The 2024-25 NBA regular season wraps up Sunday but all eyes will be on Wednesday's clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET). Luka Doncic returns to Dallas for the first time following his blockbuster trade to the Lakers in February, in what should be a highly charged atmosphere at American Airlines Center.
Another key game Wednesday is the Sacramento Kings hosting the Denver Nuggets (ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET), who'll be taking the court for the first time since Tuesday's firing of Michael Malone as coach. Denver's stunning move -- the second late-season firing of an NBA coach -- leaves one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference, led by MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, with an uncertain future.
Amid that, top playoff contenders are aiming to lock up their postseason spots, while teams at the bottom of the standings (notably the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards) will await their fate for the No. 1 pick.
Ahead of the final days of the regular season, our NBA insiders break down whether each team met or missed preseason expectations in our last edition of the season's Power Rankings.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk and Chris Herring) think teams belong this season.
Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 30 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 13 | Nov. 20 | Nov. 27 | Dec. 4 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 25 | Jan. 1 | Jan. 8 | Jan. 15 | Jan. 22 | Jan. 29 | Feb. 5 | Feb. 12 | Feb. 26 | March 5 | March 12 | March 19 | March 26 | April 2
Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA | WAS
2024-25 record: 65-14
Previous ranking: 1
Next games: @ PHX (April 9), @ UTAH (April 11), @ NO (April 13)
The Thunder have earned the West's No. 1 seed for the second consecutive postseason and could make it three in a row in 2026 with a very similar roster after the summer. Oklahoma City has 15 players under contract for next season, including point guard Nikola Topic, a lottery pick who has spent his rookie year recovering from a knee injury. The Thunder could have as many as three first-round picks in this year's draft, but the odds are that the protected picks owed by the 76ers and Heat won't convey this year. -- Tim MacMahon
2024-25 record: 63-16
Previous ranking: 2
Next games: @ IND (April 10), @ NYK (April 11), vs. IND (April 13)
It was a banner year for the Cavs, securing the second-most wins in franchise history (and their first 60-win season that didn't involve LeBron James) and clinching the No. 1 seed in the East. Under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson -- who'll receive strong consideration for Coach of the Year -- Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley each had All-Star seasons. Now they'll need a deep postseason run -- to the conference finals at least -- to validate their success thus far. -- Dave McMenamin
2024-25 record: 59-20
Previous ranking: 3
Next games: @ ORL (April 9), vs. CHA (April 11), vs. CHA (April 13)
Boston is right where it hoped to be entering the season: sitting among the top spots in the East standings with a healthy roster and as the favorites to defend its championship title. It's far from assured the Celtics will make it through the next two months and win the title, but things couldn't have gone much better in Boston this season. Jayson Tatum is scoring 26.9 points per game and Finals-MVP co-star Jaylen Brown is right behind him averaging 22.5. -- Tim Bontemps
2024-25 record: 52-27
Previous ranking: 4
Next games: @ LAC (April 9), @ LAL (April 11), vs. DEN (April 13)
The Rockets made good on their stated goal of advancing to the postseason for the first time since the 2019-20 season and Ime Udoka deserves Coach of the Year consideration for his role in shifting the culture in Houston. In addition to bringing in veterans such as Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, Udoka was adamant in his vision to build a tough, physical team that emphasized defense and hustle. That helped Houston improve on its 41 wins from last season and surpass the 50-win mark this time. Internally, the Rockets are pleased with the development of young players such as Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson. How Houston performs in the playoffs will determine the route the club will take this offseason. VanVleet has a team option next season ($44.8 million) but a restricted new deal would add flexibility for a franchise teeming with assets and pondering whether to add a big-name star. -- Michael Wright
2024-25 record: 50-29
Previous ranking: 11
Next games: @ DET (April 10), vs. CLE (April 11), @ BKN (April 13)
