2025 NBA rebuild rankings: Where Spurs, Mavs, Suns check in

When the archetypal mentation of the 2025 NBA rebuild rankings launched successful March, the anticipation was that the NBA's draught lottery would awesome a monolithic shift. With Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper believed to beryllium the statement apical 2 talents successful the class, whichever bottom-dwelling franchises that landed them would undoubtedly skyrocket up the list.

But past came that fateful nighttime successful May, erstwhile the Dallas Mavericks -- their 2024 Finals roster reeling from the shocking Luka Doncic commercialized successful February and Kyrie Irving's torn ACL successful March -- and the San Antonio Spurs landed the apical 2 selections. Even the 3rd prime successful the draft, VJ Edgecombe, went to the Philadelphia 76ers, who entered past play arsenic rubric contenders earlier injuries to their stars plummeted their season.

As a result, the latest mentation of these rankings is arsenic hard to parse arsenic successful the spring.

What tin past season's bottommost 4 teams -- the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets, who failed to get the lottery luck they needed -- bash to leap commencement their rebuilds? What's adjacent for teams specified arsenic the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers, who missed the playoffs past twelvemonth but are making moves to sneak into contention?

Here's our introspection of wherever the 14 teams that missed the playoffs past play basal successful their rebuilds, specifically however adjacent each is to title contention.

Note: Our rebuild rankings are not based connected wherever rosters basal close now. Having much present-day endowment doesn't automatically mean you're farther on successful a rebuild. This database focuses connected the operation of existent endowment and aboriginal upside to make the benignant of title alchemy teams are hoping to discover.

1. San Antonio Spurs

Players nether 25: 8
Tradeable first-round picks: 3
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 5

The strategy: The Spurs and Mavs are the reminders that fortunes sometimes travel down to thing wholly retired of a franchise's control: luck.

San Antonio landed the No. 1 (Victor Wembanyama), No. 4 (Stephon Castle) and No. 2 (Harper) selections successful 3 consecutive drafts. That trio is the envy of each squad but the champion Oklahoma City Thunder successful presumption of young talent.

Add All-Star defender De'Aaron Fox, who arrived via a commercialized from the Sacramento Kings, and Devin Vassell, who signed a five-year hold successful October 2023, and the Spurs person each crushed to judge their emergence successful the hard West volition continue.

Is it working? Assuming Wembanyama has a cleanable measure of wellness aft his heavy vein thrombosis diagnosis successful February -- the Spurs officially cleared him to instrumentality earlier this period -- his beingness unsocial is capable for the Spurs to pb this list. The summation of Harper, successful particular, adds a imaginable cleanable semipermanent acceptable arsenic his pick-and-roll partner.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: San Antonio volition expect to vie for a top-six playoff spot this play with Wembanyama steadfast and has the operation of young players and draught picks to get different premium subordinate successful the coming months -- if 1 comes disposable and if San Antonio chooses to spell all-in.

2. Dallas Mavericks

Players nether 25: 6
Tradeable first-round picks: 3
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 2

The strategy: You thought San Antonio got lucky? Although Dallas wide manager Nico Harrison declared that fans tin "see the vision" aft the franchise bushed 1.8% likelihood to onshore the No. 1 prime and Flagg, the Mavericks winding up present aft trading distant franchise cornerstone Doncic successful February is the benignant of outlandish crippled twist that would get laughed retired of a movie script.

Now, Dallas has an elite prospect, seasoned talent, a choky contention model -- and plentifulness of risk. The Mavs person fewer shot handlers, with their astir reliable 1 (Irving) acceptable to miss astatine slightest astir of the regular play with a torn ACL. But determination is simply a accidental that this radical yet coalesces into 1 of the bigger threats successful the West.

Is it working? We haven't had a accidental to spot this roster travel unneurotic successful the mode Dallas envisioned erstwhile it made the Doncic trade. Anthony Davis and Irving played little than a afloat crippled unneurotic owed to injuries, and it'll beryllium a lengthy hold earlier they stock the tribunal again owed to Irving's near knee. But this is simply a deep, long, diversion and perchance fantabulous antiaircraft radical that could origin matchup problems erstwhile healthy.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: If Irving returns and contributes successful aboriginal 2026, it volition beryllium a large boost for Dallas successful the 2nd fractional of adjacent season. With Flagg, Davis and Irving connected the roster, expect Dallas to beryllium afloat successful the premix for the West playoffs successful 2026-27. One question for the not-to-distant future: At what constituent bash the Mavs springiness the keys to Flagg?

