Every NBA Team's No. 1 Goal for 2024-25 Season
With the 2024-25 NBA season underway, each team has the same broader goal of winning this year's championship. Only one will hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June, though, so it's vital to have goals beyond the zero-sum "title or bust" mindset.
Some teams head into the year knowing they may not crack 20 or 30 wins, but they still have purpose (or at least they better).
Using B/R's predicted win-loss records as a guideline, the following is a list of each team's No. 1 goal for the 2024-25 season.
Atlanta Hawks: Make the Playoffs
1 of 30
Prediction: 35-47
Best Case: No. 8 seed
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Owed to San Antonio Spurs
No. 1 Goal: The Hawks were a dangerous Eastern Conference contender not long ago. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, but they haven't been able to get out of the first round since.
Last year, they didn't make the playoffs. Some of their problems were injury-related, but roster composition has been an issue.
The Hawks aren't dramatically better on paper this season than they were last year. However, they do have talent and should do whatever they can to return to the postseason, especially since they owe their fully unprotected 2025 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs.
Boston Celtics: Back-to-Back 'Chips
2 of 30
Prediction: 60-22
Best Case: Another championship
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: This is a list of goals beyond winning the title, but the Celtics will stand as the lone exception. Anything but another ring will be a step backward for the reigning champions. Boston is looking for No. 19, period.
Brooklyn Nets: Sag for Flagg
3 of 30
Prediction: 17-65
Best Case: No. 1 in the draft lottery
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The running theme for non-contenders like the Nets will be positioning for the draft lottery for top prospects like Duke's Cooper Flagg.
While Brooklyn may have other goals like developing its young players (and trading some of its veterans for draft considerations), its big-picture goal should be racking up many, many losses.
Charlotte Hornets: Play-In Tourney
4 of 30
Prediction: 22-60
Best Case: Losing in the play-in
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-14-protected (owed to San Antonio Spurs)
No. 1 Goal: The Hornets did not intend to tank in recent years, but injuries made that inevitable. Charlotte now has enough talent to win and may exceed the above prediction.
Getting Cooper Flagg or another top prospect in the draft would be a boon, but look for the Hornets to try to make the play-in tournament even if that puts their first-round pick in danger of conveying to the Spurs. They might not be a playoff team, but they aspire to be more competitive than they were last year.
Chicago Bulls: Trade Veteran Stars
5 of 30
Prediction: 28-54
Best Case: No. 8
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-10-protected (owed to San Antonio Spurs)
No. 1 Goal: Chicago isn't good enough to contend in the East and is probably better off protecting its draft pick. The goal should be finding a way out of the contracts of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević, who won't be part of the next iteration of the Bulls.
The Bulls have begun the transition from veterans like DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso to young players like Coby White and Patrick Williams. There's no reason for them to go halfway on that strategy.
Finding a home for LaVine may be trickier given the size of his remaining contract and injuries last season.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Eastern Conference Finals
6 of 30
Prediction: 54-28
Best Case: Eastern Conference Finals
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Owed to Utah Jazz
No. 1 Goal: The Cavaliers should be good enough to finish in the top four of the East during the regular season, but they need to determine whether that translates to the playoffs.
Cleveland invested heavily in its foursome of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but will that combination be a force in the East for years to come? Or is the dual big/dual small guard too clunky for a deep playoff run?
Can Mobley play forward alongside Allen? Does the size inside offset the lack of size in the backcourt? Cleveland has lots of questions to answer this year.
Dallas Mavericks: NBA Finals
7 of 30
Prediction: 53-29
Best Case: NBA Finals
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The Mavericks built a viable team defense around primary offensive players Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving last year to advance to the NBA Finals. Instead of holding firm and improving around the margins, they acquired Klay Thompson this offseason while letting starter Derrick Jones Jr. depart for the L.A. Clippers.
Can Dallas maintain that level of defensive productivity with Thompson, Dončić and Irving on the floor? Can Naji Marshall make up for what the Mavs lost in Jones? The answers to those questions will dictate whether Dallas can get back to playing in June again.
