Every Team's Top Goal for the Rest of the 2024-25 NBA Season
The NBA has passed a wild trade deadline and the annual All-Star break, with roughly 30 games apiece left in the 2024-25 regular season.
Some franchises will spend their remaining days preparing for the postseason. Others will prioritize lottery positioning and player development as they endure the final months with (purposefully) few wins.
The play-in tournament gives 20 franchises a shot at the playoffs, and roughly 24 are still in the mix. The following is a list of each team's goals for the remainder of the season.
Atlanta Hawks (26-29)
1 of 30
The Hawks have nothing to lose, as their first-round pick will go to the San Antonio Spurs in June (for Dejounte Murray, since traded to the New Orleans Pelicans). It's playoffs or bust, and the team's primary focus has to be avoiding the play-in entirely.
Atlanta is currently at No. 8, and its next two games will be against the No. 7 Orlando Magic (27-29) and No. 6 Detroit Pistons (29-26).
The Hawks draw the Magic twice more in April, but Detroit is in the sweet spot (7-10 are in the play-in). An Atlanta win this week will tie the season series at two apiece, with conference record as the next tiebreaker.
The Hawks must recalibrate quickly after trading key rotation pieces De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović at the deadline. Still, Terance Mann, Caris LeVert and Georges Niang could help Trae Young and the rest push through the finish despite losing Jalen Johnson (shoulder) for the rest of the season.
Boston Celtics (39-16)
2 of 30
The reigning champs don't have much to prove through the regular season. The Celtics have paced themselves with the big picture in mind. The goal is to be healthy and strong heading into the postseason.
Catching the scorching Cleveland Cavaliers (44-10) isn't realistic, but Boston needs to be mindful of the No. 3 New York Knicks (36-18), who could steal home-court advantage in a potential second-round matchup.
Brooklyn Nets (20-34)
3 of 30
The Nets have been all too comfortable winning games this season.
For a rebuilding squad that traded away productive players such as Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith while letting Ben Simmons leave for the LA Clippers on a buyout, 20 wins may be too many already.
"Catching" the collection of teams with 13 wins isn't likely, which leaves Brooklyn "competing" with the Toronto Raptors (17-38), Philadelphia 76ers (20-34), Chicago Bulls (22-33) and Portland Trail Blazers (23-32) for the fifth slot in the lottery.
Still, the Nets seem OK with losing a little position as their young players show their potential by scrapping out wins.
Charlotte Hornets (13-39)
4 of 30
Injuries have kept the Hornets out of the playoff positions. Brandon Williams (wrist), Tre Mann (back) and Grant Williams (knee) are done for the year.
LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Mark Williams (appropriately disgruntled after a failed trade with the Los Angeles Lakers) have also been out recently.
The goal should be to "climb" just one slot since their current spot at No. 4 has slightly worse odds for the top overall pick in the lottery (12.5 percent) compared to the bottom three teams (14 percent).
Chicago Bulls (22-33)
5 of 30
Chicago won too many games, so it got its first-round pick back from the San Antonio Spurs (from the original DeMar DeRozan trade) while trading Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings (who currently have DeRozan). Now, the Bulls can afford to chase the playoffs without worrying about lottery position.
Unfortunately, the team may not be good enough to hold off the Philadelphia 76ers (20-34) to get through the play-in. Still, that seems to be the goal—climbing in the standings to try and catch teams like the Miami Heat (25-28), Atlanta Hawks (26-29) and Orlando Magic (27-29).
Cleveland Cavaliers (44-10)
6 of 30
It's rare when a team atop the standings will risk losing chemistry with a trade at the deadline, but Cleveland had hit a rough patch. Choosing to go for it, the Cavaliers brought in De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks.
The goal for the rest of the year is to stay healthy and winning while building new chemistry with Hunter in the rotation instead of Caris LeVert and Georges Niang.
Dallas Mavericks (30-26)
7 of 30
The Mavericks need to get healthy so they can prove the haters wrong.
Trading Luka Dončić was certainly a choice, and if the front office is to be believed, it was to give the franchise a better chance to win than it did a year ago (advance to the NBA Finals before falling to the Boston Celtics).
