By Zach Kram | ESPN, 2025-07-08 19:00:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
尽管由于球星伤病潮，NBA 2025-26赛季东部联盟的竞争格局显得扑朔迷离，但西部联盟的情况则呈现出截然不同的基调。在那里，众多充满希望的竞争者们必须努力追赶卫冕冠军俄克拉荷马城雷霆队，他们上赛季以创纪录的16场胜差优势赢得西部冠军，并且拥有一套可持续发展、旨在卫冕的阵容。
但哪些竞争对手最有机会赶超雷霆？哪些经验丰富的球队希望能保持足够的活力，再进行一次深度季后赛之旅？又有哪些年轻球队可能会在积分榜上迅速崛起？
为了对2025-26赛季西部联盟的初期格局进行全面审视和分析，我们将全部15支球队划分成了五个层级。明天，我们将对东部联盟进行类似的分析，但现在，让我们聚焦西部，从那个有着巨大机会创造历史的明显热门球队开始。
第一梯队：无可争议的夺冠热门
俄克拉荷马城雷霆
除了阵容中新增2024年首轮新秀尼古拉·托皮奇（Nikola Topic）外，雷霆队没有通过交易或自由球员市场引进任何新球员——但他们为何需要呢？这支卫冕冠军已经拥有联盟中最深厚的轮换阵容。而且可以预见的是，他们在2025-26赛季只会变得更好，因为31岁的亚历克斯·卡鲁索（Alex Caruso）和30岁的肯里奇·威廉姆斯（Kenrich Williams）是队中仅有的超过27岁的球员，而切特·霍姆格伦（Chet Holmgren）上赛季因伤只打了32场比赛。
比起常规赛68胜、创造NBA历史最佳净胜分后夺冠的表现更出色？是的，这不仅可能，而且很现实。在他们试图成为杜兰特时代勇士队之后首支卫冕的球队（这将打破NBA史上最长的无卫冕冠军纪录）的过程中，雷霆队独一档，无可匹敌。
第二梯队：剑指卫冕冠军
休斯顿火箭
火箭队在2024-25赛季更像是一只“纸老虎”：他们通过不懈的常规赛努力赢得了西部第二的种子席位，但在季后赛中，他们缺乏必要的球星实力来造成威胁，最终导致在首轮被金州勇士队淘汰。但在此次交易得到凯文·杜兰特（Kevin Durant）并签下多里安·芬尼-史密斯（Dorian Finney-Smith）之后，随着阿门·汤普森（Amen Thompson）、塔里·伊森（Tari Eason）和里德·谢泼德（Reed Sheppard）将承担更重要的角色，火箭队现在拥有了一支完整的球队，具备了威胁雷霆队所需的深度和球星实力。
休斯顿的顶级天赋仍不如雷霆队，但他们也几乎没有明显的弱点。如果火箭队再次锁定西部第二的种子席位，并且在季后赛中看起来更有准备，请不要感到惊讶。这只“老虎”看来是真的。
丹佛掘金
掘金队的大体结构多年来保持不变：尼古拉·约基奇（Nikola Jokic）领衔，贾马尔·穆雷（Jamal Murray）和阿隆·戈登（Aaron Gordon）提供支持。但丹佛最近也发生了许多变化：球队迎来了新教练、新管理层以及更具竞争力的替补阵容，因为丹佛引进了布鲁斯·布朗（Bruce Brown）、小蒂姆·哈达威（Tim Hardaway Jr.），以及——如果他不去欧洲的话——约纳斯·瓦兰丘纳斯（Jonas Valanciunas）。卡梅隆·约翰逊（Cameron Johnson）也在休赛期转投球队后，取代小迈克尔·波特（Michael Porter Jr.）成为首发阵容中的稳定射手。
如果不是卢根茨·多尔特（Luguentz Dort）出人意料的三分雨，掘金队很有可能在今年春天的第二轮系列赛中爆冷击败雷霆。此后，他们已为下赛季的另一次机会重新武装。
明尼苏达森林狼
安东尼·爱德华兹（Anthony Edwards）的持续进步将是决定明尼苏达能否连续第三个赛季重返分区决赛的关键因素，理想情况下，他们希望能在此次季后赛中更进一步，晋级总决赛。但森林狼的后卫表现，除了爱德华兹之外，也同样重要。随着尼凯尔·亚历山大-沃克（Nickeil Alexander-Walker）转投亚特兰大，明尼苏达后场轮换的其余部分包括：赛季开始前将满38岁的迈克·康利（Mike Conley）；状态不稳的多特·迪文琴佐（Donte DiVincenzo）；以及升二年级生罗布·迪林汉姆（Rob Dillingham）和小特伦斯·香农（Terrence Shannon Jr.）。这两人在他们的新秀赛季合计出战81场比赛，场均仅得到8.8分。
