NBA future power rankings

[FakeNews]

30. Charlotte Bobcats
29. Phoenix Suns
28. Sacramento Kings
27. Milwaukee Bucks
26. Toronto Raptors
25. New York Knicks
24. Philadelphia 76ers
23. Minnesota Timberwolves
22. Orlando Magic
21. Brooklyn Nets
20. Detroit Pistons
19. New Orleans Pelicans
18. Atlanta Hawks
17. Los Angeles Lakers
16. Washington Wizards
15. Boston Celtics
14. Portland Trailblazers
13. Dallas Mavericks
12. Los Angeles Clippers
11. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Utah Jazz
9. Denver Nuggets
8. Cleveland Cavaliers
7. Chicago Bulls
6. Indiana Pacers
5. Golden State Warriors
4. San Antonio Spurs
3. Houston Rockets
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
1. Miami Heat

NBA - National Basketball Association Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Standings, Rumors - ESPN
Its out of order but got it from another forum
26-30

Spoiler

The Future Power Rankings are ESPN Insider's projection of the on-court success expected for each team in the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

HOW FUTURE POWER RATING IS DETERMINED
PLAYERS (0 to 600 points): Current players and their potential for the future, factoring in expected departures
MANAGEMENT (0 to 200 points): Quality and stability of front office, ownership, coaching
MONEY (0 to 200 points): Projected salary-cap situation; ability and willingness to exceed cap and pay luxury tax
MARKET (0 to 100 points): Appeal to future acquisitions based on team quality, franchise reputation, city's desirability as a destination, market size, taxes, business and entertainment opportunities, arena quality, fans
DRAFT (0 to 100 points): Future draft picks; draft positioning
CATEGORY RANKINGS: See how each team ranked in each category
Consider this a convenient way to see the direction in which your favorite team is headed.

Each of the NBA's 30 teams received an overall Future Power Rating of 0 to 1,200, based on how well we expect each team to perform in the three seasons after this season.

To determine the Future Power Rating, we rated each team in five categories (see table at right).

As you can see, we determined that the most important category is a team's current roster and the future potential of those players -- that category accounts for 50 percent of each team's overall Future Power Rating.

At the same time, we looked at many other factors, such as management, ownership, coaching, a team's spending habits, its cap situation, the reputation of the city and the franchise and what kind of draft picks we expect the team to have in the future.

To rank the 30 teams, we asked ESPN Insider analysts Chad Ford, Amin Elhassan, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton to rate each team in each category. We also asked our ESPN Forecast panel to rate each team in the Players, Management and Market categories.

Here are our latest rankings:

Future Power Rankings: 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30

26. Toronto Raptors | Future Power Rating: 469
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
232 (22nd) 82 (20th) 84 (22nd) 37 (22nd) 34 (25th)

The Raptors have seen better days. Toronto slid in our rankings this year after a season whose tumult was illustrated by then general manager Bryan Colangelo desperately putting his former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani on the trading block during a live local TV broadcast.

Bargnani was never traded, but the Raptors did absorb Rudy Gay and his swollen contract ahead of the deadline. In Toronto, Gay shot 42.5 percent from the floor, doing little to shed his label as an overpaid volume shooter. Gay is set to earn $37 million over the next two seasons.

The Raptors sputtered to a 34-54 record and a last-place finish in the Atlantic Division behind coach Dwane Casey. Colangelo has since been removed from basketball operations. The good news is that 2012-13 Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri of the Denver Nuggets might be taking over the reins in Toronto soon, but the deal has not been finalized at the time of this writing.

Aside from Gay, the Raptors have promising young talent in Jonas Valanciunas, DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson, Terrence Ross and Kyle Lowry. Whoever takes control of the organization would be wise to invest in developing Valanciunas, who showed flashes of dominance while sometimes looking like a mere pup. But at 21, he has the potential to become another Marc Gasol.

The Raptors rank in the bottom 10 in every category across the board. To change that, a star must emerge for Toronto. But they probably won't find him in the 2013 draft -- the Oklahoma City Thunder will be picking in Toronto's place at the 12th slot.

-- Tom Haberstroh
(Previous rank: T-23)

27. Milwaukee Bucks | Future Power Rating: 392
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
167 (26th) 52 (27th) 102 (13th) 15 (30th) 56 (12th)

The Miami Heat swept the Bucks into an uncertain summer and complete disarray. With players feuding, interim head coach Jim Boylan was dismissed (after replacing Scott Skiles), leaving Milwaukee GM John Hammond to find a replacement on the sidelines before turning his attention to free agency.

First, the good news. The Bucks boast one of the league's deepest frontcourts. Center Larry Sanders emerged as a premier rim protector during a breakout third season, and an extension could keep him next to stretch-4 Ersan Ilyasova for years to come. Milwaukee also has a variety of intriguing projects up front, including John Henson and Ekpe Udoh.

Now the question is who throws them the ball. The Bucks' three rotation guards -- starters Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis (player option) and sixth man J.J. Redikk -- can all become free agents. Jennings and Redikk were frustrated by the way the season ended, and Redikk's leaving as an unrestricted free agent would turn the deadline trade for him from dubious to disastrous.

