Nightmare Scenarios for All 30 NBA Teams

Few things give NBA fans a bigger shot of optimism than the start of a new season.

All 30 teams come into the new year with clean slates, even records, and (theoretically) the same shot at winning the NBA title - though our latest NBA odds greatly disagree with the latter point.

Alas, few teams are fortunate enough to make it through the season without key injuries, cold streaks, or other unfathomable developments that hamper their title runs. And while this particular list of doom predictions is sure to cause more than a few fans to shudder, the reality is that every team faces multiple challenges to a successful season.

Here's a look at the worst-case scenarios for all 30 NBA teams:

Atlanta Hawks

Dejounte Murray leads the Pelicans to a title

It’s hard to envision a more disastrous scenario for Hawks fans after the Murray-Trae Young backcourt experiment failed to yield any significant returns in two seasons.

Atlanta (+35000) appears trapped in Association purgatory for at least another year, while Murray and the Pelicans could be title contenders. Maybe the grass is greener after all.

Boston Celtics

The green-eyed monster rears its ugly head

Fenway Park’s left field wall has been in the Boston zeitgeist as the “Green Monster” for decades. But it's the reigning champion Celtics (+320) who will need to avoid being plagued by their own green monster (the one signifying jealousy, if you weren't sure.)

Jaylen Brown won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and the NBA Finals MVP over superstar Jayson Tatum, and while Tatum finally won his elusive first championship, perhaps he doesn’t enjoy playing second fiddle to his longtime running mate. 

Brooklyn Nets

Cam Thomas goes to Joe Tsai to request a trade

Things haven’t been great in Brooklyn for a very, very long time.

The early 2000s were a boon to the franchise, but the 2010s opened with a spectacular failure as the team brought in Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams while sacrificing too much salary and multiple draft picks. History repeats itself in this borough, as the Nets (+100000) tried unsuccessfully to form another superteam with James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant.

Thomas broke out last season, and he’ll look to take the next step as Brooklyn’s offensive leader. Will he follow in the footsteps of the giants who came before him and seek to take his talents to greener pastures? 

Charlotte Hornets

Spectrum Center continues to offer courtside seats to fans

LaMelo Ball has missed 106 games over the last two seasons due to lingering ankle issues. One such injury occurred when he stepped on a fan’s foot in just his third game of 2022-23.

Ball has been absolutely tremendous when on the court, and Charlotte (+100000) can ill-afford another long layoff. Nosebleeds only, Hornets management! Do it for the franchise. 

Chicago Bulls

Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic finish the season in Chicago

How long will Chicago (+100000) languish in its current state?

The DeMar DeRozan-LaVine-Vucevic triumvirate was a resounding flop, and the only winner to emerge from the deal that united them was the Orlando Magic, who are sitting pretty with Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner (drafted using one of the first-rounders Chicago sent in the deal for Vooch.)

DeRozan is now in Sacramento, and the Bulls need to tear this thing down and build from scratch around Josh Giddey, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and rookie Matas Buzelis. LaVine and Vucevic remaining on the roster any longer is simply delaying the inevitable. 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland gets bitten by the injury bug again

Darius Garland appeared in just 57 games last season. Evan Mobley logged 50 games. Donovan Mitchell played in 55.

The Cavaliers (+4000) still won 48 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, but that level of success with so many key injuries meant that there was a lot of meat left on the bone in 2023-24. If this team can remain healthy, the ceiling is sky-high.

Mitchell signed a three-year, $150.3 million extension in the offseason, showing his commitment to building a championship contender in Cleveland alongside Mobley, Garland, Max Strus, and Jarrett Allen, among others.  

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas finishes lower than the No. 2 seed

Finishing as a top-two team is no small task in any conference and in any season, but this Dallas team is far too talented not to get there.

The Mavericks (+1100) added Klay Thompson and brought back Spencer Dinwiddie to play alongside four of last season’s starters who went to the Finals. The Western Conference is sure to be a gauntlet yet again, but the Mavs need to quit underachieving in the regular season and secure a top playoff seed. 

Denver Nuggets

Russell Westbrook blows up the team chemistry

It’s no secret that things didn’t go swimmingly for either Los Angeles basketball club with Russ on the roster.

How will he fare with the 2023 NBA champs? Denver (+1100) lost a key role player for the second straight offseason after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left for Orlando, while Russ was arguably the team's biggest acquisition. We’ll be watching the Nuggets closely to see how this move plays out. 

Detroit Pistons

Monty Williams returns to set lineups

Williams was let go after just one season, and his bizarre coaching was surely the biggest contributing factor.

Williams often played five bench players early while other teams had their starters in. His rotations were strange, and he completely misused talented rookie Ausar Thompson.

Detroit (+100000) revamped its roster in the offseason with notable additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr., among others. J.B. Bickerstaff is at the helm for the 2024-25 campaign, and Williams’ departure should be a positive move for the team. 