By winning at least 50 games for the second consecutive season and finishing near their preseason over/under win total of 53.5, New York has essentially met its preseason expectations to be one of the East's best teams. But it'd also be fair to feel as if this new-look group hasn't done enough against elite competition. The club's 0-9 mark against Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City -- the teams with the NBA's three best records -- raises questions about whether the Knicks can be competitive beyond the first round of the playoffs. -- Chris Herring
2024-25 record: 48-31
Previous ranking: 6
Next games: @ DAL (April 9), vs. HOU (April 11), @ POR (April 13)
The 2024-25 Lakers season will be forever known for L.A.'s vice president of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka, pulling off one of the most shocking trades in league history after acquiring Luka Doncic from the Mavericks. Everything else that goes their way will be a bonus. And there has been a lot in the bonus column: JJ Redick proving himself as a first-year head coach, Austin Reaves' continued development and LeBron James still winning the battle against Father Time as a 40-year-old. -- McMenamin
2024-25 record: 47-32
Previous ranking: 5
Next games: @ SAC (April 9), vs. MEM (April 11), @ HOU (April 13)
Nuggets ownership made a seismic change on Tuesday by parting ways with both coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. Instead of waiting until the end of the season, ownership made the moves with the hopes that the team could still do something this postseason amid a career year from Nikola Jokic. Sources said a "cold war" had been going on between Malone and Booth, especially over roster personnel with Booth preferring that Malone play younger role players more. The team not only had to deal with that rift but with key injuries to Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray. With Denver going 11-13 since All-Star weekend, interim head coach David Adelman, a well-regarded coach who has drawn interviews for head coaching vacancies around the league, takes over. As the offensive mind on the Nuggets' sideline, Adelman will have to figure out how to help Jokic but, more importantly, shore up a bottom-10 defense. -- Ohm Youngmisuk
2024-25 record: 48-31
Previous ranking: 8
Next games: vs. WAS (April 8), vs. CLE (April 10), vs. ORL (April 11), @ CLE (April 13)
Indiana is closing in on locking up the No. 4 seed in the East, a strong and successful campaign following an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals last season, especially considering the Pacers were under .500 at the start of January. Tyrese Haliburton has looked like a star in the second half of the season and Indiana will likely have homecourt in the first round of the playoffs, giving them a more favorable path toward another deep run in the postseason. -- Jamal Collier
9. LA Clippers
2024-25 record: 47-32
Previous ranking: 12
Next games: vs. HOU (April 9), @ SAC (April 11), @ GS (April 13)
The Clippers came into the season with the lowest expectations of the Kawhi Leonard era. They opened the Intuit Dome with Leonard's status as a mystery as he rehabbed his right knee for the first couple of months. And with Paul George leaving for Philadelphia in free agency and Russell Westbrook traded to Utah for Kris Dunn and eventually joining the Nuggets, the Clippers retooled the roster with young, hard-nosed, defensive-minded players. But they also hired Jeff Van Gundy as an assistant coach, which proved to be one of the best additions in the NBA. Still, team owner Steve Ballmer boasted that they would be a playoff contender, and Leonard told ESPN he can win with this roster. The Clippers backed that up with a top-five defense and a veteran core -- James Harden, Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell -- that had big seasons. Of course, the biggest question still has to be answered in the playoffs -- can Leonard stay healthy when it matters most? -- Youngmisuk
2024-25 record: 47-32
Previous ranking: 7
Next games: vs. SA (April 9), @ POR (April 11), vs. LAC (April 13)
The Warriors opened with a 12-3 start that raised expectations significantly despite the summer departure of Klay Thompson. But Golden State then went 13-21, which prompted the bold trade for Jimmy Butler III. That rejuvenated Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and raised the levels of role players such as Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. Now the Warriors prepare for a run like in 2022, when they last won the title on the strength of their championship experience and favorable matchups in the postseason. Curry and Green believe they have a legitimate chance at winning a fifth championship as Butler aims for his first, even if that doesn't take place this postseason. But if "Playoff Jimmy" shows up, Golden State will be a team no contender will want to face, especially in the early rounds. -- Youngmisuk
2024-25 record: 46-33
Previous ranking: 10
Next games: @ MEM (April 10), vs. BKN (April 11), vs. UTAH (April 13)
