The Perfect New Year Wishes For Every NBA Team In 2023

We are counting down the days until the end of the year. Once the clock strikes midnight on December 31, cities around the world will open the year 2023 with welcome arms. That means that people around the world will also look to make their New Year’s resolutions. This tradition is when a person resolves to continue good practices and change an undesired trait or obtain a personal goal. Some could say that is their New Year’s wish. That is not just limited to personal motives but also in the world of professional basketball.

Every NBA team’s New Year’s wish will feature something they want to obtain before the end of the 2022-23 season. That could be settling on the top trade targets before the deadline, cashing in on the No. 1 overall pick to obtain a top lottery choice, or continuing building around their young core. Most New Year’s wishes fail before February, but that is not the case for everyone. For the teams that want to succeed, this is their New Year’s wish.

Atlanta Hawks – To Bring Another All-Star Around Trae Young

There is a growing disconnect between the Hawks and Trae Young. At this point, one side is going to have to give. Either the Hawks look to trade their young superstar, or they find one more piece to build around him and help him get back to the Conference Finals. After making the Conference Finals in 2021, the team was disappointing last year, so the team went out and nabbed Dejounte Murray in the 2022 off-season.

The contract extension for John Collins is starting to look horrid. Collins has underperformed this season, but he is young enough that a team might take a chance on him. DeMar DeRozan would be a perfect fit for the Hawks if they were able to unload his contract to Chicago. If the Knicks are out of the playoff hunt in February, Julius Randle might be another one. Even Bojan Bogdanovic would be a nice fit, given his resurgence this season. Either way, the team is lacking that third player to get the team over the edge.

Boston Celtics – Healthy Robert Williams III

When Williams was healthy last year, he was an All-Defensive force inside. He averaged 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks. Williams started the season off injured and has played in four games. He is starting to get his sea legs back but is averaging just 17.8 minutes of action to help him get back into shape. Having Williams back in the rotation will be huge for the best team in the NBA.

The Celtics were a top defensive team last year, led by Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. With that said, Williams had a huge hand in that when he averaged a career-high in blocks. Assuming Williams can stay healthy, he should be at max strength by the time the team plays in the playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets – All-Star Ben Simmons

Simmons was a three-time All-Star with the 76ers before the debacle that took place during the 2021-22 season. After missing an entire season, Simmons returned to the lineup this year with the expectation that he could slide into a forward position because the team already had a point guard in Kyrie Irving. When Simmons was an All-Star, he was also an All-Defensive player.

The Nets have received glimpses of that player, but not the player that is getting paid the money he is receiving right now. Simmons is averaging a career-low in points (8.2), rebounds (6.8), and assists (6.2) and is tied for a career-low in steals (1.4). The Nets have been playing very well as of late, but if the team wants to take it to the next level, they will need their third member of the big three to play like an All-Star.

Charlotte Hornets – Victor Wembanyama

If there is a team that is looking forward to the new year, it’s the Charlotte Hornets. The team is 9-25 on the season and has its sights on the lottery. The outlook of the team is horrid. Gordon Hayward is getting paid over $30 million to play average basketball, and he is due $31 million next season. That contract looks untradeable. LaMelo Ball has just next season on the books and is due a major extension. The team has wasted three years of his service time while there are real talks about what to do with PJ Washington, Terry Rozier, and Kelly Oubre in the trade market.

Let’s not forget about what happened in the offseason with Miles Bridges, either. The team needs a new look. That look will start with Ball, but he needs a running mate. Victor Wembanyama is the consensus 2023 No. 1 overall pick, according to all of the mock drafts. Getting this type of player to pair with Ball is exactly what the Hornets are wishing for.

Chicago Bulls – Trade Zach LaVine

There were concerns about the contract that the Bulls gave Zach LaVine, which includes a player’s option for 2026-27 for $48.9 million. With uncertainty around his knee, some believed that signing LaVine might have been the best option. Instead, the team wanted to roll the dice with DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and hope that Lonzo Ball was healthy. Ball is not healthy and could miss this entire season, Vucevic is a free agent after this year, and the team is wasting another All-NBA season from DeRozan.

