By Noah Rubin
The 2024-25 NBA season is just over a month away, making this prime time for fantasy managers to prepare for their drafts. Rotoworld will have articles dropping during this time, starting with fantasy-related thoughts on each team. Next up in our division previews is the Pacific Division.
While the Lakers couldn’t make any significant moves, that wasn’t true for the Clippers, Kings and Warriors. Paul George and Klay Thompson were notable departures, while Sacramento acquired DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade. Last but not least, Phoenix addressed its expensive point guard shortage by adding Tyus Jones and Monte Morris in free agency.
2024-25 NBA Pacific Division Team Previews
Golden State Warriors
2023-24 Record: 46-36
Speed: 99.91 (11th)
Offensive Rating: 116.9 (9th)
Defensive Rating: 114.5 (15th)
One Possible Sleeper: De’Anthony Melton
With Klay Thompson and Chris Paul gone, a lot of minutes will be on the perimeter. Brandin Podziemski should get the first crack at the starting job, but Melton can significantly impact fantasy basketball in limited minutes. If Melton and Buddy Hield are the backups in the backcourt, they should be able to make a big impact in fantasy in limited minutes. Melton has been a top-100 player in 9-cat leagues the past two seasons in about 27 minutes per game. His 3-pointers and steals will be valuable.
One Mighty Bust: Trayce Jackson-Davis
While he should be their main center option, that doesn’t lock him in as a starter. Steve Kerr hasn’t been shy in the past about changing his starting unit, and while he may use TJD as a starter at times, there’s still a chance he starts Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga at power forward and center more often than not. . Jackson-Davis can still make an impact in limited minutes, but he doesn’t have the upside that most starting centers around the league have.
A Remarkable Number: 1,924
Since entering the league in 2016-17, that’s how many 3-pointers Hield has hit, which is second only to Stephen Curry during that stretch. Hield played more games than Klay during that stretch, so this isn’t to say he’s better by any means. However, Hield is one of the best shooters in the league and should help make up for the loss of one of the greatest Warriors ever. In addition, Hield has played at least 80 games in all but two seasons that were shortened due to COVID-19. Hield’s availability will be welcomed on an aging Warriors squad.
Los Angeles Clippers
2023-24 Record: 51-31
Speed: 97.93 (20th)
Offensive Rating: 117.9 (4th)
Defensive Rating: 114.6 (16th)
One Power sleeper: Kris Dunn. With Russell Westbrook gone, plenty of point guard minutes will be up for grabs. Kevin Porter Jr. and Bones Hyland are also candidates to fill some of those, but Dunn is the best defender and playmaker among those three. That should help him get the first slot at backup point guard, and it doesn’t take him long to come up with a lot of dimes and steals. James Harden’s backup will be a situation to watch during training camp.
One Mighty Bust: Derrick Jones Jr.
After a great season with the Mavs, Jones Jr. earned a payday with the Clippers, and he should come in as Paul George’s replacement. While he will be a great perimeter defender for them, managers shouldn’t expect any increase in offensive production. The minutes will be there, and he will help make up for George’s exit. However, DJJ is not a player to consider editing in most formats.
A Remarkable Number: 26.5
Here’s how many shots PG and Russ took per game last season. PG and Russ were first and third in usage among the players who were big parts of their rotation. Kawhi Leonard and Harden will be the primary offensive options, but they won’t see an extra 13 shots in each game. Norman Powell will see some of those, but guys like Bones Hyland and Kevin Porter Jr. will likely get more opportunities to make up for some of the offensive losses.
Los Angeles Lakers
2023-24 Record: 47-35
Speed: 101.38 (4th)
Offensive Rating: 115.4 (15th)
Defensive Rating: 114.8 (17th)
One Possible Sleeper: Max Christie
He only played a limited role off the bench in year two, but Christie was able to show some flashes. The Lakers didn’t make any roster changes this offseason, and Christie may be able to carve out a role under new head coach JJ Redick. When he saw consistent minutes last season, Christie was able to provide well-rounded production. He’s not a player to draft in standard-sized leagues, but he’s worth keeping an eye on, especially if Redick uses him more than Darvin Ham did.