The Wolves aspired to remain a championship contender despite trading franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns weeks before the start of the season. Up until a recent second-half season spark, the Wolves looked anything but playoff-ready. Minnesota was on a five-game winning streak before its devastating loss to the Bucks on Tuesday but are 14-4 since the start of March. It hasn't been the smoothest season, and the Wolves are still fighting to stay out of the Western Conference play-in tournament but they're gaining momentum at the right time to give themselves the best chance in the postseason. -- Collier
2024-25 record: 47-32
Previous ranking: 9
Next games: vs. MIN (April 10), @ DEN (April 11), vs. DAL (April 13)
The playoffs would have provided the perfect proving ground for the new, innovative offense Memphis executed for most of the regular season. The expectation was that the Grizzlies would be less predictable in an offense that virtually eliminated ball screens and dribble handoffs. But the surprise firing of coach Taylor Jenkins last week pushed the Grizzlies in a new direction in their attempt to optimize guard Ja Morant under interim coach Tuomas Iisalo. A string of 10 losses in 17 outings from Feb. 23 to March 27 appeared to seal Jenkins' fate. Now general manager Zach Kleiman seeks "clarity and direction" from the team as it closes out the season. In addition to likely conducting a coaching search, Memphis could be eyeing a hefty extension for Jaren Jackson Jr. that could turn out to be a supermax. Still, Memphis is in an advantageous financial position this offseason to upgrade the overall roster. -- Wright
13. Milwaukee Bucks
2024-25 record: 45-34
Previous ranking: 14
Next games: vs. NO (April 10), @ DET (April 11), vs. DET (April 13)
The Bucks entered the season with championship expectations, but they haven't been able to contend with the top teams or win consistently enough to look the part all season. They started 2-8, rebounded to win the NBA Cup in December, but recently have faded to the bottom half of the East playoff standings. Overall, Milwaukee went 0-9 against the top three seeds in the East and will need a strong final week, especially in their last two games against the Pistons, which will go a long way in deciding which team enters the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. -- Collier
14. Detroit Pistons
2024-25 record: 43-36
Previous ranking: 13
Next games: vs. NYK (April 10), vs. MIL (April 11), @ MIL (April 13)
Despite a costly pair of back-to-back home losses that will likely force the Pistons to sweep a home-and-home set with Milwaukee to reach the fifth seed, Detroit has smashed expectations this season. The Pistons have already beaten their over/under win total by 17.5 games, with three to play in the regular season. Just two teams this century have surpassed their total by more than 20 games: the 2013-14 Suns (27.5) and the 2009-10 Bucks (20.5). Not to mention first-time All-Star Cade Cunningham has taken a huge leap forward in his fourth season that makes him a strong contender for Most Improved Player. -- Kevin Pelton
15. Orlando Magic
2024-25 record: 39-40
Previous ranking: 18
Next games: vs. BOS (April 9), @ IND (April 11), @ ATL (April 13)
Tuesday's win over the Hawks means Orlando can clinch the top seed in the play-in before finishing the season Sunday in Atlanta. It's tough to say how much of the Magic's slide from the fifth seed in the 2024 postseason to the play-in this season can be explained by injuries. Orlando has played a combined 54 games without leading scorers Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but the Magic are still below .500 when both play. This could be explained by the absence of point guard Jalen Suggs, who's out for the season after undergoing knee surgery. One bright spot for Orlando: Reserve guard Caleb Houstan has been on a hot streak, shooting 53% on 3s since the All-Star break. -- Pelton
16. Sacramento Kings
2024-25 record: 39-40
Previous ranking: 17
Next games: vs. Den (April 9), vs. LAC (April 11), vs. PHX (April 13)
The Suns' loss on Tuesday locked up a play-in spot for the Kings but Sacramento is still playing for the right to host the 9-10 game, which would match where the team finished last year. Expectations ran higher after Sacramento added free agent DeMar DeRozan, and coach Mike Brown took the fall for his team's uneven start in December. Things haven't been much different under interim coach Doug Christie, which led the Kings to deal star De'Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine before the deadline. A play-in loss could mean even more changes this summer. -- Pelton
17. Dallas Mavericks
2024-25 record: 38-41
Previous ranking: 16
Next games: vs. LAL (April 9), vs. TOR (April 11), @ MEM (April 13)