3. Atlanta Hawks

Players nether 25: 9
Tradeable first-round picks: 4
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 4

The strategy: What a quality a twelvemonth makes. Entering the 2024 draught lottery, Atlanta was adrift. The Hawks couldn't physique connected their astonishment tally to the 2021 league finals. The franchise's large plaything -- trading for Dejounte Murray successful the 2022 offseason to articulation Trae Young successful the backcourt -- was a disappointment.

But past Atlanta won the lottery, selected Zaccharie Risacher connected draught nighttime and sent Murray to New Orleans for a bundle that included Dyson Daniels, the 2025 Most Improved Player. Under caller pb enforcement Onsi Saleh, the Hawks made splashes this offseason by signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, trading for Kristaps Porzingis and pulling disconnected a stunning draught nighttime woody with the Pelicans to get a invaluable 2026 prime (the much favorable of the Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks' first-rounders).

The formerly moribund Hawks person a accidental to beryllium a important menace arsenic soon arsenic adjacent play successful the weakened East. However, Young's aboriginal -- the constituent defender tin go a escaped cause adjacent summertime -- is thing to monitor.

Is it working? True semipermanent occurrence for Atlanta could hinge connected that 2026 Pelicans/Bucks pick. If it lands successful the apical 5 -- ESPN's archetypal 2026 mock draught projects that prime to onshore astatine No. 8 -- the Hawks could adhd different coagulated imaginable adjacent to Young, Daniels, Risacher and Jalen Johnson. If not, Atlanta has the instauration of an intriguing, long, diversion roster nether manager Quin Snyder.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: The Hawks are already a menace for a top-four effect adjacent season, with the imaginable to support increasing if they onshore a premium subordinate successful the draught adjacent year. But dissimilar galore teams further down these rankings, Atlanta has arsenic bully a young halfway arsenic immoderate successful the conference.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

Players nether 25: 12
Tradeable first-round picks: 3
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 2

The strategy: With the All-Star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey sharing the level successful conscionable 15 games (294 minutes) past season, Philadelphia went from an overwhelming offseason victor to the league's fifth-worst record. The mislaid play came with a consolation prize: It enactment the 76ers successful presumption to support their top-six protected first-round pick, which Philadelphia did erstwhile it jumped to No. 3 successful the draft, allowing the 76ers to prime Baylor defender Edgecombe.

The offseason has been comparatively quiescent successful Philadelphia otherwise, with astir of the roster returning -- though reserve large antheral Guerschon Yabusele signed with the New York Knicks -- and immoderate absorbing end-of-roster players specified arsenic Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow.

Is it working? It depends: Will Embiid beryllium healthy? That's the biggest question successful Philadelphia. It's besides the main 1 that volition find whether Philadelphia's strategy works. With Embiid connected the court, the 76ers judge they tin vie with anyone successful the East. But if the erstwhile MVP has a repetition of past play -- helium played conscionable 19 games and was unopen down successful February with genu issues -- this squad could again beryllium successful the draught lottery. Some franchise-altering decisions could follow.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: Again, this goes backmost to Embiid's health. With him connected the court, Philadelphia volition beryllium a unit this season. But if he's again sidelined for the immense bulk of the season, fixed he's nether declaration for different 3 years for much than $180 million, it could acceptable disconnected a concatenation absorption that volition person Philadelphia successful the wilderness for rather immoderate time. The 76ers besides inactive beryllium a top-4 protected prime successful the 2026 draught to the Oklahoma City Thunder aft keeping their prime this past season.

5. Memphis Grizzlies

Players nether 25: 7
Tradeable first-round picks: 6
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 2

The strategy: It's been an eventful fewer months successful Memphis. The Grizzlies fired manager Taylor Jenkins 2 weeks earlier the extremity of the regular season, on with a bully chunk of his coaching staff, and past traded franchise cornerstone Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for a haul of draught picks past month.

The Grizzlies, who insisted they weren't rebuilding successful the aftermath of the Bane deal, aggressively moved up successful the draught to prime helping Cedric Coward and agreed to a semipermanent hold with large antheral Jaren Jackson Jr.

Is it working? Maybe? General manager Zack Kleiman, successful a refreshing infinitesimal of candor, said successful May that determination is not a mode to look astatine this radical and deliberation it has a accidental to beryllium a contender successful the West arsenic constituted. Kleiman followed up that reply by trading Bane for those picks, including a imaginable top-10 enactment from Phoenix adjacent year, and helium has continued to run with a squad astir Jackson and Ja Morant that tin inactive beryllium a playoff team.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: This each goes backmost to 1 question: What is Morant's future? Can helium instrumentality to being the subordinate who looked similar helium would beryllium 1 of the faces of the NBA and a budding superstar? Or volition helium stay a precise bully subordinate who ne'er reaches that level again? The reply volition find whether this Memphis group, arsenic constituted, has a accidental to beryllium thing much than a play-in benignant of squad successful the West.

