My preview of the 2025 NBA season concludes with a look at the Pacific Division, home to five teams that all want to make the playoffs.
Phoenix Suns
Additions: Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Oso Ighodaro (40th pick in 2024 Draft), Ryan Dunn (28th pick in 2024 Draft), Collin Gillespie (two-way), TyTy Washington (two-way), Jalen Bridges (two-way)
Subtractions: Eric Gordon, Nassir Little, Drew Eubanks, David Roddy, Udoka Azubuike, Isaiah Thomas, Theo Maledon
Other: Added Mike Budenholzer as head coach to replace Frank Vogel, Re-signed Royce O’Neale to 4 year $44M deal, Re-signed Josh Okogie to 2 year $16M deal, Re-signed Bol Bol, Re-signed Damion Lee
Outlook: The Suns are another team I’m conflicted on. They were disappointing last season, coming in as a projected title contender but finishing 6th in the West before getting swept in the first round. They had a nice offseason, bringing in quality talent on the minimum and adding real potential rotation guys in the draft in Dunn and Ighodaro. However, the Suns actually got rather lucky health-wise last year, with Kevin Durant (aged 35) playing 75 games, his most since 2019, Jusuf Nurkic appearing in 76, his most since 2018, and Devin Booker playing in a reasonable 68, around his average. Bradley Beal was the only major Suns player to miss large chunks of the season, playing just 53 games – but he’d also played in just 50, 40, 60, and 57 games over the prior four years. The Suns’ best hope of really improving is the hiring of Mike Budenholzer as coach. Bud is a regular season coach par excellence and if he can get the Suns really clicking on offense maybe they can make a deep playoff run. But I just don’t buy their defense, rebounding, or size in the postseason, so while I have some stock for the regular season, that’s all I’m holding right now.
Prediction: 48-34 (Last year predicted 53-29, actually 49-33)
Sacramento Kings
Additions: DeMar DeRozan, Jalen McDaniels, Devin Carter (13th pick in 2024 Draft), Orlando Robinson, Jordan McLaughlin, Isaac Jones (two-way), Isaiah Crawford (two-way)
Subtractions: Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, JaVale McGee, Kessler Edwards
Other: Re-Signed Malik Monk to 4 year $78M deal, Re-signed Alex Len
Outlook: It might seem crazy to have a team whose two best players are Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox ahead of teams with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But that’s what I’m doing! They are a younger star duo, are generally more durable, and provide a reasonable floor even if they lack the upside of the other divisional pairings. While DeMar DeRozan is also older, he has been historically sturdy and available throughout his career, and is another regular season floor-raiser. Add in a fairly solid supporting cast and you get a team that should finish roughly where they’ve finished the past couple years, even with the bottom of the Western Conference improving for the most part. I still don’t think the Kings have much of a playoff ceiling, but I just think they’re a safe bet to win at least 45 games.
Prediction: 47-35 (Last year predicted 48-34, actually 46-36)
Golden State Warriors
Additions: De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III, Reece Beekman (two-way), Daeqwon Plowden (two-way)
Subtractions: Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Dario Saric, Cory Joseph, Jerome Robinson, Usman Garuba
Other: Signed Steph Curry to a 1 year $61M extension
Outlook: A lot of NBA writers have praised the Warriors for their offseason. And, based on the moves they made, I can see why. A healthy De’Anthony Melton (big if) might be flat-out better than current Klay Thompson, and Hield offers most of what Thompson does now on offense anyways. Kyle Anderson is a terrific fit with the Warriors free-flowing and pass-heavy scheme, and will bring needed defense and rebounding. However, the Warriors are still trying to thread the needle, building their core of young guys – Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Moses Moody – around their core of Steph Curry and Draymond Green. And while I like all of those young guys well enough, none of them is close to star-level yet, which means that if Curry (36) or Green (34) slip from their superstar-level impacts on offense and defense respectively, I don’t know if the Warriors have enough to make up the gap, even with more veteran talent and better depth than last year. I think it all evens out, and they are relatively similar to last year’s squad.
Prediction: 44-38 (Last year predicted 45-37, actually 46-36)
Los Angeles Clippers
Additions: Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nic Batum, Mo Bamba, Kevin Porter Jr., Cam Christie (44th pick in 2024 Draft), Trentyn Flowers (two-way)
Subtractions: Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Daniel Theis, Mason Plumlee, Brandon Boston Jr., Xavier Moon, Moussa Diabate
Other: Re-signed James Harden to a 2 year $70M deal, Signed Ivica Zubac to a 3 year $58.6M extension
Outlook: I write and talk about the Clippers a lot, so I don’t think I need to go in-depth here. While I think Paul George is generally overrated by NBA media pundits (James Harden was better and more impactful than him last season and you’d never think that listening to NBA shows or podcasts), losing him for nothing is still a major blow. The Clippers loaded up with defense-first players, and there’s every reason to believe their defense will be quite stout. On offense… well, in games when Kawhi Leonard plays they’ll probably be fine. But all indications are that Kawhi will be sitting more this season for “load management” (honestly a good thing considering the ending to his last two seasons), and in games when he doesn’t play, it will have to be the Harden show or a loss. Harden was mostly great last year, but he undoubtedly wore down over the course of the season, is well into his mid-30s, and doesn’t have a ton of help on offense. I do just think the Clippers could use more firepower to be a sure-fire postseason team.
Prediction: 43-39 (Last year predicted 46-36, actually 51-31)
Los Angeles Lakers
Additions: Dalton Knecht (17th pick in 2024 Draft), Bronny James (55th pick in 2024 Draft), Christian Koloko (two-way), Armel Traore (two-way)
Subtractions: Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, Skylar Mays, Dylan Windler
Other: Signed JJ Redick as head coach to replace Darvin Ham, Re-signed LeBron James to a 2 year $104M deal
Outlook: Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but I’m down on the Lakers this year. They barely changed their roster from last year, adding a few young guys in place of replacement level vets, and were a 47-win team last season in a weaker conference. Not only that, but the 2024 Lakers got 82 games from Austin Reaves, 71 games from 39-year-old LeBron James (most since 2018), and 76 games from the injury-prone Anthony Davis (most in his career, and most by far since he played 75 back in 2018). In short, despite injuries to some role players (Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt most notably), the Lakers had good injury luck last season. It’s unlikely that LeBron, AD, and Reaves play 229 games between them again in 2025, and if that number dips significantly, well, the Lakers will be in trouble. They have enough talent to be competitive, but I could see them out of the play-in entirely, and hey, what’s preseason previews for if not being bold sometimes.
Prediction: 42-40 (Last year predicted 47-35, actually 47-35)