The flip side of those free agents is that Milwaukee could get more than $25 million under the salary cap by renouncing its free agents and using amnesty on Drew Gooden. Unfortunately, attracting free agents to the market rated 30th and last by our panel will be challenging.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 25)

28. Sacramento Kings | Future Power Rating: 383
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
157 (27th) 47 (28th) 99 (16th) 22 (27th) 58 (10th)

With the recent sale of the franchise to Vivek Ranadive, expect the Kings to be one of the biggest gainers on the next version of this list. Ranadive has already informed GM Geoff Petrie that he will not be retained, and the search for a new GM (and head coach) has already commenced. Whoever takes the job will find a roster long on potential but short on chemistry and efficiency.

The Kings are littered with incongruent pieces: too many shooters and not enough shooting, and big-money contracts not paid to their best players. The two biggest decisions will be whether to re-sign restricted free agent Tyreke Evans and whether to offer an extension to DeMarcus Cousins. Each player has star power but significant flaws, and they don't fit well together, so these decisions will shape the direction of the organization.

After years of turning a great franchise into a lousy one, the Kings land near the bottom of our Market rankings, so the new management will have to improve the roster by making smart trades and capitalizing on draft picks. The Kings owe one protected first-round pick and several second-round draft picks over the next few years, but most of them are heavily protected, so there should be ample opportunity to improve the team via the draft.

The good news is that, for the first time in a long time, Sacramento has ownership that is likely willing to spend money on everything from talent evaluators to coaching to players, and that alone might be enough to lift them from the league's basement.

-- Amin Elhassan
(Previous rank: 27)

29. Phoenix Suns | Future Power Rating: 338
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
84 (30th) 43 (29th) 73 (25th) 58 (11th) 79 (3rd)

The only thing that saves the Suns from dead last in our rankings is the complete and utter disaster known as the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats have been last in every Future Power Rankings we've ever done and don't seem much closer to losing their grip on the bottom spot.

But, oh, how the Suns have tried. With bad draft choices, selling draft picks, horrible free-agent decisions and misguided trades, the team has fallen apart over the past few years.

The good news? They've probably already hit rock bottom, and with a few rays of hope.

The Suns have the No. 5 and No. 30 picks in this year's draft and have a total of six first-round picks in the next three years. They also got a small bump in Management thanks to the hiring of former Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough.

But other than that? Not much. With no cornerstones for the Suns to build around, it's going to be grim for a while. The loaded 2014 draft might be their best way out of the mire.

-- Chad Ford
(Previous rank: 29)

30. Charlotte Bobcats | Future Power Rating: 298
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
95 (29th) 35 (30th) 75 (24th) 25 (26th) 68 (5th)

"Tanking ain't easy" ought to be the Bobcats' slogan. Their strategy of getting bad before getting good again has proved to be only 50 percent successful, as they've fielded a roster over the past few years that has been too bad.

That's not to say the Bobcats don't have talent: Kemba Walker proved he could score (albeit inefficiently), Gerald Henderson has become a solid wing, 2012 lottery pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has a ton of potential and Josh McRoberts made the most of his revival. But none of those players, individually or collectively, are capable of lifting Charlotte from the muck.

The problem is there isn't a whole lot of faith in the soon-to-be-Hornets as an organization, as evidenced by their last-place ranking in Management by the panel. This makes it infinitely harder to attract talent (via free agency) to play in an arena that can be three-quarters empty on some nights and for a team that has had a revolving-door policy for its head coaching position. Even if they could attract players, and although there's cap flexibility moving forward, our panel doesn't believe Michael Jordan, the Bobcats owner, will spend what it takes to for the team to improve.

Charlotte has two future first-round picks coming to them, from the Blazers and Pistons, but they haven't shown the ability to consistently draft well (although Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeff Taylor were both solid picks in 2012). Moreover, they owe Chicago a protected pick (which will become unprotected in 2016). While Bobcats/Hornets fans certainly hope the ship is righted before that pick becomes the disaster it might be, our panel isn't as hopeful.

-- Amin Elhassan

 

[FakeNews]

21-25

Spoiler

21. Brooklyn Nets | Future Power Rating: 541
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
341 (11th) 66 (23rd) 29 (29th) 77 (4th) 28 (26th)

Years from now, we'll look to Brooklyn's summer of 2012 as a case study on how treacherous the waters of the new collective bargaining agreement can be.

While the panel gave the Nets a good rating for Players (ranking them 11th), there is very little upside to their talent other than Brook Lopez. What you see is what you can expect to continue to get from the majority of contributors on this team. That was and remains good enough to get the Nets into the playoffs, but it's not quite the star-studded roster that Nets fans hoped they were getting. Now, after firing Avery Johnson and choosing not to retain P.J. Carlesimo, the Nets must find a coach who can motivate and extract the most out of the existing roster.

Exacerbating the problem is the salary cap hell in which Brooklyn placed itself. Because of the new, stiffer luxury-tax penalties, the Nets will not be able to acquire players via sign-and-trade and are severely limited in the exceptions they can use. This reality extends until 2015-16, when they'll be paying almost $73 million for four players. This means they'll have to find a way to improve the team by enticing another team to trade for one of their bloated deals or by convincing free agents to sign for the minimum.

Brooklyn did rank as the fourth-best market, but given their other limitations, that alone will not be enough to bring the type of game-changing talent needed.

The Nets also traded away their second-round picks in four of the next five drafts, which robs them of the ability to draft and stash international players. The lone silver lining is Brooklyn does have first-rounders in every draft moving forward (Atlanta owns the right to swap picks with them in 2014 and 2015), so there will still be opportunities to add cheap talent, provided they can maximize the value of those picks.