But the prize for Dončić, Anthony Davis, is already hurt for what may be the rest of the month (possibly longer) with an adductor injury. Daniel Gafford (knee) and Dereck Lively II (ankle) may be out longer than Davis.
The goal is clear, but is it achievable?
Denver Nuggets (36-19)
8 of 30
The Nuggets keep losing veterans to injury, and Nikola Jokić gradually powers the team to wins.
Denver was the hottest team in the Western Conference, hitting the break on an eight-game win streak.
The goal is to get as healthy as possible for a long playoff run. While it's at it, the team might as well grab the No. 2 seed from the Memphis Grizzlies (36-18).
Detroit Pistons (29-26)
9 of 30
The Pistons are in relatively uncharted territory for a franchise that hasn't won a playoff series since 2008. At least two winless postseason appearances (sweeps in 2016 and 2019) were better than the last few terrible regular seasons.
Now Detroit can avoid the play-in with a potential first-round matchup against the New York Knicks (36-18)—who they've already beaten two out of three times this season (final meeting on April 10).
The Pistons are playing with house money; they just need to keep pace, stay in the top six and see what they can do with a welcome postseason return.
Golden State Warriors (28-27)
10 of 30
From their perspective, the Warriors are back in the title chase. They acquired Jimmy Butler in a massive five-team trade at the deadline, giving Golden State an experienced veteran with two NBA Finals appearances.
The Warriors will miss Andrew Wiggins and some of the players necessary for the deal, but Golden State still has Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and a chance (though it may need to go through the play-in to get there) to get back to the highest heights.
Whether it's realistic or not doesn't change the goal.
Houston Rockets (34-21)
11 of 30
The Rockets have slipped in the standings, notably timed with an injury to Fred VanVleet (ankle). They must regain their footing, especially offensively, to reclaim second or third place in the West.
Houston has lost more games than the Memphis Grizzlies (36-18), Denver Nuggets (36-19) and Los Angeles Lakers (32-20)—but all three are within range.
At a minimum, the Rockets should hold off the Lakers for home-court advantage in the first round and lower teams like the LA Clippers (31-23) and Minnesota Timberwolves (31-26). The latter must get through the play-in to earn a proper postseason berth.
Indiana Pacers (30-23)
12 of 30
The Pacers have been inconsistent this season, often due to injuries, but their most significant issue is improving on the defensive side of the ball.
Last year, the team outscored almost everyone until it met the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Indiana hasn't been as strong this year, so the focus must be locking in defensively for the postseason push.
LA Clippers (31-23)
13 of 30
The Clippers survived a long stretch without Kawhi Leonard (knee) and are relatively healthy.
They acquired Bogdan Bogdanović in trade to add needed shooting (while losing a defender in Terence Mann). Other additions such as Ben Simmons and Drew Eubanks give L.A. needed size.
Now, the goal is to catch as many teams as possible over the final weeks, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers (32-20) and Houston Rockets (34-21).
Los Angeles Lakers (32-21)
14 of 30
The Lakers will spend the rest of the year learning how to best integrate Luka Dončić and LeBron James. Offensively, L.A. should be a powerhouse, but can the team get stops?
The Mark Williams trade with the Charlotte Hornets fell apart over the player's physical, so the Lakers must play center by committee with Jaxson Hayes, newcomer Alex Len and small-ball options like Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt and James.
The Lakers will try to climb in the standings while holding off the LA Clippers below. The ideal would be to avoid the Denver Nuggets (and the Oklahoma City Thunder) for as long as possible in the postseason.
Los Angeles' best chance may be as a No. 2 or 3 seed, with the Nuggets falling to No. 4, but much of that is outside the Lakers' control.
Memphis Grizzlies (36-18)
15 of 30
The Grizzlies have been healthier this season than a year ago, which was desolate. The priority has to be keeping Ja Morant, who has missed 22 games, on the court as much as possible.