6. Washington Wizards

Players nether 25: 12
Tradeable first-round picks: 6
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 10

The strategy: The Wizards person spent the past mates of seasons tearing down their roster. As a result, they person a squad featuring 7 players taken successful the archetypal circular of the past 3 drafts and 1 that could person the astir headdress abstraction successful the 2026 offseason.

This radical is missing a high-end subordinate needed to flight the depths of a rebuild. That's wherefore the dense anticipation is the Wizards volition person different play treading adjacent the bottommost of the standings and letting those young players larn done acquisition portion trying to onshore a apical prime successful different loaded 2026 draft. (Washington's prime is top-eight protected, and it's hard to spot immoderate mode the Wizards let it to convey.)

Is it working? The Wizards request lottery luck. They got nary this spring, falling from 2nd to sixth connected lottery night. They besides request their lottery picks to hit. So far, determination person been flashes from their caller picks -- Bilal Coulibaly 2 years ago, and Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington this past play -- but determination isn't an evident franchise centerpiece successful place.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: Not anytime soon. Washington is apt inactive looking astatine a two- to three-year timeline, adjacent with lottery luck adjacent spring, to emergence up the East standings.

7. Charlotte Hornets

Players nether 25: 12
Tradeable first-round picks: 8
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 7

The strategy: The Hornets, coming disconnected their archetypal afloat play with the caller authorities of enforcement vice president of hoops operations Jeff Peterson and caput manager Charles Lee, consciousness stuck betwixt timelines.

Charlotte has a radical of players it drafted the past 3 years nether the caller ownership radical -- Brandon Miller, Tidjane Salaun and Kon Knueppel -- and the remnants of the past regime's drafts led by LaMelo Ball (entering his sixth NBA season) and Miles Bridges. Had the Hornets landed Flagg, possibly we would beryllium talking astir a squad acceptable to deed the state pedal. Instead, they traded Mark Williams astatine the draught and could perchance commencement second-round enactment Ryan Kalkbrenner astatine center, signaling different play headed for a precocious draught pick.

Is it working? The Hornets person done things close implicit the past fewer years, but landing a franchise subordinate besides requires immoderate luck. So far, Charlotte hasn't had it. Based connected however this offseason plays out, the Hornets volition beryllium taking different plaything astatine it adjacent summer, too.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: Charlotte has the imaginable to jump-start its rebuild successful 2026-27 if it lands a apical selection. Or, the Hornets could spell the implicit other mode if a blockbuster haul materializes for Ball. That would propulsion backmost this group's timeline adjacent further, but with much cracks astatine landing a franchise cornerstone successful the draft.

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Hornets observe winning summertime league title

The Hornets decorativeness disconnected the Kings successful the last seconds to gain the franchise's archetypal summertime league championship.

8. Utah Jazz

Players nether 25: 12
Tradeable first-round picks: 7
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 8

The strategy: Utah had the league's worst grounds past season, but it failed to onshore Flagg oregon Harper. Instead, Utah fell to No. 5 and selected Rutgers guardant Ace Bailey.

New president of hoops operations Austin Ainge, successful his introductory quality league past month, declared that the Jazz volition beryllium leaning into its younker movement. He backed that up by moving connected from veterans Collin Sexton and John Collins via commercialized and Jordan Clarkson via buyout implicit the past fewer weeks.

Is it working? Utah's beforehand bureau is successful a bully place. Ainge and Justin Zanik signifier a prime tandem on with the team's CEO, Danny Ainge, and precocious extended caput manager Will Hardy. But the Jazz person yet to find the luck it takes to get the benignant of endowment that moves teams up this list. Until they do, it's hard to spot things dramatically progressing successful a brutal Western Conference race. Still, the Jazz person a batch of aboriginal draught picks and the imaginable for their young players to develop. Bailey, a talented helping scorer, could beryllium the foundational subordinate Utah desperately needs.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: Between the authorities of Utah's roster and the competitory West, it's going to beryllium an highly agelong roadworthy for the Jazz to instrumentality to competitiveness. The enactment is well-positioned to navigate that path, but it doesn't marque it immoderate easier.

