NBA preview: With loaded draft class coming up, biggest losers could end up being biggest winners
The bad NBA teams are aware of what’s coming.
Even the mediocre ones know what June 2025 is bringing.
And the line has started forming already.
First, there’s Cooper Flagg. A 6-9 forward who will spend his one-and-done season at Duke before making a seismic impact on whichever organization lands him.
Right behind Flagg in the draft class is an Ace, as in 6-9 wing Ace Bailey.
Those two are the headliners of a deep and talented lottery draft — a lottery that is already selling tickets.
The Nets, Wizards, Hornets, Raptors and Trail Blazers have no desire to win this season. They’re just the obvious ones who are more interested in playing capture the Flagg. The Jazz, Pistons and even the Clippers (after the Kawhi Leonard injury news) are all suspects in the tanking game.
If Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas actually understands his job and personnel, he had better be willing to jump into that deep end, as well.
This NBA season isn’t about the haves and the have-nots. It’s about the haves and the want-to-haves, as in having as high a draft pick as possible.
The odds aren’t great. The three bottom teams in the standings each have a 14% chance to land No. 1, the fourth-worst has a 12.5% chance and the fifth from the bottom has a 10.5% chance. But Flagg is worth it.
There’s a bit more at stake for Karnisovas and the Bulls, however. If they can’t finish in the bottom 10 of the lottery, the protected draft pick goes to the Spurs from the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade.
Then there’s the nightmare scenario that should keep the entire NBA feeling a bit uneasy. As it stands right now, the Thunder, still reaping the benefits of the 2019 Paul George trade, are in control of the Clippers’ first-round pick.
If Flagg joins the Thunder, it could kick off a dynasty that would control the league for the next decade.
So while most NBA preseason previews focus on the league’s elite and the projected championship-caliber teams, this season is about to be different. Being bad could end up being good.
PREDICTED ORDER OF THE NBA BOTTOM
5. Utah Jazz
4. Charlotte Hornets
3. Portland Trail Blazers
2. Washington Wizards
1. Brooklyn Nets
PREDICTED ORDER OF THE EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1. Boston Celtics
2. New York Knicks
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Orlando Magic
7. Miami Heat
8. Indiana Pacers
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Knicks over Celtics in six
ALL-EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
G – Jalen Brunson – NYK
G – Donovan Mitchell – CLE
F – Jayson Tatum – BOS
F – Giannis Antetokounmpo – MIL
C – Joel Embiid – PHI
ALL-EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
G – Tyrese Haliburton – IND
G – Tyrese Maxey – PHI
F – Paul George – PHI
F – Jaylen Brown – BOS
C – Bam Adebayo – MIA
EASTERN CONFERENCE HONORS
MVP
Giannis Antetokounmpo – MIL
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Evan Mobley – CLE
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Matas Buzelis – BULLS
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tom Thibodeau - NYK
COACH ON THE HOT SEAT
Doc Rivers – MIL
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER
Miles McBride – NYK
MOST OVERRATED PLAYER
Karl-Anthony Towns – NYK
BIG-NAME TRADE CANDIDATE
Zach LaVine – BULLS
PREDICTED ORDER OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Phoenix Suns
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Sacramento Kings
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Los Angeles Lakers
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Thunder over Mavericks in five
NBA FINALS
Knicks over Thunder in seven
ALL-WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
G – Luka Doncic – DAL
G – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OKC
F – LeBron James – LAL
F – Anthony Davis – LAL
C – Nikola Jokic – DEN
ALL-WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
G – Ja Morant – MEM
G – Anthony Edwards – MIN
F – Zion Williamson – NOR
F – Kevin Durant – PHX
C – Victor Wembanyama – SAS
WESTERN CONFERENCE HONORS
MVP
Luka Doncic – DAL
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Victor Wembanyama - SAS
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Zach Edey – MEM
COACH OF THE YEAR
Chris Finch – MIN
COACH ON THE HOT SEAT
JJ Redick – LAL
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER
Jaden McDaniels – MIN
MOST OVERRATED PLAYER
Bradley Beal – PHX
BIG-NAME TRADE CANDIDATE
Brandon Ingram – NOR