这里既有希望，也有潜在的危险。森林狼队在休赛期通过续约朱利叶斯·兰德尔（Julius Randle）和纳兹·里德（Naz Reid）来试图保持实力，但很难说他们有所 提升。与此同时，这个梯队中的其他球队在追赶雷霆的征程中进行了无可挑剔的升级，并可能在此过程中超越了明尼苏达。
第三梯队：老牌劲旅
洛杉矶快船
快船队在本榜单中理应排名更高一级。科怀·伦纳德（Kawhi Leonard）上赛季的首场比赛是1月4日，自那以后，快船队以+7.2的净胜分位居西部第二。他们在首轮七场系列赛的失利中甚至比掘金队得分更高，但两场两分惜败，以及抢七大战的低迷表现，葬送了这支潜在的竞争者。
对快船队来说，好消息是布鲁克·洛佩兹（Brook Lopez）从密尔沃基加盟，他是一个被低估的补充，解决了伊维察·祖巴茨（Ivica Zubac）身后的替补中锋问题，而且2024-25赛季的每位关键球员都将在2025-26赛季回归，除了诺曼·鲍威尔（Norman Powell），洛杉矶在周一用他交易得到了约翰·科林斯（John Collins）。坏消息是伦纳德和詹姆斯·哈登（James Harden），加上角色球员洛佩兹、尼古拉斯·巴图姆（Nicolas Batum）、克里斯·邓恩（Kris Dunn）和博格丹·博格丹诺维奇（Bogdan Bogdanovic），都已步入30多岁，因此人们有理由怀疑快船队是否在上赛季错失了机会。
洛杉矶湖人
任何拥有卢卡·东契奇（Luka Doncic）或勒布朗·詹姆斯（LeBron James），更不用说两者兼具的球队，都自动成为总冠军竞争者。但湖人队是否有足够强大的辅助阵容来争夺总冠军？这里有一些重大且具有挑战性的问题：东契奇、詹姆斯和奥斯汀·里夫斯（Austin Reaves）的阵容能否在防守端站稳脚跟？刚被买断的新任首发中锋德安德烈·艾顿（Deandre Ayton）能否打得更有侵略性，扭转他多年来的下滑趋势？杰克·拉拉维亚（Jake LaRavia）能否取代芬尼-史密斯？这套阵容是否有足够的投射能力？
预计湖人队的“大戏”还将继续，直到他们能够明确回答这些问题。
金州勇士
勇士队这个休赛期异常沉寂，他们正处于一种“停滞”状态，等待自由球员阿尔·霍福德（Al Horford）做出决定，同时乔纳森·库明加（Jonathan Kuminga）的受限制自由球员身份问题也待解决。目前，他们与上赛季结束时的位置相似：一支非常优秀的球队，尤其是在吉米·巴特勒三世（Jimmy Butler III）加入后，但并非一支具有统治力的球队。根据休赛期接下来的发展，他们可能会跃升一个梯队——请记住，如果斯蒂芬·库里（Stephen Curry）在第二轮第一场比赛中没有受伤，他们上赛季可能已经进入了分区决赛——但他们目前尚未采取任何行动来确保获得更好的排名。
达拉斯独行侠
库珀·弗拉格（Cooper Flagg）不属于“老将主导”的范畴，这位18岁的状元秀是独行侠最令人兴奋的理由。但一支由安东尼·戴维斯（Anthony Davis）和凯里·欧文（Kyrie Irving）（一旦他从前交叉韧带撕裂中回归）领衔，后场由克莱·汤普森（Klay Thompson）和丹吉洛·拉塞尔（D’Angelo Russell）首发的球队，仍然符合“老牌劲旅”的称号。
关于独行侠更大的问题是，他们是否有足够的组织进攻能力——弗拉格能否作为新秀承担组织前锋的职责，状态不稳的拉塞尔能否找到手感，最重要的是，欧文能否完全恢复健康，还是需要再花一年时间才能找回状态。
第四梯队：年轻而渴望成功
孟菲斯灰熊
交易德斯蒙德·贝恩（Desmond Bane）的结果表明，这更像是一次性调整，而非全面重建的开始。孟菲斯在这笔令人意外的交易后，签下了泰·杰罗姆（Ty Jerome），向上交易选秀权选中了塞德里克·考沃德（Cedric Coward）（贝恩的潜在替代者），并续约了小贾伦·杰克逊（Jaren Jackson Jr.）和桑蒂·阿尔达马（Santi Aldama）。这套阵容仍然拥有深厚的深度和天赋。
但没有了贝恩，这些天赋目前主要集中在控球后卫和中锋位置。为了避免退步，灰熊队需要考沃德在新秀赛季表现出色，或者杰伦·威尔斯（Jaylen Wells）在第二个赛季实现巨大飞跃，或者肯塔维厄斯·考德威尔-波普（Kentavious Caldwell-Pope）在奥兰多度过一个低迷赛季后反弹。
圣安东尼奥马刺
