Which NBA teams have the most promising window to win over the next three years?

If you've ever found yourself asking that question, you're in luck (or in trouble; I'm not sure): This is the exact curiosity we're about to indulge.

"Window to win" is up for interpretation. At its core, this refers to the likelihood of each team bagging a title between now and the end of 2026-27.

For our purposes, though, we'll also include the concept of championship equity—or each squad's year-over-year proximity to conference finals appearances.

Putting yourself in a position to consistently sniff the NBA Finals is huge. Would you rather have a team with higher title odds that could plunge in any given season or a steadier championship likelihood across a longer period of time?

That's the subplot of this entire exercise. And it begins right now.

30. Chicago Bulls

Other teams should end up with worse collective records than the Chicago Bulls over the next three years. That's part of the problem.

Chicago appears to have leaned into a more gradual outlook after moving on from Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan. That's different from embracing a full-on rebuild.

The Bulls used Caruso to bring back Josh Giddey, who is young enough to be part of the long-term plan but will be due for a raise in 2025-26. They re-signed Patrick Williams, because, well, letting him walk would have been a terrible look. Going on 23, he, too, can be part of the next phase. But having to significantly reinvest in a roster without concrete direction is weird.

It really seems like Chicago is caught between warring agendas. That's not changing so long as Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević are on the roster.

And if the Bulls truly are rebuilding, Coby White will soon loom as a somewhat bizarre fit. He doesn't turn 25 until February, but he's on a bargain-bin contract that concludes in two years and is so cheap Chicago can't extend him off it. There's no guarantee he makes a ton of sense next to an offense presumably tailored to Giddey's on-ball reps, either.

If this offseason forecasts an eventual, long-overdue pivot into starting over, then so be it. But the duality of the Bulls' situation puts them at a disadvantage. Other teams with eyes on the future have one or two primary cornerstones or are at least bad enough to be in position to draft one in 2025. Chicago doesn't fall into either category—unless it views a 19-year-old Matas Buzelis as #ThatDude.

29. Brooklyn Nets

Feel free to plop the Brooklyn Nets in dead last. General manager Sean Marks will likely take it as a compliment.

Brooklyn is actively punting on the next two years more so than any other team. Re-acquiring control of their 2025 and 2026 first-rounders assures that the losses will pile up. Even if the Nets are better than they're supposed to be, the front office won't let it stand.

Passing on two years' worth of competitive aspirations in a three-season window warrants last-place consideration. But Brooklyn's 2027 first-rounder is still controlled by Houston. That suggests the Nets will be looking to re-engage with giving a damn for the 2026-27 campaign.

And by this time, they'll have two high lottery picks in the bag and (should) be well-positioned to hock near-league-best cap space in free agency and on the trade market in the preceding summer. So, we could be looking at a two-year turnaround—the prospect of which I find more appealing than whatever the hell is going on in Chicago.

28. Washington Wizards

Just in case you weren't sure whether the Washington Wizards would slow-play their current rebuild, they decided to placate concerns by shipping Deni Avdija to Portland in favor of Malcolm Brogdon and, more notably, draft compensation.

Flipping Avdija for a present-day lottery pick (Bub Carrington) is one thing. Also accepting a 2029 first-rounder as a primary carrot is entirely something else.

Front offices without job security or the leeway to follow an ultra-long-term timeline don't value those dice rolls. General manager Will Dawkins and president of Monumental Basketball operations Michael Winger did, making it clear this organization doesn't intend to care about piling up wins for the next few years.

There is, of course, always the possibility Washington stumbles into a faster timeline.

The Wizards will exit next year's draft, in all likelihood, with yet another top-seven prospect—their third in as many years. This says nothing of how well and quickly Carrington, the No. 14 pick in June, fares for them.

Still, for at least the next two years, and perhaps longer, Washington isn't a franchise that projects to shoulder itself with the weight of expectations beyond internal development and lottery odds.

27. Portland Trail Blazers

Left alone, the Portland Trail Blazers need to be a few notches higher. This is a bet they won't go untouched much longer.

My reasoning lies in the initial premise: If you assume the Blazers keep this exact core in place, how many spots up are you moving them?

Ambitious development from Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe—plus whoever Portland gets while continuing to appear in the lottery—can put this nucleus on the map. But it'll be harder to effectively groom youngsters amid so many established bodies on the roster.

Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Deni Avdija, Robert Williams III (when healthy) and Deandre Ayton can all be highly impactful players. Some of them will wind up standing in the way of prospective leaps from the younger crop if this roster doesn't start selling.

How much progress can Clingan make when so many other bigs are deserving of minutes? Can Henderson graduate into a full-blown floor general alongside so many other players to operate on-ball? Will head coach Chauncey Billups allocate enough developmental reps to prospects with so many veterans on the roster? Or will the Blazers need to pull some of those clubs from his bag?

Bet on the latter. This is not the same as saying the Blazers need to trade everyone. But for Henderson, Clingan and Sharpe to become the future, they must first get more influence in the present.

Portland's roster doesn't yet permit that. But it will. And frankly, the longer it takes for that to happen, the less flattering their semi-immediate window seems.

26. Detroit Pistons

Organizational impatience could demand the Detroit Pistons climb this ladder. Five consecutive years of bagging 23 or fewer victories can do that to a franchise.

For the time being at least, the Pistons seem prepared to resist that win-now temptation.

Even someone as involved and itchy as team governor Tom Gores doesn't overturn the front office and dismiss a recently hired head coach without understanding the organizational recalibration is going to take time. Sure, the Pistons have acquired various veterans. But that's more about increasing the operating room for Cade Cunningham, their directional polestar.

Detroit has enough intriguing young talent to meander into faster-than-expected success. Right now, though, Cunningham is the lone player within a universe of active stardom. It will take time, as in years, for Ron Holland, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and/or Jaden Ivey to follow suit—assuming any of them do.

At some point, Gores may demand progress get more linear and come in the form of victories. But the currently constructed Pistons are far enough away from contention and asset-neutral enough that activating urgency mode in a year or two can't float a placement much better than this one.

25. Charlotte Hornets

Scan through the Charlotte Hornets depth chart, and you'll find this team enters 2024-25 as the quintessential "Potential Overachiever." And to be honest, I'm not sure whether that's good or bad for their immediate future.

Charlotte's new governorship and front-office regime has prioritized the long term (and turning over the medical staff). Selecting Tidjane Salaun at No. 6 may be the ultimate clarifier. He is, without question, the dials-all-go-to-11 material and also a project. A team bent on winning as much as possible over the next three years doesn't travel down the same path.

But the Hornets' hands could be forced one way or another.

Outperform expectations, and the temptation to make moves that bolster the immediate timeline could take over. Or it could prompt the front office to trade the roster out of winning. Hover around the top-middle of the lottery, and, well, everything could remain the same. Or it could invite a more nuclear approach, like dealing Miles Bridges or even LaMelo Ball.

Wherever the 2024-25 Hornets land, and however they handle it, this isn't a team on the verge of gaining access to the contender club before 2027. At the most fundamental level, Charlotte's fate remains too married to developing prospects and players without defined ceilings.

24. Los Angeles Clippers

Opinions on where the Los Angeles Clippers belong may have a broader range than any other team.

Everything comes down to how soon you believe this squad will fade out of relevance, because it's absolutely happening. The Clippers just lost Paul George for nothing, which inextricably ties their next three years to Kawhi Leonard's health and a soon-to-be 35-year-old James Harden.

Good luck with that.

Los Angeles does not have any blue-chip prospects to offset decline or absences from either of its stars—or to begin replacing George. It also doesn't have a wealth of first-rounders to trade for upgrades. And that presumes it's even willing to mortgage more of its future for the present.

Truth be told, the Clippers seem more likely to trade Kawhi this coming season than their 2031 first-round pick. That says it all. And if you're placing them any higher, it's because you believe in what this roster could do next year alone—a fair approach, but one that doesn't move yours truly all that much.

23. Utah Jazz

Renegotiating and extending Lauri Markkanen has done little to shed light on the where the Utah Jazz will go from here.

General consensus skews toward this being a reflection of an underwhelming trade market and, more importantly, the team's attempt to purchase latitude from Markkanen himself.

We know he's happy in Utah. He's also a 27-year-old All-Star entering the eye of his prime. Sitting through a rebuild probably isn't on his bingo card (consider his reaction to last season's deadline selloff). Paying him earlier than you have to, and all the way up to the max this year, should help earn his patience.

