Every NBA Team's Biggest Regret This Season
The book has officially closed on the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
Odds are that your favorite team has at least one regret from this past year, especially if your franchise of choice happens to be the Dallas Mavericks.
From free-agent signings gone wrong, trade-deadline moves that should have happened, players who needed more (or less) playing time and other factors, these are the biggest regrets of all 30 teams.
Atlanta Hawks: Not Picking a Clear Direction
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Trading Dejounte Murray last offseason seemed like the start of a youth movement for the Atlanta Hawks, especially after they selected Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick.
Unfortunately, no real progress was made or direction was chosen now a year later.
Atlanta only made a mild jump in wins (36 to 40) and remain in the East play-in tournament. Swapping De'Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanović and second-round picks for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Terance Mann, second-round picks and a pair of first-round swaps was the equivalent of painting your old car when it needed a new transmission and brakes.
The Hawks are heading towards another offseason full of questions and are now just one year away from Trae Young's free agency.
Boston Celtics: Not Adding Another Big
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Winning 61 games almost felt like a letdown for the defending champions, although the Boston Celtics should still be extremely pleased with how the 2024-25 regular season ended.
Making any big moves at the trade deadline was always a long shot given Boston's financial situation and not wanting to part with any rotation members. Signing veteran Torrey Craig off the scrapheap was a nice get given their circumstances.
The only potential weakness heading into the playoffs is the frontcourt if Kristaps Porziņģis (40 missed games) and Al Horford (22) miss time due to injury. Boston has some decent backup options in Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta, but neither should be starting a postseason game.
We're nitpicking here, though, as the Celtics should have a really good chance at a second straight title.
Brooklyn Nets: Not Selling High on Cam Johnson
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Cam Johnson seemed like one of the likeliest players to be dealt at the deadline, a 28-year-old sharp-shooting wing enjoying a career year for a Brooklyn Nets team that's beginning a rebuild.
He was averaging 19.3 points and making 41.7 percent of his threes at the deadline, yet he remained in Brooklyn for some unknown reason.
Keeping Johnson, now 29, made no sense. His stats fell after the deadline (17.8 points on just 33.3 percent from three), and the Nets (9-22) won too many games to keep pace with the heavy tankers of the league (Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers).
Johnson should be getting ready for a playoff run with a contender right now, and the Nets should have an extra first-round pick (or two) in their collection.
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Charlotte Hornets: Drafting Tidjane Salaün No. 6 Overall
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The Charlotte Hornets were likely prepared to play the long game with Tidjane Salaün, who was just 18 when they selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in a lackluster 2024 draft.
A full season later, however, and Salaün has done little to inspire much confidence.
Going 1-for-11 from the field for five points in 36 minutes against the Boston Celtics' backups on the final day of the regular season was the appropriate ending for an awful rookie season for him.
Salaün averaged 5.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and shot just 33.8 percent overall and 28.8 percent from three for the year.
With players such as Donovan Clingan, Matas Buzelis, Kel'el Ware, Jared McCain, Dalton Knecht and others selected after Salaün, the Hornets likely wish they had this pick back.
Chicago Bulls: Not Extending Josh Giddey Last Fall
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Josh Giddey was reportedly looking for $30 million per season on a contract extension from the Chicago Bulls following a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer, a number his new franchise was unwilling to offer.
Now coming off the best season of his career, the Bulls should have signed Giddey to this number while they had the chance.
The Australian, still 22, nearly averaged a triple-double over the last two months of the season, putting up 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.5 steals over his final 19 contests while leading Chicago to a 12-7 record.
The Bulls may have to go higher than $30 million per season to keep the star guard around, as the Brooklyn Nets and their ample cap space could make a real run at Giddey.
Cleveland Cavaliers: The 2025-26 Financial Outlook
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There's little fault to find in the Cleveland Cavaliers' season, as their top-ranked offense led to 64 wins and the No. 1 seed in the East.
This is a team that played with joy, unselfishness and outdid a 15-0 start to the season with a franchise-record 16 straight victories months later.
Looking ahead, the trade for De'Andre Hunter is going to make staying under the second luxury-tax apron difficult, though, especially with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley starting new max extensions.