Memphis has grown to be a high-scoring offensive unit. While the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-10) may be out of range, the Grizzlies need to hold their No. 2 position from upstarts like the Denver Nuggets (36-18), Houston Rockets (34-12) and Los Angeles Lakers (32-20).
Miami Heat (25-28)
16 of 30
To suggest the Heat have had a stressful season is an understatement, but the Jimmy Butler saga is resolved.
Miami went into the break losing four straight, so climbing out of the play-in becomes the goal now that everything is settled.
The Heat owe their first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder unless Miami misses the playoffs—which will kick the pick to 2026, but unprotected. The Heat would likely prefer to get that out of the way now, so look for a motivated franchise the rest of the way. Newcomers Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson should help.
Still, the competition isn't light ahead of the Heat, with the Orlando Magic (27-29) and Atlanta Hawks (27-29) intending to climb.
Milwaukee Bucks (29-24)
17 of 30
The Bucks have similar goals to those of the Golden State Warriors. The franchises have dipped after winning titles in recent years with notable moves at the deadline.
Can Kyle Kuzma do more for Milwaukee than Jimmy Butler for the Warriors? Both teams may stumble in the postseason, but the eyes are on the ultimate prize.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has dealt with some minor injuries (calf). The Bucks will need him to be healthy as they look to integrate Kevin Porter Jr., Jericho Sims and Kuzma.
Milwaukee won't get much higher than the No. 4 seed, but gaining home-court advantage in the first round would be the immediate target.
Minnesota Timberwolves (31-25)
18 of 30
The Timberwolves are also looking at the No. 4 seed as the ceiling.
The 25 losses probably put the Denver Nuggets (36-19) out of reach, but if Minnesota can win at a high rate, the franchise may be able to catch the Houston Rockets (34-21), Los Angeles Lakers (32-20) and LA Clippers (31-23).
Minnesota doesn't score as much as it did last season (down to 111.5 points per game from 113.0) and gives up more points per game (108.1 this season from 106.5). The loss of All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has hurt the franchise, but the decision was more about finances than basketball.
New Orleans Pelicans (13-42)
19 of 30
What a disaster for the Pelicans. The season started with injuries, had injuries in the middle and will wrap up with injured players in street clothes.
The franchise was always going to try to relocate Brandon Ingram. The incoming players from the Toronto Raptors (Bruce Brown Jr. and Kelly Olynyk) will get to prove their value to the team for next season.
However, New Orleans' overall goal for this mess of a year is the No. 1 overall pick. Any wins that might jeopardize that position are bad wins. That said, the bottom three teams have the same 14 percent likelihood of winning the lottery.
New York Knicks (36-18)
20 of 30
Karl-Anthony Towns has given the Knicks a different scoring look than Julius Randle, who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
New York has been excellent this season, but the defense isn't as tight as head coach Tom Thibodeau would typically demand. Some of that is personnel, as Towns has some inherent defensive limitations.
The bigger problem has been Mitchell Robinson's ankle injury. Can the team get him back in March and add him to the rotation for a postseason run?
Meanwhile, the Knicks are actively chasing the No. 2 Boston Celtics (39-16).
Oklahoma City Thunder (44-10)
21 of 30
The Thunder have an embarrassment of riches with the best team in the West, too much depth for coach Mike Daigneault and a laundry list of future draft picks.
Now that Chet Holmgren is back from a pelvic fracture, the team is finally at or near full strength—after running away with the conference.
Outside of staying healthy, the franchise needs Daigneault to find the ideal playoff rotation. That may not be easy, but the Thunder don't seem to have too many ego problems. It's more a question of finding the right combinations for the postseason.
Orlando Magic (27-29)
22 of 30
The Magic have sustained significant injuries to their primary players yet still managed to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference.
Reintegrating Paolo Banchero hasn't been seamless since Franz Wagner stepped up as the team leader in his absence. These are good problems to have, but Orlando is still adjusting.
Getting Jalen Suggs back (quad) will help immensely considering his abilities on both sides of the ball.
The goal is to avoid the play-in by catching the Detroit Pistons (29-26) at No. 6.
Philadelphia 76ers (20-34)
23 of 30
The Sixers represent the "should" vs. "will" divide.