-- Amin Elhassan
(Previous rank: 14)

22. Orlando Magic | Future Power Rating: 509
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
147 (28th) 93 (17th) 130 (6th) 56 (12th) 82 (2nd)

After bottoming out at 26th in the Future Power Rankings last August, the Magic have begun their move back upward thanks to shrewd pickups by first-year GM Rob Hennigan. The package Orlando received for Dwight Howard exceeded expectations, with Nikola Vucevic solidifying the center position and Maurice Harkless starting 59 games at age 19.

Hennigan added another cornerstone piece at the trade deadline, plucking Tobias Harris from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for impending free agent J.J. Redikk. Harris, Harkless and Vucevic combined to average 44.8 points and 26.6 rebounds after the deadline, and the three players could start together up front for the Magic for the next decade.

Patience remains the order of the day in Orlando. Even after adding another piece to their core -- almost certainly in the backcourt -- with the No. 2 overall pick, the Magic will likely go through another lottery season. That would put them in the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes, and Orlando will head into the summer of 2014 with ample cap space to build around their promising youngsters.

Hennigan and Jacque Vaughn, the league's youngest GM and head coach respectively, both showed potential during their first seasons. As a result, the Magic improved from 24th to 17th in the Management category.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 26)

23. Minnesota Timberwolves | Future Power Rating: 507
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
281 (19th) 63 (25th) 89 (21st) 16 (29th) 58 (9th)

Another season gone by, another lottery finish for the Timberwolves, who haven't made the playoffs since 2004. The current incarnation of the Wolves arguably had the talent to make it happen, but were bitten by the injury bug again, most notably to All-Star big man Kevin Love. Sensing the desperation of the situation, Minnesota made a switch at the helm, ousting David Kahn in favor of Flip Saunders, who was the last coach to lead the Wolves to the playoffs.

It remains to be seen whether Saunders can provide the magic elixir to turn this team back into a winner, but at least he has the framework of an interesting roster with Love, Ricky Rubio, Alexey Shved and Nikola Pekovic. But the Wolves are nearly capped out and will lack flexibility if impending restricted free agent Pekovic signs a new deal. Even as they get more breathing room under the cap in following seasons, they are faced with the prospect of luring free agents to a city most known for its frigid winters and to an organization that hasn't been known to have loose purse strings.

On the bright side, Minnesota already has two rising stars in Love and Rubio and solid complementary pieces. They also have a wealth of unprotected second-round draft picks coming to them over the next five drafts, as well as two first-rounders (Nos. 9 and 26) in the upcoming draft. The opportunity will be there to add cheap talent to this roster, particularly of the draft-and-stash variety.

-- Amin Elhassan
(Previous rank: 18)

24. Philadelphia 76ers | Future Power Rating: 483
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
193 (25th) 92 (18th) 113 (9th) 44 (19th) 41 (22nd)

Aside from Jrue Holiday's All-Star ascension, the 2012-13 season was a train wreck for the 76ers. They struck a blockbuster deal to receive Andrew Bynum, but the once-prized center might never wear a Sixers jersey due to knee injuries. The failure of the trade ruined hopes of this Sixers club rising to the Eastern Conference contender status many envisioned.

The Bynum fiasco might have cost former head coach Doug Collins and former general manager Tony DiLeo their jobs. During his third season as head coach, Collins' coaching style had worn out its welcome, and Philly lifer DiLeo was let go after his contract expired. Collins is reportedly staying on in an advisory role, but his Sixers coaching days are over.

Sixers ownership hopes new GM Sam Hinkie can save the day. Hinkie, the former No. 2 man under Houston general manager Daryl Morey, holds a sterling reputation around the league and joins the Sixers with high hopes but large obstacles in front of him. Who will be head coach? Will Hinkie even think about bringing back Bynum? Where does Evan Turner fit in the long-term plans?

The good news is the Sixers' books are relatively clean. But Hinkie will have his work cut out for him just to get the Sixers back to the playoffs. The Sixers figure to build their team around Holiday and Thaddeus Young (still just 24) but they'll need more than that to get back to respectability.

-- Tom Haberstroh
(Previous rank: 17)

25. New York Knicks | Future Power Rating: 481
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
282 (18th) 80 (21st) 27 (30th) 81 (3rd) 11 (30th)

Have the Knicks already peaked? That's the verdict of our panel, which makes them one of two 2013 playoff teams in the bottom 10 of the Future Power Rankings despite a 54-win regular season.

The obvious concerns are twofold. First, New York has one of the league's oldest rosters, ranking second in effective age (31.0) behind the Lakers. Second-year guard Iman Shumpert was the only regular younger than 27. As a result, the panel rates the Knicks' players just 18th in the league going forward -- behind, among others, the rosters of Detroit and New Orleans.

Worse yet, New York is stuck with this group because of the second problem: salary commitments that leave them paying the luxury tax each of the next two seasons. The Knicks won't have any flexibility until the 2015-16 season, when Raymond Felton (player option) and Steve Novak are the lone players under contract. So much for the benefit of the third-rated market in the league.

Cap woes might also cost New York some of last season's minimum-salary finds, including Chris Copeland, Kenyon Martin and Pablo Prigioni. And while the front office, led by Glen Grunwald, has shown it can find role players to put around Carmelo Anthony, the panel rated the Knicks' management as mediocre overall, due in part to past mistakes and the presence of team owner Jim Dolan.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 20)

 

[Hammer]

fukking terrible, don't even post the rest

 

[FakeNews]

16-20

Spoiler

16. Washington Wizards | Future Power Rating: 600
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
312 (14th) 64 (24th) 105 (12th) 51 (15th) 68 (4th)

What a turnaround. The Wizards ranked 28th here last March and the young squad did nothing to dissuade our thinking when they started the season a dreadful 4-28.

