Three teams that spent the decade chasing titles could end up at the very bottom of the NBA by 2030.
That’s the picture painted by The Sporting News’ future NBA power rankings, which slotted the Golden State Warriors at No. 28, the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 29 and the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 30. Different paths got them there, but the common thread is brutal: all three may be staring at a future where the old plan is gone and the next one still hasn’t arrived.
Golden State’s problem is simple enough to see coming. Stephen Curry will be 41 during the 2029-30 season and is not expected to still be on the roster.
Jimmy Butler will be 40, Draymond Green 39, Kristaps Porzingis 34 and Al Horford 43. The veteran core that defined the Warriors’ run is headed for the exit, and by then Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg are the only players projected to still be there.
There is at least a path forward. Golden State has protected its upcoming first-round picks, which gives the franchise a chance to start rebuilding through the draft.
The catch is that the 2027 and 2028 classes are not expected to be loaded with franchise-changing talent. The Warriors got a C-minus asset grade, and by 2030 they could be in the early stages of a full reset.
Milwaukee’s situation looks just as sticky, only with a different set of consequences. The Bucks earned a D-plus asset grade and won’t control a first-round pick that can directly help the roster until 2030. On top of that, dead money from Damian Lillard’s stretched contract will keep weighing on the books.
There are some younger names in the mix - Brayden Burries, Nate Ament, Jaime Jaquez and Kasparas Jakucionis - but the bigger issue is that none of them currently projects as the centerpiece of a contender. Milwaukee should open up cap space in 2027, though using that money well will be tough without a foundational star already in place.
That’s the price of going all-in around Antetokounmpo. The logic was obvious at the time. The tab just arrives later.
New Orleans, though, is the team with the bleakest long-range outlook because it may not even keep its current shape. Williamson can hit free agency in 2028, and Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy also could be traded if the Pelicans keep stumbling.
If that happens, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen would likely become the faces of the franchise. Both showed promise during uneven rookie seasons, but neither has yet looked like a future superstar. The Pelicans received a B asset grade and could land a useful 2027 pick through their swap rights with Milwaukee, but even that comes with a catch: their future still leans heavily on lottery luck.
Golden State and Milwaukee at least have championship banners to show for the pain ahead. New Orleans doesn’t have that shield. Its failure to build a winner around Williamson could leave it trailing two franchises that are already headed into unavoidable post-dynasty rebuilds.
In Other News...
Warriors Jokic Dream Suddenly Feels Less Impossible
The Nuggets recent move with Peyton Watson did more than reshape their roster for the moment, it reopened a long-running conversation about how Denver plans to build around Nikola Jokic going forward. Anytime a franchise with a generational star makes a cost-saving or future-focused deal, the ripple effects are immediate, and in this case they have only added fuel to the idea that Jokics situation is worth watching beyond this season.
George Karl added another layer by questioning whether Denver is the kind of organization that can fully support a player of Jokics stature over the long haul. For Warriors fans, that matters because the next offseason keeps coming into view as a possible inflection point, with talk of Jokic eventually reaching free agency and the notion of him in Golden State no longer sounding quite as far-fetched as it once did. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Just Raised The Stakes With Gui Santos
Gui Santos is staying with Golden State for the next step of his development, a choice that says plenty about how seriously the Warriors are taking his place in their plans. Instead of leaving for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Brazil, Santos and the organization are putting a premium on training camp and the kind of season prep that can help a young player turn a late-year surge into a real rotation spot.
That matters because Santos showed enough down the stretch last season to get the Warriors attention, and now the challenge is translating that momentum into a larger role in a crowded roster. Golden State has veteran experience and fresh additions in the mix, but Santos decision to stay put suggests the team sees a path for him to be more than a fringe contributor if he keeps building on what he flashed before. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Have Two Intriguing Young Options For Open Roster Spots
The Warriors search for depth at the bottom of the roster is starting to take shape, and it could get a little more interesting in the coming days. Golden State is reportedly planning to bring former Philadelphia 76ers wing Dalen Terry into camp on a training camp contract, giving the team another look at a young player while it sorts through the final spots on the roster. With two main openings still available, the front office appears willing to keep one eye on veteran stability and another on development.
There may also be a fresh opportunity to add more youth to the mix. A five-team trade involving the Washington Wizards has put Cam Whitmore and Julian Reese into the conversation as possible camp candidates, and both would fit the kind of low-risk, upside swing the Warriors have shown interest in before. For a team trying to balance immediate needs with long-term flexibility, those open roster spots could wind up being more competitive than they looked a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]