Denver Nuggets: NBA Finals
8 of 30
Prediction: 50-32
Best Case: NBA Finals
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-five-protected (owed to Orlando Magic)
No. 1 Goal: Denver has a championship foundation, but it has lost depth since its title season in 2022-23. This summer, starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left in free agency to sign with the Orlando Magic. Last offseason featured the exodus of Bruce Brown Jr. and Jeff Green.
With their payroll all but maxed out, the Nuggets' primary objective this season is to develop the young players already on the roster into playoff-caliber performers.
Detroit Pistons: Be Exactly the 13th-Worst Team in the NBA
9 of 30
Prediction: 24-58
Best Case: 13th-worst team in the NBA
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-13-protected (owed to Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 1 Goal: Like the Hornets, the Pistons would like to stop being terrible. However, they're nowhere near contending in the Eastern Conference, and their future looks similarly grim.
Finishing at the bottom of the standings in recent years hasn't even resulted in them winning the No. 1 overall pick, at least not since they landed Cade Cunningham in 2021.
However, the Pistons' goal should be to win as many games as possible to escape the losing culture. The playoffs are probably a long shot, but that's not a huge deal since Detroit would lose its first-round pick to the Timberwolves.
Golden State Warriors: Top 4 in the West
10 of 30
Prediction: 42-40
Best Case: Top 4 in the West
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The Warriors didn't get past the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament last year, but they have greater depth this year despite Klay Thompson leaving this offseason to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in free agency.
The Warriors' goal shouldn't just be to avoid the play-in entirely. They should aim to finish among the top four teams in the Western Conference to earn home-court advantage in the first round. If they stay healthy, that goal may prove to be within reach.
Houston Rockets: Figure Out What Jalen Green Is
11 of 30
Prediction: 44-38
Best Case: No. 6 in the West
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own (or Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns via swaps)
No. 1 Goal: This season, Houston has to decide if Jalen Green is a foundational piece. (Sources say that still isn't fully decided yet.) If not, is there a pathway to use his contract for an upgrade next offseason?
On Monday, the Rockets gave Green a unique three-year, rookie-scale extension with a third-year player option. That type of extension at that price ($35.1 million on average per year) would typically be for longer.
Should Green thrive with the Rockets, he will command an even larger deal sooner than his 2021 classmates. That's why teams usually get more of a commitment from players on similar contracts.
Indiana Pacers: Be Respectable on Defense
12 of 30
Prediction: 51-31
Best Case: No. 3 in the East
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The Pacers' goal should be to climb the ranks defensively to lock in home-court advantage for as much of the postseason as possible.
The Pacers were an offensive force last year, and that isn't likely to change this season. However, they need to improve upon their 24th-ranked defense from last season.
The promise is there. Indiana got to the Eastern Conference Finals on more than just scoring.
Los Angeles Clippers: Keep Kawhi Healthy
13 of 30
Prediction: 36-46
Best Case: No. 6
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own (or Oklahoma City Thunder via swap)
No. 1 Goal: The Clippers' goal has remained unchanged since acquiring Kawhi Leonard in 2019 free agency: get and keep him healthy.
Unfortunately, that's been elusive throughout his tenure with the franchise, just as it is currently. Leonard's knee will keep him out for at least the first few weeks of the regular season, which is an ominous sign about his longer-term availability.
Los Angeles Lakers: Western Conference Finals
14 of 30
Prediction: 48-34
Best Case: Western Conference Finals
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Owed to Atlanta Hawks
No. 1 Goal: The Lakers feel like they're a piece or two away from contending. Last year was a step backward after they advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2022-23.
The hope is that new head coach JJ Redick will guide them toward a better result, and that they will add size via trade to support Anthony Davis. They could stand to improve defensively with another guard, likely in place of D'Angelo Russell.
Memphis Grizzlies: Keep Ja Morant Focused
15 of 30
Prediction: 37-45
Best Case: No. 4
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: Beyond the running theme that all teams hope for (health), the Grizzlies need a focused season from Ja Morant. He lost significant time last year because of a suspension after he posed with a gun on Instagram Live.