This, in turn, suggests the Jazz will have the runway to play all the kids and curtail the minutes and appearances of their vets—including, potentially, Markkanen himself—in their quest to Capture The (Cooper) Flagg. That approach may be the smartest one. It's certainly safer. But it invariably nukes Utah's place within this window for no fewer than two seasons, if not all three.

Others will entertain the Jazz going for it, either on purpose or, much like the past two half-seasons, by accident. That's possible in theory. It's harder to imagine in practice.

Is team CEO Danny Ainge really going to cash in trade chips before seeing this core in a postseason setting? And is there anyone the Jazz could realistically acquire that elevates them to the middle of the top or higher?

22. Atlanta Hawks

Control over the Atlanta Hawks' next three first-rounders belongs to the San Antonio Spurs. That heavily disincentives any rebuilding inklings they might have.

And yet, without those picks, they don't have the capacity to dramatically shoot up the standings—unless they're capable of a leap (or blockbuster trade) as currently constructed.

Progress without further change is well within the realm of possibility. The roster is more balanced after the Dejounte Murray deal. But Atlanta desperately needs two-way wings and is even more reliant on unproven players—two of whom, Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels, happen to represent their best crack at actually having two-way wings in the rotation.

Housing an offensive superstar like Trae Young goes a long way. And the Hawks have a handful of useful knowns, including Bogdan Bogdanović, Jalen Johnson, Larry Nance Jr., Onyeka Okongwu, De'Andre Hunter and Clint Capela. But even some of their proven names aren't all that proven (Johnson, Okongwu).

Atlanta is in an objectively weird spot. And while it is not without options or immediate potential, it is one to two significant additions or developmental explosions away from entering the contender's clique.

21. Toronto Raptors

Discernible directions are critical to mapping out where each team belongs in this pecking order. The Toronto Raptors don't have one.

That reads like an insult on its face. And it can be. In this case, it's not.

Toronto's offseason has unfolded like a team that prefers reacting to what's already in place rather than proactively bolstering or detracting from it. That's a fair approach relative to the Raptors' position.

They have a guiding-light centerpiece around whom to build in Scottie Barnes, but the rest of the core is very much up for debate. Certain players may prove expendable. Others will be indispensable. Toronto just doesn't know yet.

Clarifying the non-Barnes nucleus will ultimately determine the Raptors' multiyear window. If they're not good enough to sniff the play-in tournament next season, team president Masai Ujiri could oversee a deliberate step back in deference to the much bigger picture.

If the foursome of Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl holds up just as well across a larger sample size, though, Toronto will be a better-than-expected squad with the resources to beef itself up via trade. And even then, unless the Raptors consider themselves a stone's throw away from something special, the longer-haul approach could wind up winning out.

20. Miami Heat

If anyone has a firm handle on where the Miami Heat will be year-over-year, let alone across a three-season stretch, please let me know. Their range of outcomes is so vast that it twists my brain into a pretzel that's then baked at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately six hours too long.

Jimmy Butler's window is the starting point. And since he turns 35 in September, urgency is the default.

Then again, Butler is entering a contract year (2025-26 player option). The Heat have to decide how much longer Playoff Jimmy can spearhead a legit threat—and whether Regular Season Jimmy can be available and good enough to ensure Playoff Jimmy even has a chance to show up.

Is Bam Adebayo ready to take the torch as the hub for all things Miami? We know they have the gall to broker altering moves, but do the Heat have the assets to land someone else who can?

If there are no major changes in the coming year(s), do Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, Nikola Jović and Haywood Highsmith arm the organization with enough developing firepower to extend the Jimmy window?

Much of what happens in Miami is often inexplicable. That used to be a draw. The lack of surety in the short and medium terms is now the weight tightly tethered to their ankles holding them back, potentially rooting them in place, if not on track to do what team president Pat Riley never does and rebuild.

19. Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis and LeBron James remain transcendent enough to imbue the Los Angeles Lakers with toppish-of-West hope in any given year. For how much longer that'll remain true is anyone's guess.

LeBron is entering his age-40 season. Who knows whether he'll still be playing in 2026-27. Davis will be around, and presumably in Los Angeles, but he's 31 himself, an age at which you worry about his checkered injury history wreaking further havoc.

The Lakers have likewise made it difficult to even trust their immediate window by (so far) failing to significantly upgrade the on-court personnel.

Optimists will point to rookie Dalton Knecht and the prospect of a healthier Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent as consequential additions. That's…a stretch. More than that, it presumes everything from last year remains the same. It won't.

