Which franchise will win a championship first?
Picking one franchise that will be able to win an NBA Championship first from the bunch could be a difficult task. Ultimately, at least for me, it came down to the Phoenix Suns or Minnesota Timberwolves. I believe the Memphis Grizzlies may have some foundational issues to figure out before they get back into the championship conversation and I don't know if the Indiana Pacers' duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam is good enough to break through with how much the Eastern Conference has improved of late.
The Suns have an amazingly talented core of Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker. And we know their front office decision-makers aren't afraid to be aggressive. I'd question their supporting cast and whether they still have the flexibility to build a contender around their big 3. That's not a given.
The Timberwolves might have the best player in the NBA in 2-3 years. Anthony Edwards is that good. But aside from Edwards, the Wolves don't necessarily have a clear No. 2 star. That worries me. Ultimately, I'd have to lean toward the Suns. I trust them more to figure it out. Even if their current build doesn't work out, they will be aggressive enough to build quickly around Booker again.
I think they do end up winning a championship within the next five seasons.