This week kicks off the annual dose of madness that is the NCAA tournament, where No. 1-seeded Duke — led by freshman phenom and projected 2025 No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg — will hope to cut down the nets in San Antonio.
In the NBA, the next month will showcase several rebuilding teams, including the one residing in San Antonio, as the Spurs position themselves for the best odds ahead of May’s draft lottery for the chance to draft Flagg to jump-start their paths to contention.
But some rebuilds are further along than others. The Spurs are well on their way to Western Conference title contention after landing Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 draft and trading for running mate De’Aaron Fox in February. The Detroit Pistons, one season after finishing last in the league with 14 wins, are a playoff team in a weak Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz continue stockpiling assets as they build through the draft or wait on the league’s next disgruntled star to become available.
With that, we’re examining the paths forward for 11 franchises in varying stages of their rebuilds, how well it’s going and how soon each could vault into contender status. We’re also diving into the futures of three preseason contenders whose seasons have gone off the rails — either due to injuries to stars, poor roster construction or because they traded away an MVP-caliber point guard — and whether each should consider a rebuild of their own.
Note: Our rebuild rankings are not based on where rosters stand right now, but rather look at each team’s rebuilding strategy and path to contention. Detroit, for example, is in the midst of its best season in a generation behind All-Star guard Cade Cunningham. But that doesn’t mean the Pistons are better positioned for long-term contention than teams such as the Jazz or the Washington Wizards, two teams fighting for the worst record but with far better avenues to improve.
Jump to a team:
ATL | BKN | CHA | CHI
DET | NO | POR | SA
TOR | UTAH | WAS
Three wild card teams