Projecting Every NBA Team's Depth Chart, 2016 Training Camp Edition
After months of thumb-twiddling, pretending Olympics basketball is compelling and general soul-splitting tedium, NBA training camps are finally here.
This is not a drill.
Before you lose yourself in death-to-the-offseason revelry, we must tend to the depth charts. They are wacky and indefinite this time of year but worth our attention.
Sorting players on guaranteed contracts will be the priority. In exceptional cases (what up, Boston?), a guaranteed deal can be displaced for a make-good pact. Anytime a player of note, non-guaranteed or otherwise, doesn't make the 15-man projection, we'll call out his absence. We'll denote non-guaranteed deals expected to make the roster with an asterisk.
All 15 slots will be filled in for most squads, but not all of them. Positional designations, while increasingly opaque, will not be forced for the sake of aesthetics. If a team has eight jillion centers, its depth chart will reflect as much.
Injuries will not impact a player's inclusion or standing—we're interested in what these pecking orders look like at full strength. Next-man-up analysis, glaring holes, important additions and exits, improvements, regressions, playing-time battles and everything else will be addressed thereafter.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
| Dennis Schroder | Kent Bazemore | Kyle Korver | Paul Millsap | Dwight Howard |
| Jarrett Jack | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Thabo Sefolosha | Mike Scott | Tiago Splitter |
| Malcolm Delaney | DeAndre' Bembry | Taurean Prince | Kris Humphries | Walter Tavares |
Notable Exclusions: Mike Muscala (non-guaranteed)
Two of the Atlanta Hawks' five most-used players from last season, Al Horford and Jeff Teague, are now elsewhere. That's not ideal.
Dwight Howard replaces Horford's rim protection but not much else. Dennis Schroder has a higher ceiling than Teague, but the combination of Malcolm Delaney and Jarrett Jack won't maintain the top-seven offensive and defensive standing Atlanta's floor generals enjoyed in 2015-16, according to HoopsStats.com.
Depth in general is now an issue for this team. Tiago Splitter and Howard make for a dynamic rotation at the center spot when healthy, but the Hawks will struggle to field second-string positives at every other position.
Will Kris Humphries challenge Mike Scott for minutes as the backup 4? Will Tim Hardaway Jr.'s relative struggles force the Hawks to call upon rookies DeAndre' Bembry and Taurean Prince from the jump? Should they waive Walter Tavares or Hardaway to make room for Mike Muscala's non-guaranteed deal?
Kyle Korver's situation is also of note. He shot a human (aka un-Korver-like) 39.8 percent from downtown last season and, at 35, won't be good for 30-plus minutes per night. Any regression on his part would put further responsibility on the rest of Atlanta's wings—a legitimate concern given the collective inexperience of Bembry, Hardaway and Prince.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
| Isaiah Thomas | Avery Bradley | Jae Crowder | Amir Johnson | Al Horford |
| Marcus Smart | Gerald Green | Jaylen Brown | Jonas Jerebko | Kelly Olynyk |
| Terry Rozier | R.J. Hunter | Jordan Mickey | Tyler Zeller | |
| Demetrius Jackson |
Notable Exclusions: James Young ($1.8 million guaranteed)
It becomes easier to brush off Evan Turner's departure when looking at the Boston Celtics depth chart.
Horford plugs the middle in ways Jared Sullinger never could and brings superstar credentials the general public won't believe Isaiah Thomas can obtain. Turner's exit is mitigated another five times over with the addition of Jaylen Brown and by Marcus Smart's strong showing while defending 2s and 3s in the postseason—seriously, that happened.
Boston's bench is nevertheless due for a step back. Neither Brown nor Smart fills the playmaking void left by Turner, which is a major problem when combined with a continued dearth of floor-spacers. And if Gerald Green doesn't regain his spark-plug swagger, head coach Brad Stevens will be left counting on R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier, two unknown commodities.
But man, oh man, that starting lineup.
Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson and Isaiah Thomas posted a top-five offensive rating (107) in 883 minutes together. And now Horford is joining their dance party. These Celtics, still built to play almost any style, are going to be fun.
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
| Jeremy Lin | Sean Kilpatrick | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Trevor Booker | Brook Lopez |
| Greivis Vasquez | Randy Foye | Bojan Bogdanovic | Luis Scola | Justin Hamilton |
| Isaiah Whitehead | Caris LeVert | Chris McCullough | ||
| Joe Harris | Anthony Bennett |
Notable Exclusions: Chase Budinger, Yogi Ferrell (non-guaranteed) Jorge Gutierrez (non-guaranteed)
Even after committing to a long-term vision under general manager Sean Marks, the Brooklyn Nets face an identity crisis: Are they so devoted to the future that they'll play the younger talent at every position? Or, recognizing their crappy draft-pick situation, will rookie head honcho Kenny Atkinson cater to established placeholders?
Brooklyn's dare-to-be great selection of the oft-injured Caris LeVert at No. 20 in this year's draft (via the Indiana Pacers) would seem to offer an answer. But then the front office signed a ton of veterans in free agency, and Marks doesn't believe LeVert will be ready to start the season, per The Vertical's Chris Mannix.
Jeremy Lin and Greivis Vasquez will get minutes before newbie Isaiah Whitehead. Randy Foye or Bojan Bogdanovic might have the starting nod over Sean Kilpatrick. Anthony Bennett could be the victory cigar Brooklyn knows it'll seldom need.
Expect player development to take a backseat earlier in the year—Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is the only project assured of any run. It'll be up to the rest of the untested and unversed to make the most of short bursts and earn larger, more defined roles.
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
| Kemba Walker | Nicolas Batum | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Marvin Williams | Cody Zeller |
| Ramon Sessions | Jeremy Lamb | Marco Belinelli | Spencer Hawes | Frank Kaminsky |
| Brian Roberts | Aaron Harrison* | Christian Wood | Roy Hibbert |
Notable Exclusions: None
The Charlotte Hornets are entering uncharted territory without Al Jefferson.
Though Frank Kaminsky was better than expected on defense as a rookie and Cody Zeller has expanded his offensive arsenal, neither comes close to replacing Jefferson's post-up polish. Roy Hibbert hasn't been good in years and was never an offensive asset. Marvin Williams can slide over to the 5, but Spencer Hawes cannot defend today's 4s, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has surprisingly struggled at power forward in the past.
Charlotte won't make up any offensive ground on the perimeter, either. Marco Belinelli hardly supplants Courtney Lee, Jeremy Lamb is only good in spurts, Nicolas Batum isn't attractive as a full-time 2-guard, and Kemba Walker's shooting will suffer if the Hornets cannot replicate last season's spacing.
"We probably don’t have as many points in our lineup," head coach Steve Clifford said, per the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell. "We lost a lot of offense, but I think we’ll figure that out. We have potential to be better defensively. We get Mike [Kidd-Gilchrist] back, and he’s an elite perimeter defender."
Here's to hoping for a leap from Lamb, a world takeover from Zeller or jump-shot magic from Kidd-Gilchrist. Anything that keeps the Hornets from devolving into the all-defense, no-offense contingent of years past will suffice.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
| Rajon Rondo | Dwyane Wade | Jimmy Butler | Nikola Mirotic | Robin Lopez |
| Jerian Grant | Denzel Valentine | Doug McDermott | Bobby Portis | Taj Gibson |
| Isaiah Canaan | Tony Snell | Cristiano Felicio* | ||
| Spencer Dinwiddie* | Paul Zipser |
Notable Exclusions: None
The Chicago Bulls' projected starting five will include one shooter (Nikola Mirotic)—two if you consider Rajon Rondo's career-best 36.2 percent three-point clip with the Sacramento Kings his new normal (you shouldn't). All of the primary ball-handlers, from Dwyane Wade and Rondo to Jimmy Butler and Jerian Grant, are outside wild cards. You can't even bank on Butler recapturing his three-point acumen from 2014-15 (37.8 percent) with a clunkier supporting cast.
