The NBA Draft has come and gone in a heartbeat, which means that the time of year has come for teams to evaluate their position in preparation for the upcoming season, and make changes where they see fit. The trade season has begun for the NBA, which always promises to be a surprising, shocking, and turbulent time for coaches, players, fans, and teams alike. The movements of major players can make or break teams, completely shake the foundations of the NBA, and throw the balance of the Eastern and Western Conference.
While the off-season promises to have real-life consequences on the upcoming season, one other major component of the sport is drastically changed by trading, the video games. With NBA 2K24 seemingly on the agenda for September 2023, developers 2K will be closely watching the exchanges between teams to determine how they affect a team's overall rating. This is not the only factor, however, as a team's rating is determined by the performance of their stars, the result of the team's season, and how experts anticipate the team will perform next season. There are a few teams that failed to achieve their goals in 2022/23 and will likely experience a decline in their rating, with these teams in particular expected to have a lower rating in NBA 2K24.
5 Washington Wizards
Even in the early days of the trade season, the message appears clear in the capital city - it's time to clean house. After parting ways with franchise-favorite Bradley Beal, star forward Kristaps Porzingis, and with the future of Kyle Kuzma in question, Washington Wizards fans may need to anticipate some tough times ahead. While the Wizards gained former Golden State star Jordan Poole, the depth of the roster appears to be lacking.
After a disappointing season that saw them finish in 12th place in the East with a record of 35-47, it appears that the Washington front office is prepared to start rebuilding. Given the top-rated stars from the squad from NBA 2K23 are now no longer part of the team, it is difficult to believe that their ratings will be anything but lower than the previous installment's score of 85.
4 Brooklyn Nets
In perhaps the greatest "What If?" of the modern NBA era, the Brooklyn Nets gamble to finally bring home a championship has come to a spectacular end. After a turbulent couple of seasons with a roster boasting Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons, the Nets were the biggest championship threat in the Association, at least on paper. With Harden now in with the 76ers, Irving with the Mavericks, and Durant with Phoenix, Brooklyn now moves into a new chapter without their superstar squad and coach Steve Nash.
Brooklyn has become a home of opportunity for the likes of young talents Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, which have added some offensive spark and energy to the squad. While this bodes well for the long-term future of the franchise, the team they are now fielding on the court pales compared to the trio of Olympic Gold Medalists and multiple-time All-Stars. Given the drastically different look compared to the 90-rated team from NBA 2K23, and after crashing out of the playoffs without a win, the Nets may have one of the more significant drops in team rating.
3 Golden State Warriors
The future of the Golden State Warriors remains in the capable hands of the 3-point king Steph Curry, however, it has become evident that championship aspirations will require some elite company. In a spectacular trade that still has fans scratching their heads, the Warriors acquired 38-year-old veteran Chris Paul and parted ways with 24-year-old prospect Jordan Poole, who joins the Washington Wizards.
Much of this decision is centered around the salary cap space that the exchange has opened up, and the Warriors may not be done yet. However, after losing such a big part of their success, and with the lingering prospect of losing a key component in Draymond Green, Golden State may look very different from the squad they started last season with.
Whether future trades change the foundations of the Warriors team, it seems unlikely that there will be sufficient adjustments to justify maintaining their high rating of 94 from NBA 2K23. With that said, the fact that Curry and co. managed to overcome the charging Kings before falling to the Lakers in the second round shows that Steve Kerr can still produce magic with his team, so a strong overall rating can still be expected.
2 Los Angeles Lakers
A team featuring names like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook was never going to settle for anything less than a championship. Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Lakers, they were not able to deliver, instead opting for a plethora of trades throughout the season in an effort to build a winning formula as the season approached crunch time. There is no questioning the greatness of LeBron, who will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, but it seems that they cannot seem to find a combination to repeat the success of the 2020 team that won the title in "The Bubble."
Given the very different-looking team that now dons the purple and gold, including season pick-ups D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jared Vanderbilt, and Mo Bamba, it makes sense that the team's rating will reflect the changing roster. After their season came crashing to a halt at the hands of a 4-0 sweep by the eventual champions the Denver Nuggets, the 96 rating from NBA 2K23 does not fit the Lakers lineup expected to man the court in the 2023/24 season.
1 Milwaukee Bucks
The number 1 team from NBA 2K23 is unlikely to repeat history after they were unable to convert their regular season-best record, going down in a shocking first-round exit at the hands of Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. To add salt to the wound of crashing out in the post-season, it seems the fairytale of the lethal trio of Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holliday has potentially run its course.
Middleton has declined his player option to enter the free agency but is very likely to be re-signing with Milwaukee on a new deal. While this is great news for the franchise, given the impact that Middleton has been as the city's number 2 guy, it is tough to ignore his drop in form following his knee injury at the end of the 2021/22 season. He was only able to play a little over 30 games and averaged just a fraction of his pre-injury potential.
If there is one thing that NBA fans have learned, it's that the Milwaukee Bucks and their Greek superstar will always find ways to win, so the Bucks will likely maintain their place among the toughest challenges in the league. However, taking into consideration the short post-season campaign and the drop in the form of one of their key players, it wouldn't feel right to see the Bucks at the top of the mountain for NBA 2K24.
NBA 2K24 is currently in development and is anticipated to be released in September 2023.