Four lottery-bound teams trending in opposite directions as NBA Draft approaches

After stumbling to a 27-55 record in 2021-22, a 33-49 record in 2022-23 and a 21-61 record in 2023-24, the Blazers surprised many people this season with a record of 36-46. 

And not only that, their progress and improved level of play were evident across the board. With an enviable dearth of young and up-and-coming talent, including the likes of Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija, don't be surprised if the Blazers find themselves entrenched in a battle for home-court advantage as early as next year.

Charlotte Hornets: Trending Downward

After managing just 19 wins during the 2024-25 campaign, the Charlotte Hornets are once again on their way to being awarded yet another high lottery pick. 

With a bottom-three record in the league, the Hornets have as good a chance as anyone to win the right to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall, but even that may not be enough to fully right the ship of their franchise. 

Charlotte has been in a tailspin for quite some time now, having last made the playoffs in 2015-16, and it doesn’t feel like it is a top-three pick away from correcting course. 

With their three most important players, LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams, rarely able to be healthy and on the court together at the same time, it feels like the Hornets’ rebuilding nadir is still a year or two away. Lastly, it certainly doesn’t help that the Hornets were recently voted "the worst organization in the league" by an anonymous players' poll.

Toronto Raptors: Trending Upward

It's been well-documented that Masai Ujiri, the Toronto Raptors GM, has been fairly tank-averse during his tenure. Since the Raptors' championship in 2019, the team has undergone a complete makeover. Other than Scottie Barnes, selected fourth overall in 2021, the majority of the key players on their roster have been acquired via trade. 

Whether we're talking about a player like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley or the more recently acquired — and still yet to make his Raptors debut— Brandon Ingram, Toronto has actually managed to muster a fairly healthy collection of young-ish talent. And Toronto has managed to do all this without completely bottoming out. 

Additionally, after finishing with the seventh-worst record in the NBA, the Raptors have a 7.5 percent chance of landing the top overall pick. It is more than likely that the Raptors’ pick falls within the top 10 of the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Whoever that player winds up being should be enough, in combination with the solid foundation the Raptors already have going, to help them make a solid push to return to the playoffs next season. 

Sacramento Kings: Trending Downward

The Sacramento Kings have long been regarded as an organization prone to poor decision-making. And while, as recently as two years ago, they appeared to be a team on the rise, securing the West’s third seed, things have once again regressed to the mean. 

After a disappointing and confusing 2024-25 season that included them firing their head coach in Mike Brown, trading away their best player in De’Aaron Fox and questionably trading for players like Zach LaVine and Jonas Valanciunas, the Kings find themselves outside the playoff picture.

Without a guaranteed lottery pick (their pick is more than likely to be conveyed to the Atlanta Hawks), the Kings enter the offseason with more questions than answers. And with growing uncertainty regarding Domantas Sabonis’ future with the Kings, a full-scale rebuild is becoming more and more inevitable in Sacramento.