Rest in peace, floor spacing?
Head coach Fred Hoiberg must be abnormally creative with his lineups: Slotting Bobby Portis at the 5, beside Mirotic, has its spacing advantages. Denzel Valentine and his 40.8 percent success rate from deep in college can take up point guard responsibilities with Butler at the 2 and Doug McDermott at the 3 when Hoiberg is feeling aggressive and defensively reckless.
Speaking of defense, the Bulls aren't exceptionally equipped in that department.
The frontcourt is set whenever Hoiberg runs out Taj Gibson, Robin Lopez and Butler together. The backcourt is a mess of question marks. It's unlikely—borderline unfathomable—that Chicago survives on the perimeter during Butler's rest periods.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
| Kyrie Irving | J.R. Smith* | LeBron James | Kevin Love | Tristan Thompson |
| Mo Williams | Iman Shumpert | Mike Dunleavy | Channing Frye | Chris Andersen |
| Kay Felder | DeAndre Liggins* | Richard Jefferson | ||
| Jordan McRae* |
Notable Exclusions: None
Big Threes often come at the expense of depth, so it should come as no surprise that the Cleveland Cavaliers' supporting cast is on the leaner side. Their situation will get even more tenuous if J.R. Smith's contract status isn't soon resolved.
Sources told ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst that Smith will not be present at Cleveland's September minicamp in California, "as he and the team remain at an impasse in contract talks." Something similar happened with Tristan Thompson in restricted free agency last year: He skipped LeBron James' optional September meet-up in Miami and re-upped with the team less than a week before the regular season.
Iman Shumpert will assume more responsibility in the (rather unlikely) event Smith doesn't return. Head coach Tyronn Lue can also look to Mike Dunleavy and Richard Jefferson for helping hands. They're better shooters than Shumpert, and James can defend 2-guards while they face off against more suitable matchups at small forward.
Point guard is the more immediate concern. Matthew Dellavedova joined the Milwaukee Bucks, and Mo Williams only recently decided to keep playing. Kyrie Irving's primary safety net could end up being 5'9" rookie Kay Felder by the end of the year.
Good news, though: The reigning champs still have James, who can and will pitch in at point guard, small forward, power forward and maybe even center. They're going to be just fine.
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
| Deron Williams | Wesley Matthews | Harrison Barnes | Dirk Nowitzki | Andrew Bogut |
| J.J. Barea | Seth Curry | Justin Anderson | Dwight Powell | Salah Mejri |
| Devin Harris | Jonathan Gibson | Quincy Acy | A.J. Hammons |
Notable Exclusions: None
The Dallas Mavericks' starting five is uncomfortable.
Andrew Bogut and Deron Williams routinely rack up double-digit absences. Dirk Nowitzki is 38 going on 28, which doesn't feel sustainable. Wesley Matthews' persisting diligence doesn't carry him as far this side of an Achilles injury. Harrison Barnes became a scapegoat for his (former) Golden State Warriors' NBA Finals demise.
And yet, all of this is nothing compared to Dallas' bench.
J.J. Barea and Devin Harris are the extent of its certainties. Seth Curry has shown he can mirror brother Stephen Curry's shooting for half a season. According to NBAMath.com, Justin Anderson was the team's leading perimeter defender as a rookie, but that's not saying much.
Dwight Powell has flashed decent rim protection, but his floor-spacing potential is on life support. Salah Mejri is a per-minute funhouse who had some sweet moments through four playoff games; we don't know much else.
