12. Los Angeles Lakers
After catching a really lucky break with the Luka Doncic trade, the Lakers are having a lot of problems capitalizing on it. LeBron James becoming a free agent and leaving Los Angeles opened up some serious salary cap for the front office to work with. They didn't use it very well.
First, they handed Austin Reaves a massive max contract. Then the Lakers signed Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili in about 30 minutes. In addition to James, the Lakers also lost Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura to free agency.
None of these changes are bad, but it's hard to see how this combination turns the Lakers into contenders. It's also cost them a lot of money and draft capital, meaning this is the roster for the next few years. Still, this group has real potential if Doncic stays healthy and can feed off them.
11. Denver Nuggets
Not much has changed for the Nuggets so far this offseason, so it's safe to say that fans can expect a similar performance this coming season. They'll make the playoffs, do reasonably well, and likely get bounced before they get to the Western Conference Finals.
On the upside, the Wolves won't be as big a problem for them in the 2027 playoffs. Never count the Nuggets out, as Nikola Jokic is a one-man wrecking crew on the court. That's enough to make the playoffs, but winning another title is a much different story. A lot depends on his supporting cast.
If Jamal Murray can keep it together and deliver a consistent season, things might get better for Denver. But it's starting to feel like the franchise is entering Giannis territory with Joker. The Nuggets either need to put the work in to build something around him, or trade him to a contender for a haul.
10. Houston Rockets
Just having Kevin Durant is enough to keep the Rockets in the mix, just like the Nuggets and Jokic. They'll have a solid season, probably make the playoffs, and end up with a first- or second-round exit. Because of that, Houston remains a top ten team in the entire league.
The question is whether they have done enough in the offseason to do better than that. The Rockets have signed free agents Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic, adding strong veterans to the team. They also re-signed Fred VanVleet and extended Steven Adams, both smart moves.
VanVleet missed all of last season due to injury, and his abscene was noticable in Houston's game. While Adams wasn't gone as long, he also missed a large portion of the season. A healthy Rockets team with the these new additions could be a real threat to the status quo in the West.
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