Meanwhile, LaVine has regressed from last season and appears timid about going all out. There are also reports that LaVine wants to be traded to the Lakers and is not getting along with the team’s executives. If LaVine does not want to be here, his deal is the starting point of tanking. The team will need that salary relief down the line if they want to build a new team. There are teams out there, like the Lakers and the Knicks that reportedly want LaVine. Starting fresh without LaVine’s deal would be the biggest wish for the team’s payroll.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Continue Building Young Team

The Cavaliers, without LeBron James, are in the fight for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Since LeBron left in 2018, those are words that some fans thought they would never hear again. Instead, the team has a solid core of players in Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, and Even Mobley. What this team lacks is legitimate playoff experience, though. While the team is playing well, everybody knows the playoffs are a different element. Garland, Mobley, and Allen have yet to truly experience that.

Luckily, the team has Mitchell, who has taken his lumps in his career, including a second-round defeat in 2021 when his Jazz had the best record in the league. If the Cavaliers could make a surprise entrance in the Conference Finals, we could see a development similar to the Boston Celtics of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who used their past experiences to help punch their ticket to the NBA Finals in 2022.

Dallas Mavericks – Blockbuster Trade For Zach LaVine

If the Bulls wanted to tank, they could look to lose games this year and take a chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick. Next season would be atrocious, so the team could afford to take on some salaries that would come off of the books in 2024. If the Mavericks wanted to add another star to pair with Luka Doncic, the team could make a run at Zach LaVine.

LaVine is getting paid about $38 million this year and $40 million next season before his salary continues to grow up to 2026. The Mavericks could package the contracts of Davis Bertans, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Dwight Powell with a few first-round picks to land LaVine. It would come down to the direction of the Bulls and when they want to contend. Getting a backcourt of Doncic and LaVine could be deadly.

Denver Nuggets – Win The West

The Nuggets have never won an NBA championship. The team finally has all of their pieces healthy. If Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon can stay on the court together, this team could win the Western Conference. That is why the team is near the top of the West right now with 21 wins. Winning the No. 1 seed would solidify the investment of upper management for these players.

Nikola Jokic needs to add an appearance in the NBA Finals to cement his legacy as a top player in league history. Jokic is doing things we have never seen a center do. With that said, the two-time MVP has not done enough in the playoffs to build his resume. Winning the West would certainly help.

Detroit Pistons – Victor Wembanyama

We were just talking about how badly the Hornets want the No. 1 overall pick but so do the Pistons. The team has their backcourt of the future in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. The team is taking a chance on Marvin Bagley III. The team needs a center that can change the game with his length and three-point shooting. Wembanyama has been compared to Kevin Durant. A star like that, added to the mix of Cunningham and Ivey, could finally help finish this rebuild.

The Pistons own the worst record in the Eastern Conference. It’s not going to get better unless the team finds the perfect core to build together. The team already has its backcourt, so it’s time to build the frontcourt, and Wemby is the wish that Detroit fans will keep wishing for.

Golden State Warriors – Vintage Klay Thompson

Thompson set the bar so high that we forget how great he is. Vintage Klay Thompson was someone that averaged 22.3 points and shot 41.4% from three-point range. Those stats are taken from the 2016-17 season, and there is plenty more where that came from.

Again, Thompson went through two seasons without playing basketball and then came back last year to help the team win the NBA championship. In 32 games, Thompson averaged 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and shot 38.5% from three-point range. This year, that number has dropped to 18.3 points while his shooting percentages are down too. If the Warriors want to right this ship, they need a healthy Stephen Curry and vintage Klay.

Houston Rockets – Victor Wembanyama

It’s a common theme for the bad teams to want the No. 1 overall pick. Add the Houston Rockets to the wishlist of Victor Wembanyama. Aside from the fact that the Rockets just beat the Chicago Bulls, the team remains the worst team in the Western Conference. With that said, the core of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, and Jabari Smith Jr., makes for an interesting 2025 if the team can land Victor Wembanyama.

The Rockets are not going anywhere this year. Getting a player that has been compared to Kevin Durant would help turn things around. Plus, this would have an interesting feel to the 2014 season when LeBron James came back to Cleveland to play with young superstar Kyrie Irving. Harden has not closed the door on returning. A No. 1 overall pick, and Harden could be the team’s wish coming true in 2023.