This doesn't bode well for the Mavericks' playoff chances. But they will cobble together an above-board offense or defense and flirt with a postseason bid anyway. Call it the "we're coached by Rick Carlisle and 29 other teams aren't" effect.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
| Emmanuel Mudiay | Gary Harris | Danilo Gallinari | Kenneth Faried | Nikola Jokic |
| Jamal Murray | Will Barton | Wilson Chandler | Darrell Arthur | Jusuf Nurkic |
| Jameer Nelson | Malik Beasley | JaKarr Sampson* | Juan Hernangomez | |
| Mike Miller |
Notable Exclusions: Jarnell Stokes (non-guaranteed), Nate Wolters (non-guaranteed)
You've probably heard/read/seen someone gushing about the Denver Nuggets in recent months. Michael Erler explains why for Pounding The Rock:
"The Nuggets are like the [San Antonio] Spurs of young rebuilding teams. They don't have a general manager crowing about his #assets or a ministry of information gushing about their roster, or their whiz-kid coach, or their future. Nevertheless their talent is real, their coach is well respected among his peers, and better days are in the offing for this franchise if they stay the course. They don't have the P.R. of Boston or even Minnesota, but make no mistake, the Nuggets are building something here, slowly but surely, right under all our noses.
"
Perusing Denver's depth chart is a great way to experience its uprising. Jamal Murray can play both guard positions. Will Barton and Malik Beasley should see time next to Gary Harris at small forward. Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Sampson need to test the power forward waters. Nikola Jokic is best suited at the 5, but the Nuggets shouldn't yet abandon his partnership with Jusuf Nurkic; it's less than 100 minutes old.
Tough decisions loom in Denver. The Nuggets' greatest strength is also their biggest problem: They can take on an inordinate number of identities but must figure out how to make sense of it all. Head coach Mike Malone is simultaneously one lucky dude and not at all worth your envy.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
| Reggie Jackson | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Marcus Morris | Tobias Harris | Andre Drummond |
| Ish Smith | Lorenzo Brown* | Stanley Johnson | Jon Leuer | Boban Marjanovic |
| Ray McCallum* | Darrun Hilliard | Reggie Bullock | Henry Ellenson | Aron Baynes |
Notable Exclusions: Michael Gbinije ($650,000 guaranteed)
Thanks to head coach and president Stan Van Gundy, the Detroit Pistons now stretch two players deep at basically every position. Shooting guard is the lone exception, but not really, since Stanley Johnson can soak up time at the 2, 3 and 4.
It will be interesting to see if this influx of capable bodies convinces Van Gundy to expand his rotation—he typically relies on his starters.
Detroit's pre-Tobias Harris lineup of Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Andre Drummond logged more minutes (915) than any other five-man combination for the entire season. The unit featuring Harris instead of Ilyasova finished 13th in total minutes (462) despite making just 25 appearances.
Having Stanley Johnson, Jon Leuer, Boban Marjanovic, Ray McCallum and Ish Smith (theoretically) alleviates that dependence. Johnson should sub in for Morris more as a sophomore, Leuer is a taller, less established Ilyasova, and Van Gundy's coaching card will be revoked if he doesn't try to play Drummond and Marjanovic together at least a few times.
Regardless of how the Pistons' rotation ultimately looks, their bottom-of-the-barrel bench from last season should be an obstacle of the past.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
| Stephen Curry | Klay Thompson | Kevin Durant | Draymond Green | Zaza Pachulia |
| Shaun Livingston | Ian Clark | Andre Iguodala | David West | Anderson Varejao |
| Phil Pressey* | Patrick McCaw | Kevon Looney | James McAdoo | Damian Jones |
Notable Exclusions: JaVale McGee (non-guaranteed)
Pinch yourself. Cannonball into a pool filled with ice. Google "Kevin Durant is a traitor, say it ain't so" if you must. It doesn't change reality.
This Warriors depth chart isn't fake, fabricated or a screenshot taken from NBA 2K. It's 100 percent, without question, real.
Many people will bemoan Golden State's cast outside the starting five. That's fine. It's shallower than last season. But that doesn't mean it's much worse.
Shaun Livingston, Ian Clark, Andre Iguodala, David West and please, oh please, JaVale McGee another big is a foundation for better-than-good bench play. And it's not like Kerr has to make hockey-style substitutions with as much frequency. With so many stars to feed in the starting lineup, it makes sense to stagger minutes—particularly between Curry and Durant.