But that all changed when John Wall came back from his knee injury in January. Wall was better than ever. The Wizards played just about .500 (24-25) with the team's former No. 1 overall pick on the floor in 2012-13. He averaged 22.7 points, 7.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds over the final two months of the season with an improved jump shot and more reliable options surrounding him.

With rookie Bradley Beal and others coming aboard, the Wizards overhauled the roster to complement Wall with a stronger cast than the previous core of Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee and Jordan Crawford. Beal became one of the best shooters in the game just before suffering a season-ending stress fracture in his leg in early April.

The cleansing did wonders and Wall improved dramatically, just in time for the Wizards to decide whether to invest in Wall long-term and offer him a max extension this summer. They'll feel better about devoting big money to Wall now that he's performed consistently at a star level.

The future is bright in the nation's capital and it became even brighter when they jumped to the third pick in the 2013 draft on lottery night. With veterans like Emeka Okafor and Nene who could be moved to gain more assets, this looks like an organization on the rise. That is, if Wall wants to take what the Wizards want to give him.

-- Tom Haberstroh
(Previous rank: 28)

17. Los Angeles Lakers | Future Power Rating: 582
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
261 (21st) 105 (14th) 111 (10th) 87 (1st) 18 (29th)

My, how the mighty have fallen. Last August, fresh off the heels of the Dwight Howard acquisition, the Lakers placed third on our list. In just nine months, they've gone through a decade's worth of turmoil, including firing their coach (Mike Brown), rumors of the firing of their new coach (Mike D'Antoni), clashes between Howard and various teammates, getting swept unceremoniously from the postseason and, of course, myriad injuries, none more devastating than the torn Achilles suffered by Kobe Bryant.

As it stands today, the Lakers' roster lacks youth, athleticism, shooting and, even worse, chemistry. Other than Howard (assuming he re-signs this summer), there aren't any young impact players, and they mortgaged their future by trading away a bevy of picks over several trades (Ramon Sessions, Steve Nash, Howard), leaving them with potentially only three first-round picks over the next five drafts (which hurts their future trading power). Meanwhile, the prohibitive nature of the new luxury tax rules makes it difficult for the Lakers to improve their roster via trade or free agency, and charges them a hefty fee in the process.

GM Mitch Kupchak has shown the ability to turn water into wine in the past, but this is a tall order, even for a franchise that has historically found a way to attract stars to what our panel deemed the most desirable market in the league. There is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of massive cap space next summer and full coffers from a $3 billion TV deal. What they do over the next 15 months could make or break the franchise's next era. And if Howard doesn't return, the Lakers could plummet.

-- Amin Elhassan
(Previous rank: 3)

18. Atlanta Hawks | Future Power Rating: 580
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
224 (23rd) 91 (19th) 154 (2nd) 44 (18th) 67 (7th)

The good news for the Hawks is they managed to shed Joe Johnson's massive contract and still perform at a level comparable to what they achieved last season. The bad news is that level was nothing to write home about: another first-round exit that probably lasted a little longer than it should have.

While the Hawks have to feel excited about the enormous cap flexibility they have this summer (ranked second in Money by our panel), cap space can be a tricky asset when trying to field a competitive roster. Al Horford is under contract at a steal of a deal, Lou Williams was a solid pickup before he tore his ACL, and 2012 draftee John Jenkins showed promise, but the rest of the roster is a massive question mark, resulting in another bottom-10 ranking in the Players category.

GM Danny Ferry will have to persuade players to come to a franchise that historically has struggled to draw fans, even when they're winning, and routinely sees bigger support for the visiting team. The thought of teaming Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in Atlanta seems like a great idea, but it's highly unlikely given the new collective bargaining agreement makes it unlucrative for free agents to leave their current teams. Meanwhile, the futures of restricted free agent Jeff Teague and unrestricted free agent Josh Smith need to be decided upon, further complicating any possible future plans.

On the bright side, the Hawks have both of Houston's draft picks this year and the right to swap first-round picks with the Brooklyn Nets in the next two drafts, giving them a ton of flexibility. They recently hired longtime San Antonio assistant Mike Budenholzer as their head coach and seem to be building toward long-term success, but ultimately the patience of an ownership that has presided for too long over an irrelevant franchise may prove to be the deciding factor as far as the future of the organization goes.

-- Amin Elhassan
(Previous rank: 15)

19. New Orleans Pelicans | Future Power Rating: 570
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
295 (16th) 94 (16th) 96 (18th) 33 (24th) 52 (15th)

GM Dell Demps and the newly renamed Pelicans are discovering the ascent from the league's gutter does not miraculously accelerate with the gift of a No. 1 overall pick.

Anthony Davis was solid in his rookie year, though not sensational enough to carry a weak roster. Fellow lottery pick Austin Rivers was nothing short of disastrous, as the sort of high-volume, low-efficiency, shoot-first player that confirmed the worst projections of him coming out of Duke. The worst decision, though, might have been matching the max offer sheet on Eric Gordon, who battled knee problems all season long and did not fill the role of veteran leader on a young team searching for direction.