Cleveland is already projected to be more than $11.2 million over the second apron with just 11 players under contract for next season. Assuming it keep its core four and Hunter, another higher-priced player such as Max Strus or Isaac Okoro may have to go.
Still, that's a problem for this summer and beyond. The Cavs had a terrific regular season and should be 100 percent focused on a long playoff run now.
Dallas Mavericks: Executing the Worst Trade in NBA History
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We certainly don't need to rehash all the reasons why the Dallas Mavericks messed up by trading Luka Dončić.
Seeing the five-time All-Star get emotional in his return to Dallas was tough to watch even for non-Mavs fans, though.
Star players are traded all the time in every sport. Usually it's following a request and often some public mud-slinging, of course, and not out of the blue when said star had no idea a trade was coming.
At some point, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison will be fired and likely never get another job running a front office again for this trade alone.
Still only 26, Dončić will haunt the Mavs organization for the next decade-plus, and likely feel bad for doing so.
Denver Nuggets: Not Firing Calvin Booth Earlier
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Josh Kroenke decided to end the Denver Nuggets civil war by firing both general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone with just three games left in the regular season, but the vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment should have made a change in the front office much earlier.
Booth made far too many mistakes for a team that was operating with precious few draft picks and was up against the second luxury-tax apron.
Spending a tax-payer mid-level exception on Reggie Jackson only to later trade three second-round picks just to dump his contract hurt the team's depth and resources. Signing Zeke Nnaji to a four-year, $32 million contract complicated the franchise's finances, making it far more difficult to keep a player like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Malone is a good coach who delivered a championship less than two years ago. Kroenke should have found a new GM earlier who gave Malone better talent to work with and maximized the team's assets instead of wasting them.
Detroit Pistons: Not Buying at the Trade Deadline
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Outside of playing a small part in the Jimmy Butler five-team, megatrade, the Detroit Pistons chose to stand pat at the deadline.
They may live to regret this decision as they try to go head-to-head with a playoff-tested New York Knicks team, one that features far more offensive firepower than the Pistons.
Perhaps new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon viewed this season as playing with house money while expectations were still minimal coming off a disastrous few years.
Still, it would have been fun for the Pistons to bring in a player like Cameron Johnson, Collin Sexton or another scoring spark off a rebuilding team to help try to win a playoff series now.
Golden State Warriors: Not Trading for Jimmy Butler Earlier
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Trading for Jimmy Butler may have saved the Golden State Warriors' season, as the team was just 26-25 before the deal and finished on a 22-9 run to end the year.
With a healthy Butler and Stephen Curry in the lineup, the Dubs were elite with a 22-5 overall record and had a net rating of plus-15.0 with Butler, Curry, Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski all on the floor.
The biggest regret for Golden State was not trading for the 35-year-old earlier, as doing so likely would have meant a guaranteed playoff spot and a week of rest before the first round of the postseason began.
Butler and the Warriors have been a perfect fit thus far and should have worked harder to get a deal done sooner.
Houston Rockets: Not Using Amen Thompson in the Starting Lineup Earlier
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No team wants to see one of its players get hurt, although a broken hand suffered by starting Houston Rockets power forward Jabari Smith Jr. in early January opened up a larger role for Amen Thompson.
Even with Smith back, Thompson has become a fixture in the starting five, joining a core of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Alperen Şengün that has now gone 13-5 (72.2 win percentage) together. With Smith in place of Thompson, Houston was 19-10 (65.5 percent).
Thompson averaged 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocks in his 42 starts, guarding nearly every position in the process.
If the No. 2-seeded Rockets want to make a deep playoff run, they'll need a heavy dose of Thompson, a player who deserved to be a starter from the beginning of the year.
Indiana Pacers: Not Finding More Playing Time for Jarace Walker
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The No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Jarace Walker is still waiting for his opportunity with the Indiana Pacers.
The 21-year-old registered just 15.8 minutes a night in Year 2, playing behind Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin in the Pacers' frontcourt.
Now in a first-round showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks and their own loaded frontcourt featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis Jr., Indiana will need all the muscle it can get while trying to limit the damage inside.