Plus, the upgraded Death Squad should put a bunch of games away early if given the opportunity. Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Barnes, Curry and Iguodala outpaced opponents by 47 points per 100 possessions when on the floor together last season.
Golden State is now swapping out Barnes for Durant.
So the Warriors will see your depth concerns and raise you league-wide devastation.
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
| Patrick Beverley | James Harden | Trevor Ariza | Ryan Anderson | Clint Capela |
| Pablo Prigioni | Eric Gordon | Corey Brewer | Donatas Motiejunas* | Nene |
| Tyler Ennis | K.J. McDaniels | Sam Dekker | Montrezl Harrell | Chinanu Onuaku |
Notable Exclusions: Gary Payton II (non-guaranteed)
Offensive talent won't be hard to come by for the Houston Rockets. James Harden already had the personnel to spearhead a top-10 scoring machine. Mix in head coach Mike D'Antoni, plus newcomers Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, and a top-five finish feels like a formality.
Carving out enough defense to complement the potent offense is a different story. The Rockets have a trio of could-be plus stoppers in the starting lineup—Patrick Beverley, Clint Capela, Trevor Ariza—and Harden can hold his own when the mood strikes. But Houston's backups are more one-dimensional.
Pablo Prigioni is a full-court pest; he's also 39. The 6'4" Gordon often gives up size at the shooting guard slot and has never posted a positive defensive box plus-minus. Corey Brewer is a defensive roller coaster who struggled to police the three-point line last season. Donatas Motiejunas needs to first sign a new contract and then actually stay on the floor.
Nene is easily the most reliable of the bunch, and he won't do more than protect the rim. D'Antoni may have to experiment with projected third-stringers, namely K.J. McDaniels, to dredge up any more defensive depth.
Failing that, it will fall on the opening five to set and maintain the tone. Ariza, Beverley, Capela and Harden posted a top-15 defensive rating (103.9) in 476 minutes of court time last season. Parroting that performance is a realistic, if ambitious, starting point with Anderson at the 4.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
| Jeff Teague | Monta Ellis | Paul George | Thaddeus Young | Myles Turner |
| Aaron Brooks | Rodney Stuckey | C.J. Miles | Lavoy Allen | Al Jefferson |
| Joseph Young | Glenn Robinson III | Jeremy Evans | Rakeem Christmas | Kevin Seraphin |
Notable Exclusions: None
The Pacers' chase for a new offensive identity is coming at the expense their defense. They don't have the personnel to match their top-three standing from last season, an issue that begins in the starting lineup.
Monta Ellis, Paul George and Myles Turner allowed just 100.1 points per 100 possessions during 872 minutes of action—right in line with the team's overall mark of 100.2. But more than half of their playing time (452) came beside departed defensive studs George Hill and Ian Mahinmi.
Teague, unlike Hill, cannot cover up for Ellis' lapses and gambles on the less glamorous end. While Ellis' defensive rating improved without Hill, the latter often tackled the toughest backcourt assignments. And Thaddeus Young won't offer Mahinmi's help protection at the rim off beats.
Lavoy Allen and C.J. Miles, who faced off against power forwards when Indiana went small, promise some versatility in the second unit, and there are obvious benefits to Al Jefferson beating up second-string bigs. But Aaron Brooks and Rodney Stuckey don't strengthen the backcourt's defense, so the team must brace for perimeter warts all year—that or hope for Solomon Hill-type leaps from Rakeem Christmas and Jeremy Evans.
Either way, the Pacers find themselves in a state of defensive unrest—and, perhaps, vulnerability—for the first time in a decade.
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
| Chris Paul | J.J. Redick | Luc Mbah a Moute | Blake Griffin | DeAndre Jordan |
| Austin Rivers | Jamal Crawford | Wesley Johnson | Brandon Bass | Marreese Speights |
| Raymond Felton | Alan Anderson | Paul Pierce | Brice Johnson | Diamond Stone |
Notable Exclusions: None
Five seasons into the Big Three era, the Los Angeles Clippers are still scraping and clawing to find production outside the starting lineup. Per HoopsStats.com, last year's bench ranked middle of the road in offensive and defensive efficiency, and there aren't any real upgrades to report.
