Milwaukee Bucks
New Year's Resolution: Retool around Giannis on the fly
The Milwaukee Bucks have managed to quietly recover from the struggles that they faced during the beginning of the season. As they continue to try to establish themselves as a legit championship contender in the Eastern Conference, this is a team that may have to come to terms with the reality that their core may have passed its prime. If the Bucks are subjected to another early playoff loss, this front office is going to have to make some difference-making moves at some point soon. For the sake of Giannis Antetokounmpo, it would have to come sooner rather than later.
That's why there's a very realistic possibility that the Bucks' biggest New Year's resolution heading into 2025 may be to retool around Giannis on the fly. If Milwaukee doesn't show any signs of potentially winning an NBA title this season, changes are going to be needed. And if the Bucks want to keep Giannis around, they'll have to get to work. With the way things stand in the East, I'm not sure if the Bucks can compete for a title this season. Assuming that to be the case, changes may be a necessity and not just an option.
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Year's Resolution: Find the right supporting star for Anthony Edwards
After a somewhat surprising trip to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, the belief was that the Minnesota Timberwolves were just beginning to scratch the surface of their potential as a team. However, at least to start this season, the Wolves have left much to be desired. They've continued to be competitive but the team has not been the contender that most expected them to be so far this year. The hope is that will begin to change over the second half of the season but that is far from a guarantee.
If that doesn't change, it wouldn't be surprising to see one of the team's biggest New Year's resolutions being to find the right supporting star to place next to Anthony Edwards. If the Wolves do end up flaming out after this season, it would be surprising for the team to simply run in back heading into next year. In fact, I'd say that it would be pretty surprising to see that happen. Especially with how great Edwards has been for the Wolves, he deserves a strong supporting star next to him. I believe the Wolves did set the groundwork for that when they traded Karl-Anthony Towns. The deal was never about Julius Randle. That's just something to keep in mind heading into 2025.