The NBA offseason is a thrilling time for some franchises and a disheartening period for others. We’ve gone through the three biggest winners of the summer already, so now it’s time to break down the three biggest losers. Unfortunately, the list consists of two franchises that are all too used to negative superlatives and one that has gone from recent championship glory to a mad scramble.
Hopefully, you’re a fan of one of the 27 other teams.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans cemented their role as the laughingstock of the NBA this offseason, in a quite literal sense. The team gave up an unprotected first-round pick, one that very well could end up at the top of next year’s lottery, to move up 10 spots in June’s NBA Draft to select a relatively green player in 18-year-old Maryland center Derik Queen. The Atlanta Hawks, who were on the receiving end, were so shocked by the proposal that GM Onsi Saleh actually called the Pelicans to double-check if they were serious. Other sources around the league have suggested that opposing front offices view what’s going on in New Orleans as a laughingstock that can be easily taken advantage of.
The team also selected Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 overall pick. While Fears drew immediate Kyrie Irving comparisons on draft night, his turnover-laden performance at Summer League this month proved that might have been a bit disrespectful to Kyrie. The Pelicans did acquire Jordan Poole from the Washington Wizards as well as his former Golden State Warriors teammate, center Kevon Looney. Poole was at the very least an entertaining tank commander in Washington last season, so the Pels have that going for them at least.
Boston Celtics
What the Boston Celtics went through this offseason should serve as a warning to any professional sports franchise not to rest on its laurels and assume that more golden years are promised. A year ago on this very date, the Celtics were decisive NBA title favorites and the general consensus was that they were destined for a repeat and even a potential dynasty. Today, the Celtics are putting together the pieces of a broken roster that was torn apart in the wake of the Achilles injury that star forward Jayson Tatum suffered in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
To avoid remaining in luxury tax and second apron purgatory during what will almost certainly be a lost season, the Celtics were essentially forced into trading stars Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, two members of their frontcourt who were vital starters during the team’s emergence as the class of the Eastern Conference in the early 2020s. Not to mention the fact that Boston had to part ways with veteran stalwart Jrue Holiday, sending him to Portland in a well-receieved deal for Anfernee Simons, though there has been speculation about whether Simons will again be flipped in another deal. Boston also lost reserve center Luke Kornet to San Antonio and the idea of a Derrick White trade has even been floated by sources here and there. It’s quite a different outlook than the summer of 2024 to say the least.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets inherited what is arguably the worst contract in the NBA in Michael Porter Jr.’s $40 million per year burden, albeit for a 2032 first-round pick. That deal also saw them send a legitimate asset in forward Cameron Johnson to Denver in return, not only bailing Denver out of MPJ’s brutal contract but also giving them a player that could plausibly contribute to an NBA Finals run next season. Considering what MPJ put on film towards the end of Denver’s season, that doesn’t seem like a trade that will be remembered fondly in Brooklyn.
The Nets did have three first-round picks in June’s NBA Draft, but none of the players they picked were groundbreaking or even particularly exciting selections for their slot. The relationship between the Nets and star guard Cam Thomas has also disintegrated, with Thomas actively dissuading any potential market for his services with exorbitant salary demands that no team seems to be willing to pay.