If anything, the supporting cast is worse following the departure of Cole Aldrich. He saved more points on the defensive end than any Clipper not named DeAndre Jordan, according to NBAMath.com. Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass won't be even slightly as effective.
Alan Anderson appeared in just 13 games last season and hasn't been a strong three-point shooter since 2011-12. Raymond Felton won't provide much more of a boost than Prigioni, and rookie Brice Johnson has a better chance of hanging with power forwards on defense than Bass does.
Contrary to last season, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Jordan should all be healthy and available; The Clippers played like the best team in the league with them in the game. For the sake of more balance, though, head coach Doc Rivers will want to consider staggering time.
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
| D'Angelo Russell | Jordan Clarkson | Luol Deng | Julius Randle | Timofey Mozgov |
| Marcelo Huertas | Lou Williams | Brandon Ingram | Larry Nance Jr. | Tarik Black |
| Jose Calderon | Nick Young | Anthony Brown | Yi Jianlian* | Ivica Zubac |
Notable Exclusions: None.
Byron Scott is out! Kobe Bryant, too! The Los Angeles Lakers no longer have to worry about their head coach pointlessly doling out minutes to veterans over burgeoning youngsters! Luke Walton is the best thing to—what's that? Brandon Ingram won't be in the starting lineup? Per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
"Despite praising rookie forward Brandon Ingram for his playmaking and versatility, Walton said “we’re not going to throw him into the starting lineup right away” out of concern how he handles a grueling 82-game schedule.
“You develop the young core by rewarding them when they play well,” Walton said. “If there’s 10 games left in the season and out of the playoffs and there’s some vets that played long minutes all season, maybe you play all your young guys to finish out the season. But when you’re going through the season, you’re not doing anyone any favors just by playing young guys so they can play if they’re not out there playing the right way.”
"
There's nothing unforgivably wrong with this approach. The Lakers aren't paying Luol Deng $18 million to come off the bench, so Ingram's entry into the starting five would displace Julius Randle, a top-seven prospect himself.
Let's assume the Deng-Ingram coupling still sees ample time, though. And let's bank on the Tarik Black-Jordan Clarkson-D'Angelo Russell-Deng-Ingram quintet becoming a thing. Basically, let's give Walton the benefit of the doubt and count on him prioritizing player development over Lou Williams and Nick Young—the anti-Byron, if you will.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
| Mike Conley | Tony Allen | Chandler Parsons | Zach Randolph | Marc Gasol |
| Wade Baldwin | Troy Daniels | Vince Carter* | JaMychal Green* | Brandon Wright |
| Andrew Harrison | Jordan Adams | James Ennis | Jarell Martin | Deyonta Davis |
Notable Exclusions: Tony Wroten Jr. (non-guaranteed)
Meet the 2016-17 Memphis Grizzlies. They're an interesting construction, with a ceiling propped up by joists made from duct tape, glue sticks and Bubble Yum.
Mike Conley is working his way back from a sore left Achilles tendon. Marc Gasol underwent surgery to repair a right foot fracture in February, and we all know how innocuous these injuries are for thickset 7-footers over the age of 30.
Chandler Parsons, Memphis' game-changing free-agency signing, needed two surgeries on his right knee within a year. Brandan Wright missed 70 games last season with right knee issues as well. Zach Randolph is 35. Vince Carter turns 40 in January.
What's worse? Memphis isn't built to withstand injuries to any of its key players. JaMychal Green can indefinitely spell Randolph. Short of rookies Wade Baldwin and Deyonta Davis setting fire to expectations, that's about it.
Worse, the Grizzlies might not be all that special at full strength: Tony Allen, Conley, Gasol and Randolph were a net minus last season through 445 minutes of action.