Golden State Warriors

Draymond Green keeps hitting people

Green kept up his antics last season, receiving a five-game suspension for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock and getting slapped with an indefinite ban for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

According to the NBA, the suspension took into account Green's “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.”

Golden State (+4500) is saddled with its thinnest depth chart in years, and the team doesn’t need another extended stretch with Green on the sidelines. 

Houston Rockets

Alperen Sengun doesn’t blossom

Sengun was one of just four centers to average five or more assists per game in 2023-24, and he finished fourth in assists per game and total assists.

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is one of the Association’s best passers, and Domantas Sabonis enjoyed the most productive season of his career as the NBA’s triple-double leader.

It’s time for Sengun to take the next step and join Jokic and Sabonis as nightly triple-double threats for the increasingly relevant Rockets (+8000). 

Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner sustains another injury

The Pacers (+5000) are 148-142 with Turner and 38-63 without him since the 2019-20 campaign.

Turner logged 77 games last season (the second-most of his career), but in four seasons prior, he averaged just over 53 games. Fresh off a trip to the final four and embroiled in an ultra-competitive Eastern Conference, Indiana will need Turner on the court as often as possible. 

Los Angeles Clippers

Kawhi Leonard returns from the Twilight Zone

Leonard has averaged just under 46 games since joining the Clippers (+10000) in 2019, and he missed the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign.

Last season he appeared in 68 games, which was his most since 2016-17.

Leonard has a long and sordid history of missing games, and if he returns from the Twilight Zone he was in last year when he was unbelievably available, the Clippers will be in trouble. With Paul George now playing in Philly, this Clippers roster is as thin as it has been in years.  

Los Angeles Lakers

Bronny James gets into an argument with a teammate’s wife

There’s nothing quite like a rookie with an attitude, and the Lakers (+4000) could be in trouble if the second-rounder out of USC pokes the bear – in this case, his dad.

James has a history of getting into "disputes" with LeBron James’ wife and his youngest two children, which could cause locker-room tensions if not dealt with properly.

Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant goes live on Instagram again

Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 campaign due to off-the-court conduct, fueled by an IG Live video in which he appeared to brandish a gun.

Memphis (+4000) found itself in a crippling 6-19 hole without him which it was not able to dig out of, as Morant’s absence was certainly felt.

He looked incredible in nine appearances before injuring his shoulder, and it’s clear the Grizzlies need him on the court if they hope to get back to the playoffs in 2024-25. 

Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler decides he needs a career change

Butler has widely been known as a coffee connoisseur and an aspiring barista.

Early in “The Starting Five” series, we found out that Butler is also a self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. at dominoes and plays the game daily.

If Butler decides to hang up his kicks and shift his focus to java or numbered game tiles - or gets injured like he has been throughout his Heat career - it would be a complete nightmare scenario for Miami (+5000). The Heat are 177-114 with Butler and just 50-50 without him since 2019-20. 

Milwaukee Bucks

Team chemistry collapses without Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Giannis’ older brother has been on the Bucks’ roster for the last five seasons, contributing 2.9 points and 2.2 boards across 9.7 minutes per game during Milwaukee's 2020-21 Finals run.

The Bucks (+1400) brought in Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Delon Wright in the offseason to address some key needs on defense and 3-point shooting, but it’s hard to gauge if they’ll be able to fill the void left by the elder Antetokounmpo.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Fortnitemares release is scary good

It’s no secret that Anthony Edwards is a gamer, and Fortnite is one of his favorites.

Fortnite’s annual October update dropped on Oct. 12 with the release of Fortnitemares, which includes scary skins and plenty of new quests.

Fortnitemares will be available through Nov. 2, and fans of the contending Wolves (+1000) should hope that Edwards doesn’t get too distracted by the new Jack and Sally outfit or completing Jigsaw’s Challenge.

New Orleans Pelicans

The new-look Pelicans don't make it out of the 1st round

The last time the Pelicans (+5000) advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs was 2017-18, and the team has only made the postseason twice since then.

The Pels were swept by the Thunder in last season’s opening round, and New Orleans will look for a little bit more in 2024-25 with new addition Murray and a reportedly in-shape Zion Williamson. (When have we heard that before?)

New York Knicks

Madison Square Garden doesn’t host a Finals game

New York’s decimated roster used all of its reserves of grit, will, and sheer determination to make it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

An injury to Jalen Brunson in that contest sealed the Knicks’ fate, but make no mistake, this team was tremendous.

The new-look Knicks (+750) now feature a starting five of Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns, with key role players like Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson offering a spark off the bench. This is one of the most talented starting lineups in the Association, and it’s championship or bust for the New York faithful this season. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder don’t make it to the Western Conference Finals

Oklahoma City (+650) advanced to the Western Conference semis last season with one of the youngest rosters in the Association.

The team will bring back its entire starting five with new additions Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, who were acquired for peanuts in the offseason.

The rich got richer, and there’s no reason why this Thunder team can’t make the WCF. 

