#5 - Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are focused on the future right now, but they have a ton of assets that Danny Ainge could do a lot with in the near future.
For starters, Lauri Markkanen has been awesome since moving over from Cleveland a couple of years back in the Donovan Mitchell deal. Walker Kessler has been sought after in many trade scenarios and John Collins is still a valuable asset for any future project.
The problem for Utah is that they are valuing draft picks right now to make a plan for the future. Ainge was the one who helped build the Boston Celtics championship team by utilizing draft picks gained by trading away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for seemingly nothing...but it wasn't nothing. I'm sure the Jazz are going to have a great future. Right now, they're trying to load up on young talent.
#4 - Portland Trailblazers
This team has the talent it needs to be a future powerhouse. Last year, Scoot Henderson had a decent rookie season, but I expect him to excel to a whole new level this year. The addition of UConn's Donovan Clingan will help Portland develop into a championship contender in the coming years.
Along with those two, Portland has a number of legitimate pieces to help propel them into the playoffs this year. Deandre Ayton will sit behind Clingan, but he will be a factor in the playoffs for sure. Jerami Grant is a valuable piece on any team he plays for. Anfernee Simons has been a solid piece for Portland all along. These three specifically, along with Matisse Thybulle and Deni Avdija, will be major players in making Portland a playoff team this year.
There is something special going on and I know Bill Walton is smiling with pride at what's brewing in Portland right now.
#3 - Denver Nuggets
Can Nikola Jokic get another MVP or championship this year? The three time MVP and 2023 Finals MVP is certainly overloaded with hardware in his trophy case, but the man still wants more. He still has his initial core of Jamaal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon around him, but with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signing with Orlando this offseason, the two guard spot will need to be filled by Christian Braun.
That's only the least of Denver's problems. Their bench isn't as stellar as it once was, but Denver did add a key piece in Russell Westbrook to provide some experience for younger players. Westbrook creates a fast break threat that creates a more transition oriented team, which plays right into Braun's hands. They do have a major hole in three-point shooting though. Westbrook can't really help with that.
Ultimately, I think Denver can contend for a championship, but they're pieces just scream first-round exit to me.
#2 - Oklahoma City Thunder
Many are predicting that Oklahoma City will win the NBA championship this year and I would put them in my top 5 contenders for sure. In my opinion, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the new version of Kobe Bryant. He was amazing last season even though he finished second in the MVP voting to Jokic. He should be one of the main contenders for the honor again this year.
Along with Shai, Chet Holmgren is moving over to his natural four spot, which opens the door for Isaiah Hartenstein to start at the big guy. The Thunder made a huge trade by sending Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for former NBA champion Alex Caruso and his defensive prowess. Along with Jalen Williams and sharpshooter Luguentz Dort, the Thunder will be tough to stop.
However, I think that their lack of experienced players, along with their lack of size, will hurt them in the long run. I like this team, but this year might not be their year.
#1 - Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves were my initial choice for NBA champions in 2025 and then they traded Karl-Anthony Towns and I had to rethink things. Minnesota still has the best two-way player in Anthony Edwards. He will be in the MVP discussion for sure. Combine that with Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and NBA 6th Man of the Year Naz Reid, and you have a championship contender already.
For Towns, the Timberwolves got Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo from the Knicks. Randle is still a prime all-star and DiVincenzo is one of the top three-point shooters in the league right now. In addition, the Timberwolves return Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, and Neil Alexander-Walker to add more depth to their team.
Also, the Timberwolves made a major move on draft night to get two first round picks. They selected their future point-guard in Kentucky's Rob Dillingham with their first pick and got the steal of the draft when they selected Illinois star Terrence Shannon Jr., who's off-the-court issues were settled in court weeks before draft night, with their second pick. Both of them will be competing for playing time and maybe even starting spots by the end of the year.
Despite the Towns trade, this team is really deep and really good. They will be a hard out in the playoffs for sure.
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