That puts a lot of pressure on Parsons to incite a stark jump—and on first-year head coach David Fizdale to bring some of his Miami magic to Memphis.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
| Goran Dragic | Josh Richardson | Justise Winslow | Chris Bosh | Hassan Whiteside |
| Tyler Johnson | Dion Waiters | Luke Babbitt | Josh McRoberts | Willie Reed |
| Beno Udrih | Wayne Ellington | James Johnson | Derrick Williams | Udonis Haslem |
Notable Exclusions: None
Josh Richardson is recovering from a torn MCL in his right knee and may not be available to start the year, per the Miami Herald's Ethan Skolnick. Tyler Johnson will see some time at the 2 beside Goran Dragic, but he has spent the offseason honing his point guard skills. That means it's time for Dion Waiters, Unleashed: Miami Heat Edition.
What could possibly go wrong?
Chris Bosh's status remains up in the air as well, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson: "A complication has arisen in medical tests involving Heat forward Chris Bosh, derailing his attempted comeback, according to a source. The complication involved evidence of some continued clotting and is believed to be related to one of two previous blood clot episodes."
The 32-year-old Bosh has missed the second half of the last two seasons with blood clot issues and hasn't always been on the same page with Miami. Given the latest, what happens next is anyone's guess.
Hassan Whiteside remains a bright spot, and Dragic should excel if the Heat continue pushing the pace. Justise Winslow defends like there's no tomorrow and won't change as a starter. The rest of the roster is cobbled together with perimeter dice rolls (Luke Babbitt, Wayne Ellington), tweener forwards (James Johnson, Derrick Williams) and hope-for-the-best frontcourt backups (Udonis Haslem, Josh McRoberts, Willie Reed).
As if Miami wasn't already dealing with enough uncertainty on the heels of Wade's exit, right?
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
| Michael Carter-Williams | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Khris Middleton | Jabari Parker | Greg Monroe |
| Matthew Dellavedova | Jason Terry | Rashad Vaughn | Mirza Teletovic | John Henson |
| Malcolm Brogdon | Michael Beasley | Thon Maker | Miles Plumlee | |
| Steve Novak |
Notable Exclusions: Orlando Johnson (non-guaranteed) and J.J. O'Brien (non-guaranteed)
Pigeonholing Milwaukee Bucks players to positions isn't fun. The depth chart is useful only as a loose guideline—especially after the team announced Khris Middleton is expected to miss six months with a hamstring injury. The actual rotation will vary and is subject to upheaval if Milwaukee snags another wing, aside from Michael Beasley, via trade.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will function as a 7-foot(ish) point guard, but he won't really be a point guard. One of Michael Carter-Williams and Matthew Dellavedova will be on the floor with him most of the time.
Once healthy, Middleton will play shooting guard. And small forward. Power forward too. Jabari Parker will move to the 3 whenever the Bucks go super long and slot 7'1" Thon Maker at the 4. Except for when they put him at the 5 for short stretches. The surprise lottery pick may be up for consideration at small forward as well.
Milwaukee's center rotation is less of a mystery. Sort of. Greg Monroe was readily available on the trade market over the summer, according to the Racine Journal Times' Gery Woelfel. Talks appear to have cooled, or never started, but he could still change teams. John Henson, Miles Plumlee and Monroe are three of the Bucks' four highest-paid players. Last year's starters fared better when pulling Monroe for Henson, and head coach Jason Kidd brought the former off the bench for 12 straight games.
These are your 2016-17 Bucks. They're a lot like the 2015-16 Bucks—quirky and unpredictable with a tad more frontcourt spacing. (Shoutout, Mirza Teletovic.)
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
| Ricky Rubio | Zach LaVine | Andrew Wiggins | Gorgui Dieng | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| Kris Dunn | Brandon Rush | Shabazz Muhammad | Nemanja Bjelica | Cole Aldrich |
| Tyus Jones | Adreian Payne | Jordan Hill | ||
| Nikola Pekovic |
Notable Exclusions: John Lucas III (non-guaranteed) and Toure' Murry (non-guaranteed)
The Minnesota Timberwolves' depth chart is fun to project: There is a ton of talent and a clear pecking order, which means fewer triple-doses of aspirin.