Should Philadelphia just pack in the season and try to protect its first-round pick (top-6 protected; otherwise, it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder)? Probably, given how inconsistent and physically unhealthy the squad has looked for most of the year.
But the team "will" likely try to make a playoff push, even if that undoubtedly means going through the play-in tournament.
The 76ers recently added Quentin Grimes and Lonnie Walker IV. While Jared McCain (knee) is out for the season, almost everyone else should be available (Joel Embiid, Paul George, etc., though Eric Gordon is nursing a wrist injury) for the push.
Phoenix Suns (26-28)
24 of 30
The Suns have disappointed this year based on internal expectations.
The effort to trade for Jimmy Butler likely damaged chemistry, but the team did add some players in recent weeks, including Nick Richards, Cody Martin and Vasilije Micić. If healthy and on the same page, the assembled talent should be able to finish strong.
The minimum goal is to climb to the No. 7 or 8 slot for the play-in (the Suns are currently 11th overall, behind the last two berths). Still, Phoenix has an eye on the No. 6 LA Clippers (31-23). Though that's a stretch, as long as the Suns catch one team, they have a playoff shot through the play-in.
Portland Trail Blazers (23-32)
25 of 30
For a while, the Blazers were one of the hottest teams in the West.
Deandre Ayton's recent calf injury has helped derail that run, but the Blazers should focus on their lottery position anyway this year. The playoffs were always a long shot, and the franchise would lose its first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls if it shocked the world with a play-in berth to make the postseason.
Now, the team should start to shut down other veterans and rack up losses. Recent wins have the Blazers at No. 9 in the lottery, but the No. 6 position is attainable with well-intentioned tanking.
Sacramento Kings (28-27)
26 of 30
The Kings traded franchise point guard De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, but the team still hopes to make the postseason.
Can the already defensively challenged squad get enough stops after adding even iffier choices like Zach LaVine and Jonas Valančiūnas?
The pair and Jake LaRavia should help Sacramento continue to score at a high level, but the defense is specious. The goal seems to be the No. 6 seed or, failing that, getting through the play-in tournament.
San Antonio Spurs (23-29)
27 of 30
San Antonio continues to accelerate its timetable after drafting Victor Wembanyama last year. The De'Aaron Fox trade took advantage of this opportunity.
While the Spurs have a lot of ground to cover, the franchise will fight for a top-10 berth in the playoffs.
The rest of the West should be grateful if San Antonio falls short, as the franchise will have much loftier goals next season.
Toronto Raptors (17-38)
28 of 30
The Raptors' low-hanging fruit is to lose as much as possible to improve their lottery position. However, after acquiring (and extending) Brandon Ingram, they may be too proud and interested in building chemistry for next year to play to lose.
And how much can Toronto do with 17 wins on the books? Will the Charlotte Hornets (13-39), Utah Jazz (13-41) and New Orleans Pelicans (13-42) even win four more games?
The Raptors can play more freely, with the only danger being catching teams above, like the Brooklyn Nets (20-34), who may focus more on tanking, and the Philadelphia 76ers (20-34), who are still thinking playoffs.
Utah Jazz (13-41)
29 of 30
The Jazz can let Keyonte George, Isaiah Collier and other young players grow with high usage without concern for winning games.
The team may miss the No. 1 seed (in the lottery) Washington Wizards, but Utah is all but a lock to be in the 2-4 range. The goal would be No. 3, with slightly better odds of 14 percent instead of 12.5 at No. 4.
Landing the top overall pick would lock in Duke's Cooper Flagg in Utah, arguably the Jazz's overarching goal for the entire season.
Washington Wizards (9-45)
30 of 30
Not to be outdone by the Utah Jazz or any other lottery-focused teams, the Wizards have been the worst basketball team in the league. Single-digit wins through 54 games is impressively bad.
Washington can afford to try to get a few as it develops talent like Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George.
The lottery will determine where the Wizards pick, but the franchise did its part to game the odds.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X @EricPincus and Bluesky.
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "Play-In Winners and Losers 📊")
