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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.
More must-reads:
- Paul George's contract is officially the worst in the NBA
- Sixers make historic move with trade-deadline acquisition
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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4-Time NBA All-Star Eager to Work With Pistons Star Cade Cunningham
Last season, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham drastically climbed the ranks of the NBA hierarchy. Following his breakout campaign, one former All-Star and champion opened up on his desire to work with him. Between having a fully healthy offseason and the Pistons making upgrades to the roster, the stage was set for Cunningham to take a step forward in his development. He made the most of this opportunity, posting career highs across the board. In 70 appearances in the regular season, he averaged 26.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG. This production not only got the Pistons to the postseason but also landed Cunningham All-Star and All-NBA honors. While appearing on FanDuel TV's Run It Back show Monday, Rajon Rondo praised Cunningham's abilities on the basketball court. With his experience, he also feels he could help take the Pistons' star to the next level. "If I can get my hands on a Cade Cunningham," Rondo said. "I think he could become that one type of point guard. It's only a couple of tweaks, and then it's also about personnel." Last season, Cunningham was one of the top facilitators in the league. If he spent some time with Rondo, there is no telling what it could do for his development in this area. At his peak, Rondo was a multi-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics and led the NBA in assists on three separate occasions. Though Cunningham already has a high IQ when it comes to playmaking, picking Rondo's brain could yield positive results for the Pistons guard. Seeing that he is more than willing to get in the gym with him, only time will tell if the two end up linking up this summer. Latest on Detroit Pistons’ Free Agency Key Details of Duncan Robinson’s Pistons Contract Detroit Pistons Make Official Trade Announcement Caris LeVert Officially Joining Detroit Pistons Pistons’ Paul Reed Decision Receives Questionable Grade
Orioles, Blue Jays pull off unique trade midway through doubleheader
The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired one of baseball's premier relievers to bolster their bullpen. In a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto is adding Seranthony Dominguez to its pitching staff, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. While the move solidifies the Blue Jays' status as buyers, it's the timing of the transaction that stands out. The Orioles finished a 16-4 walloping of the Blue Jays just hours before the deal went down, and while it's not unheard of to see a player traded to a franchise his former team is visiting, the fact that the two teams will face off again Tuesday night at 6:35 PM EST makes this a truly unique swap. Dominguez may not suit up in his first official contest as a Blue Jay, but he will be switching clubhouses before the second half of the team's doubleheader. It won't take long for the veteran reliever to make an impact, either, as bullpen production has stood out for a Toronto team that has been dominating in most aspects of the game. In 43 appearances with the Orioles this season, Dominguez has posted a respectable 3.24 ERA over 41.2 innings. He hasn't quite returned to the impressive form he was in with the Phillies from 2018 to 2022, but the value is obvious for a team hoping to capture its third World Series in franchise history. The rebuilding Orioles acquired right-handed pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown, who was ranked as Toronto's 10th-best prospect in the latest MLB Pipeline team Top 30 Prospects list. The 23-year-old has gone 2-5 over 19 starts across High-A and Double-A this year, posting a combined 3.54 ERA while striking out 115 over 89 innings. As two teams heading in vastly different directions this season, it's a sensible move for both sides. Dominguez is an unrestricted free agent after this season, making him a rental for Toronto down the stretch. If Watts-Brown continues to show promise, though, the trade could ultimately be deemed a win for Baltimore.
Commanders reportedly hesitant about one issue with Terry McLaurin deal
The 2024 offseason expanded the $30M-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent. McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks. Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington. McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6M extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations. McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates the "holdup" is regarding the $30M-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92M extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well. Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30M-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations. A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30M AAV and the Tee Higgins–Jaylen Waddle–D.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30M, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.
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Mets’ Juan Soto breaks silence on concerning injury after blowout loss to Padres
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