Still, there were some bright spots, including the development of Greivis Vasquez, the discovery of backup point guard Brian Roberts and the continued production of Ryan Anderson. New Orleans' future rests in the continued patience of new owner Tom Benson and his willingness to continue to open his wallet to bring talent despite the hit-or-miss nature of his GM's recent track record. New Orleans is one of the smallest markets in the league, and despite having the image of a party town, it still struggles to attract free agents. The Pelicans also don't have a second-round pick for the next three drafts, which hurts more this year since their pick would have been 35th overall.

Long-term, the Pelicans have some flexibility, and they'll have even more if they can unload Gordon's deal. With a market size that can't allow for too many big-dollar mistakes, they need to build the roster in an economical way, and that means hitting on draft picks and getting more value from free-agent signings.

-- Amin Elhassan
(Previous rank: 11)

20. Detroit Pistons | Future Power Rating: 558
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
283 (17th) 69 (22nd) 131 (5th) 20 (28th) 56 (13th)

The Pistons continue to be mired in the 20s despite a string of great draft choices the past few years.

Their Players score rose dramatically this time, from 26 to 17, thanks in large part to the impressive rookie season of Andre Drummond, who at 19 years old looks like a potential star. With Drummond, Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight, they have mined three straight gems outside of the top five of the draft. If they can land another at No. 8 overall this year, they'll have a terrific young core.

The team also has, for the first time in a while, money to spend. After suffering some serious buyer's remorse the last time they had tons of cap space (remember Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva?), expect the Pistons to be much more cautious this time around.

Overall, our ranking might be a bit pessimistic. Despite some lean years, Detroit is now one, maybe two young pieces away from competing for the playoffs. If they can continue finding young talent, this is probably the last time the Pistons are in the 20s for a while.

-- Chad Ford
(Previous rank: 22)

 

[FakeNews]

10-15

Spoiler

10. Utah Jazz | Future Power Rating: 665
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
326 (13th) 118 (12th) 129 (7th) 26 (25th) 66 (8th)

The Jazz peaked in the last edition of FPR, rising all the way to fourth, largely on the strength of a very favorable salary cap situation. While that situation remains positive, it looks a little less favorable to our larger panel this time than it did nine months ago -- several teams have moved ahead of Utah in cap space.

Utah drops two spots in Players given the uncertain futures of Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Mo Williams, who can all leave this summer. Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter provide hope, as do two more first-round picks (Nos. 14 and 21) in the upcoming draft.

The front office remains a strong suit, with long-time basketball operations chief Kevin O'Connor still in house and giving over the GM reins to the well-regarded Dennis Lindsey, formerly of the Spurs. The panel has less faith in coach Tyrone Corbin, however.

With a core of interesting young players, multiple draft picks and cap space, the Jazz remain a top-10 team in our rankings and look well positioned to succeed for the rest of the decade.

-- Chad Ford


11. Memphis Grizzlies | Future Power Rating: 654
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
408 (6th) 125 (9th) 62 (27th) 35 (23rd) 23 (27th)

Well, that was an interesting season. In December, Memphis scooped up John Hollinger, longtime co-pilot for the Future Power Rankings project, to help run the team, and the Grizzlies promptly traded top scorer Rudy Gay. While many thought the Grizzlies were cashing out on the season by shedding Gay's swollen contract, the Grizzlies actually grit 'n grinded their way to a franchise-high 56 wins and a first-ever Western Conference finals appearance.

The 2012-13 season was the Grizzlies' most successful season to date, so it's no surprise to see them rise a full 10 spots from 21st to 11th this time around. (It's probably worth noting, conspiracy theorists, that Hollinger did not have a vote in this edition.)

The Grizzlies catapulted from 22nd to ninth in the Management category, which probably has more to do with the clarity of the team's ownership and direction rather than Hollinger's hiring (sorry, John). At the time of the last Future Power Rankings appraisal, the Grizzlies' future was up in the air, but 35-year-old tech prodigy Robert Pera has since bought the team from Michael Heisley and brought in power brokers Jason Levien and Stu Lash along with Hollinger into the front office. Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace remains a part of the team, but it's likely he will pursue other opportunities around the league.

The Grizzlies have many questions going forward, including the status of Zach Randolph (owed $34 million through 2014-15) and coach Lionel Hollins (a likely soon-to-be free agent). But with a solidified brain trust, a stacked roster built on cornerstones Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, and a lighter balance sheet, it's good to be a Memphis fan these days.

-- Tom Haberstroh
(Previous rank: 21)

12. Los Angeles Clippers | Future Power Rating: 640
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
372 (10th) 55 (26th) 100 (15th) 73 (5th) 41 (21st)

No team, not even the crosstown Lakers, has more riding on this summer's free agency than the Clippers. To continue the most successful run in franchise history, they simply must re-sign point guard Chris Paul. If that means letting Paul play a key role in deciding the team's next head coach, so be it.

Unless Cliff Paul changes professions, the Clippers cannot replace everything Paul does for the team. And while they could potentially clear more than $20 million in cap space if Paul went elsewhere, the opportunity to play with Paul was the biggest draw for free agents last summer.

With Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the frontcourt, the Clippers are hardly bereft of non-Paul talent. Still, there is a surprising number of questions facing a 56-win team, starting with the coach. Vinny Del Negro's replacement will face the same problems unless the Clippers can consolidate their role players with Matt Barnes, Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom all becoming free agents. The Clippers must also figure out what to do with backup point guard Eric Bledsoe, who can become a restricted free agent next summer.