The Pacers could use a player with Walker's size and shooting ability in this series, although we have no idea if he's ready yet. Developing him continues to be a must for Indiana to reach its ceiling.
Los Angeles Clippers: Signing Ben Simmons
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There shouldn't be many regrets for the Los Angeles Clippers, as the franchise clearly made the right move by letting Paul George walk while Tyronn Lue and staff squeezed 50 wins out of a roster that only got 37 healthy games from Kawhi Leonard.
If the Clippers could go back, though, they probably wouldn't have pursued a different option off the buyout market instead of Ben Simmons.
In his 18 games, he has averaged just 2.9 points on 43.4 percent shooting overall. This success rate from two is far worse than his career average (56.2 percent) as he continues to ignore that half circle painted on the court.
The Clippers were 8.5 points per 100 possessions worse with Simmons on the floor (13th percentile, via Cleaning the Glass) and almost certainly won't be using him in the playoff rotation.
Los Angeles Lakers: Not Trading for a (Healthy) Center at the Deadline
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There is no playoff team with a bigger positional weakness than the Los Angeles Lakers at center.
Jaxson Hayes has been serviceable (7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.9 blocks in 35 starts) but he's a borderline rotation player for most teams. We're inevitably going to see LeBron James play some minutes at the five as the Lakers try to counter their lack of size with skill and shooting.
Los Angeles had a window after it executed the trade for Luka Dončić but ultimately voided the deal for Mark Williams after he failed his physical. He would go on to average 14.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21 games for the Charlotte Hornets after the deadline.
The Lakers should regret not pursuing a different center before the deadline, as players such as Nikola Vučević, Jakob Poeltl, Andre Drummond and others were likely available.
Memphis Grizzlies: Trying to Balance Two Coaching Staffs
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Following an injury-riddled 27-55 season a year ago, the Memphis Grizzlies chose to keep head coach Taylor Jenkins, yet made him fire five assistants.
This is a highly unusual practice in the NBA, especially since Jenkins had never even met the two new top assistants, Tuomas Iisalo and Noah LaRoche, until they officially interviewed, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright.
Jenkins was ultimately fired with just nine games remaining in the regular season, with the Grizzlies tabbing Iisalo to lead them instead.
This was a messy and unnecessary way to put together a coaching staff by Memphis, as it should have completely cleaned house last summer or given Jenkins one more year with his own coaches and a healthy roster.
Miami Heat: Not Trading Jimmy Butler Last Offseason
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The cracks in the foundation of the happy home where Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat lived together were beginning to show last offseason, which is precisely when the franchise should have traded him.
Between multiple suspensions, conflicting statements and an eventual trade near the deadline, it's been an ugly divorce between the two parties resulting in a 37-45 season for the Heat.
With few stars actually on the trade market last summer, Miami likely would have received a much stronger offer than the package of Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell and a first-round pick from the Golden State Warriors in February.
Such a move would have allowed the team to avoid distraction and go through a full training camp and preseason with their new players as well.
Milwaukee Bucks: Making Kyle Kuzma the Big In-Season Addition
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Trading a franchise icon like Khris Middleton was likely a difficult decision for the Milwaukee Bucks, even if the 33-year-old was a few seasons removed from his prime.
His $31 million contract was Milwaukee's big salary matcher to use in a potential deal, especially with Brook Lopez ($23 million) set to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Bucks had one (perhaps last) chance to use Middleton's money and their remaining assets to get a third star next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and try to make another run to the Finals.
Kuzma is not that guy. He's just been OK with the Bucks (14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 33.3 percent from three) and isn't in the "third-best-player-on-a-title-team" caliber. If Milwaukee loses in the first round to the Indiana Pacers and Kuzma has a bad series, it's going to be a long offseason in Wisconsin.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Going All-In for Rob Dillingham
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Trading an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 and a 2030 first-round pick swap on draft night for the right to select Rob Dillingham was a bold move for the Minnesota Timberwolves, especially with championship expectations coming off a run to the Western Conference Finals.
This was the last tradeable pick the Wolves possessed, one that probably should have been kept or at least used on a player who could contribute immediately.
