10 worst NBA teams right now, including the Chicago Bulls

It is safe to say that the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard era was a failure considering the duo could not lead the team past the Western Conference Finals. To make matters worse, the Clippers lost Paul George for nothing in return, as he signed a massive deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The organization brought back James Harden, but with Leonard’s health continuing to be an issue, it could very well be a lost year in Los Angeles. The team also lost its “glue guy” in Russell Westbrook, so unless Kevin Porter Jr. and Mo Bamba have breakout seasons, L.A. will be well under its 51-win total from 2023-24.

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The veteran presence of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes will be very beneficial to the progression of Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and Stephon Castle, who will make a serious case for Rookie of the Year. The Spurs went 22-60 but showed significant growth as the season went on. They are still years away from competing in a loaded Western Conference. However, Wembanyama has the potential to be an All-NBA talent as soon as next season, and with Paul orchestrating the offense, the pick-and-roll game will be difficult for opposing teams to stop in San Antonio.

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Last season, the Chicago Bulls were unable to trade away either Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan. Fast-forward to this offseason, and the franchise lost one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, Alex Caruso, as well as DeRozan and Andre Drummond, for little in return. Lonzo Ball is still yet to make his return from injury, and with Nikola Vucevic getting older, it may be time to his that reset button in Chicago. With that being said, the Bulls have talented players to build around, such as Coby White, who finished second in Most Improved Player of the Year voting, as well as Matas Buzelis, Ayo Dosunmu, and Josh Giddey.

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The young core of RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley should give Raptors fans hope even after coming off a 25-win season in 2023-24. Gradey Dick picked things up toward the end of his rookie season, and with the draft additions of Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter, the front office has plenty to look forward to. Bruce Brown’s trade value may allow Toronto to add another young player to its core, so with Masai Ujiri extending both Quickley and Barnes this summer, the Raptors have one of the best futures in the NBA.

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While the Detroit Pistons may have tied an NBA record with 28 straight losses last season, they will not be the worst team in 2024-25. As long as Cade Cunningham can stay healthy, Ausar Thompson develops his outside jumper, and Jalen Duren continues his dominance in the paint, the Pistons can fight for a play-in spot. Tobias Harris returns to Detroit, and with veteran sharpshooters such as Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley in the mix, the Pistons will be more competitive. Ron Holland, who was selected fifth overall in this year’s draft, showed what his all-around game consists of after averaging 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in the summer league.

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With Lauri Markkanen’s uncertain future in Utah, the Jazz might be heading to rebuild mode, meaning players like Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and John Collins could be on the move. In the past two years, the team finished with better records than expected, going 37-45 in 2022-23 and 31-51 in 2023-24. Even though the Jazz missed out on the top picks in this year’s draft, bringing in Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski rounded out a very successful draft class. With the 2025 class being as loaded as it is, it would not be shocking if the Jazz decided to tank and lean on its young core.

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If the Wizards want to compete in the Eastern Conference in the foreseeable future, building around two high-volume shooters, Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole, is not going to get the job done. Alex Sarr struggled in the summer league but will definitely have a big role during his rookie season alongside Bub Carrington. Malcolm Brogdon plays with one of the highest IQs in the NBA, so the front office could use that as trade value. Coming off a 15-67 record in 2023-24, there are not high expectations in D.C., considering the fact that the team’s only notable free-agency signing was Jonas Valanciunas.

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If LaMelo Ball can stay healthy, the Hornets can finish with more than its 21-win total in 2023-24. However, Ball has been limited to just 58 games in the past two seasons. Mark Williams excels in the pick-and-roll game alongside Ball, which will also open up the court for three-point shooters, Josh Green and Seth Curry. Brandon Miller is coming off a strong rookie campaign, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting after averaging 17.3 points per game. A culture change in Charlotte is needed during Charles Lee’s first season as head coach of the Hornets.

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The Portland Trail Blazers had the worst record in the Western Conference last season, and that could very well be the case in the 2024-25 season. Scoot Henderson finished his rookie season on a high note, despite his struggles early on, while Jerami Grant is still under his massive 5-year, $160 million contract, making it more difficult for the team to find trade partners. Along with that, Deandre Ayton has been inconsistent so if Donovan Clingan is the franchise center moving forward, it is likely either Ayton or Robert Williams III are moved before the trade deadline. Anfernee Simons is still one of the most underrated scorers in the league (22.6 PPG in 2023-24), and the addition of Deni Avdija still gives Portland fans something to look forward to.

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Once the Brooklyn Nets gave up on Mikal Bridges for several first-round draft picks, it became clear that General Manager Sean Marks was committed to the rebuild in Brooklyn. Cam Johnson, as well as Dorian Finney-Smith, could be traded since several contenders will be interested in both two-way players. As talented as a scorer as Cam Thomas is, he is one of the worst defenders in the entire league. Not to mention, Ben Simmons is still owed roughly $40 million even though he has played in only 57 games through two seasons with the team. With Cooper Flagg projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, it seems that the Nets are ready to tank for the generational talent.

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