Lakers draft Bronny James to form NBA’s first father-son duo
USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the historic move by the Los Angeles Lakers, drafting Bronny James to form the leagues first father-son duo.
The Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals less than two weeks ago, but the chase to win the next NBA title already has begun.
Every team hoped it added the right piece to its roster during the 2024 NBA draft, where 58 players were introduced into the league. The first four picks went to the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs; could these lottery picks lead to instant success? Or will it take some time before the new crop of players make an impact?
Besides the draft, the New York Knicks made a big splash with the acquisition of Mikal Bridges, hoping to solidify their status as an Eastern Conference powerhouse. New York is just one of the 28 other teams hoping to prevent the Celtics from becoming the first repeat champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18.
Here is where every team ranks after the 2024 draft and days before the free agency window opens June 30:
Alex Sarr has the potential to be the best player to come from this draft, but it won’t get the Wizards anywhere out of the cellar.
Detroit has its fair share of problems. Maybe Ron Holland can pair well with Cade Cunnigham.
Time to start from scratch after Brooklyn had no picks in the draft and got rid of Mikal Bridges.
With Donovan Clingan on the team, what does Portland do about Deandre Ayton?
Charlotte still has work to do after the draft, but adding Reggie Jackson should give the Hornets a slight boost.
Scottie Barnes is officially the centerpiece, but there isn’t much beyond that.
Utah had one of the best drafts with Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski to get the Jazz moving in the right direction.
Zach LaVine is pretty much all by himself in Chicago. Do the Bulls try to restart by trading him?
Stephon Castle is exactly the type of player San Antonio needed to pair with Victor Wembanyama and take another step toward success.
The decision between Trae Young or Dejounte Murray still looms, but getting No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher should help.
Bam Adebayo is signing a long-term deal, but with Jimmy Butler’s future uncertain, this season might be the last chance to win a title.
Houston just missed out on the playoffs but it has all the reasons to be in next season, especially with No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard.
Are Klay Thompson’s days in Golden State over? An aging team could use some fresh faces.
Devin Carter gives Sacramento another piece to what is already a deep backcourt.
Last season’s disaster shouldn’t be repeated, and Zach Edey adds some intrigue to a team that was once a top seed in the West.
When healthy, Philadelphia is a strong team in the East. The 76ers could use a big-time free agency signing.
With Pascal Siakam staying in Indiana, the Pacers have the chance to be a contender for years to come.
Paolo Banchero emerged as the star of Orlando, and drafting Tristan da Silva will hopefully give more offensive power.
New coach Kenny Atkinson would love to see Donovan Mitchell sign an extension rather than look for the star player to build around.
It was going to take time for Doc Rivers to mesh with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now Milwaukee needs to continue to build around them.
How will the J.J. Redick experiment work? Plus, all eyes will be on whether Bronny James gets playing time with his dad.
Last season was a disaster in Phoenix. New coach Mike Budenholzer has the tools to get this loaded team back on track.
Los Angeles needs to ensure Paul George and James Harden are still on the roster when its new arena opens in August.
Locking down Brandon Ingram would be a wise decision for a team trying to reach the upper echelon of the West.
Getting Mikal Bridges will help New York challenge Boston in the East.
This young squad hasn’t even reached its full potential yet after capturing a No. 1 seed, and the addition of Alex Caruso will be huge.
Denver is nearing an extension with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic is still the best player in the league.
Now that Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns have tasted what a playoff run is like, they should come back stronger, especially with the addition of Rob Dillingham.
With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving still leading, Dallas has a solid chance to return to the Finals and avenge its loss to Boston.
Still at the mountaintop of the NBA and will remain the favorite to repeat with the title team mostly intact.
