This week kicks off the annual dose of madness that is the NCAA tournament, where No. 1-seeded Duke — led by freshman phenom and projected 2025 No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg — will hope to cut down the nets in San Antonio.
In the NBA, the next month will showcase several rebuilding teams, including the one residing in San Antonio, as the Spurs position themselves for the best odds ahead of May’s draft lottery for the chance to draft Flagg to jump-start their paths to contention.
But some rebuilds are further along than others. The Spurs are well on their way to Western Conference title contention after landing Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 draft and trading for running mate De’Aaron Fox in February. The Detroit Pistons, one season after finishing last in the league with 14 wins, are a playoff team in a weak Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz continue stockpiling assets as they build through the draft or wait on the league’s next disgruntled star to become available.
With that, we’re examining the paths forward for 11 franchises in varying stages of their rebuilds, how well it’s going and how soon each could vault into contender status. We’re also diving into the futures of three preseason contenders whose seasons have gone off the rails — either due to injuries to stars, poor roster construction or because they traded away an MVP-caliber point guard — and whether each should consider a rebuild of their own.
Note: Our rebuild rankings are not based on where rosters stand right now, but rather look at each team’s rebuilding strategy and path to contention. Detroit, for example, is in the midst of its best season in a generation behind All-Star guard Cade Cunningham. But that doesn’t mean the Pistons are better positioned for long-term contention than teams such as the Jazz or the Washington Wizards, two teams fighting for the worst record but with far better avenues to improve.
Jump to a team:
ATL | BKN | CHA | CHI
DET | NO | POR | SA
TOR | UTAH | WAS
Three wild card teams
1. San Antonio Spurs
Players under 25: 8
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 5
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 5 (Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley)
The strategy: The Spurs are a prime example of how one draft pick can change everything for a franchise. By landing Victor Wembanyama first overall in 2023, San Antonio’s entire direction changed. Now, paired with last year’s first-round pick, Stephon Castle, guard Devin Vassell and trade deadline acquisition De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs hope they have a new core in place for a speedy return to the league’s upper echelon. That pursuit will be aided by an upcoming draft in which the Spurs have not only their own top-10 selection, but possibly get another lottery pick from the Atlanta Hawks. (San Antonio controls Atlanta’s next three drafts.)
Is it working? Assuming Wembanyama has no complications recovering from the deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder that ended his season last month — the Spurs expect a full recovery — San Antonio’s rebuild is working for one simple reason: Wembanyama’s existence. He has been everything he was advertised to be, and then some, in his first two seasons and is the player every team in the league would pick to begin a franchise.
Estimated return to relevance: Assuming Wembanyama’s health, the Spurs will be expected to be a playoff team next season and should be a force to be reckoned with in the West for years to come.
Players under 25: 8
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 8
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 5 (Brandon Miller, Tidjane Salaun, Mark Williams, Tre Mann, Nick Smith Jr.)
The strategy: This is the first full season for Charlotte’s new regime of executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee, whom owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin brought in as part of an effort to modernize the franchise. Charlotte has been praised across the league over the past couple of seasons for making a series of shrewd trades to start building an asset base and add more young players to the mix. Picking Brandon Miller second overall in 2023 is so far looking like a win, while the team’s first-rounder in this year’s draft, Tidjane Salaun, is a 19-year-old forward who will need time to develop before a verdict can be reached. This season, Charlotte is currently in the third and final spot with the highest lottery odds (14%) of claiming the top overall pick.
Is it working? The Hornets have one of the better talent bases on this list between LaMelo Ball, Miller and Mark Williams. And, so far, Charlotte has made just about all the right foundation-building moves to put the franchise on solid footing. But this year’s lottery will play a significant role in determining how well the plan is working. And at some point, a decision will need to be made on whether Ball, who is in the first year of a five-year, $204 million contract, is a true foundational piece.
Estimated return to relevance: If Cooper Flagg lands in Charlotte, it would be reasonable to expect the Hornets to be competing for a playoff spot as soon as next season. Some bad lottery luck, however, could easily see the Hornets spending another year chasing A.J. Dybantsa and the other top prospects in the 2026 draft — pushing this group’s timeline back.
3. Washington Wizards
Players under 25: 7
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 6
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 6 (Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Corey Kispert, AJ Johnson, Kyshawn George)
The strategy: Since president of basketball operations Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins took over before last season, the goal has been obvious: Tear the Wizards down to the studs and rebuild through the draft, following the model used by Thunder GM Sam Presti, whom both men previously worked for in Oklahoma City. As a result, the Wizards have made several moves to take on future draft capital and have a roster featuring five players who were drafted in the first round in 2023 and 2024. Two more-first rounders are coming in June’s draft, the most important of those being Washington’s own pick. It’s projected to be no lower than fifth by virtue of having the league’s worst record.