There's no reason to expect Morant to do anything but prioritize basketball this season. But Memphis needs to do everything it can to ensure he continues to blossom as one of the league's bright young stars.
Miami Heat: Build Around Bam Adebayo
16 of 30
Prediction: 42-40
Best Case: No. 3
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-14-protected (owed to Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 1 Goal: Can Bam Adebayo, who recently extended with the Heat, establish himself as the team's clear franchise leader?
With Jimmy Butler in the last guaranteed year of his contract (he has a player option in 2025-26) and Miami reluctant to extend him, he could be on the move by the trade deadline or before next season.
The team's future needs to start now with Adebayo as the centerpiece.
Milwaukee Bucks: Win a Lot, Keep Giannis Happy
17 of 30
Prediction: 46-36
Best Case: Second Round
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: 1-4 to New Orleans Pelicans; 5-30 to Brooklyn Nets
No. 1 Goal: The Bucks must do whatever is needed to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo content.
Rumblings have begun that the All-Star may look to force a trade if the team underperforms. So, Milwaukee needs to not underperform. It's as simple as that.
Discerning what shape that takes is complex, but it's the Bucks' clear priority.
Minnesota Timberwolves: NBA Finals
18 of 30
Prediction: 53-29
Best Case: NBA Finals
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Owed to Utah Jazz
No. 1 Goal: The Timberwolves boldly traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in late September, mainly because of the NBA's strict rules for teams with expensive payrolls.
Now that the Wolves have a very different type of player in three-time All-Star Julius Randle, can they fit his bully-ball style of play into their core with Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and fellow newcomer Donte DiVincenzo?
New Orleans Pelicans: Win the Brandon Ingram Situation
19 of 30
Prediction: 50-32
Best Case: Second Round
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The Pelicans have always avoided paying the luxury tax, and they will likely find a way to do so this season. With 14 players under contract and $172.3 million in guaranteed salary on their books, New Orleans is about $1.6 million over the NBA's $170.8 million tax threshold.
While getting under the tax won't be the Pelicans' No. 1 goal, resolving Brandon Ingram's contract situation may go hand-in-hand. The former All-Star can sign an extension as late as June 30, but if negotiations aren't promising, Ingram could be dealt ahead of the trade deadline in a move that drops the Pelicans below the luxury tax.
New Orleans could also use a starting-caliber center.
New York Knicks: NBA Title
20 of 30
Prediction: 57-25
Best Case: NBA title
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Owed to Brooklyn Nets
No. 1 Goal: Short-term, the Knicks must adapt to the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. That will happen naturally over time.
But big picture, head coach Tom Thibodeau needs to get his team through its shorter-term issues (including injuries at center) to be fully healthy in the playoffs. He's tended to wear his players down with too many minutes during the regular season.
For New York to go on a deep playoff run, the players must still have their legs under them.
Oklahoma City Thunder: NBA Title
21 of 30
Prediction: 60-22
Best Case: Championship
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own (or Houston Rockets, LA Clippers via swap)
No. 1 Goal: The Thunder have slowly built one of the NBA's best rosters. The goal went from rebuilding to seeing if they could make the playoffs. Last year was a revelation, with the young roster finishing first in the Western Conference.
Now, the goal is to take the next steps of competing through multiple rounds of the playoffs. Expecting a title may be premature, but the Thunder would like to hold onto their top seeding and get through at least two or three rounds.
Orlando Magic: Second Round of the Playoffs
22 of 30
Prediction: 48-34
Best Case: Second Round
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The Magic returned to the playoffs last year for the first time since 2020, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a hard-fought seven-game series. The team reinvested in its core this offseason and added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.
It's premature for Orlando to expect to jump to the championship tier this quickly, but its goal should be making it to the second round of the playoffs or the Eastern Conference Finals (as a best-case scenario).
Philadelphia 76ers: NBA Title
23 of 30
Prediction: 50-32
Best Case: Championship
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-six-protected (owed to Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 1 Goal: The Sixers' fundamental objective has remained elusive since Joel Embiid entered the league: get and keep one of the league's top centers healthy and in peak condition for the postseason. That goal has evolved to include Paul George, who had his share of injuries with the L.A. Clippers.