9. Brooklyn Nets

Players nether 25: 12
Tradeable first-round picks: 9
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 7

The strategy: A twelvemonth ago, the Nets pulled disconnected a blockbuster commercialized with their crosstown rival Knicks. The archetypal woody betwixt the teams successful decades sent Mikal Bridges to Manhattan for 5 first-round selections, successful conjunction with a abstracted woody with the Houston Rockets to regain power of their draught picks successful 2025 and 2026. They volition spell done a due rebuilding play aft striking retired connected the Kevin Durant-James Harden-Irving epoch successful Brooklyn.

This past season, the Nets -- nether first-year manager Jordi Fernandez -- impressed astatine antithetic points but yet had atrocious lottery luck and landed the eighth pick, which it utilized to prime BYU defender Egor Demin with what was the team's archetypal lottery enactment since the franchise moved to Brooklyn successful 2012. Demin was 1 of a grounds 5 first-round picks that the Nets utilized successful the 2025 draft. The franchise further signaled its intent to pursuit different precocious prime successful 2026 by sending Cameron Johnson to Denver for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round selection.

Is it working? When the Nets got backmost their draught picks for 2025 and 2026, the program was not to upwind up with the No. 8 pick. From that standpoint, the reply is no. But if Brooklyn tin travel retired of adjacent twelvemonth with a high-end pick, past the Nets tin astatine slightest statesman to determination forward. The Porter acquisition took a large chunk retired of adjacent summer's headdress space, but the Nets volition inactive person tens of millions to spend.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: The earliest timeline is aft adjacent play should the Nets determine to velocity things up aft these 2 drafts. But Brooklyn, which has a ton of aboriginal draught picks, apt has a agelong roadworthy earlier returning to realistic title contention.

10. Toronto Raptors

Players nether 25: 11
Tradeable first-round picks: 4
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 6

The strategy: Toronto spent the past 2 seasons trying to rapidly flip its roster from a halfway of Fred VanVleet (left successful escaped agency), Pascal Siakam (traded) and OG Anunoby (traded) into 1 built astir young guardant Scottie Barnes. Barnes, Brandon Ingram -- who has yet to play for Toronto since landing via commercialized and extending successful February -- Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl marque up the team's caller core. The Raptors drafted South Carolina guardant Collin Murray-Boyles ninth past month.

The extremity is to instrumentality to the playoffs adjacent play successful what is simply a wide-open Eastern Conference aft the Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton Achilles tears during the playoffs.

Is it working? The Raptors person done a batch of enactment implicit the past 2 years to seemingly upwind up with a akin -- oregon little -- ceiling than the 1 it had earlier moving connected from the remaining halfway members of the 2019 NBA champions. Things were thrown into different level of uncertainty erstwhile the Raptors announced that Masai Ujiri, the designer of the franchise's lone title, was retired the time aft past month's draft, with a hunt underway for his successor.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: If Toronto doesn't instrumentality to the playoffs this season, it volition beryllium seen arsenic a immense disappointment. Whether this squad tin genuinely go a contender again successful the East, however, volition beryllium connected a batch of factors, including idiosyncratic maturation and betterment from Barnes, Ingram, Quickley and others.

11. Portland Trail Blazers

Players nether 25: 9
Tradeable first-round picks: 3
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 4

The strategy: For a fewer years now, the Blazers person felt similar a squad trying to execute aggregate strategies astatine erstwhile nether wide manager Joe Cronin. The squad has drafted a bid of young players precocious successful the lottery -- Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan -- and yet has had each of them repeatedly blocked by older veterans for playing time. This offseason, Portland traded for Jrue Holiday -- present successful his mid-30s -- and for the 2nd consecutive year, utilized a first-round prime connected a center, Yang Hansen, an intriguing subordinate who volition request clip to turn his game.

This is besides a roster brushing up against the luxury tax. And, portion it plans connected gathering connected past season's beardown 2nd fractional -- Portland was implicit .500 and had 1 of the league's amended defenses -- clip volition archer if that was coagulated play against a brushed docket oregon signs of existent growth.

Is it working? Portland welcomed backmost franchise icon Damian Lillard connected Thursday, signing him to a three-year, $42 cardinal contract. His instrumentality gives the Blazers a enactment beingness that their adjacent procreation is developing. Sharpe and Henderson are intriguing talents who necessitate much consistency to instrumentality that benignant of leap. Clingan tin beryllium a menace defensively but selecting Hansen this twelvemonth leads to questions astir his future, too. Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija, who person been rather bully connected below-market deals, could gain large deals successful the coming seasons, removing immoderate of their surplus value.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: Portland is intelligibly operating similar a squad that believes it tin get into the apical 10 successful the Western Conference this season, arsenic evidenced by the Holiday deal. The way to chasing a top-four seed, however, is years away.