Is it working? Much of that answer will be determined by whether the Wizards get lucky in May and land one of the top few spots in this year’s draft. (To be fair, that can be said about several teams on this list.) Washington has taken fliers on several high-upside prospects — from Bilal Coulibaly to Bub Carrington to Alex Sarr — but time will tell whether those swings will connect.
Estimated return to relevance: Even if the Wizards land Cooper Flagg this June, it’s going to be another year or two before Washington becomes a factor in the East. It could easily be a couple of years longer than that if they don’t.
4. Brooklyn Nets
Players under 25: 9
Offseason cap space: $45 million
Tradeable first-round picks: 13
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 5 (Ziaire Williams, Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe)
The strategy: When the Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the rival New York Knicks for a heap of draft picks, and then sent a few others to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the rights to Brooklyn’s previously traded picks in 2025 and 2026, the plan was clear: Sink to the bottom for two seasons, reap the rewards of two consecutive deep drafts, then try to turn things around. So far, though, the Nets haven’t quite sunk far enough, with the impressive coaching of Jordi Fernandez currently leaving Brooklyn sitting in the middle of the lottery.
Is it working? Hiring Fernandez can be seen only as a success for Brooklyn. Coaching, though, can take you only so far in the NBA. The Nets are short on talent, which has been by design. Between all of their draft picks and cap space, the Nets have a lot of options. But for a franchise that hasn’t had a single lottery pick since moving to Brooklyn in 2012, it all starts with some lottery luck in a couple of months.
Estimated return to relevance: A couple of years, unless the Nets put the pedal to the floor this summer and acquire a star or two via trade. In that case, Brooklyn’s return to the playoffs could be immediate in a conference with plenty of room for another contender.
5. Utah Jazz
Players under 25: 10
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 7
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 7 (Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams, Keyonte George, Walker Kessler, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski)
The strategy: The past two seasons have seen the Jazz compete for the first two-thirds of the schedule, only to fully ratchet back to losing mode over the final couple of months to improve draft positioning. This season, however, the Jazz were intent on being at top of the draft from the beginning, and as a result are in a battle with the Wizards for the NBA’s worst record. Utah doesn’t have a lot of high-end, young talent on the roster. Walker Kessler has become one of the NBA’s better interior defenders, but outside of that, questions remain about the upside of the team’s other first-round picks: Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams. Taylor Hendricks, perhaps the most promising prospect on the Jazz roster, suffered a season-ending leg injury in November.
Is it working? What’s working for sure is that the Jazz have an elite coach in Will Hardy, widely regarded as one of the league’s best young tacticians. And, like so many teams in this mix, all of this will look far different if Cooper Flagg winds up in Salt Lake City, as opposed to landing the fifth or sixth pick — even in what is considered to be a very deep draft this year.
Estimated return to relevance: Regardless of where Utah’s pick winds up in the draft, the expectation is that the Jazz will be somewhere in the high lottery again next season. And the challenge of moving up the standings in the current Western Conference is daunting.
6. Toronto Raptors
Players under 25: 6
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 5
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 4 (Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Ja’Kobe Walter)
The strategy: When the Raptors moved on from Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby last year, the stated expectation was that Toronto would endure just a short stint in the lottery. Toronto acquiring Immanuel Quickley as part of the Anunoby trade and giving him a five-year contract last summer was proof of that. So, too, was the Raptors trading for Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline and then giving him a $120 million extension through 2028. Now, the team is doing all it can to maximize its draft slot, though having the league’s easiest remaining schedule has Toronto projected by ESPN’s Basketball Power Index to move up to the eighth pick by season’s end, after spending most of the year among the league’s worst teams.
Is it working? What’s clear is the Raptors should be back among the teams fighting for playoff positioning, rather than a lottery spot, next season. By that definition, the plan is working. But the goal isn’t just to be a playoff team, it’s to contend for home court in the East playoffs.
Estimated return to relevance: In terms of the playoffs? It should be next season. In terms of being a factor in the East? That’s likely at least a couple of seasons away. If Toronto doesn’t strike it rich in the lottery, it’s going to come down to whether Barnes can make another leap to consistent All-NBA territory.
