22. Detroit Pistons
Even as the Detroit Pistons have made strides in their development this season, this is a team that remains a big piece away from emerging as a true contender for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. And the injury to Jaden Ivey, which is likely to keep him out the remainder of the season, is surely going to hurt the Pistons and their outside shot of making the Play-In Tournament in the East this year. It's an unfortunate injury considering that Ivey was in the midst of a breakout season for the Pistons.
Another big decision that could end up having a pretty big impact on the team revolves around how they want to approach the NBA Trade Deadline. Detroit needs to make a big decision on the future of Malik Beasley as he could easily emerge as a strong trade candidate ahead of the deadline. As a player who has had an awakening this season, there will be at least some trade interest in the sharpshooting wing. If Detroit does pivot to embrace a seller role, Beasley, who has been the team's third-most consistent offensive threat, will almost certainly find himself on a new team in a month.
21. Chicago Bulls
With Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic still on the roster, it's impossible for the Chicago Bulls to not be at least somewhat competitive in the Eastern Conference. However, this is a team that remains very much in mediocrity. They're not good enough to make much noise but also not bad enough to be a notable lottery team. That's why it's important for this team to completely jump into rebuild mode heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. With a month before the trade deadline, it would be ideal for the Bulls to part ways with their two veteran players.
However, as we've seen over the last year, that's a lot easier said than done. Heading into the final few weeks before the deadline, it does seem as if there's another good shot that the Bulls end up empty-handed in their pursuits of completely retooling their roster. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if this franchise can handle another full offseason of uncertainty regarding what path they're willing to take further. The Bulls continue to be a non-factor until they jump-start a new build for the franchise.