迪阿隆·福克斯（De’Aaron Fox）和维克托·文班亚马（Victor Wembanyama）上赛季仅共同出场五场比赛，这发生在福克斯被交易到圣安东尼奥之后，以及文班亚马被诊断出深静脉血栓并提前结束了他出色的二年级赛季之前。再再加上榜眼秀迪伦·哈珀（Dylan Harper）和卫冕年度最佳新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（Stephon Castle），很明显马刺队前方仍有大量的自我探索空间。
因此，这很可能将是圣安东尼奥的一个过渡赛季，他们将开始摸索球队的身份定位以及球员们如何相互配合。在获得榜眼签后，马刺队明显没有追求诸如交易得到杜兰特之类的“当下取胜”操作。但由于文班的存在，他们在2025-26赛季也有更快的崛起潜力，他有望赢得年度最佳防守球员并入选最佳阵容。
波特兰开拓者
上赛季，开拓者队在赛程上半段取得了13胜28负的战绩，然后在下半段打出了23胜18负，因为侧翼球员丹尼·阿夫迪亚（Deni Avdija）和图马尼·卡马拉（Toumani Camara）崭露头角，成为攻防兼备的贡献者。而通过用安芬尼·西蒙斯（Anfernee Simons）交换朱·霍勒迪（Jrue Holiday），并将多诺万·克林根（Donovan Clingan）提拔为首发——这一举动包括买断了艾顿——波特兰队在今年夏天确立并加强了他们的防守身份。
尚不清楚缺少西蒙斯的开拓者队是否有足够的进攻火力来跻身附加赛区，他们将指望斯科特·亨德森（Scoot Henderson）和谢登·夏普（Shaedon Sharpe）在后场展现出更大的成长。但对于这支拥有西部第二长季后赛荒——仅次于马刺队——的球队来说，波特兰的情况正在好转。
第五梯队：前景迷茫
萨克拉门托国王
据Cleaning the Glass统计，上赛季当多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯（Domantas Sabonis）、德玛尔·德罗赞（DeMar DeRozan）和扎克·拉文（Zach LaVine）同时在场时，国王队在1121个回合中取得了117.4的进攻效率。这是一个不错的成绩，位居全联盟所有阵容的第72百分位。但在相同的回合中，国王队的防守效率高达120.9，这在联盟中仅排在第11百分位。国王队拥有球星，而且他们通常很有观赏性——但他们没有一条现实可行的道路来持续赢球。他们或许能在东部联盟争夺一个前六的种子席位，但在西部他们还不够好。
菲尼克斯太阳
“计划何在？”这个问题问太阳队已经有一段时间了，而这个休赛期也没有提供任何有意义的答案。太阳队在交易杜兰特时没有获得丰厚回报，同时在选秀夜又增加了两名中锋，而在他们预计的轮换阵容中仍然缺少任何天生的控球后卫或大前锋。德文·布克（Devin Booker）和杰伦·格林（Jalen Green）作为首发后场可能会非常不协调。
预计在老板马特·伊什比亚（Mat Ishbia）的带领下，太阳队将继续牺牲未来，试图竞争当下。但不要指望太多实际的胜利。
新奥尔良鹈鹕
考虑到鹈鹕队在休赛期运作中表现出的侵略性，最引人注目的是交易了一个2026年无保护首轮选秀权，以在2025年选秀中向上提升10个顺位，人们可能会认为他们会把自己放在不同的层级。而且确实存在一些希望——主要是如果锡安·威廉姆森（Zion Williamson）、特雷·墨菲三世（Trey Murphy III）和赫伯特·琼斯（Herbert Jones）上赛季合计只出战了103场比赛后，鹈鹕队能享受更健康的赛季。
但随着CJ·麦科勒姆（CJ McCollum）和布兰登·英格拉姆（Brandon Ingram）的离开，以及德章泰·默里（Dejounte Murray）因跟腱撕裂缺阵，新奥尔良也充满了变数，没有明确的长期建队计划来打造一支赢球的阵容。即使在短期内，鹈鹕队上赛季在他们偶尔健康的时刻也并非所向披靡，当威廉姆森出场时，他们的战绩是10胜20负，而当威廉姆森和墨菲同时在场时，他们的净胜分是-4.3。
犹他爵士
一方面，劳里·马尔卡宁（Lauri Markkanen）仍在犹他。球队希望引进优素福·努尔基奇（Jusuf Nurkic）。而新任篮球运营总裁奥斯汀·安吉（Austin Ainge）在他的就职新闻发布会上被问及摆烂时表示：“今年你们不会看到那种情况。”
然而另一方面，犹他队今年夏天几乎没有获得任何回报就送走了约翰·科林斯、乔丹·克拉克森（Jordan Clarkson）和科林·塞克斯顿（Collin Sexton）；选秀选中了一位18岁的“潜力股”埃斯·贝利（Ace Bailey）；并且预计将派上联盟最年轻的后场组合。考虑到爵士队自身的不足以及西部其他球队的整体实力，他们即使努力不摆烂，本赛季仍然可能输掉60多场比赛。