Our panel might trust the right organization to navigate these challenges. Unfortunately, these are the Clippers, and the specter of Donald Sterling being too cheap to hire a quality head coach looms over everything, while GM Gary Sacks remains an unproven commodity.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 16)

13. Dallas Mavericks | Future Power Rating: 637
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
216 (24th) 140 (5th) 168 (1st) 68 (8th) 45 (18th)

Last offseason, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban certainly could have splurged on multi-year contracts just as the deep-pocketed Brooklyn Nets did, but instead Cuban chose door No. 2: sign one-year deals and preserve long-term cap space. This was a reasonable, if unpopular, counter to the increasingly restrictive and punitive luxury tax of the new CBA.

Now we'll see if the conservative approach pays off. Judging by the Mavericks' strong ratings in the Management and Money categories (fifth and first, respectively), we trust that Cuban will end up looking smart in the end by clearing the books and positioning Dallas in the thick of free agency talk, including the potential Dwight Howard and Chris Paul sweepstakes this summer.

The Mavericks are an attractive market, stars tend to love playing for Cuban and there's a bona fide star on the roster in Dirk Nowitzki. If the Mavericks strike out this time around, they'll likely swing again in the blockbuster summer of 2014.

The all-or-nothing approach might not win over your typical fan base, which demands a playoff appearance every season, but the Mavericks have bought a little patience by winning the 2011 title. As 2012-13 showed, they can win with one-year stopgaps, but something tells us the Mavericks will be fishing for something much bigger this time around. Put it this way: Don't expect the Mavericks to have a bottom-10 roster for long.

-- Tom Haberstroh
(Previous rank: 6)

14. Portland Trail Blazers | Future Power Rating: 612
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
299 (15th) 102 (15th) 101 (14th) 52 (14th) 57 (11th)

After trending backward throughout Future Power Rankings history, the Blazers made a move in the right direction thanks to Damian Lillard's Rookie of the Year campaign. While Lillard might not have the upside of some of the younger players in last year's draft, he provides a long-term answer at a position that had been problematic in Portland since the Damon Stoudamire era.

Last year's Blazers featured a competitive starting five and the worst bench in recent memory. Luke Babbitt was the only Portland reserve to rate better than replacement level; collectively, they were 10 wins worse than replacement level. So the Blazers must improve the second unit and fill the starting center spot with J.J. Hickson almost certain to leave as a free agent. After upgrading the offense immediately, head coach Terry Stotts must also produce similar improvement at the defensive end.

There's urgency to win soon because of LaMarcus Aldridge's contract. Aldridge can be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2015, and teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets could have cap space to bring him back to his native Texas.

If Portland doesn't return to the playoffs next year -- a challenge in the West -- Aldridge could begin putting subtle pressure on GM Neil Olshey to find a trade lest he walk. Since Aldridge is the oldest member of the Blazers' core, that wouldn't be a disaster, but the team would be challenged to get equal value in return.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: T-23)

15. Boston Celtics | Future Power Rating: 610
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
273 (20th) 142 (4th) 82 (23rd) 61 (10th) 52 (16th)

The Celtics find themselves at a crossroads this summer. Take the blue pill and they see whether Rajon Rondo's return from a torn ACL might be enough to breathe life into a roster that finished 41-40 and lost in the opening round of the playoffs. Take the red pill and they consider the harsh reality of rebuilding by trading veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Since the last two remaining members of Boston's original big three are so close, the choice might be both Garnett and Pierce or neither. Danny Ainge must make his decision soon, since Pierce's contract for next season is guaranteed for just $5 million through June 30 and becomes fully guaranteed thereafter.

The Celtics will have another opportunity at a makeover next summer, as the final year of Garnett's contract is also partially guaranteed. But Garnett is one of four players in the league with a full no-trade clause, giving him veto power. Either way, Boston won't have significant cap space until Brandon Bass and the rapidly aging Jason Terry come off the books in the summer of 2015.

Given the age of their core and their limited flexibility, the Celtics could easily rank lower. Our panel has faith because Boston is a top-10 market and the duo of Ainge and head coach Doc Rivers -- the second most tenured coach/GM combo in the league -- has earned its trust over the last decade.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 10)

 

[FakeNews]

1-9

Spoiler

1. Miami Heat | Future Power Rating: 839
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
478 (2nd) 162 (2nd) 92 (20th) 86 (2nd) 21 (28th)

The juggernauts keep on chugging along. LeBron James racked up his fourth MVP in five seasons. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh started the All-Star Game alongside James, and all three notched career highs in field goal percentage. Erik Spoelstra finished second in Coach of the Year voting. The Heat won the most consecutive games since the NBA/ABA merger (27) and ended up with a franchise-high 66 victories during the regular season. The only way the 2012-13 season could have been more impressive for the Heat is if Pat Riley added president of the United States to his résumé.

Needless to say, the Heat's quest to repeat as champions looks to be right on track, and the future in Miami looks as bright as the South Beach sun. This has the makings of a dynasty, but it all hinges on what happens after next season when the Heat's star trio is expected to opt out of their contracts. Spoelstra, too, can become a free agent after the 2013-14 season.

The Heat don't rank so hot in the draft category since they won't have a first-round pick in the 2013 and 2015 drafts, but they'll live with that as long as LeBron is on the roster. The post-2014 uncertainty wasn't strong enough to dissuade the panel from voting the Heat into the top spot on the Future Power Rankings for a second straight time.