7. New Orleans Pelicans
Players under 25: 8
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 6
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 3 (Jordan Hawkins, Yves Missi, Trey Murphy III)
The strategy: This is not the position president of basketball operations David Griffin and the Pelicans expected at the start of the season. After all, New Orleans traded for Dejounte Murray last summer to help push the franchise forward after losing in the first round for a second time in three years. Instead, the season has been a disaster, with Murray, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram never playing together. Murray ruptured an Achilles in January, while Ingram was dealt to the Toronto Raptors a few weeks later at the Feb. 6 trade deadline. As a result, New Orleans could be in position to land yet another elite, game-changing talent in the draft, after previously getting Chris Paul (2005), Anthony Davis (2012) and Williamson (2019). Could Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper be the next young star to hit the Big Easy?
Is it working? New Orleans seems like a team caught between multiple eras. Murray, 28, will miss another large chunk of next season as he recovers from his Achilles injury. Williamson, 24, is back on the court for the Pelicans but has averaged fewer than 40 games per season over his six-year career. Trey Murphy, 24, is a good young player but was just lost for the season because of a shoulder injury. Yves Missi looks like a hit at center as last year’s 21st pick, but absent another high pick in this draft, it’s hard to see a significant push up the standings.
Estimated return to relevance: Adding a high-level pick to this group could create a path back to the play-in next season. But with Murray injured, Ingram gone and no clear route to replacing either star’s production, it seems like 2025-26 will be another lottery-bound season in New Orleans. And that’s before a decision is made on the future of Williamson, who is in the second year of a five-year, $197 million contract.
8. Detroit Pistons
Players under 25: 8
Offseason cap space: $20 million
Tradeable first-round picks: 4
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 6 (Cade Cunningham, Ron Holland II, Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Marcus Sasser)
The strategy: After years of floundering, the Pistons hired Trajan Langdon to run the front office. He then hired J.B. Bickerstaff as coach and surrounded former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham with veteran shooting (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris) to give him more space to operate. All of that has locked Detroit into a top-six spot in the East with the chance to potentially rise to fourth and host a playoff series for the first time since 2008. Detroit also has an interesting collection of young talent beyond Cunningham, led by Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and 2024 first-round pick Ron Holland.
Is it working? Why are the Pistons this low despite being headed for the playoffs? It’s hard to knock Detroit putting together arguably its best season in nearly 20 years, and it has a young All-Star in Cunningham with plenty of further upside. But the team’s success this season has cost Detroit its first-round pick in a deep draft — it’s going to Minnesota as part of a prior trade. This group still needs another bona fide All-Star, and it’s hard to see how the Pistons get one.
Estimated return to relevance: Detroit has arguably already returned to relevance this season, particularly after how moribund the team has been for the past several years. But in terms of being a legitimate conference finals contender? It still seems far from reality for this group.
9. Atlanta Hawks
Players under 25: 8
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 5
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 4 (Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin, Jalen Johnson)
The strategy: When Atlanta traded for Dejounte Murray in 2022, it gave up rights to three consecutive drafts to San Antonio and set up the franchise for the situation it finds itself in now: stuck in the middle with no real path to escape until those obligations expire in 2027. As a result, the Hawks are trying to add young talent to refresh the roster while still trying to win as many games as possible. Atlanta took a step in that direction by making a shrewd trade with New Orleans to get NBA steals leader Dyson Daniels, who is a likely first-team All-Defense selection, as well as two future first-round picks in exchange for dealing Murray to the Pelicans this past July. Between Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher — plus potentially two first-round picks in the middle of this year’s draft — the Hawks have a foundation to build on moving forward.
Is it working? The Hawks have stockpiled young talent and will get a few more bites at the apple in the draft. But it’s going to take time for this team to be positioned to truly take a step forward. Questions remain about Trae Young’s future, as well. The All-Star point guard can become a free agent in 2026.
Estimated return to relevance: Given the competition around them, the Hawks should expect to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot the next couple of seasons. The path to competing for home-court advantage in the East, however, is harder to see without landing another high-level star.
10. Portland Trail Blazers
Players under 25: 8
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 4
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 5 (Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray, Jabari Walker)
The strategy: Since moving on from Damian Lillard 18 months ago, it has been difficult to discern the overall strategy for Portland, especially after a 21-61 season to kick off the post-Lillard era. The Blazers got a haul of draft picks and players back in the Lillard and Jrue Holiday deals and they added promising young forward Toumani Camara from the Phoenix Suns as part of the price of getting Deandre Ayton out of Phoenix. But trading a lottery pick and another future pick last offseason for Deni Avdija, who has played well in Portland, was a win-now move — not a rebuilding one. Still having the likes of Ayton, Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III and Anfernee Simons on the roster is also hard to square with where this team is sitting, as is the fact the Blazers have little cap flexibility for at least another season.
