NBA Power Rankings – Where the Nets, Lakers and all 30 teams stand ahead of the 2022-23 season
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The 2022 NBA draft is in the rearview mirror, summer league has come and gone and most free agents have inked new deals. LeBron James inked a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday ahead of his fifth season with the franchise, which will mark his longest tenure with a team since he spent the first seven years of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Several other vets around the league signed extensions, including Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Washington Wizards point guard Bradley Beal, as well as Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine. The 2022 NBA All-Stars Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic all signed supermax extensions to remain with the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, respectively. The 2019 draft class also saw big paydays, as Ja Morant, Zion Williamson and Darius Garland all signed rookie extensions.
Some notable names opted to change teams, including former Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, who signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks. And the Utah Jazz sent shock waves throughout the league when they traded big man Rudy Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, to Minnesota.
Will Gobert’s former teammate Donovan Mitchell join Brunson in New York? And what about the other team in New York? Will Kevin Durant start the season in a Brooklyn Nets jersey? Our NBA insiders break down where every team stands after a wild free agency spree, plus which questions remain ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Note: These rankings are based on where the members of our panel (ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez and Kevin Pelton) think teams belong heading into next season, taking into account potential player movement. Title odds for 2023 by Caesars Sportsbook.
1. Golden State Warriors
Post-Finals ranking: 1
2023 title odds: +550
The Warriors…
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Source : espn
