NBA's four most disappointing teams of 2024-25 season 

With spring on the horizon, it's becoming evident which NBA teams are genuine contenders and which are pretenders. But it's also clear several pretenders were built to make playoff runs and be better than their current records. 

Even though some of these teams still have a shot at making the play-in tournament and advancing into the postseason, they have all fallen well short of their expectations. 

Philadelphia 76ers 

The 76ers' process hasn't achieved what it was set out to do, and now it appears to be cratering. Joel Embiid hasn't been able to stay healthy, and Paul George has been a massive disappointment. 

Embiid, who has only played in 17 games to this point, averages 24.9 points and 8.5 rebounds on the court. The 2023 MVP last finished a season with a scoring average below 30 in the 2020-21 campaign, and the last time he averaged under 10 rebounds per game was in his rookie year. 

George was brought in to relieve Embiid of the pressure. Instead, he's having his worst season since his sophomore campaign, and his 16.1 points per game aren't even close to the 22.6 he registered last year with the Clippers. George scored just one basket in 37 minutes on Wednesday night. 

Philadelphia may sit in the No. 11 spot in the East — just barely inside the play-in tournament — but this team was contracted to compete for a championship or, at the very least, advance to the franchise's first Conference Finals since the days of Allen Iverson in 2001. 

Phoenix Suns

The Suns are essentially the Western Conference version of the Sixers. Their attempt at a "Big 3" of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal has been a disaster. Booker's production has been slightly down, Durant has had to endure a roller coaster ride of missing games and being involved in trade rumors, and Beal has found himself struggling to earn minutes. 

At 26-28, Phoenix is going nowhere fast. It has no options other than trading Durant this summer to improve its current situation. 

Dallas Mavericks 

Dallas followed up a trip to the NBA Finals with a season full of disappointment and drama. The Mavericks transitioned from dropping in the standings — currently the No. 8 seed — due to injuries to complete chaos when they shocked the sports world by trading global superstar Luka Doncic on Feb. 2. That move has since triggered an extreme backlash, leading to increased security measures at games. 

While some thought Anthony Davis could give the Mavericks a better chance at winning a title this season, he left his team debut with an injury that will keep him out for weeks. 

Sacramento Kings 

Only two years ago, Sacramento fans thought their beloved Kings were on the cusp of becoming a legitimate contender for years to come. However, instead of continuing their rise, the Kings are a play-in team at best and have an uncertain future after trading away De'Aaron Fox.