The Mavs are fighting for the right to host the West's 9/10 play-in game, which isn't a position they planned on occupying after acquiring Anthony Davis and Max Christie in the Luka Doncic trade. But injuries have wreaked havoc on the Dallas roster, including a torn ACL that ended star guard Kyrie Irving's season and will likely sideline him for a significant portion of the 2025-26 season. There is a lot of intrigue around the league about Irving's contractual situation this summer. He has a $44 million player option, and several league sources anticipated before his injury that the Mavs would lock up Irving for three years at near maximum money. -- MacMahon
18. Atlanta Hawks
2024-25 record: 37-42
Previous ranking: 15
Next games: @ BKN (April 10), @ PHI (April 11), vs. ORL (April 13)
The Hawks had ridden a few high moments throughout this season's campaign, including knocking off the East's top three teams -- the Cavs, Celtics and Knicks -- en route to reaching the NBA Cup semifinals. But all in all, they've landed back where they've been for four consecutive years now: in the play-in, fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Their 37 wins, a one-game improvement from last season, are just above their 35.5 over/under projection. -- Chris Herring
19. Miami Heat
2024-25 record: 36-43
Previous ranking: 21
Next games: @ CHI (April 9), @ NO (April 11), vs. WAS (April 13)
After enduring the Jimmy Butler III drama for the first half of the season, Miami is once again mired in the play-in for a third straight postseason. Accepting that reality is why Miami chose to trade Butler before the deadline to Golden State. The biggest question is what the Heat will do to take a step forward next season rather than remain in the same position again. -- Bontemps
20. Chicago Bulls
2024-25 record: 36-43
Previous ranking: 19
Next games: vs. MIA (April 9), vs. WAS (April 11), @ PHI (April 13)
Despite claiming to be in a transition phase, the Bulls are heading to the East play-in tournament for the third consecutive season. Chicago is not a threat to make a deep playoff run, but a late-season surge from Josh Giddey and Coby White has given the Bulls a semblance of the future. But without a star and no clear path on how to acquire one, the ceiling on the Bulls still seems low for the future. -- Collier
21. Phoenix Suns
2024-25 record: 35-44
Previous ranking: 20
Next games: vs. OKC (April 9), vs. SA (April 11), @ SAC (April 13)
Phoenix came into the season with an over/under betting line of 48.5 wins and will need to win the final three games just to win 38. It has been a disastrous season for the Suns, who have followed up an NBA Finals run in 2021 by firing two coaches (Monty Williams and Frank Vogel) and are falling flat with a third in Mike Budenholzer. A seven-game losing streak has done all but dash their chances of claiming a spot in the play-in tournament, but the bigger question remains: What will the organization and Kevin Durant do this summer? -- McMenamin
2024-25 record: 35-44
Previous ranking: 22
Next games: @ UTAH (April 9), vs. GS (April 11), vs. LAL (April 13)
Despite winning Sunday, the Blazers were mathematically eliminated from play-in contention. That Portland had something to play for through April was unexpected coming into the season, and GM Joe Cronin was rewarded Monday for the team's performance and the development of young foundation players Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara with a multiyear contract extension. The next decision for the Blazers is on coach Chauncey Billups, who has a team option for 2025-26. Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report indicated Monday that Portland has yet to exercise the option. -- Pelton
2024-25 record: 32-47
Previous ranking: 24
Next games: @ GS (April 9), @ PHX (April 11), vs. TOR (April 13)
San Antonio wanted to emphasize the development of winning habits during Victor Wembanyama's rookie season so that it could make a legitimate run at the postseason during the French phenom's second-year campaign. A series of events prevented those lofty expectations from coming to fruition. Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke five games into the season that has indefinitely sidelined him, leaving assistant Mitch Johnson in charge. The front office shrewdly maneuvered to acquire speedy guard De'Aaron Fox near the trade deadline, but he played just five games with Wembanyama before the latter was shelved for the season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder. The club also shut down Fox so that he could undergo surgery to repair a tendon on his left hand. San Antonio has a lottery pick and an additional first-rounder in the upcoming draft but also faces uncertainty regarding Popovich's potential return. -- Wright
24. Toronto Raptors
2024-25 record: 29-50
Previous ranking: 25
Next games: vs. CHA (April 9), @ DAL (April 11), @ SA (April 13)