Is it working? Portland winning a bunch of games over the past few weeks could be taken as a sign of things moving in the right direction. But by doing so, Portland has moved out of the top 10 spots in the draft lottery, likely preventing this group from adding another high-level player. Henderson has improved and Clingan has had a fine rookie year patrolling the paint, but it’s fair to wonder whether Portland’s next foundational player is currently on this roster.
Estimated return to relevance: Portland established itself over the back half of the season as a legitimately sound defensive team. But it’s going to take a lot more than that to climb up the West standings. Right now, it’s unclear how the talent boost is going to arrive.
11. Chicago Bulls
Players under 25: 6
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 6
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 3 (Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Dalen Terry)
The strategy: Unclear. At his post-trade-deadline news conference, Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said, “I think there’s different structures that you can try to get to a championship. There’s two or three star players and then a lot of role players, or you can build it with nine, 10 very good players. And I think now we’re leaning toward having a lot of solid, good players — nine, 10 that can last through a season, because there’s going to be injuries. I think more and more teams are doing that.” For the Bulls, there is salary cap flexibility coming in 2026, but none this summer. Rookie Matas Buzelis has some intriguing tools but is far away from contributing to a good team. Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine were traded away in the past several months, and the only first-round pick that came back between all of those deals was Chicago’s previously dealt top-10-protected pick in June — one the Bulls were never in serious danger of losing.
Is it working? It appears the Bulls are finally committed to a rebuild after the past eight seasons (including this one) produced one playoff appearance and a single playoff game victory. It’s unlikely Chicago jumps up in the lottery this season as the current 9-seed in the East, meaning next season, theoretically, would be the start of a true rebuilding cycle.
Estimated return to relevance: It has been 10 years since the Bulls won a playoff series. It’s hard to see that streak ending before the end of the decade. Stroke of luck in May would obviously be a big boost to that timeline.
Will they or won’t they?
Philadelphia 76ers
Players under 25: 7
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 5
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 2 (Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes)
Should they rebuild? There might not be a trickier question to answer in the NBA. If Philadelphia keeps its pick — and especially if it adds a talent such as Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper — and Joel Embiid and Paul George bounce back to their form from last season, the 76ers could be a factor at the top of the Eastern Conference as soon as next season. But if the veterans can’t recapture that level of performance, and if the 76ers lose their top-six-protected pick — they are currently projected by the BPI to finish with the fifth selection — it’s going to be a very long 2025-26 season in Philadelphia. That’s why some around the league argue the 76ers should try to shed Embiid’s and George’s deals now, and rebuild around guard Tyrese Maxey and their other young talent (including rookie Jared McCain and restricted free agent Quentin Grimes). But Embiid and George are owed a ton of money, and their play this season hasn’t exactly created an advancing market for their services.
Phoenix Suns
Players under 25: 2
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 2
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 1 (Ryan Dunn)
Should they rebuild? In my colleague Tim MacMahon’s story on Phoenix last week, owner Mat Ishbia scoffed at the notion that he would ever rebuild, so whether the Suns should might be a moot point. It’s extremely difficult to see how this team is going to dig out of the hole it has dug for itself since Ishbia took over in February 2023. It is widely believed that Kevin Durant will be elsewhere next season, but the idea that Phoenix will get a massive return for trading the 36-year-old is based more on Durant’s name than reality. Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause, negating any minimal value he would have. And with Devin Booker and the Suns both declaring he won’t be going anywhere, that doesn’t leave many paths to improve a roster that already wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs this season.
Dallas Mavericks
Players under 25: 4
Offseason cap space: None
Tradeable first-round picks: 3
Players on rookie-scale contracts: 3 (Dereck Lively II, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Jaden Hardy)
Should they rebuild? It’s hard to believe this question could be asked given the Mavericks were in the NBA Finals last June. But after trading Luka Doncic and seeing an ACL tear end the rest of Kyrie Irving’s season and likely most of his 2025-26, it’s a legitimate storyline. The Mavericks are out several draft picks moving forward, as general manager Nico Harrison declared this team had a three- to four-year window when he traded Doncic for Anthony Davis. The first two years of that window will now all but certainly end without a real shot at contention. If Dallas turned around and moved Davis this summer, it could get a ton in return. As it stands, the Mavericks will try to build around him moving forward with limited assets while attempting to replace Irving’s production in the backcourt, making an already thin needle even more difficult to thread.
Source: espn.com