Regarding parity and competitiveness, the NBA is in a great place right now. More so than in prior years, the league is rich with talent, and teams across both conferences are expected to be at least somewhat competitive. Of course, for those on the other end of the spectrum, the situation is especially dire.
Due to a rise in player empowerment and the NBA’s new CBA rules, which place massive restrictions on teams who go over the cap, it’s getting harder for some GMs to keep up with the rising level of competition.
In the case of the worst-off teams, however, many of their problems go beyond competing for the championship next season. For some of those at the bottom of the hierarchy, the struggles often include a lack of tradable assets, a lost sense of direction, and/or a present culture of losing in the locker room.
While there are several teams in rough spots right now, these are the four that stand out as the worst off, given their current trajectory as a franchise. Let’s break it down:
Phoenix Suns
Suns owner Mat Ishbia has done everything in his power to make his team a powerhouse in the West, but he’s failed every step of the way so far. Starting with the Kevin Durant trade, he gutted the team’s draft capital to acquire him in 2023. While his individual performance was fine, he didn’t make enough of an impact on the court to offset what the Suns lost in depth (Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks, two second-round picks, and four first-round pick swaps).
The deal for Bradley Beal only made things worse. He’s owed $110 million over the next two years with a no-trade clause that keeps him on the roster for as long as he desires. Alone, he and Booker will not be enough to make the Suns a contender next season. What that means is that the franchise will be committed to an enormous payroll for a team with minimal assets and no hope of competing for a title.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have been in NBA purgatory for years now, dating back to Jimmy Butler’s departure in 2017. They had a brief moment of prosperity before a string of injuries (including to their former point guard Lonzo Ball) derailed their progress. Now, they don’t have Ball, Zach LaVine, or DeMar DeRozan to help keep them competitive.
What the Bulls do have (Josh Giddey, Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, and Patrick Williams) isn’t nearly enough to make them a threat in the Eastern Conference. To date, the Bulls don’t have a true superstar, and they don’t have an identity to help establish a unique culture. The franchise is very much stuck between a soft rebuild and front-office denial, with seemingly no clear-cut plan or vision for the future.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards finally hit the reset button by trading Bradley Beal. The only problem is, they have practically nothing to show for it. For their franchise player, the Wizards only received Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly, as well as future second-round picks and pick swaps. They also parted ways with Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, two instant scorers who kept them in games.
Today, the Wizards are a completely hopeless team, just waiting for one of their young prospects to have a breakout season. As it stands, they are completely irrelevant in the East, and with a poor draft history, few have confidence that they can build something meaningful from scratch. For a franchise with such a limited history of success, the cycle is likely to continue as they search for their next big star.
New Orleans Pelicans
On the surface, the Pelicans may have a decent-looking rotation, but this is a team on a downward spiral. Fresh off the trades involving Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, the Pels still have to rediscover their identity in an already crowded Western Conference. To make matters worse, their biggest star (Zion Williamson) is dealing with constant weight and conditioning issues.
For a team that was considered on the rise just a few years ago, reality has set in fast for the Pelicans, and if Zion continues to go on like this, they may be forced to start over and wipe the slate clean. After years of underachieving seasons, faith is dimming in the Pelicans’ future, and if they don’t act fast, it could set back their recovery tenfold.
While no NBA team is ever truly stuck forever, these four franchises face a steeper climb than most. Whether it’s poor roster construction, front office mismanagement, or a lack of player development, their futures are anything but bright right now. Turning things around will require more than a lucky draft pick or splashy trade; it’ll take a complete shift in identity, vision, and execution. Until then, they remain the NBA’s most uncertain and most unstable projects.