AD and LeBron appeared in 66 games together. It will be genuinely shocking if that happens again next year—or in any seasons thereafter. Without another burgeoning bridge into the future on the roster, you need to trust that the Lakers will pull off a big-time acquisition to have the utmost confidence in this core contending now or soon.

18. San Antonio Spurs

All things for the San Antonio Spurs seem possible through Victor Wembanyama. He finished his rookie season as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year and in the periphery of All-NBA discussions. San Antonio also won the minutes he got to play with an actual point guard (i.e., Tre Jones)—and obliterated the competition when adding Devin Vassell to the equation.

Placing them so far outside the top 15 feels inane as a result. They have the potential next face of the league, plenty of financial flexibility and gobs of trade assets. What's stopping them from cannonballing into the contender's circle?

Organizational restraint.

The Spurs have maintained their longer view heading into this season. They may be frisky anyway, but they've punted on at least one year of serious acceleration.

That's fine. Wemby is 20. Time is on their side. But it's not clear what it'll take to get the Spurs to act like a contender. Is it just another season in the lottery and they'll hightail from there? Will they wait another two years, going the developmental and placeholder routes while hoarding assets for swings closer to Wemby's prime? Do they just emerge as a top-of-the-West menace without making any changes?

Anything seems on the table (though the latter scenario rests on Stephon Castle and probably Jeremy Sochan going kaboom soon). That's optionality the Spurs and their fans should value. It also means their spot inside shorter-term-outlook rankings must be treated with degrees of caution.

17. Golden State Warriors

High-variance outcomes complicate the Golden State Warriors' place in the medium-term landscape. Like many of the other past-their-pinnacle contenders we've already discussed, this team's floor has the potential to implode.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are entering their age-36 and age-34 seasons, respectively. Decline at the top is an imminent possibility, if not assured.

At the same time, the Warriors have what could be an improving secondary core. Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski are nothing if not useful complements, and both had the kind of 2023-24 campaign that, generally speaking, makes you believe they can contribute to a winner right now. Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis do not fall in the exact same boat but have shown enough to warrant role expansion.

We must also keep Golden State's purported urgency to upgrade in mind. Dalliances with the Paul George and Lauri Markkanen rumor mills suggest the front office is prepared to do something substantial in service of the Steph-and-Draymond window, and the Warriors have the assets to enter splashy sweepstakes.

Whether they are willing to part with all or most of their best trade chips is a different story. And not only is a blockbuster acquisition galaxies from guaranteed, but it's tough to identify a fairly feasible target who adequately reopens their title window relative to this field.

Having Steph and Dray with depth and supporting upside is still far from a nightmare scenario. Golden State handedly beat opponents in the minutes its two stars logged last season without Chris Paul and Klay Thompson, and many of the primary options to flesh out those (now core) lineups are on the upswing.

16. Houston Rockets

Depth and flexibility are a bedrock of the Houston Rockets' trajectory—so much so that, at first glance, this comes across as too low.

Perhaps it is. But three years is a semi-immediate window, and the Rockets are still playing a longer game.

Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason are all critical to this team and far from finished products. There could also be somewhat constant changeover in the pecking order, not just as guys like Thompson and Sheppard continue to improve, but as Houston prioritizes 2025 cap space and stockpiles assets that portend a big swing.

All of which is a great thing. It still takes time. And to Houston's credit, it shouldn't require a ton.

Flexibility and oodles of young players trending upward are a recipe for awesome returns. The Rockets' contending window simply feels like it'll open at the end of the three-year span at which we're looking—unless we can convince the league to transfer them to the East, in which case it could open sooner.

15. Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are more likely to win a championship next season than more than half the league. Their title equity beyond that is much less clear.

Having Devin Booker in the heart of his prime helps. But Kevin Durant, while seemingly ageless at times, is entering his age-36 season and just carried an immensely heavy burden last year. How much longer can he perform at the level of a top-10 player?

This core is also ripe for turnover—and not necessarily the good kind.

If Tyus Jones is still in Phoenix this time next year, something's probably gone terribly wrong. Team governor Mat Ishbia seems willing to pay through the teeth and trade what few assets the Suns have, but transactional upgrades aren't easy inside the second apron. And more than that, every billionaire has their limit. Anything less than a title in 2024-25 could lead to a cost-cutting pivot—and a disgruntled star or two.