Philadelphia has routinely made the playoffs throughout the Embiid era, but it is never healthy enough to advance past the second round. Both Embiid and the Sixers are aiming to change that this season.
Phoenix Suns: NBA Title
24 of 30
Prediction: 48-34
Best Case: Championship
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Owed to Brooklyn Nets (or Houston Rockets via swap)
No. 1 Goal: The Suns finished their opening-night win against the Los Angeles Clippers after coming back from a nine-point deficit with less than four minutes left in the game. Closing out tight games was an issue for them last season, so that was a promising sign.
Tight wins can be the difference between home-court advantage or a play-in berth (or a short playoff series). Phoenix has to improve in end-game situations.
Portland Trail Blazers: Figure Out Young Backcourt Core
25 of 30
Prediction: 21-61
Best Case: 30 wins
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-14-protected (owed to Chicago Bulls)
No. 1 Goal: First and foremost, the Blazers need to get healthy. Shaedon Sharpe is currently nursing a shoulder injury.
Their broader goal should be to determine whether their backcourt of Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Sharpe can grow together.
Simons is signed through 2025-26 and will likely look for an extension soon. If he's superfluous and not part of Portland's future, the Blazers should start shopping him as early as this trade deadline to maximize value.
If he's a keeper, can the team develop into a winner with the Henderson-Simons-Sharpe trio?
Sacramento Kings: Figure Out How to Play Playoff-Level Defense
26 of 30
Prediction: 48-34
Best Case: Second round
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-12-protected (owed to Atlanta Hawks)
No. 1 Goal: The Kings need to figure out how to build a scheme to get stops with three players who don't naturally form a solid defensive combination.
Bringing in DeMar DeRozan (a tremendous mid-range scorer) to play with big man Domantas Sabonis and point guard De'Aaron Fox may or may not work offensively, but can head coach Mike Brown get this team to a credible level on defense?
San Antonio Spurs: Play-In Tourney
27 of 30
Prediction: 30-52
Best Case: Play-in
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The Spurs have accomplished the most challenging task for an NBA team: finding a clear franchise player. Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous Rookie of the Year and will probably make the All-Star team as a sophomore.
Now, San Antonio needs to properly identify Wembanyama's future running mates as the team gradually matures into a playoff powerhouse. That journey will take longer than this season, but the evaluation is already underway.
Toronto Raptors: Make a Level-Up Trade
28 of 30
Prediction: 38-44
Best Case: Second round
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Own
No. 1 Goal: The Raptors have the makings of a core with players like Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, but their roster is far from complete.
Toronto chose to keep Bruce Brown Jr. on a $23 million team option not because of what he does on the court, but because of the value his expiring contract might have in trade.
The Raptors need to cash that chip in before the trade deadline.
Utah Jazz: Find the Good Vibes, Then Tank Aggressively
29 of 30
Prediction: 22-60
Best Case: No. 1 pick
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-10-protected (owed to Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 1 Goal: The Jazz are like many other teams on this list, with the lottery as their top priority. Utah will fork over its first-rounder to the Thunder if it wins too many games, so don't be surprised if Lauri Markkanen gets shut down at some point.
Utah's goal should be to play its best version of winning basketball for as long as possible to help develop players like Keyonte George, Walker Kessler, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams—alongside vets like Collin Sexton and Markkanen—but then let the season crash hard after the trade deadline to focus on the lottery.
Washington Wizards: Bottom Out
30 of 30
Prediction: 16-66
Best Case: No. 1 pick
2025 NBA Draft First-Round Pick: Top-10-protected (owed to New York Knicks)
No. 1 Goal: The Wizards could use the best crack at Flagg, but if they're too good, they'll lose their pick to the Knicks. The good news is that they will be naturally lousy this season.
At their best, they won't win many games. Trading veterans for additional draft compensation would be a bonus, but Washington is all about development with its young players like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X/Twitter @EricPincus.
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