Injuries curtailed Toronto's chances of being a potential play-in team, but by landing in the top half of the lottery, the Raptors are positioned to immediately leap back into the playoff picture next season. They'll also be able to count on Brandon Ingram, who was acquired from New Orleans in February but has not played since Dec. 7 due to an ankle injury. How high this group's long-term ceiling is, however, will come down to where this year's draft pick lands. -- Bontemps
25. Brooklyn Nets
2024-25 record: 26-53
Previous ranking: 26
Next games: vs. ATL (April 10), @ MIN (April 11), vs. NYK (April 13)
Brooklyn surpassed its over/under projection of 19.5 in early February, a big sign that the Nets exceeded expectations. Back in possession of their own 2025 draft pick, the Nets were widely expected to be in a rebuilding mode. Still, first-year coach Jordi Fernandez kept the group highly competitive despite the team trading players such as Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, and even as leading scorer Cam Thomas played in just 25 games before exiting for the remainder of the season with a left strained hamstring. Now their eyes are set on the lottery as they wait to see where they will pick and how they will add to their young roster. -- Chris Herring
2024-25 record: 23-56
Previous ranking: 27
Next games: @ WAS (April 9), vs. ATL (April 11), vs. CHI (April 13)
To say this season has been a disaster in Philadelphia is an understatement. A team that had championship aspirations after acquiring Paul George in the offseason has been out of the playoff picture for months. It has struggled so much that the unthinkable has happened: The 76ers could keep their top-six protected pick from conveying to the Thunder, depending on how the pingpong balls fall next month in the lottery. -- Bontemps
2024-25 record: 21-58
Previous ranking: 23
Next games: @ MIL (April 10), vs. MIA (April 11), vs. OKC (April 13)
Offseason addition Dejounte Murray fractured his left hand in a season-opening win against Chicago, tipping off what would be a vicious wave of injuries for a team that lost 16 of its first 20 games. The vaunted trio of Murray, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram never stepped foot on the court together, with Ingram traded to Toronto in February. In all, the Pelicans lost Murray, Ingram, Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado at some point to either season-ending or prolonged injuries. The club also shut down CJ McCollum for the season. So, consider this a lost season for New Orleans -- and there's still a chance Murray and Murphy will miss the start of next season -- as it recovers from injuries. New Orleans could be making its first top-five selection in the upcoming draft since taking Williamson in 2019 with the No. 1 pick. Overall roster health and continuing to build around Williamson appear to be the Pels' top priorities in the offseason. -- Wright
2024-25 record: 19-60
Previous ranking: 28
Next games: @ TOR (April 9), @ BOS (April 11), @ BOS (April 13)
There certainly weren't playoff expectations for this season, but with Charlotte being a full 10 games below its preseason over/under of 29.5, it's fair to call this injury-riddled season another forgettable one for the Hornets. They could be faced with some difficult questions in the offseason. Chief among them: Is 23-year-old LaMelo Ball, who had a career-high usage rate on career-low shooting percentages, still the player the franchise wants to build around? This season marked the third time in his five-year career that he played in fewer than 50 games. -- Herring
2024-25 record: 17-62
Previous ranking: 29
Next games: vs. PHI (April 9), @ CHI (April 11), @ MIA (April 13)
The Wizards entered the season with the excitement surrounding the No. 2 pick in Alex Sarr and fellow first-round picks Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George. But there was never any question that this was another year in the building process. And with this draft touted as a deep one, Washington's primary goal was to continue to develop young building blocks like Bilal Coulibaly, keep adding assets when possible and get the highest pick possible in the lottery. They also added vets like Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart to help mentor their youngsters as well. Losing 60-plus games for a second straight year is painful. But if Washington wins the lottery or has a top-three pick, it'll ease the pain. -- Youngmisuk
30. Utah Jazz
2024-25 record: 16-63
Previous ranking: 30
Next games: vs. POR (April 9), vs. OKC (April 11), @ MIN (April 13)
After pushing the limits of the player participation policy all season, the Jazz will be sweating out the results of the draft lottery. Utah, which is projected to be one of the three teams with the maximum 14% odds for the No. 1 pick, desperately needs to land a player who can be a franchise centerpiece. The Jazz didn't unload any of their veterans before this season's trade deadline, but they will have those discussions again this summer as the franchise operates with a long-term view in mind. -- MacMahon