Bleacher Report is ready to project the hottest debate topics for the 2024-25 NBA season.

From the MVP debate to a seemingly open Rookie of the Year race—to several team and player topics in between—these are arguments we'll have repeatedly throughout the next several months.

Let's have a look at a few of them.

Hit the comments to share where you stand regarding the season's hottest debates.

A Multi-Party MVP Race

Thanks in large part to the rivalry between Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid, the MVP race has become arguably the most consistent and heated debate in NBA circles for much of the last four years.

And in 2023-24, when Embiid was limited to just 39 games by an injury, a handful of others joined (or rejoined) the conversation.

With 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 2.0 steals for the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second to Jokić in MVP voting. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who already has two MVPs, became the first player in NBA history to average 30-plus points and shoot 60-plus percent from the field in the same season. After taking his Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 Finals, Luka Dončić should have plenty of momentum coming into the season (he's the current betting favorite).

With those three, a hopefully healthy Embiid and Jokić (who's won three of the last four) all in the mix, this topic is going to have tons of fodder for debate.

Rookie of the Year Debate Will be Wide Open

Chet Holmgren (and the quality of his Thunder) made the debate interesting for a month or two, but Victor Wembanyama eventually pulled away with one of the more dominant Rookie of the Year wins in recent history last season.

Given the hype with which Wemby entered the NBA, that result wasn't all that surprising. This year, the Rookie of the Year debate should be a lot tighter.

The current betting favorite, Zach Edey, is sort of a long shot at +500. Nine others, including No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, are between +600 and +1500.

As of this writing, the race is wide open. Some big early shooting nights from Reed Sheppard or a couple big double-doubles for Edey could create some separation, but it's also hard to imagine anyone being good enough to run away with the 2025 award the way Wembanyama did.

Lakers vs. Warriors...Whether You Like it or Not

Their teams have been pretty consistently in the play-in mix for the last two years, but as long as LeBron James and Stephen Curry are around, the media (and plenty of fans) will continue to focus on the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

And while the Warriors made plenty of shrewd additions after losing Klay Thompson (including pickups of Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson) and the Lakers still have two top-10 players in LeBron and Anthony Davis, it's not hard to imagine both finishing between seventh and 10th place again.

Mediocracy itself could lead to plenty of debates, too.

Are these teams wasting LeBron and Curry's twilights? Which stars could either squad trade for to salvage the season? Is it too late for LeBron and Curry to team up?

Whether you like it or not, the Lakers and Warriors will be the subject of plenty of debates between now and the next summer.

Celtics vs. the Field

The Boston Celtics completely dominated both the regular and postseason last year.

After going 16-3 in their championship-winning playoffs, they finished plus-1,083 in 101 total games. Only the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors finished with higher raw plus-minuses.

And then this summer, all Boston did was re-up everyone who had a chance to leave.

Kristaps Porziņģis' injury may throw off the first couple months of the season, but Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are all back. The team's depth and versatility should remain strengths.

And if they get off to another hot start in 2024-25, there will be plenty of debates about the possibility of anyone being able to challenge them in the 2025 playoffs.

Who's the Best Team in the West?

Right now, the Thunder feel like a relatively safe bet to finish first in the West again. After pulling that off in 2023-24, they added Isaiah Hartenstein to address one of their only regular-season flaws (lack of size and rebounding). They swapped Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso, which should improve the team's defense and put the ball in SGA and Jalen Williams' hands more often. And players like Holmgren, Williams and Cason Wallace could all be better in 2024-25.

But the Denver Nuggets still have the best player in the world in Jokić. The loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may be concerning, but the rotation will be younger and more athletic with Christian Braun and Peyton Watson playing more. Russell Westbrook and Dario Šarić also represent upgrades at both backup point guard and backup center.

Anthony Edwards is still on the rise for the Minnesota Timberwolves, so they should be in the mix again. The Mavericks, bolstered by the addition of Thompson, should be eager to defend their Western Conference Finals win. Ja Morant will be back for the Memphis Grizzlies. The Phoenix Suns now have a year of continuity under their belts, as well as the additions of competent point guards Tyus Jones and Monte Morris.

As has seemingly been the case throughout the last quarter century, the West is going to be a gauntlet again this season. And plenty of fanbases all over the conference will be arguing about which squad has the best shot at knocking off the Celtics (or whoever else might represent the East in the Finals).

Is the Embiid Era Over?

The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the league's most passionate and engaged fanbases. And having a perennial MVP candidate in Embiid has added expectations to that mix.

To this point, they haven't come close to meeting them.

Embiid has never made it out of the second round, and his 4.1 career playoff box plus/minus is well shy of his 7.0 in the regular season.

It's getting harder and harder to find reasonable excuses, too. Embiid's injuries almost have to be built into the equation, but his 50-point explosion against the Knicks suggested he was in pretty good form this past postseason.

With Tyrese Maxey ascending to bona fide star status and Paul George now on the team, it's even harder to let the Sixers off the hook.

If they don't make a deep playoff run in the next couple years, debates may turn from how disappointing Philadelphia has been to whether the Embiid era could be over soon.

Are the Knicks a Legit Contender?

The Knicks play in the league's biggest media market. They had a top-five MVP finisher in Jalen Brunson last season. They knocked out Embiid and the Sixers. And they followed up that campaign by adding a fourth Villanova Wildcat in Mikal Bridges to Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.

Things are lining up for New York to be one of the league's most likable and talked-about teams, but it remains to be seen how close it is to real title contention.

Playing in the East means the Celtics are in the Knicks' way. The Sixers just loaded up by adding PG to Maxey and Embiid. Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks, despite the age of much of the rotation, should still be in the mix. There are some young up-and-comers such as the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers. Even the Cleveland Cavaliers can't be ignored.

So, while the Knicks will provide plenty of topics to discuss over the next several months, we don't know if them being real contenders will be one of them.

How Good Is Cooper Flagg?

As was the case in the 2022-23 season when Wembanyama was still a prospect, the focus of teams at or near the bottom of the standings could quickly shift to the draft lottery in 2024-25.

Cooper Flagg isn't quite the prize Wemby was, but he has the potential to be a dominant, versatile defender and No. 1 option on the other end.

The Duke product could be something of a Grant Hill-Andrei Kirilenko hybrid, and if he exceeds expectations for the Blue Devils, plenty of teams will start angling for losses.

The debates over who should tank and who shouldn't will be common and heated.

How Much Does the Old Guard Have Left?

We touched on this a bit in the Lakers and Warriors slide, but Curry and LeBron aren't the only faces of the league nearing the end of their careers.

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Jimmy Butler will all be at least 35 by the time the season starts. Kawhi Leonard is only 33, but injuries may bring on his basketball mortality a little sooner.

And while all of the above have either won titles or been in the mix plenty of times in the past, with the possible exception of Durant's Suns, it's hard to imagine real contention for anyone else.

Harden and Leonard's Clippers lost George without any meaningful way to replace him. Butler is in a contract year after losing in the first round. Phoenix got swept in the first round by Minnesota.

This old guard has dominated headlines and conversations around the NBA for well over a decade, but the debates on them could be a bit more somber in 2024-25. The end of their NBA careers are in sight.

Who's Getting Traded?

There may be no other topic in the NBA as ubiquitous as player movement. And between now and February's trade deadline, there will be tons of discussion about who will be moved and where.

Butler, Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Brandon Ingram and Jarrett Allen have all been in and out of the rumor mill this summer. And depending how teams come out of the gate, a handful of others could join them before February.

Expect plenty of conversations, debates and fake trades including all of the above and more.