The jury is still out on Dillingham, as the rookie point guard just turned 20 in January. He could still have a long and successful career. With that being said, he finished the season playing just 10.5 minutes a night across 49 games while averaging 4.5 points and 2.0 assists on 33.8 percent shooting from three.
For a team that needed win-now help alongside Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley Jr. and company, a panic trade for Dillingham has done nothing to help the Wolves chase a championship this season.
New Orleans Pelicans: Just Missing the Best No. 1 Pick Odds
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It's been a nightmare of a season for the New Orleans Pelicans who just fired executive vice president David Griffin and are reportedly replacing him with Joe Dumars, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
In what quickly became a lost year, New Orleans' biggest regret should be not losing even more.
The Pelicans went 9-22 after the trade deadline, not quite bad enough to catch the biggest tankers in the league.
As a result, the Pels have the fourth-best odds at the No. 1 overall pick. Had they been able to catch the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards or Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans would have been tied for the best odds and a chance at Cooper Flagg.
New York Knicks: Not Adding More Depth
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NBA teams typically shorten their rotation come playoff time, which is a strategy New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau usually starts employing in the preseason.
The Knicks had three players in the top five in minutes per game this season, including Josh Hart who led the NBA at 37.6 per night. The only two starters who were outside of the top five, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, still finished 14th and 20th, respectively.
That's a lot of mileage on the tires for players who will again be called upon to play major minutes in the postseason. This could prove to be the necessary conditioning or we could begin to see some major fatigue begin to set in.
New York might regret not adding another reliable rotation player or two during the regular season to help keep legs fresh. Then again, with Thibodeau, it may not have mattered.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Nothing
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The Oklahoma City Thunder should have zero regrets about their year, as they put together one of the best regular seasons in NBA history.
OKC's league-best 68 wins was tied for the fifth-most ever as the Thunder led the NBA in both defense and net rating.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring and is almost certainly going to win MVP. The signing of Isaiah Hartenstein was the perfect fit, and Lu Dort was arguably the best defender in the NBA this season.
If you're looking for any sort of regret OKC may have, you won't find one here.
Orlando Magic: Not Trading for a Point Guard
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It's borderline egregious that the Orlando Magic looked at their point guard depth chart at the trade deadline, especially with Jalen Suggs sidelined, and said "We're good."
Orlando has needed a reliable playmaker for years, yet it made no move to get one during the season, a decision that's ultimately going to kill any chance of this team making a playoff run.
The Magic finished the season 27th overall in offense (108.9 rating) and were 25th or worst in assist percentage, assist ratio and assist-to-turnover percentage. Scoring the basketball and setting up talented forwards such as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner continued to be a struggle.
Orlando should heavily pursue a veteran point guard via trade this summer to make up for its in-season mistake.
Philadelphia 76ers: (Almost) Everything
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The Dallas Mavericks may have won the award for the worst move this year, but the Philadelphia 76ers were by far the biggest disappointment overall.
A 24-58 record has Philly in a previously unthinkable 13th place in a lousy East, although much of that was due to some late season tanking. The Paul George signing looks bad and a three-year, $193 million extension for Joel Embiid may even be worse.
"The one positive that I do take away," Tyrese Maxey said, "is the only way we can go from here is up."
The 76ers now have to hope they can retain their first-round pick (top-six protected) and the most recent knee surgery for Embiid is a success.
A bounce-back next season is possible, but it may take years to get the taste of this disastrous campaign out of everyone's mouths.
Phoenix Suns: Blindsiding Kevin Durant with Trade Talks
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Little went right for the Phoenix Suns this season, an organization that continues to shoot itself in the foot following the Finals run of 2021.
Among the long list of mistakes was not notifying 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant about his own trade talks, a situation the Suns reportedly now concede they messed up.
"Privately, the Suns admit they made a mistake by not involving Durant earlier in the process. They had hoped to keep the discussions closed, the way the Dallas Mavericks did with Luka Dončić , but when the Suns inevitably had to discuss scenarios with third teams to find a way to execute a deal, word leaked across the league," ESPN's Brian Windhorst wrote.