12. Chicago Bulls

Players nether 25: 10
Tradeable first-round picks: 5
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 2

The strategy: The Bulls, a perpetual play-in team, again landed determination past season, losing successful the archetypal crippled to the Miami Heat. Chicago landed the 12th prime successful past month's draught and utilized it to draught French guardant Noa Essengue.

The expected betterment from Miami, Philadelphia and Toronto -- each teams that finished down Chicago past play -- could let the Bulls to onshore a game-changing endowment successful adjacent year's draught contempt not doing overmuch to enactment themselves there. Chicago is besides connected gait to person max headdress abstraction adjacent summertime adjacent aft an expected re-signing of restricted escaped cause Josh Giddey this offseason.

Is it working? The Bulls person missed 8 of the past 10 playoffs, and they person small to amusement for it. This roster is devoid of existent high-end players, though Coby White has developed into a cardinal contributor (he is connected an expiring woody and is precise improbable to widen with the Bulls due to the fact that of the limitations connected however overmuch of a rise helium tin get disconnected of his $12.9 cardinal wage for adjacent season). Matas Buzelis, past year's first-round pick, and Essengue person longer-term potential. This is simply a squad desperately successful request of a precocious prime to deed it large -- thing this authorities did not bash erstwhile selecting Patrick Williams with the No. 4 prime successful 2020.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: The Bulls, with small high-end endowment and little chances of getting a apical prime than respective of the teams beneath them connected this database due to the fact that of having much wide depth, are 1 of respective teams acold from relevancy successful the Eastern Conference. It'll instrumentality immoderate important changes successful approach, luck, oregon some to alteration that.

13. New Orleans Pelicans

Players nether 25: 10
Tradeable first-round picks: 3
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 4

The strategy: The Pelicans made a large people alteration this offseason, firing president of hoops operations David Griffin and replacing him with erstwhile Pistons brag and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars. He hired different erstwhile Pistons executive, Troy Weaver, earlier the 2 worked connected a flurry of moves. They traded CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey and signed erstwhile Golden State Warriors halfway Kevon Looney arsenic a escaped agent.

The astir impactful moves, however, came connected draught night, erstwhile the Pelicans took Oklahoma defender Jeremiah Fears No. 7 earlier -- successful the astir stunning determination of the nighttime -- sending the amended of Milwaukee's and New Orleans' unprotected picks successful 2026, positive the 23rd selection, to the Hawks for the 13th prime to instrumentality Maryland halfway Derik Queen.

Is it working? The bigger question for the Pelicans is what is the strategy? The Poole and Looney moves would look to bespeak trying to beryllium competitive, but the Fears and Queen picks intelligibly constituent toward the future. Meanwhile, Dejounte Murray remains sidelined with a torn Achilles, and Zion Williamson's wellness continues to beryllium a elephantine question.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: So overmuch hinges connected the wellness of Williamson and his quality to play a afloat season. But adjacent if helium does, it's hard to spot this squad becoming a existent contender successful the West soon, particularly aft giving up a imaginable precocious lottery prime to the Hawks successful the Queen commercialized past month.

14. Phoenix Suns

Players nether 25: 8
Tradeable first-round picks: 0
Players connected rookie-scale contracts: 3

The strategy: After 2 years of breakneck spending and a relentless pursuit to instantly contend nether Mat Ishbia, the Suns person retrenched. The Durant commercialized -- sending him to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the prime that became Khaman Maluach astatine No. 10 -- was the archetypal measurement successful recognizing that. The impending buyout, waiving and stretching of astir $100 cardinal remaining connected Bradley Beal's declaration is an admittance that Ishbia isn't consenting to repetition that grounds spending for a squad that apt won't contend.

The Suns having a much realistic attack nether Ishbia could beryllium an denotation of amended days ahead. For a squad looking astatine $22 cardinal successful dormant wealth for the remainder of the decade, nary draught superior with immoderate upside and constricted endowment connected the roster, it's astir arsenic bleak of a concern successful the league.

Is it working? Most of the franchises connected this database astatine slightest person immoderate optimism. The Suns, however, person none. Their draught superior is tied up done the remainder of the decade. So, too, is their quality to make immoderate existent headdress abstraction betwixt dormant wealth connected the books and Devin Booker's gigantic extension. And the gauntlet that is today's Western Conference ratchets up the trouble level facing Phoenix's rebuild.

Estimated instrumentality to relevance: Not anytime soon, which, for rival teams successful possession of the Suns' aboriginal first-round picks, is simply a fascinating development. Perhaps, successful a mates of years, Ishbia and the franchise tin statesman to rework the roster astir Booker arsenic immoderate of the existent wealth comes disconnected Phoenix's books.