-trade final season — will make subsequent 12 months’s group really feel distinctly totally different from what followers noticed in 2024–25.
Boston CelticsNeeds: A brand new Achilles for TatumPicks: 28, 32
Boston is in possibly the worst place a entrance workplace might ever discover themselves in. It is a roster that simply received a championship and was designed to contend for the subsequent few years. Now, their finest participant is out for your entire upcoming season and they’re a second apron group, which means there isn’t a viable manner so as to add the kind of expertise they would wish to stay a contender. With an ageing roster, in addition they can be taking an enormous danger by merely making an attempt to soak up a down 12 months and hope that Jayson Tatum can bounce again to full energy. The group must resolve whether or not to increase the championship window or shut it now in hopes of rushing up the rebuild. Tatum is injured and won’t be himself for a very long time. Jrue Vacation is 35, Kristaps Porzingis has a protracted historical past of accidents, and Al Horford (assuming he doesn’t retire) shall be 39. Is Jaylen Brown sufficient to maintain the group a contender? Can Derrick White step his sport up any additional than he already has?
Boston has a Sophie’s alternative scenario on their arms. In the event that they preserve the group collectively, it’s unlikely they’ll nonetheless be in place to contend by the point Tatum returns. If they start a rebuild, the entrance workplace can have blown up a championship-winning group—an nearly unthinkable transfer simply weeks after elevating a banner. There’s merely no good reply, and with the NBA’s extra restrictive CBA and the Celtics’ standing as a second apron group, the franchise is basically making an attempt to handle these points with their arms tied behind their backs. They’ll have to get artistic and presumably flip to the draft so as to add inexpensive contributors. Collin Murray-Boyles might deliver the kind of versatility, toughness, and glue-guy mentality to be their subsequent Grant Williams. If out there, a participant like Carter Bryant might supply a longer-term upside swing, giving the group a cost-controlled asset to develop whereas navigating a troublesome cap panorama.
New York KnicksNeeds: Backup level guardPicks: 50
The Knicks are coming off the perfect season they’ve had in fairly a while, together with a deep playoff run. In placing collectively this group, they’ve discovered themselves on the cusp of second apron standing, which is able to primarily lock them into conserving the roster as-is for essentially the most half. They might want to discover a manner so as to add a backup level guard, whether or not which means discovering a option to retain Cam Payne or bringing someone else in, however I might largely count on the group to look extraordinarily related subsequent season.
Within the draft, they maintain just one choose, and it’s at choose 50. They need to forfeit their different second-round choose as a punishment for tampering with Jalen Brunson. Actually any group ever would commerce a second-round choose for Brunson, so I might say it was greater than value it. Nevertheless, shifting ahead, it will likely be crucial for New York to capitalize on their picks as they lose flexibility elsewhere. It’s unlikely they land an affect participant at 50, however with the group already in place, they need to nonetheless be a contender subsequent season. At that spot, they might goal a neighborhood participant like RJ Luis, so long as they don’t hearken to Rick Pitino about him.