点击查看原文：NBA free agency 2025: New West tiers after flurry of moves
NBA free agency 2025: New West tiers after flurry of moves
Although the NBA’s 2025-26 Eastern Conference race looks wide open due to a rash of star injuries, the West picture takes on a different tone. There, a mass of hopeful contenders must chase down the champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the West by a record 16 games last season and have a sustainable roster built to repeat.
But which rivals have the best chance to catch Oklahoma City? Which veteran-laden teams hope to stay sufficiently spry for another deep playoff run? And which young teams might rise rapidly up the standings?
To take a broad overview and analyze the initial state of the 2025-26 Western Conference field, we’ve sorted all 15 teams into five tiers. Tomorrow, we’ll go through a similar exercise with the East, but for now, let’s stay out West, starting with the obvious favorite with a great chance at making history.
Tier 1: The clear-cut favorite
Oklahoma City Thunder
Outside of rostering 2024 first-round pick Nikola Topic, the Thunder haven’t added any new players via trade or free agency – but why would they need to? The defending champs already had the league’s deepest rotation. And they will presumably only get better in 2025-26, as 31-year-old Alex Caruso and 30-year-old Kenrich Williams are the only players older than 27, and Chet Holmgren played just 32 games last season because of injury.
Better than winning the title after a 68-win regular season and the best point differential in NBA history? Yes, it’s not only possible but realistic. As they attempt to become the first back-to-back champions since the Durant-era Warriors, which would snap a record-long streak without a repeat winner, the Thunder are in a class of their own.