Indiana Pacers – First-Round Picks For Myles Turner

It’s great that the Pacers are playing .500 basketball, but at some point, the team needs to figure out what they truly want. Making the playoffs through the play-in tournament does not help the team’s overall future. The team has two tradeable players in, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The moveable player for right now is Turner, given that he can be a free agent after this season.

Turner is averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. That includes shooting 41.3% from three-point range. The Pacers have been holding out for trading Turner because they view him as a first-round pick. However, if that were the case, he would have been traded by now. Teams have not taken the risk yet, so do teams view Turner as worth a first-round pick? For the Pacers’ wish, unloading Turner will get them another pick for this year’s draft.

Los Angeles Clippers – Healthy Kawhi Leonard

When healthy, we know what Leonard and Paul George can do. The team made the Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history in 2021. Unfortunately, Leonard missed that series due to a torn ACL. Then, he missed all of last season with the injury as well. Leonard has struggled to find his rhythm this year due to setbacks.

Leonard has played in 13 games, averaging 27.5 minutes. His 16.3 points per game are his lowest since playing in nine games for the Spurs in 2017-2018. His outside shooting has taken a drastic hit, going from 39.8% in 2020-21 to 24.5% this year. The only way the Clippers will make a run to the NBA Finals is if Leonard stays healthy.

Los Angeles Lakers – Healthy Anthony Davis

The Lakers are hurting. After the news broke that Davis was going to be out for a few weeks, the team lost four in a row. Davis was playing borderline MVP basketball before he went down. That included averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and shooting 59.3% from the field. With all of the trade chatter around Russell Westbrook combined with the daily news cycle of LeBron James, Davis was the main reason why the team was playing better.

With Davis out, the Lakers have slid to the No. 13 seed. The team is growing more distant from the playoff race. The team is either going to make a trade to go all in, or the team is going to waste away another year of LeBron. Either way, none of it matters if Davis is out for a long period.

Memphis Grizzlies – Win The West

The top three teams in the West are the Nuggets, Pelicans, and Grizzlies. In the past, one might have laughed at this notion. However, the top two teams featured the two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic, while the Pelicans have the 2019 No. 1 overall pick in Zion Williamson. The Grizzlies own the No. 2 overall pick from that same draft in Ja Morant, who is looking like one of the next faces of the NBA.

Morant has dazzled us in his first three seasons. This is his fourth season, and like Williamson, he is trying to start building a resume that puts him in the conversation among the best of the best. If he wants to be up there, he will need to lead the Grizzlies to new heights. The Grizzlies have never won the Western Conference. That would be historic if Morant and Co. can accomplish that.

Miami Heat – Trade Partner For Duncan Robinson

The Heat was one game away from making the NBA Finals in 2022, and now the team is struggling to find a way to make the playoffs. After 34 games, the team is sitting around .500. One issue is that the team can’t bring another player to help because it would require unloading the contract of Duncan Robinson.

Nobody wants that contract right now. He has three more years left on the deal that pays him about $16 million each year. This season, Robinson is averaging 7.0 points and shooting 33.3% from three-point range. He is not a part of the team’s rotation as much compared to the past. If the team could get their wish granted, it would be finding a team who is willing to take this deal.

Milwaukee Bucks – Vintage Khris Middleton

Middleton has battled with injuries this season, so it’s natural to see his play regress. Middleton averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals and shot 44.3% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range last season. This year, Middleton has played just seven games. He is averaging 11.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 0.6 steals and is shooting 32.5% from the field and 26.8% from three-point range.

Despite Middleton’s absence, the Bucks are contending with the Celtics for the No. 1 seed. A lot of that has to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing like an MVP. If the Bucks want to make a run toward the NBA championship, the team will need Middleton to play like an All-Star again.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Team Chemistry

When the Timberwolves traded for Rudy Gobert, it was the most buzz the team has received in years. It cost the team a massive haul in draft picks. With that said, pairing Gobert with Karl-Anthony Towns was seen as a concern. With a 16-18 record, it’s safe to say that concern was legitimate.

However, the team has not been able to develop much chemistry, especially with how an injury has limited Towns to 21 games. The problem is that the team is going to need to figure it out quickly when Towns returns. The team is sitting out of the playoff conversation for now. If the team wants to not make this season a massive disappointment, the team needs to develop chemistry fast.

