Ranking 5 tiers of the NBA Western Conference: Where do the new-look Mavs land?

Contenders

The teams in this category are legitimate contenders to win the NBA title in the 2023-2024 NBA season.

Denver Nuggets

Notable players lost: Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, Thomas Bryant

Notable players added: Justin Holiday

Losing Bruce Brown is the biggest difference between the championship team and the one entering the 2023-2024 season. However, the Nuggets are the defending champions and are bringing back the main guys on their squad to defend that title. Nikola Jokic is in the middle of his prime and has already put together a Hall of Fame career. If the Denver core can stay healthy, they are a threat to win it all again.

Phoenix Suns

Notable players lost: Chris Paul, Cameron Payne

Notable players added: Bradley Beal, Bol Bol, Eric Gordon

Oon paper, the Suns have the most talented roster in the league. It isn't even an arguable statement. A starting lineup that consists of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Deandre Ayton cannot be matched from a talent standpoint.

They should be the favorites to win the title, and it should be considered a failure if they don't. The biggest hurdles for them will be developing chemistry and perimeter defense. If they are able to get those things worked out, they will be extremely hard to beat.