Tier 2: Ready to deny a repeat champ
Houston Rockets
The Rockets were something of a paper tiger in 2024-25: They earned the No. 2 seed in the West with a tireless regular-season effort, but they didn’t have the star power necessary to do damage in the postseason, leading to a first-round exit against the Golden State Warriors. But after trading for Kevin Durant and signing Dorian Finney-Smith, with Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard set to take on bigger roles, the Rockets have a complete team with the requisite depth and star power to threaten the Thunder.
Houston still doesn’t have as much top-end talent as the champs, but it also doesn’t have any real weaknesses. Don’t be surprised if the Rockets land the No. 2 seed again but look more playoff-ready while doing so. This tiger looks real.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets’ general structure remains the same as it has for years: Nikola Jokic leads the way, with Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon providing support. But there have also been plenty of recent changes in Denver: There’s a new coach, a new front office and a newly competent bench, after Denver added Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and – if he doesn’t return to Europe instead – Jonas Valanciunas. Cameron Johnson also takes Michael Porter Jr.'s place as the knockdown shooter in the starting lineup after switching teams this offseason.
If not for an unexpected barrage of Luguentz Dort 3-pointers, the Nuggets very well could have upset the Thunder in the second round this spring. They’ve since reloaded for another chance next season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards’ continued ascent will be the main factor determining whether Minnesota can return to the conference finals for the third straight season, and ideally improve upon the past two trips by advancing to the Finals this time. But much also rests on the Timberwolves’ guard play beyond Edwards. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker gone to Atlanta, the rest of Minnesota’s backcourt rotation includes Mike Conley, who will celebrate his 38th birthday before the season begins; the streaky Donte DiVincenzo; and rising sophomores Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. The duo combined to average just 8.8 points in 81 games during their rookie seasons together.
There’s promise here but also potential peril. The Timberwolves tried to hold their ground in the offseason by re-signing Julius Randle and Naz Reid, but it’s hard to argue they improved. Meanwhile, the other teams in this tier made unimpeachable upgrades in their quest to catch the Thunder, and might have passed Minnesota in the process.
Tier 3: The old guard
LA Clippers
The Clippers should arguably place one tier higher in this ranking. Kawhi Leonard played his first game last season on Jan. 4, and from then on, the Clippers ranked second in the West with a plus-7.2 net rating. They even outscored Denver in a seven-game series loss in the first round, but two two-point losses, as well as a lackluster showing in Game 7, doomed the sleeper contender.
The good news for the Clippers is that Brook Lopez enters from Milwaukee as an underrated addition, solving the backup center problem behind Ivica Zubac, and every key player from the 2024-25 team will be back in 2025-26, except for Norman Powell, whom LA traded for John Collins on Monday. The bad news is that Leonard and James Harden, plus role players Lopez, Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic, are all in their 30s, so it’s fair to wonder whether the Clippers missed their chance last season.
Los Angeles Lakers
Any team with Luka Doncic or LeBron James, let alone both, is automatically a contender. But do the Lakers have a sufficiently strong supporting cast to contend? There are some big, challenging questions here: Can lineups with Doncic, James and Austin Reaves hold their own on the defensive end? Will new starting center Deandre Ayton, fresh off a buyout, play with more force and reverse his multiyear decline? Can Jake LaRavia replace Finney-Smith? Is there enough shooting on this roster?
Expect the Lakers’ drama to continue until they can firmly answer these questions.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have been remarkably inactive this offseason, and they’re in something of a holding pattern as they wait for free agent Al Horford to make a decision, while Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency resolves. For now, they’re in a similar position to how they ended last season: a very good team, especially with Jimmy Butler III in the fold, but not a dominant one. Depending on how the rest of the offseason unfolds, they could jump up a tier – remember, they might have made the conference finals last season if Stephen Curry hadn’t been injured in Game 1 of the second round – but they haven’t yet done anything to warrant that better placement.
Dallas Mavericks
Cooper Flagg doesn’t belong in the old guard, and the 18-year-old No. 1 pick represents the greatest reason to be excited about the Mavericks. But a team led by Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (once he returns from his torn ACL), with Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell starting in the backcourt, still qualifies for old guard designation.