Phoenix is headed towards a massive shakeup this summer, likely starting with a Durant trade. This time, he'll have a heads-up.
Portland Trail Blazers: Not Getting Enough Answers About the Young Core
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It was a weird year for the Portland Trail Blazers, a rebuilding team that somehow managed to play above .500 basketball since Christmas.
The team chose to hold onto veterans such as Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton at the trade deadline, even at the expense of getting any real answers about the young core of the team.
Players like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija were rotated in and out of the starting lineup despite possessing the highest potential of anyone on the team.
Is Henderson the sure-fire floor general of the future? Can Sharpe become a good three-point shooter and reliable scorer? Are both expendable if the Blazers land a higher-than-expected pick in the 2025 draft?
Portland won more games than most expected, yet we still don't have a lot of answers about its core.
Sacramento Kings: Taking on Zach Lavine's Contract
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Trading De'Aaron Fox was likely something the Sacramento Kings were essentially forced into doing, as Fox and Klutch worked to force his way to the San Antonio Spurs.
While there was little the Kings could do here, the mistake was bringing in Zach LaVine in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls.
The 30-year-old is owed $47.5 million next season and has a player option for $49 million the year after. That's a ton of money for a player who just registered a minus-10.0 swing rating following his trade to Sacramento (9th percentile, via Cleaning the Glass) and has never shown the ability to lead a winning team.
This was a chance for the Kings to mold a new roster around Domantas Sabonis and create some financial flexibility. Instead, Sacramento is already $12.9 million over the salary cap for next season with just nine players under contract.
Trading for LaVine was a mistake.
San Antonio Spurs: Not Tanking After Victor Wembanyama's Injury
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Victor Wembanyama played his final game of the 2024-25 regular season on February 12 before being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
After this news, the San Antonio Spurs did the honorable thing of trying to still win, playing their veterans and competing night after night. Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes even finished the season playing all 82 games.
With the draft lottery coming up, they may regret this decision.
A 34-48 record has the Spurs projected to land the No. 8 overall pick, with just a 6.0 percent chance at the No. 1 overall selection. A few more losses could have at least got them past the Toronto Raptors and into the top seven where the odds would favor them more.
Toronto Raptors: Avoiding a Complete Teardown
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The Toronto Raptors should have every intention of making the East playoffs next year after trading for Brandon Ingram to complement a core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick and others.
That means this was their last chance at chasing a top draft pick, one that they likely won too many games down the stretch to win.
Toronto went 12-10 since the beginning of March and chose to hold on to veteran big men like Jakob Poeltl and Chris Boucher at the deadline.
The result? Just a 7.5 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and no chance at the playoffs, exactly where NBA teams don't want to be. The Raptors should have taken one more dive before attempting to win again next season.
Utah Jazz: Waiting Too Long to Trade Lauri Markkanen
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The Utah Jazz and Lauri Markkanen strategically agreed to a contract extension on August 7 last year, making him ineligible to be traded during the 2024-25 season.
Both parties should now regret this decision.
The 27-year-old's stock has fallen, as his impressive numbers from a year ago (23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 39.9 percent from three) dropped significantly (19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 34.6 percent from three) while playing just 47 games.
Utah could have received a significant return for Markkanen from the Golden State Warriors, who offered multiple first-round picks, pick swaps, second-round picks and Moses Moody in exchange for the veteran forward, according to The Athletic. The San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings were also deemed serious suitors.
Markkanen may not be thrilled to be in Utah for much longer, either, as the Jazz had the NBA's worst record at 17-65 overall.
Washington Wizards: Not Flipping More Veterans
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The Washington Wizards' desire to fill the locker room with high-IQ vets is admirable, but sometimes waiting too long to trade off talent from a rebuilding team can hurt the return.
Washington already saw this firsthand by flipping Kyle Kuzma a year too late and may now lose Malcolm Brogdon in free agency for nothing.
The Wizards chose to hold on to vets such as Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart at the deadline, players who are only moving further away from their primes.
For a team that should be stocking up on current and future draft capital, keeping so many veterans around was a puzzling choice.
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