-- Tom Haberstroh
(Previous rank: 1)

2. Oklahoma City Thunder | Future Power Rating: 809
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
484 (1st) 157 (3rd) 54 (28th) 46 (17th) 67 (6th)

While the Thunder remain the biggest outside threat to the Miami Heat's dynasty chances, their future no longer looks quite as certain as it did last August. Trading James Harden reduced Oklahoma City's big three to a big two, and Russell Westbrook's postseason knee injury left Kevin Durant alone, carrying entirely too heavy a load before the Thunder were eliminated in the conference semifinals.

On a more positive note, according to our panel Oklahoma City still has the best talent in the league. Not only are Durant and Westbrook just entering their primes, but they and forward Serge Ibaka are all locked up through at least the 2015-16 season, leaving the Thunder's championship window wide open.

Westbrook will be back healthy in October, and Oklahoma City can build on the best regular-season point differential since the 2007-08 Boston Celtics. But there are still questions. Will the Thunder bring back Kevin Martin to play the role of high-scoring sixth man? And can Kendrick Perkins stop his backslide, given that the team has ruled out using the amnesty provision to remove the last two years of his onerous contract from the books?

With the franchise's reluctance to pay the luxury tax limiting options in free agency, highly-rated Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti will have to mine contributors on rookie contracts from last year's newcomers (Perry Jones and Jeremy Lamb) and this year's pair of first-round picks, including the 12th overall pick via the Harden trade.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 2)

3. Houston Rockets | Future Power Rating: 795
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
398 (7th) 137 (6th) 148 (4th) 64 (9th) 49 (17th)

Whether the Thunder are considered losers or not, there is no question the Rockets won the James Harden trade by parlaying a handful of stray assets into the superstar GM Daryl Morey had long coveted. With Harden establishing himself as one of the league's top shooting guards, Houston returned to the postseason with a full starting five of players age 26 or younger. And Morey's just getting started. Houston can conceivably clear enough space under the salary cap for a max offer this summer, making the Rockets a potential landing spot for Dwight Howard.

If not Howard, then Houston has the flexibility and the assets on hand to make a run at players like LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love as interior counterweights for Harden. With contributors like Chandler Parsons locked up to reasonable long-term contracts, the Rockets won't have to worry about the salary cap for several years. They can promise newcomers a top-10 market, head coach Kevin McHale's player-friendly, up-tempo system and a chance to win big.

Houston also benefits from the front office's ability to find unheralded talent. The Rockets signed both Patrick Beverley and Greg Smith for the minimum and developed them into contributors, making Jeremy Lin and a pile of big men drafted in the first round (Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas and Thomas Robinson) potentially available for trades.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 13)

4. San Antonio Spurs | Future Power Rating: 774
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
378 (9th) 170 (1st) 125 (8th) 55 (13th) 44 (19th)

We recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Spurs being considered too old to remain contenders. Instead, San Antonio is heading in the opposite direction in the Future Power Rankings; this is the highest the Spurs have ever ranked in the FPR, dating back to November 2009. San Antonio certainly has benefited from this year's Finals run, but the Spurs' future would be promising no matter what.

Quietly, San Antonio has managed its salary structure to potentially have more than $20 million in cap space this summer. In practice, much of that will go to re-signing free agents Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter, but Splitter's cap hold ($7.5 million) is reasonable enough that the Spurs could still clear about $10 million if Ginobili quickly agrees to a smaller new contract.

The flexibility is impressive given San Antonio has four starters under contract from this year's Western Conference champions. While the Spurs will see their depth take a hit with reserves DeJuan Blair, Gary Neal and possibly Boris Diaw (player option) hitting free agency, GM R.C. Buford and head coach Gregg Popovich have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to find cheap newcomers they can plug into San Antonio's system.

The biggest looming question is how long Duncan can continue to anchor the Spurs. He has two years left (including a player option) on the contract he signed last summer and is coming off a season as good on a per-minute basis as any since the 2007 championship. As long as Duncan competes at a high level, so too will San Antonio.

-- Kevin Pelton
(Previous rank: 9)

5. Golden State Warriors | Future Power Rating: 760
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
422 (5th) 127 (8th) 106 (11th) 68 (7th) 36 (24th)

The Warriors were the highest risers of any team in the FPR, moving up 14 spots from 19th to fifth. That's what happens when you play the most exciting brand of basketball in the NBA and make the second round one year after finishing 20 games under .500.

Golden State saw increases across the board. Its roster went from 16th to fifth thanks to a breakout season by Stephen Curry, another solid year of development for Klay Thompson and the strong play of rookies Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli. Together, the Warriors now have arguably the best young core in the league.

The management score also received a huge bump, from 19th to eighth, as a result of the deft drafting and trading GM Bob Myers has done the past two years. With a strong ownership group behind him and a great adviser in Jerry West, suddenly the Warriors look like a model of how to run a modern franchise. We expect their scores to keep growing in this area.

Other than the Rockets, who have the means for a huge free agency period this summer, the Warriors are the up-and-coming team in the West.

-- Chad Ford
(Previous rank: 19)

6. Indiana Pacers | Future Power Rating: 744
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
431 (3rd) 134 (7th) 97 (17th) 38 (21st) 43 (20th)

We saw the Pacers' rise coming a couple of years ago and now they are legit NBA contenders. Indiana drops one spot in the rankings from the last edition thanks to the rise of a few teams, but they actually accumulated more points this time around.

The Pacers move up two spots in the Players category in large part because of the rise of Paul George. While he still has rough edges to work out, George looks like a superstar-in-waiting. Roy Hibbert's dominance in the playoffs, George Hill's strong play at the point and the emergence of Lance Stephenson also factor into the ranking.

