With half of the 2024-2025 NBA season already in the rearview mirror, a little more than 20 teams are now gearing up in the hopes of securing a playoff spot or a play-in position in April.

While we know by now who the top teams are in each conference, there’s still much to play for the rest of the field when it comes to playoff positioning.

However, not all teams are in play to reach this year’s playoffs. Some did have high hopes at the start of the year, but injuries or other reasons hampered their chances right from the get-go. That’s the nature of sports, though. Not everybody is a winner.

While NBA teams will not openly admit it, it’s a foregone conclusion that they are only playing for the lottery balls to go their way and hope to land a franchise-altering talent in the future. At midseason point, we’ll list the 10 NBA teams whose 2024-2025 seasons are already over.

Which 10 NBA teams are going to miss the playoffs this season?

East: Washington Wizards

Feb 12, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) celebrates with Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) after making a game-tying basket against the Indiana Pacers in the final seconds of the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Let’s start with the obvious one here.

It’s not that the Wizards had the team to compete for a playoff or at least a play-in spot this season because, looking back at their offseason roster, we all knew that they weren’t going anywhere soon. Even with the addition of veterans Khris Middleton, Reggie Jackson, and Marcus Smart in the trade deadline, this team will inevitably end up at the bottom of the league’s standings this season.

But everything’s not lost for them, though, at least when we talk about their future. This team does have a good number of young NBA players who may end up as exceptional role players down the road. Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr, and Bilal Coulibaly should become major contributors in a few years. But reaching this year’s playoffs? Even if they win all their remaining games, they will still fail to make the top 10 in the East.

West: New Orleans Pelicans

Feb 13, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) looks on with his teammates on a time out against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Who would’ve thought that the lineup that consists of Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, and Zion Williamson would not contend for a playoff birth? Well, we all knew about the injury history that’s eerily attached to this franchise, so guess what? Those injuries unfortunately came and devastated this team right at the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Zion was out at the start of the season. Murray was out for a month, came back, and then ruptured his Achilles. McCollum was out for a month, too. And Ingram? He was sidelined due to an injury and was dealt to the Raptors at this year’s trade deadline. As former Pelicans player Dyson Daniels described it, there’s something in the water down in New Orleans.

East: Charlotte Hornets

Oct 8, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) and forward Brandon Miller (24) at mid court against the Miami Heat during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Hornets have a passionate fanbase and some LaMelo Ball stans all over social media, but this team isn’t built to reach the playoffs or even the play-in tournament. They are the second-worst team in the weak Eastern Conference this season despite having some pretty good players on the squad.

Injuries may have played a huge role in not meeting the expectations of their fans. However, their roster construction should have a huge part in their incompetence. It all starts with Ball. He’s a baller, no doubt, but his playstyle isn’t suitable for postseason contention. Miles Bridges has peaked, and Brandon Miller is experiencing the so-called “sophomore slump.” It feels like it’s been forever since this NBA team was in a rebuilding state. They are still in one now.

West: Utah Jazz

Feb 1, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) and head coach Will Hardy talk during a stop in play in the second half against the Orlando Magic at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
While we commend coach Will Hardy’s unrelenting passion for making this team respectable, this Jazz squad is still at the bottom of the NBA standings this season. Lauri Markkanen is an all-star quality player, but he isn’t fit to be the franchise-altering star the Jazz had hoped him to be.

They do have a good mix of role players, such as Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Walker Kessler, on the team, but having just good ones will always guarantee mediocrity, not a championship banner. Utah should just tank all the way for a chance at drafting Cooper Flagg. He’d be a perfect fit for this team next year.

East: Toronto Raptors

Jan 27, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) and forward Scottie Barnes (4) battle for a rebound during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Injuries. Ugh. That sums up the Raptors’ campaign. Quickley, Barnes, and Barrett weren’t available at the start of the season. They relied heavily on sophomore guard Gradey Dick to make shots, and that’s not a solid idea from an outsider’s perspective. They may not even get to 25 wins this year.

Fortunately for Toronto, their future looks brighter than that of other NBA teams on this list. They added Brandon Ingram to the roster at the trade deadline. That’s a move for the future, just not for today.

West: Portland Trail Blazers

Feb 10, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) gestures to center Deandre Ayton (2) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Blazers have a good mix of elite role players and a couple of potential all-stars on the roster. However, this team is missing a superstar who could take them to the next level in the NBA. While they surprisingly made a good run from late January to early February, reaching the playoffs should be out of the equation for them this year.

Statistically, they have an outsider’s chance of making the play-in tournament, but all signs point the other way, though. Too many games squandered at the start of the season really doomed their chances for a postseason birth this year.

East: Philadelphia 76ers

Dec 8, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Paul George (8) defend against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Yes, you read that right. The Sixers aren’t making the playoffs this year. Joel Embiid is hurt. Paul George is half the player he used to be. They lost promising rookie Jared McCain to a season-ending injury. Tyrese Maxey lost a lot of time earlier in this year’s campaign. Things haven’t gone as planned for this Sixers team in the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Not discounting Maxey’s brilliance, but he’ll have a hard time steering this team to reach the play-in tournament. There’s just no way he can carry this team with a rag-tag of role players surrounding him. Their bench depth isn’t impressive. Don’t feel too bad for the Philly fans, though. Their city is still a winner because of, you know, the Philadelphia Eagles.

West: San Antonio Spurs

Feb 10, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard De’Aaron Fox (4) react during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
The Spurs knew that they needed to create a winning environment around Victor Wembanyama. Without hesitation, they quickly made a deal with the Kings to acquire De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline. Could the addition of Fox be enough for this team to reach the NBA playoffs this season?

Looking at where they are in the Western Conference standings right now, the answers that their fans might be looking for are grim. The West is insanely loaded this year, and the Spurs might not have enough room to wiggle themselves into the top ten. Sorry, SA fans. Next year may be a different story, though.

East: Chicago Bulls

Feb 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) chases a loose ball against Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) and guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The Bulls will be the last team from the East to miss the play-in tournament and the playoffs. Yes, I’m picking the Brooklyn Nets to get the 10th and final spot for the play-in tournament at the end of the regular season. The Nets will have Cam Thomas back soon, and the way they approached the all-star break, they’d be locked in to make a late push.

As we all know, the Bulls traded Zach LaVine away for basically nothing. They now have no choice but to rely heavily on Nikola Vucevic and Coby White on offense. That last phrase doesn’t sound really appetizing for their fans, doesn’t it? And what’s the benefit of making the play-in anyway? Just do a complete rebuild in the offseason and hope that you land a top-three pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

West: Dallas Mavericks

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) and forward Anthony Davis (3) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
This was a tough choice but a logical one. First of all, Luka Doncic is no longer a Mav. Remember the guy who took this team to the NBA Finals this year? Yes, that Slovenian guy! He was dealt to the Lakers, and to everybody’s surprise, his former team unexpectedly took the ugly route by spitting some shady facts toward the current NBA superstar on his way out.

Secondly, new Maverick Anthony Davis appeared for just three quarters and went down with an injury in his Texas debut. Word is that he may miss the entire season. Unfortunately, they will be without a legitimate big man until the end of March. All of them are dealing with their own injury woes. It’s hard to bet against Kyrie Irving, but there’s only so much he could do for this squad. The injuries have swept the Mavs like a plague this season. On top of losing Luka to the Lakers, everybody has battled their own problems, whether it’s on or off the court.