NBA Roundtable: Early 2024-25 power rankings

With the major free agency moves already in the books, Noah Rubin, Zak Hanshew and Raphielle Johnson got together to weigh in on the early 2024-25 NBA power rankings.

Post Free Agency Power Rankings

The team was aligned at the top, as the Celtics and Thunder (the No. 1 seeds in 2023-24) finish atop our early power rankings. The new-look Knicks come in just behind the Wolves, while the reigning Western Conference champions Mavs round out the top-5.

Once considered the next dynasty after their 2022-23 championship run, the Nuggets are now outside the top-5 thanks to another brutal offseason in which Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was lost. Philly comes in at No. 6 thanks to the Big 3 of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, and the Milwaukee Bucks come in at No. 8 after standing pat in free agency.

The team agreed on Boston, OKC, Cleveland, Utah and the Lakers, but opinions varied on the Pacers and Kings. Indiana made an improbable run to the Eastern Conference Finals, but can the team find sustained success without an eventful free agency period? Sacramento made a spashy trade for DeMar DeRozan, but will it move the needle in a competitive Western Conference?

Q: Which five teams were the biggest risers in free agency?

1. Knicks. Losing Isaiah Hartenstein isn’t ideal, but adding Mikal Bridges gives them one of the best perimeter defenses in the league.

2. 76ers. Replacing Tobias Harris with Paul George is a massive upgrade and gives them a talented trio on which to build this team.

3. Kings. It may not be the best “fit”, but DeMar DeRozan makes this team a lot more talented, especially since he is replacing Harrison Barnes.

4. Warriors. Losing Klay Thompson isn’t ideal, but adding Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson will help make up for it.

5. Mavericks. If Klay is able to play better than he did last season, Dallas should have a good chance of returning to the NBA Finals. -Rubin

1. Knicks. The Villanova band added another rockstar in Mikal Bridges, and re-signing OG Anunoby gives the Knicks one of the best starting fives in the NBA.

2. 76ers. Who doesn’t love a good Big 3? PG should be the third option behind Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, making this a lethal trio. Andre Drummond is a sneaky-good addition who will provide quality backup depth behind Embiid, which the team sorely missed a season ago.

3. Kings. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis get an excellent teammate in DeMar DeRozan, who’s an instant upgrade to Harrison Barnes.

4. Thunder. Oklahoma City got crushed on the boards last season, so the team addressed that concern by signing Isaiah Hartenstein. Trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso was another savvy move to upgrade the perimeter defense and eliminate some redundancy in the backcourt.

5. Magic. Orlando’s defense was one of the best in the league last season, and the team improved even more by adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. KCP also provides some much-needed three-point shooting for the worst long-range team in the Association. -Hanshew

1. Mavericks. The Western Conference champions lost a little defensive versatility with Derrick Jones Jr. moving on, but the additions of Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall will help matter. Another reason for this pick: Luka Doncic will have a full offseason to get healthy after Slovenia failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Don’t be surprised if he wins his first NBA MVP award.

2. Pacers. I’m not sure people are giving the Pacers enough respect after their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. The only player exit of note was Jalen Smith, whose minutes can easily be absorbed by the bigs currently on the Pacers roster. Re-signing Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin keeps the numbers where they need to be rotation-wise, and they’ll have a healthy Bennedict Mathurin as well.

3. Grizzlies. Given the many injuries the Grizzlies had to endure last season, this is an easy choice. Having a healthy Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart on the perimeter will do wonders for this team. Also, adding Zach Edey to the frontcourt rotation will help Jaren Jackson Jr., who’s at his best defensively when allowed to essentially function as a “free safety” on the back line.

4. Rockets. The Rockets made significant strides in Ime Udoka’s first season as head coach, improving their win total by 19 games. Of course, adding veterans such as Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks and draft pick Amen Thompson also helped matters. This season, the additions of Steven Adams and lottery pick Reed Sheppard will help the Rockets continue to move in the right direction, and having a healthy Tari Eason will also be impactful.

5. Spurs. We expected Victor Wembanyama to be good as a rookie, but he managed to be even better than advertised. With a season of NBA experience under his belt, I expect Wemby to be even better. What will also help are the additions to the roster, with the Spurs signing Chris Paul and acquiring Harrison Barnes to become more experienced. Also, lottery pick Stephon Castle has immense potential and is good enough to make an impact as a rookie. -Johnson

Q: Which five teams were the biggest fallers in free agency?

1. Nets. They’re building towards the future, and they got a lot of draft capital back for Mikal Bridges. Will Cooper Flagg be a Net?

2. Clippers. Losing Paul George for nothing is suboptimal, and they haven’t made many moves to replace his production.

3. Bulls. They didn’t get much back at all for DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. They still have moves to make, but this roster is weaker than last year.

4. Nuggets. They let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope go to the…