One Mighty Bust: Jarred Vanderbilt
In year two with the Lakers, Vando only played 29 games due to injury and was not effective in limited minutes. He is an elite defender who provided solid rebounding and steal numbers. While he will have a role with the team, he may be limited by his shortcomings on the offensive end. Even if they can mask his limitations on offense to use his defense, managers shouldn’t expect him to provide much fantasy value this season.
A Remarkable Number: 35.3
Here’s how many minutes LeBron James played per game last season. Sure, he’s superhuman. However, it’s hard to imagine Redick using LeBron as much as Darvin Ham did during the regular season. That should open up opportunities for other guys to see more minutes and shot attempts, resulting in more fantasy options in standard leagues. LeBron should still be really good in fantasy, but expect his minutes, usage and games played to be managed to keep him around for the postseason.
Phoenix Suns
2023-24 Record: 49-33
Speed: 99.0 (15th)
Offensive Rating: 116.8 (10th)
Defensive Rating: 113.7 (13th)
One Possible Sleeper: Ryan Dunn
As one of the best defenders in the draft, Dunn can fit right in on a hitting team that lacks depth. He boasted an elite block and steal rate in college and should be able to make a significant impact in limited minutes. Dunn’s offense is concerning, but if he can avoid being a liability to that end, his defense should put him on the floor and allow him to pile up the stock.
One Mighty Bust: Grayson Allen
Coming off the best season of his career, the expectations may be that Allen is a safe fantasy option this year. However, they signed Tyus Jones with the intention of starting him. That pushes Allen to a backup role after he logged 33.5 minutes per game, which will undoubtedly decrease. In addition to that, Allen shot 49.9% from the floor and 46.1% on 3-pointers, which were the best marks of his career by a large margin. A decrease in shooting is to be expected, and a decrease in opportunity creates a recipe for disaster.
A Remarkable Number: 14.9
Here’s how many turnovers per game the Suns averaged last season, which was 25th in the league and worst among playoff teams. Enter Tyus Jones, who signed with Phoenix intending to be their new starting point guard. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal are all effective with the ball in their hands, but having a facilitator can make life easier for the elite scorers. Jones was a top 75 player in 9-cat leagues last season, and he should be an effective player for his new squad this season, which bodes well for the team as a whole.
Sacrament Kings
2023-24 Record: 46-36
Speed: 99.47 (14th)
Offensive Rating: 116.2 (13th)
Defensive Rating: 114.4 (14th)
One Possible Sleeper: Keon Ellis
After starting the year as nothing more than a depth piece in the Kings’ backcourt, Ellis carved out a role and entered the starting unit. He was a great fantasy pick down the stretch, mainly because of his defensive production. However, he also had some solid performances from beyond the arc. Ellis could end up as the starting shooting guard in Sacramento. In that scenario, he could have a lot of success in league play, though he’d still have to play a significant role off the bench if he ends up in that role.
One Mighty Bust: Kevin Huerter
His second season in Sacramento was not as successful as his first. Huerter ranked outside the top 150 in 9-cat leagues for the first time since his rookie year. He also played the fewest minutes of his career. He’s been a consistent starter when healthy, but even if he starts against, it wouldn’t be surprising if they deferred to Malik Monk and Ellis more often than Huerter. His spacing is helpful but doesn’t guarantee minutes or fantasy production.
A Remarkable Number: 1,039
That’s how many more combined field goals and free throws DeMar DeRozan attempted last year than Harrison Barnes. Adding DeMar was a good move for a Kings team trying to get back to the playoffs, but it definitely affects their offensive hierarchy. Sacramento plays much faster than Chicago, but either DeRozan will have to sacrifice a handful of shots per game, or the other Kings will have to give up some touches to maximize DeRozan’s shot-making.