New Orleans Pelicans – Zion Williamson Stays Healthy

Is this what happens when Zion Williamson is healthy? This was the vision that General Manager David Griffin saw when he landed the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. Up to this point, we have truly seen one healthy season out of Williamson. This is year four of his NBA career, and the city of New Orleans has to love what they see.

The team hasn’t been this close to the No. 1 seed since the days of Chris Paul. Not even Anthony Davis had the team sitting at the top of the West during his days. In 25 games, Williamson is averaging 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.2 steals and shooting 60.3% from the field. He has missed the last three games due to injury. If the Pelicans want to win the West, which is a true possibility, it all rides on the health of Williamson. That’s a big wish, given that he owns just 110 games played in his NBA career to this point.

New York Knicks – A Third Superstar

There are times the Knicks look good, and then there are times the team looks really bad. That is why the team is flirting with .500 basketball, but their record is good enough to be the sixth seed for now. How badly do the Knicks want to commit to this season? The team has an All-Star in Julius Randle and then their highest-paid player in Jalen Brunson, who has looked like he is worth the money.

If the Knicks want to make a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the team needs a third All-Star player. The Knicks have Evan Fournier ($18 million for two years with a team option for year three), Derrick Rose ($15.5 million team option for next year), and Cam Reddish ($8 million player option for next year) as contracts the team could look to trade. That is about $40 million in salary the team could move for a player like Zach LaVine.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Victor Wembanyama

The loss of Chet Holmgren put a sour taste in the mouths of fans before the season began. With that said, at least Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking like an All-Star. SGA is averaging 31.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals this season. He could be an All-NBA player when the season ends. The core of SGA, Holmgren, Josh Giddey, and Lu Dort has potential. What’s the final piece of the puzzle?

That player is likely Victor Wembanyama. The Thunder have won enough games to be the No. 12 seed. After the trade deadline, the team could lose more games. With that said, this rebuilding project has been long and hard for francs. Getting Victor Wembanyama would solidify the end of the core building, and it would be time for OKC to start investing.

Orlando Magic – Victor Wembanyama

The Magic have a similar situation to the Thunder. The team is entering their third year of its rebuilding project. Last year, the Magic received the No. 1 overall pick. Paolo Banchero looks like a legitimate future star of this league. The team could look to build a team like the old Wizards with Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes with Bancher and Victor Wembanyama. With a backcourt of Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, the Magic could be a fun team one day.

For now, the Magic have won five more games than the Pistons. That includes a stretch of 8-2 in their last 10 games. There’s a lot of season left to lose games, but it looks like the Magic might be out of the lottery sweepstakes unless they truly tank. Then again, anything is possible. Ask the Bulls about their percentage chances when they landed Derrick Rose.

Philadelphia 76ers – Healthy James Harden

The 76ers are one of five teams in the Eastern Conference with 20 wins. The best mark is owned by the Celtics, with 22 wins. That means the 76ers are considered contenders just as much as the Celtics, Bucks, Nets, and Cavaliers. The 76ers can get by just fine with Joel Embiid, but we know what Embiid can bring when he does it all on his own. His ceiling is a middle-of-the-pack seed and second-round playoff appearance.

The city of Philadelphia wants to win a championship. The only way that happens is if Harden is healthy. Harden has adapted to being a pass-first guard with this team. His 11.1 assists lead the NBA. We saw him dazzle against the Clippers with a 20-point, 21-assist performance. The 76ers can go far if Harden stays healthy.

Phoenix Suns – Clarity For Jae Crowder And Deandre Ayton

A year after winning the most games in the NBA, we sit in the last week of December with the team owning the No. 5 seed. The Suns could go on a run and win the West. The team’s roster is that talented, but the team has been playing without Jae Crowder. The fallout between the Suns and Crowder is an odd one, to say the least, but Crowder remains a solid player in this league and is tradeable.

The other weird situation is Deandre Ayton. In the playoffs, Ayton was benched in Game 7 against the Mavericks and appeared to have his relationship with Monty Wiliams broken. Then, the team re-signed Ayton to a four-year deal. However, there was speculation that the market was not what the Suns desired, so signing him kept their options open. Ayton is averaging 17.8 points and 9.7 rebounds and is shooting 62.2% from the field. At 24 years old, he is a solid young prospect. With that said, it feels he could be traded in February, but it’s time to decide his future.