Orlando Magic

Orlando doesn’t improve its record

Orlando (+4000) finished 47-35 last season, its best record since the 2010-11 campaign.

With emerging stars Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, a returning cast of role players and starters, and new addition Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, this team is in position to take the next step forward in 2024-25.

The only problem is that the Cavs, 76ers, Bucks, Heat and Pacers may be healthier than they were last season, and New York has completely upgraded its roster. Winning at least 48 games in 2024-25 will be a tall task. 

Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid plays more than 50 games

The Sixers (+1000) added Paul George and some key role players in the offseason to bolster this roster and take some of the pressure off Embiid in the regular season.

The big man and 2023 MVP has had all sorts of trouble staying healthy in the postseason, and Philly would be wise to limit him to 50 games max during the 2024-25 campaign. George and Tyrese Maxey should carry the load for the Sixers while Andre Drummond offers true big man skills and size to back up Embiid.

The Sixers should do everything in their power to make sure their superstar is as close to 100% as possible for the postseason. 

Phoenix Suns

Tyus Jones doesn’t play 30+ minutes per night

The departure of Chris Paul left Phoenix (+2000) without a true point guard for the 2023-24 season. Devin Booker filled in admirably in the role, averaging a career-high 6.9 assists per game, but he’s a score-first guard by nature.

The Suns brought in the Washington Wizards’ Tyus Jones in the offseason after a breakout campaign in the nation’s capital. Jones averaged 9.9 dimes, 1.0 steals, and just 1.2 turnovers across 31.1 minutes over the final 27 games of the 2023-24 season.

If Frank Vogel embraces Jones as the team’s starting PG and allows him to facilitate the offense, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Booker could flourish doing what they do best - scoring.

Portland Trail Blazers

Donovan Clingan isn’t the starting center by the All-Star break

Portland’s youth movement may turn into a formidable starting five in the next five years, but the team isn’t there yet.

The Blazers (+100000) have no aspirations of competing for a playoff spot in 2024-25, let alone contending for a title – so there’s no sense in keeping Robert Williams or Deandre Ayton on the roster for too long.

Portland needs to get Clingan into the starting center role as soon as possible and integrate him with Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Deni Avdija, and Anfernee Simons. Ayton and Williams need to be moved.

(Jerami Grant can be shipped off too, while we’re at it.)

Sacramento Kings

The Beam Team fails to make the playoffs again

Sacramento (+5500) ended a 17-year playoff drought with a 48-win season and postseason berth to conclude the 2022-23 campaign.

The Kings won two fewer games in 2023-24 and missed the playoffs in a loaded and supremely competitive Western Conference.

Sacramento will return its core from a season ago, and the starting lineup will get a boost thanks to the addition of DeMar DeRozan. This team is too talented to miss the playoffs for a second straight season.

Light the beam!

San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio doesn’t double its win total from last season

The Spurs (+15000) won just 22 games last season, but Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama looked phenomenal. If he continues to improve and stays healthy, Wemby could become an all-time great.

San Antonio will bring back most of its 2023-24 roster, but lottery pick Stephon Castle will get to learn from Point God Chris Paul, an excellent locker-room guy and veteran leader on the court.

Harrison Barnes offers some improved scoring and floor-spacing for a team that could reasonably get to 44 wins. 

Toronto Raptors

Toronto doesn’t get some help at center

The Raptors (+100000) haven’t had a truly talented big man on the roster since Marc Gasol helped Toronto win a chip in 2019.

Current starting center Jakob Poeltl is fine, and Kelly Olynyk offers some versatility as a passer and 3-point shooter, but neither guy is a superb talent at the position. Toronto’s new-look roster is loaded at guard with Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes is an up-and-coming point forward and defensive specialist.

The Raptors need frontcourt help if they want to get back to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. 

Utah Jazz

Patty Mills and Jordan Clarkson play significant minutes

The Jazz (+100000) sport one of the youngest rosters in the Association, and the team would be wise to give as much playing time as possible to its rookies and ascending talent.

The backcourt of Keyonte George and Collin Sexton should see the majority of the minutes for Utah at the guard spots, and the team’s deep frontcourt rotation is filled with youngsters who should get their fill of playing time.

The Jazz are in the midst of a complete rebuild, and this is no time to give big minutes to longtime vets. 

Washington Wizards

The Wizards win at least 35 games

Washington (+100000) should compete with Detroit for the worst record in the Association, as this team sports one of the worst rosters (on paper) in recent memory.

The Wizards spent years trapped in the dreaded no-man’s land of the NBA, getting bounced early in the playoffs or landing late lottery picks that didn’t pan out. If this year's group defies all expectations and wins a handful of games, it could find itself back in a familiar and undesirable position once again.

Washington could land generational talent Cooper Flagg if it can secure the No. 1 draft pick, so wins are counterintuitive. The Wizards should do all they can to "fumble the bag for Flagg" in 2024-25.