The team also gets a bump in management, though it might be a bit of a mirage. Larry Bird and David Morway built this team into a winner. Donnie Walsh and Kevin Pritchard inherited it, and it's still unclear if they'll manage it well. The Pacers might be the favorites to win the NBA title this year had they not missed on opportunities to strengthen their bench last summer. Instead, they traded away Darren Collison and brought in Ian Mahinmi, D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee.

-- Chad Ford
(Previous rank: 5)

7. Chicago Bulls | Future Power Rating: 743
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
430 (4th) 123 (10th) 68 (26th) 70 (6th) 52 (14th)

The 2012-13 season felt like a lost one for the Bulls after -- did ya hear? -- Derrick Rose sat out the entire season with a torn ACL. But despite a long hiatus by their former MVP, it might have been the most prudent decision for the long term, and it didn't hurt their Future Power Ranking at all -- the Bulls actually got a slight bump from last year in this edition, eighth to seventh.

Joakim Noah, coach Tom Thibodeau and a decimated Bulls roster upset the Brooklyn Nets in the first round and snapped the Heat's 27-game win streak in Chicago. That's a good recipe for some much-needed optimism after Rose's injury and it was enough to reverse the Bulls' downward slide the past couple seasons (they were ranked in the top spot in the Future Power Rankings as recently as March 2011).

There are serious cap questions going forward, which is reflected in the Bulls' 26th ranking in the money column. Carlos Boozer will command $15.3 million next season and $16.8 million in 2014-15, but his uneven performance in the playoffs didn't exactly remove his name from the potential amnesty guillotine list. The Bulls paid a tax bill for the first time in franchise history in 2012-13, and without an unlikely cleansing of the books, they're looking at another tax hit next season.

Still, there's lots to be excited about on the roster. Jimmy Butler had a breakout season and looks primed to be Luol Deng's successor as the Bulls' versatile two-way player of the future. Also bringing long-term hope is the thought that Nikola Mirotic, the Bulls' first-round pick in 2011, might be the best player overseas and could be coming stateside as early as 2014.

-- Tom Haberstroh
(Previous rank: 8)

8. Cleveland Cavaliers | Future Power Rating: 723
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
332 (12th) 110 (13th) 153 (3rd) 39 (20th) 89 (1st)

The Cavs are another team making a significant leap in our rankings, and landing the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second time in three years has something to do with that. While they might not be able to find another Kyrie Irving in this draft, they can pick a significant player (most likely Nerlens Noel) or trade the pick for immediate help.

Cleveland's biggest jump came in the Players section, as Irving looks like a potential superstar. Tristan Thompson also started to develop, and Dion Waiters looks like a lethal scorer. Add in the No. 1 and No. 19 picks this year, as well as a plethora of future selections, and the Cavs will be loaded with young talent for the foreseeable future.

The team will also be flush with cash this summer and could add a significant free agent this summer or in the future, giving it even more roster flexibility. While all of this doesn't totally make up for the loss of LeBron James, it shows the dramatic strides Cleveland has made in just three years. With the right draft picks or free-agent signings, the Cavs should start a long run of playoff appearances soon.

-- Chad Ford
(Previous rank: 12)

9. Denver Nuggets | Future Power Rating: 706
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
398 (8th) 122 (11th) 95 (19th) 51 (16th) 40 (23th)

The Denver Nuggets won 57 games to earn the West's No. 3 seed this past season. George Karl won Coach of the Year award. Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri was named Executive of the Year. So why in the world did they drop two spots in this edition?

Because everything seemed to unravel once Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL in early April. The Nuggets were trounced by the lower-seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs and their suddenly porous defense helped catapult Stephen Curry into a household name. To make matters worse, Ujiri might leave for a reportedly richer offer in Toronto to take over the Raptors. If Ujiri heads north of the border, the 2012-13 season could be viewed as one step forward and two steps back for the Nuggets.

There's still plenty of optimism, however. The Nuggets are loaded with depth at every position and can flip their proven, mid-salaried veterans for younger talent if they choose to build around Ty Lawson, who rounded into form down the stretch after a slow start, and Kenneth Faried, who was somewhat exposed defensively in the playoffs but is still just 23 years old. Or they can stick with the status quo and hope Gallinari returns to form for another run at West contention.

Much of the uncertainty in Denver also stems from their defense-minded stud Andre Iguodala, who could opt out and test the free agency waters. This is a loaded roster with some serious upside in its youth, but it's a legitimate question whether the Nuggets peaked in 2012-13.

-- Tom Haberstroh

 

[Da_Eggman]

pretty spot on

 

[Malta]

They should have waited until after the finals, I mean what if the Pacers come back and then win the title?

 

[No..Money..Mo..Problems]

1. OKC
2. Bulls
3. Pacers
4. Heat
5. Spurs
6. Griz

 

[intruder]

I see ESPN is bored again

 

[GatorStaceyAdams]

Why is ESPN such a fukkin whore for the Houston Rockets?

Its almost like they constantly want to tell how good they are, or how smart their GM is...





nikkas acting like they didnt get bounced with the quickness in the playoffs-


Meanwhile the Pacers, just as young and already more talented, are going deep in the playoffs and competing against the Heat

 

[tremonthustler1]

Rockets are 3. Bucks are 27.

They're damn near the same organization

 

[ThaBronxBully]

Did Somebody Say..THE FUTURE???

 

[PTBG]

at the Lakers being 17th