NBA Swing: Winners and Losers of the 2024-25 Season

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With most teams having played around 76 games, the 2024-25 NBA season is coming to a close. There have been numerous ups and downs so far this season, with injuries taking out players for much of the season. At the same time, there have been many surprises over the course of the season, both good and bad. Looking back at the 2024-25 season, there are several winners and losers as the play-in and playoffs grow nearer.

Detroit Pistons: Winner

No team has had a season-to-season turnaround like the Detroit Pistons. After an embarrassing 2023-24 season that saw the Pistons have a 28-game losing streak and finish 14-68, Detroit has flipped the team’s potential. Currently sitting at 42-34 and 5th in the East, the Pistons have tripled their wins from last season. At the same time, the Pistons will be a playoff lock for the 2025 playoffs. With the 7th seed Orlando Magic sitting at 37-40, it is highly unlikely that the Pistons fall down the play-in. This will mark the first playoff appearance for Detroit since the 2018-19 season.

Many factors can be attributed to the Pistons’ success this season. Cade Cunningham has transformed into an All-Star-level player, leading the Pistons in both points and assists. Malik Beasley has had a career renaissance in Detroit after bouncing around for several seasons. Tobias Harris has been a strong veteran presence for Detroit in his first season back with the team. New head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has proven to be the right coach for this team, getting the best out of his young players. After years of languishing near or at the bottom of the standings, the Pistons are finally on the rise.

Phoenix Suns: Loser

In the West, no team has disappointed quite like the Phoenix Suns. A team that was two wins away from their first NBA Championship just a few seasons ago, the Suns are likely to miss the playoffs this season. The trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal has not worked. Booker and Durant had strong seasons, averaging 25.5 and 26.6 PPG in 70 and 62 games, respectively. Beal has averaged 17.3 PPG in only 48 games, with Beal being the center of controversy on the team. Not lifting his no-trade clause, the Suns were unable to move Beal as they were linked to Jimmy Butler ahead of the deadline.

The team would end up moving Jusuf Nurkic, someone who also had issues with the team. Unable to move Beal, reports would come out that the Suns were making calls on KD, something that ruined the relationship between him and the team. With rumors suggesting Durant and the Suns will work on a trade this offseason and the Suns having very little in terms of assets in the future, the Suns are in one of the worst spots imaginable. KD may be just the first of many moves the Suns make in the near future.

Houston Rockets: Winner

While the Detroit Pistons have been the feel-good story in the Eastern Conference, the Houston Rockets have been the feel-good story in the West. Last season, the Rockets finished 41-41, landing them in 11th. This season, the Rockets are currently 50-27, 2nd in the West. Having much of the same team they had last season, key members of the Rockets have taken that next step. Jalen Green has averaged 21.5 PPG while Alperen Sengun has averaged 19.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG, landing his first All-Star nod. Veterans, including Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, have had a positive impact on the team, while sophomore Amen Thompson has taken that next step forward as well.

Head coach Ime Udoka has gotten the best out of his team on the defensive end, leading the Rockets to the third-best defense this season. On the offensive end, Houston sits amongst the top half of the league. While there is no telling how the 2025 playoffs will go for the Rockets, the future of the team will be exciting. With the team in rumors for several big-name players, including Kevin Durant, the Rockets could be one big piece away from championship contention.

Joel Embiid and Paul George: Losers

The Philadelphia 76ers had one of the worst seasons possible, with much of that being attributed to Joel Embiid and Paul George. Joel Embiid would miss much of the season dealing with knee injuries. After being ruled out for the season in February after playing only 19 games, it would be reported on Wednesday that Embiid would be set for arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week. This would be the second season in a row where Embiid has played under 40 games. Turning 31 in March and having a long history of injuries, there is much concern for Embiid’s career going forward.

The same can be said for this teammate, Paul George, who was seen as one of the biggest free agent signings in 2024. Signing a four-year deal for $212 million, the expectation was that George would be the piece to push the Sixers into true championship contention. George would only play 41 games, dealing with numerous injuries. He would be ruled out for the season in mid-March. In the 41 games he played, PG averaged 16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.3 APG, averaging the lowest number of points since his second season in the league.

With the Sixers near the bottom of the East after a disastrous season, there are already rumors that Philadelphia could shop George this offseason. With George set to make over $50 million each of the next three years, PG’s contract will be one of the hardest contracts to move.

NBA Trade Deadline: Winner

The 2025 NBA trade deadline will go down as one of the most shocking trade deadlines in league history. Happening the same week as the Super Bowl, the NBA trade deadline dominated sports media. Much of the coverage would be headlined by the shocking trade that saw Luka Doncic moved to the Los Angeles Lakers for the package that included Anthony Davis. The move would not only affect both teams in the short term, but the league in the long term, bringing the Lakers their next superstar.

The Luka trade would be followed up a few days later by another shocking trade that saw De’Aaron Fox go to the San Antonio Spurs and Zach LaVine go to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal. The next big move would see Jimmy Butler moved from Miami to Golden State ahead of the deadline. With the new CBA having a bigger impact on contracts and penalties for teams, it’s possible another big trade deadline could happen next season. Nothing will top the shocking 2025 NBA trade deadline, though.

2025 All-Star Game Tournament: Loser

One of the worst parts of the 2024-25 season, the 2025 NBA All-Star Game tournament drew much criticism from those around the league and the basketball world. The new tournament type format, including the Rising Star,s was unpopular amongst vets in the league. The three-hour broadcast of the tournament featured only 42 minutes of basketball. The intro to the tournament and pregame talk would take 40 minutes alone. The broadcast would also feature a musical performance, a shooting challenge, and a tribute to Inside the NBA.

Viewership for the All-Star Game would be the lowest it’s been in over 25 years, dropping 13% from 2024. When asked about All-Star weekend, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver would have the following to say:

“It was a miss. We’re not in terms of creating an All-Star experience that we can be proud of and that our players can be proud of. We sell competition, and I think our players recognize they’re not putting their best foot forward.”

While the All-Star Game has been criticized for years over the lack of defense, and it feels like a glorified shootaround, the 2025 All-Star Game tournament was a new low for the league. When discussing the All-Star Game, Silver would mention the popularity of the NHL’s “national squad” tournament, but would not confirm a USA vs World format for the 2026 All-Star game. Going forward, the league needs to fix the All-Star Game before All-Star weekend is just reduced to Friday and Saturday night.