That downside is too much to overlook in favor of what next year could be. It'd be different if the Western Conference wasn't set up to be absolute hellfire, but it is, which puts teams operating on year-by-year windows at a disadvantage over the medium term.

14. Sacramento Kings

Every team smack dab in the middle of this pecking order is incredibly hard to forecast. The Sacramento Kings are no different.

Next season's team will be better. DeMar DeRozan adds much-needed outside-in creation, Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter (probably) won't finish the year injured, Keegan Murray will continue to get better, and the Kings somewhat quietly ranked sixth in points allowed per possession from March 1 onward (and 12th after the trade deadline).

To what end we can trust the defensive improvement is debatable. A lot will remain on the shoulders of Murray and Keon Ellis, and Sacramento could have a harder time plucking out the right assignments for DeRozan in lineups that feature him and Domantas Sabonis.

To Sacramento's credit, it has a steadier floor than many teams to come. DeRozan just turned 35, but Murray, Monk, Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox are all in or approaching their primes. Retaining everyone shouldn't be difficult. Fox and Murray will require larger paydays but not until the end of this window, and Sacramento has money to move around if need be.

Noticeably improving the overall product from here is the real challenge. The Kings have picks and digestible contracts to trade, but they're not flush enough to win any glitzy sweepstakes without including Murray—which they won't do. Are they really a Dorian Finney-Smith or Cameron Johnson away? Does a healthy Devin Carter have upside that'll be actualized within this window?

This team is good and should remain good, but there's no clear roadmap to party-crashing the top of the Western Conference on a consistent basis, if at all.

13. New Orleans Pelicans

Believe me when I say that I tried to put the New Orleans Pelicans higher. Peak Zion Williamson is an MVP candidate, the Dejounte Murray trade has the potential to be a home run, and the combination of Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III gives the team all sorts of lineup flexibility.

Prevailing uncertainty capped their ceiling (for me) in the end. We can split hairs over a spot or two from here, but the sheer breadth of question marks is overwhelming.

Will Zion ever be healthy enough to headline a playoff push? (And to be clear, this isn't an out-of-shape issue.) What's going to happen with Brandon Ingram? Does he get an extension or re-sign next summer? Is he ready to churn out the three-point volume and complementary offense necessary to work alongside Zion and Murray if he does? And if the Pelicans pay him, can they afford to keep the band together following Murphy's eventual lucrative deal? Or should we just assume CJ McCollum is a goner?

Does New Orleans just grapple its future tax concerns by moving Ingram himself? Who and what do they get back for him if they do? Chances are if there was a robust market for his services, we'd have heard about it now—or he'd actually be on a new team.

What's going on with the center position? Some Pelicans fans have a habit of simply rattling off incumbent names—Daniel Theis, Yves Missi, Karlo Matković—as if that somehow makes it better.

Between the need for some roster reorientation and an increasingly expensive core the organization is unlikely to bankroll in full, New Orleans' any-given-season ceiling is ultra high, but its overall outlook remains hazy.

12. Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers have the two most pivotal parts of a title contender already in place: a bedrock superstar around which their entire team can orbit (Tyrese Haliburton), and a co-star who is more likely to be overqualified than under-qualified as the No. 2 option of a really good team.

Supporting talent retention and advancement are the factors that will swing what happens next.

Indiana has locked up Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin for the duration of this window but faces tough decisions after next season. T.J. McConnell and, more notably, Myles Turner are scheduled for free agency. Bennedict Mathurin will be extension-eligible.

This roster is going to change—most likely in uncomfortable ways. Indiana isn't going to pay everyone, particularly with two max guys already on the books. The Pacers can maybe float the status quo for another year after this one, but keeping Turner may come down to shedding salary elsewhere, likely in the form of Toppin.

Grappling with payroll gymnastics is always tough. It's even more complicated for Indiana. The Pacers are reaching this point before growing into a finished product. This core needs, at minimum, another capable wing defender for the playoff crucible.

Maybe that's Jarace Walker. But his role and fit are increasingly fuzzy with Siakam and Toppin slated for major minutes. Using him as the de facto 3 isn't guaranteed to work at either end, though it feels doable on defense, even if Walker has to be more disciplined.

Do the Pacers have the time and space and stomach for developmental reps while operating on an immediate timeline? If they don't, are they willing to move Walker and/or Mathurin for a better-fitting contributor? And can they do that while squeezing whomever comes back into their salary structure?

Fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, Indiana's organizational progress is undeniable. But it's now tasked with transitioning from good to great, an absurdly difficult leap that, as things stand, cannot be assured.

11. Memphis Grizzlies

So many of the Memphis Grizzlies medium-term indicators demand they crack the top 10. They turned in consecutive 50-win campaigns before crappy across-the-board availability rendered 2023-24 a gap year.

Picking up where they left off should be considered more of a given than a question mark. Desmond Bane (26), Ja Morant (25) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (25) are all entering their age-26-or-younger seasons. Memphis has routinely spit out bonafide-contender results when they play together, and their collective standing could improve following the additional self-creation experience Bane and, more notably, Jackson gained without Morant last year.

The Grizzlies also didn't labor through 2023-24 for nothing. GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr. emerged as genuinely intriguing rotation players, and they turned the No. 9 pick into Zach Edey, an exceptionally large human (7'4") who could form a terrifying defensive front line alongside JJJ.

Leaving Memphis outside the top 10, while tough, comes down to its sustainability. The core may be on the younger side, but JJJ and Morant have only appeared in 70 games (or the equivalent) once apiece.

Jaren Jackson Jr.'s next contract is part of the calculus, too. Could the Grizzlies be reluctant to pay him big money starting in 2026-27 after shelling out huge stacks for Bane and Morant? And if they're not, are they willing to foot the bill for three stars and appropriately spend on the supporting cast around them?

10. Milwaukee Bucks

Figuring out where to rank the Milwaukee Bucks was/is/will remain a painstaking process.

They have a more promising one-year window than a handful of teams in front of them. But next season has a last-best-chance vibe to it when considering the age of the core. And their 2024-25 stock isn't exactly unimpeachable.

Khris Middleton just turned 33 and had offseason surgery on both ankles. Damian Lillard is 34. Brook Lopez is 36—and a free agent after next season. Giannis Antetokounmpo turns 30 in December and has seen injuries derail his availability during each of Milwaukee's past two playoff stints.

Buying stock in next year's Bucks isn't hard. They were far from perfect last season and still dominated with their Core Four on the court. Give me all the 2024-25 Milwaukee capital you're selling.

Even with Antetokounmpo, though, the wheels are at risk of falling off the collective operation in every year that follows. And as things stand, Milwaukee has none of the incumbent youth, financial flexibility or trade assets to effectively mitigate its downside.

9. Orlando Magic

Fielding an elite defense should never be an issue for the Orlando Magic through this window. They finished second in points allowed per possession last year...and then proceeded to add Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and lock down Jonathan Isaac on a longer-term agreement.

Rising to the level of legitimate contender will require offensive evolution. Paolo Banchero proved during the first round of the playoffs he can shoulder a No. 1's burden during the highest-stakes moments. Orlando still needs more.

That could come from someone already on the roster. Jalen Suggs has improved as a spacer, driver and decision-maker. Franz Wagner has plenty of physical shiftiness to him. But can Suggs bring more offensive organization over time? And can Wagner settle into higher efficiency on his jumpers?

These questions have yet to be answered. And in all likelihood, for what the Magic need (off-the-bounce creation and shot-making), their second-most important offensive player isn't on the roster yet.

This should probably foist Orlando outside the top 10. But it has the assets to make something substantial happen at any point over the next three years.

Placing them here is a nod to their defense, Banchero's ascending star, the prospect of internal development and playing in the East. It's also an equal parts bet that they'll take a meaningful swing on the trade market—and soon.

8. New York Knicks

Depth, sustainability and the presence of a clear, worthwhile North star significantly brighten the New York Knicks' three-year window. Jalen Brunson is at least partially responsible for three of those things.

New York doesn't have a tentpole star without him. That's inarguable. And he has further anchored their future by signing his four-year, $156.5 million extension that'll make it easier to keep this core together while working underneath the second apron. For the foreseeable future, the Knicks' depth and relative affordability will be made possible by him (and other potential developments).

Adding Mikal Bridges noticeably increases New York's championship equity. The cost was steep, but the star-trade market hasn't yielded the perfect option over the past few years. Bridges fits everywhere, is more likely to sign a team-friendly extension next summer on a squad with his best buds from college and upgrades the Knicks' perimeter defense, secondary ball-handling, spacing and lineup flexibility.