Portland Trail Blazers – All-Star Anfernee Simons

When the Trail Blazers traded CJ McCollum, the notion was that the team could live with the decision because they had Anfernee Simons. At the time, he had not proven anything. This year, Simons is living up to his new contract extension. Simons is averaging 22.4 points and shooting 38.3% from three-point range. It’s like vintage Damian Lillard and McCollum days.

The team is hovering around the eighth seed for now. The Trail Blazers could be a top-six seed caliber team if Simons plays like an All-Star. If he wants to cement his legacy as one better than McCollum, making the All-Star Game would be huge. McCollum never made an All-Star Game while playing with the team.

Sacramento Kings – Playoff Appearance

Imagine this, the current juniors in high school were born when the Kings made their last playoff appearance. Kids born in 2006 were when the Kings last danced in the playoffs. The days of Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, and Peja Stojakovic are long gone. Now, it’s all about De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray.

The Kings are currently sitting with the No. 6 seed in the West. That would guarantee a spot in the playoffs. If the team can finish the season in the top 10, they will get a shot to play in the play-in tournament and get that chance to qualify for the playoffs. There’s a real buzz in Sacramento for the first time in a decade. Can the Kings complete their playoff wish?

San Antonio Spurs – Victor Wembanyama

Remember when the Spurs were playing in the top quadrant of the West? That seems like a long time ago. The Spurs are 11-22 and are just one game ahead of the Rockets for the worst record in the conference. The Spurs could blow this up today and start their unofficial tanking. The team has Doug McDermott (13.7 million next year), Josh Richardson ($12.1 million expiring contract), Jakob Poeltl ($9.3 million expiring contract), and Zach Collins ($7.7 million team option) as players on the market.

If the Spurs blow up their team, they will get some type of draft capital for the future. The team already owns multiple first-round picks from their trade for Dejounte Murray in the offseason. More draft capital and Victor Wembanyama could help the Spurs rebuild this the right way. Victor Wembanyama would also be the first No. 1 overall pick the Spurs received since Tim Duncan. There would be a ton of buzz in San Antonio, even with this depleted roster.

Toronto Raptors – A Clear Direction

What do the Raptors want to do? That feels like a question that the city of Toronto is asking itself. All fans want to wish for this new year is the direction of the team. At 15-18, the Raptors are the No. 10 seed in the East. If you look at the contracts for next year, Pascal Siakam has one more year left for $37 million. Both Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. have player’s options, while OG Anunbody has just next year’s deal guaranteed with a player’s option for 2024-25.

The Raptors have tradable assets on the team right now. If the team trades Siakam, VanVleet, and Trent, that will signal the team is looking toward the lottery. The team would likely get a few first-round picks for the future as well. The team also owns just $32 million in salary tied to players in 2024-25. This could be a quick rebuild if the team chooses that path, but nobody is giving a clear direction of where this team is heading.

Utah Jazz – Trade Partners For Mike Conley Jr. And Jordan Clarkson

The Jazz is in the same situation as the Indiana Pacers. The team was not supposed to be winning games, but the team has inserted their team into the playoff conversation. When the Jazz traded Donovan Mithcell and Rudy Gobert, everyone started thinking about Victor Wembanyama. That is every team’s wish at this point, but not one that is realistic unless the Jazz start losing games.

The team has two tradeable players in Mike Conley Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. The team has already received first-round picks for Mithcell, Gobert, Royce O’Neal, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Conely and Clarkson would net at least two more picks. At this point, the Jazz need to make a decision, but their wish should be getting value in these players rather than a first-round playoff exit.

Washington Wizards – Trade Partner For Kyle Kuzma

Is this what happens when you have Kristaps Porzingis on your team? Does your team just constantly underperform? Trading for Porzingis was meant to bring a second superstar to pair alongside Bradley Beal. Instead, the team is 13-21 and near the bottom of the East. With the way the Wizards look, it’s almost time to start thinking about the future because sitting in the middle is the worst place to be.

Kuzma is looking like an All-Star this season. Kuzma is averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and shooting 46.9% from the field. He owns a player’s option for $13 million next season. There is speculation that Kuzma will not pick up that option because he could get more money in the offseason. If that is the case, the Wizards need to act fast to get value in return. Outside of wishing for the team to play better, this might be the only realistic wish the Wizards have this season.

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