4 playoff hopefuls that should rebuild in 2025 NBA offseason ft. LA Clippers 

With just 22 NBA games left in the 2024-25 season, playoff hopefuls like the LA Clippers will look to give their all. Both conferences are still wide open, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks and the OKC Thunder seem to be the only teams guaranteed to make the playoffs this season.

If we look at the standings, the second and eighth seeds in the Western Conference are only separated by 6.5 games this late the season. The fourth and eighth seeds in the Eastern Conference are also separated by 6.5 games.

Many teams across the league are hoping to lock in a playoff spot. Today, we look at four such teams that should rebuild in the 2025 NBA offseason.

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Four playoff hopefuls that should rebuild in the 2025 NBA offseason

1) LA Clippers

The LA Clippers shipped P.J. Tucker and Mo Bamba to the Utah Jazz for Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Furthermore, they also acquired Bogdan Bogdanovic in exchange for Terance Mann and Nah'Shon Hyland on February 6.

The Clippers have most of their offensive and defensive duties covered between Norman Powell, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Together, these three make up one of the most capable trios in the NBA.

The LA Clippers need more reliability on the wings (Image via Imagn)

Despite their quality, the Clippers have failed to separate themselves and hold the sixth seed in the Western Conference. A quick look at the stats shows that the Clippers are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league.

A big reason for that is their lack of presence on the wings. This time last season, the Clippers were in the top half for 3-pointers made, but all their roster moves have robbed the team of wing presence. It would serve the LA Clippers well to pick up quality wing players and volume 3-point shooters during the 2025 NBA offseason.

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2) Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns traded Jusuf Nurkic to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a second-round draft pick.

One would imagine that the Suns would’ve been successful with a roster that includes Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. But that hasn’t been the case, and some changes are desperately needed.

The Suns have underachieved this season (Image via Imagn)

Booker, 28, has been the Suns’ longest-tenured player and is still on the right side of 30. It would make sense for the team to rebuild around him. The Suns might not have to do much of a rebuild either, as they could get quite an attractive package by moving Kevin Durant this summer.

Moreover, the team should also try to move Bradley Beal in favor of a true facilitator with a more reasonable contract.

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3) Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings were bold ahead of the trade deadline. They traded De'Aaron Fox, their franchise cornerstone, in a three-team deal that also brought Zach LaVine to Sacramento. Between Malik Monk, LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Kings have most of their offensive duties covered.

Furthermore, the team is also set in the pain,t thanks to the presence of Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas. However, DeRozan is 35 and has never been associated with winning basketball throughout his career.

The Kings could package DeMar DeRozan this summer (Image via Imagn)

The Kings need a more modern forward to pair with LaVine and Monk, one who preferably shoots more 3-pointers and is tenacious on defense. So, it would make sense for the Kings to pack DeMar DeRozan for a younger name.

Furthermore, the Kings also need to improve on defense and should look to land some defensively tuned players during the 2025 NBA offseason.

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4) Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers looking to boost their bench depth also made multiple moves resulting in the acquisition of Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler. Furthermore, the emergence of Tyrese Maxey also gave the team a reason to celebrate.

However, despite having some very capable players on the roster, Philadelphia is 11th in the NBA Eastern Conference, with a 21-38 record.

Joel Embiid has only started 19 games this season (Image via Imagn)

This is mainly due to their lack of depth and Joel Embiid’s lack of fitness. Embiid has only played 19 games this season and can’t be relied on, so the 76ers should consider picking up a quality backup center this summer.

Additionally, the team needs to make some serious moves to get more quality on their bench during the 2025 NBA offseason. Even if Philadelphia makes the playoffs this season, the lack of quality on their bench will likely see them make an early exit.

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Depending on how the above-mentioned teams perform over the rest of this season, we might see them make some drastic changes during the summer of 2025.