Like many on or near New York's level, they could be slotted higher. But degrees of uncertainty remain leading into and beyond next season.

How does the center rotation fare without Isaiah Hartenstein? Will Tom Thibodeau explore OG Anunoby-Julius Randle frontcourts? (Yes.) Will Anunoby be healthy enough year-over-year for the Knicks to maximize their defensive potential?

Is Randle's shot creation more important now that New York has cashed in most of its draft-pick stockpile for someone who doesn't count that as their calling card? If so, will his strengths finally scale to the postseason? And will he definitely be around beyond next year (2025-26 player option)?

Make no mistake, the Knicks are immediately in contention for biggest-Eastern-Conference-threat-to-Boston honors. But their path to continued improvement from here is more challenging without any blue-chip prospects or tantalizing trade assets left in the tank.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

Choppy availability at the top of the roster last season coupled with uninspiring returns when the Big Four played together have likely left many questioning the long-term viability of the Cleveland Cavaliers. That is reasonable.

Better availability will render the Cavs more menacing over the short and long term. But they still have wrinkles to iron out at the top. The dynamic between a Darius Garland-Donovan Mitchell backcourt and Jarrett Allen-Evan Mobley frontcourt isn't unimpeachably sympatico.

Unlike other teams, though, Cleveland has the benefit of continuity on its side.

Allen, Garland, Mitchell and Mobley are all signed through at least the next three years. You seldom see such a talented core under lock and key for that long. Even if the Cavs are forced to pivot, any player they might move will have enough trade value to effectively help reshape, if not upgrade, the remaining roster.

This assumes Cleveland eventually needs to pull the ripcord. It might not. The Cavs outscored opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions, across a much larger sample, when the Big Four played together in 2022-23.

Accomplishing that in their first season as a unit is a big deal. And not only did it come amid less familiarity, but the roster wasn't as well equipped to space the floor, Cleveland didn't have as much info on its staggering patterns, and Mobley, more so than anyone else, wasn't the player on offense he is today.

Combine talent and continuity with an Eastern Conference that's still wide open after Boston, and for all their struggles last year, the Cavs' medium-term needle is clearly trending in an upward direction.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a top-five case when evaluating next season alone. Their long-term outlook is pretty rosy as well. Anthony Edwards is already #thatdude and has yet to even enter his peak.

Whether they can prop up a top-five window beyond next season rests on a couple of other factors.

Rudy Gobert is entering his age-32 season while Mike Conley goes into his age-37 campaign. Significant drop-offs from either of them—especially Gobert—would verge on crippling.

This might not concern you. And that's fine. Gobert was moving exceptionally well last season en route to winning his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. Transcendence tends to fade gradually rather than suddenly.

Payroll realities are the bigger concern. Minnesota has committed to entering the second apron next year, but the C-Suite, no matter who's running it, won't foot a six-figure luxury-tax pill forever.

Will Gobert (2025-26 player option) accept less to stick around? Does this end with the Wolves moving on from him or Karl-Anthony Towns? Can the defense sustain without the former? Will the offense suffer without the latter?

Rob Dillingham's arrival is critical to Minnesota sustaining its championship-contending form through the inescapable audibles to come. If he hits as an outside shot-maker, second primary playmaker and someone just generally able to get off the ball quickly both alongside and independent of Edwards, the Timberwolves have a cost-controlled ceiling-preserver and -raiser on their hands. If his impact isn't semi-immediate, we could see their title chances take a hit, even if temporarily, in one or two of the next three years.

5. Dallas Mavericks

SuperDuperUltraMegaAbsurd stars have a way of wedging open title windows almost entirely on their own. Luka Dončić is that brand of brilliant—and just about to enter his age-25 season, which is SuperDuperUltraMegaAbsurdly ridiculous. That alone puts the Dallas Mavericks into the top-10 conversation.

But Dončić is not alone. Not even close.

Landing Dereck Lively II at the 2023 draft was a stroke of genius by the Mavs front office. The closer he inches toward his prime during this window, the better off Dallas will be.

Kyrie Irving arms the Mavs with a certified co-star. He's also one of their question marks—not because of his fit, but because he'll close this window in his age-35 season. For as deep as Dallas is now, it's not built to withstand much measurable regression from him.