The larger question about the Mavericks is whether they have enough playmaking – whether Flagg can handle point forward duties as a rookie, whether the streaky Russell will get hot and, most of all, whether Irving will return at full strength or require another year to get back up to speed.
Tier 4: Young and hungry
Memphis Grizzlies
Trading Desmond Bane turned out to be more of a one-off adjustment than the start of a full-blown rebuild. Memphis followed up that surprising deal by signing Ty Jerome, trading up to draft Cedric Coward (a potential Bane replacement) and extending both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama. There’s still a lot of depth and talent on this roster.
But without Bane, the best of that talent is now concentrated at point guard and center. To avoid taking a step back, the Grizzlies need either Coward to excel as a rookie, Jaylen Wells to take a big leap in his second season or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to bounce back after a down season in Orlando.
San Antonio Spurs
De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama shared the court for just five games last season, in the narrow gap between the former’s trade to San Antonio and the latter’s diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis, which ended Wembanyama’s standout second season prematurely. Add in No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and reigning Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle, and it’s clear the Spurs still have a great deal of self-discovery ahead.
In all likelihood, then, this will be a transition season for San Antonio as it starts to figure out its identity and how its players fit together. After landing the No. 2 pick, the Spurs notably didn’t chase win-now moves like a trade for Durant. But they also might have more potential for a rapid rise in 2025-26, thanks to Wemby, who’s favored to win Defensive Player of the Year and make an All-NBA team.
Portland Trail Blazers
Last season, the Trail Blazers went 13-28 in the first half of their schedule, then 23-18 in the second half, as wings Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara emerged as two-way contributors. And by swapping Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday and elevating Donovan Clingan to a starting role – a move that included buying out Ayton – Portland affirmed and strengthened its defensive identity this summer.
It’s unclear whether the Simons-less Blazers have enough offensive juice to rise into the play-in ranks, and they’ll be counting on Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to show more growth in the backcourt. But for the team with the West’s second-longest playoff drought – only the Spurs’ is longer – things are looking up in Portland.
Tier 5: What’s the plan?
Sacramento Kings
In 1,121 possessions with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine sharing the floor last season, the Kings had an offensive rating of 117.4, per Cleaning the Glass. That’s a solid mark, ranking in the 72nd percentile of all lineups leaguewide. But in those same possessions, the Kings had a 120.9 defensive rating, which ranked in the 11th percentile. The Kings have stars, and they’re often entertaining – but they don’t have a realistic path toward consistently winning games. Maybe they’d compete for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, but they’re not good enough in the West.
Phoenix Suns
“What’s the plan?” has been a fair question to ask Phoenix for a while now, and this offseason hasn’t offered any meaningful clarification. The Suns didn’t get a great return when trading Durant, while simultaneously adding two centers on draft night and still lacking any natural point guards or power forwards in their projected rotation. Devin Booker and Jalen Green could make for a very awkward fit as a starting backcourt.
Expect the Suns, led by owner Mat Ishbia, to keep sacrificing the future to try to compete in the present. But don’t expect too many actual wins.
New Orleans Pelicans
One suspects the Pelicans would place themselves in a different tier, given the aggression with which they approached their offseason moves, most notably trading an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up 10 spots in the 2025 draft. And there is some reason for hope – mainly, if the Pelicans can enjoy better health after Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones combined for just 103 games last season.
But with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram gone and Dejounte Murray out with a torn Achilles, there’s also a lot of flux in New Orleans, with no clear long-term plan to build a winning roster. Even in the short term, it’s not as if the Pelicans were world-beaters in their rare moments of health last season, as they finished 10-20 when Williamson played, with a minus-4.3 net rating when Williamson and Murphy shared the floor.
Utah Jazz
On the one hand, Lauri Markkanen is still in Utah. The team wanted to add Jusuf Nurkic. And new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said in his introductory news conference, when asked about tanking, “You won’t see that this year.”
Yet on the other hand, Utah shed John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton this summer for minimal return; drafted an 18-year-old project in Ace Bailey; and is projected to play the youngest backcourt in the league. The Jazz could try not to tank and still lose 60-plus games this season, given their own deficiencies and the broad strength across the rest of the West.
By Zach Kram | ESPN, via ESPN