The integration of a 34-year-old Klay Thompson looms as well. But the Mavs are younger elsewhere. P.J. Washington is about to turn 26. Daniel Gafford turns 26 in October. Naji Marshall turns 27 in January. Quentin Grimes is a sneaky candidate to emerge as a big-picture three-and-D anchor and is only entering his age-24 season.

Any prospective downside tethered to the Mavs' window likely won't manifest until the final year—at the absolute earliest. And that's assuming they don't have another notable trade or two in them. They might. They have two first-round picks to peddle in trades now, and that number climbs to three if they wait long enough.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

More boom-or-bust potential is ingrained into the Philadelphia 76ers' three-year window than most other teams at the top of this hierarchy. They have one of the best, most balanced player trios on paper, but this timeline takes Paul George into his late-30s, and Joel Embiid's durability will only become a hotter-button issue now that he's 30 himself.

Extend this window to five years, and the Sixers aren't in the top five. Three seasons is a different story.

George shouldn't be subject to a ton of decline for at least the first two years, and Embiid is hardly old enough to assume his age and mileage will exacerbate his health concerns. More critically, Tyrese Maxey doesn't 24 until November. He's already an All-Star—and only going to get better.

Philly's bandwidth for making other moves further cements its top-five case. It has digestible contracts to use as salary-matchers and can trade up to four first-round picks this season, with other distant selections opening up in the years to come.

Team president Daryl Morey, of all people, isn't going to pearl-clutch those if and when he has an opportunity to advance immediate championship chances.

3. Denver Nuggets

Views of the Denver Nuggets' multiyear window will inevitably vary.

On the one hand, they have Nikola Jokić, the best player in the world who won't age out of being in the conversation for best player in the world during this span. Keeping Jamal Murray (2025 free agent) and Aaron Gordon (2025-26 player option) around is enough to float plenty of immediate and short-distance championship equity.

Denver's bet on youth can also feasibly boost its stock. If one or more of Christian Braun, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson take major steps forward over the next couple of years, the Nuggets' title window both instantly strengthens and noticeably extends.

On the other hand, investments in youth and cost-conscious spending on talent retention threaten to undermine part of the operation. Murray will almost definitely stick around. Gordon feels like a dicier proposition. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is already gone.

Devoid of the assets necessary to make a course-altering trade, Denver doesn't seem built to fend off potential curveballs. Perhaps Michael Porter Jr. has unexplored layers into which he can tap. Overall, though, putting the Nuggets this high is a vote of confidence not just in Jokić, but a belief that AG goes nowhere and two of the kids reach top-six-player-on-a-title-contender level of good.

2. Boston Celtics

Aging supporting cast members and second-apron realities are the only arguments against the reigning champion Boston Celtics falling short of the pole position.

Al Horford will enter his 40s during this window and could retire. Jrue Holiday will be playing out his mid-30s. Derrick White will cross into age-30 territory. So will Kristaps Porziņģis—who's also slated for free agency during this window and remains a gigantic health risk.

This alone won't be enough to talk everyone out of the Celtics having the premier three-year window. That's fair! So long as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are in their primes, Boston's ceiling will remain "Parade in June."

Yet, if age doesn't come for the Celtics, turnover almost assuredly will. They are committed to paying into the second apron next season. With Tatum and White beginning lucrative extensions in 2025-26, and Brown already on his supermax, we can't guarantee Boston will float its soaring payroll much longer than that.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

If we're being honest, this should probably be inarguable.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the oldest of the Oklahoma City Thunder's star trio—and he's headed into his age-26 season. Chet Holmgren (age-22 season) and Jalen Williams (age-23 season) will both only get better.

Affording everyone long-term could get finicky. Holmgren and Williams won't start their "fun maxes" until 2027-28. Relative to the rising salary cap, OKC should have no trouble bankrolling their next deals and SGA's inevitable supermax, which will also begin in 2027-28.

If things get tight, the Thunder are the epitome of maneuverability. They have a team option on Isaiah Hartenstein in 2027-28, zero bad contracts on the books and all the draft picks ever to either keep replenishing the rotation with cost-controlled contracts or to use as trade chips that address whatever needs or can't-miss opportunities arise.

At a time when contending windows seldom stay open more than three years, Oklahoma City is positioned to run this league for the next decade.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.

Unless otherwise cited, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass. Salary information via Spotrac. Draft-pick obligations via RealGM.