Controversy is limited to the backcourt. Ricky Rubio's rumor mill is forever, and coach-president Tom Thibodeau didn't burn a top-five pick on Kris Dunn to make him a career sixth man.
Should Dunn be considered future Jimmy Butler bait, per Shams Charania of The Vertical? Or is that Zach LaVine? Have the Sacramento Kings tried convincing Thibodeau a Rudy Gay-for-Rubio swap guarantees the Timberwolves a title? Is Tyus Jones feeling left out yet? Be honest, how many times have you forgotten about Minnesota picking up Brandon Rush?
Nemanja Bjelica's quest for additional minutes is the most exciting issue outside the backcourt—unless you get your jollies watching Cole Aldrich and Jordan Hill fight to see who makes the Timberwolves forget Nikola Pekovic. Gorgui Dieng and Karl-Anthony Towns have shown they can work together on the offensive end. But while Dieng has expanded his range, Bjelica remains the better shooter. Pairing him with Towns allows Minnesota to experiment with five-out lineups.
Kevin Garnett retired on Friday, so Adreian Payne might see more time, unless the Timberwolves waive him in favor of John Lucas III or Toure' Murry.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
| Jrue Holiday | E'Twaun Moore | Tyreke Evans | Anthony Davis | Omer Asik |
| Langston Galloway | Buddy Hield | Solomon Hill | Terrence Jones | Alexis Ajinca |
| Tim Frazier | Alonzo Gee | Quincy Pondexter | Dante Cunningham | |
| Cheick Diallo |
Notable Exclusions: Chris Copeland (non-guaranteed), Robert Sacre (non-guaranteed), Lance Stephenson (non-guaranteed)
Anthony Davis is once again the New Orleans Pelicans' lone constant. Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday won't be available to start the season, hence the Lance Stephenson signing. But the Pelicans run 15 guaranteed contracts deep and can get their ball-handling fix from Tim Frazier, Langston Galloway, Buddy Hield and E'Twaun Moore.
Solomon Hill is an easy fill-in for Evans—he was going to steal minutes from him anyway. The backcourt is where things get iffy. Frazier or Galloway can slide into the starting lineup, or the Pelicans can run Moore at the 1 and Hield at the 2, leaving the others to jostle for second-unit spin.
More questions arise at center: Omer Asik's spot is the exact opposite of safe. New Orleans has to deploy a Terrence Jones-Davis combo sometimes, and Alexis Ajinca is doing his darnedest to become more mobile for head coach Alvin Gentry.
“With the track coach, our focus was on running better, which is learning how to run again, the proper way,” Ajinca explained, per Pelicans.com's Jim Eichenhofer. “Track and field people can help you with your entire mechanics, which we went over, so that I can run faster, but with less energy (expended).”
Gentry and the Pelicans have a lot to think about ahead of the regular season.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
| Derrick Rose | Courtney Lee | Carmelo Anthony | Kristaps Porzingis | Joakim Noah |
| Brandon Jennings | Sasha Vujacic | Lance Thomas | Kyle O'Quinn | Willy Hernangomez |
| Justin Holiday | Mindaugas Kuzminskas | Maurice Ndour | Lou Amundson | |
| Marshall Plumlee |
Notable Exclusions: Ron Baker (non-guaranteed)
Yes, it's true. You can detect a hint of potential in the New York Knicks' starting lineup. It's faint, at times confusing and acutely overshadowed by a smattering of uncertainty.
Derrick Rose, who is still facing a lawsuit for allegedly sexually assaulting a former girlfriend, can be valuable to this team as a driver. But he needs to improve his shooting percentage around the rim while buying into a pass-first role—a lofty ambition in any season, let alone a contract year.
Too much of Kristaps Porzingis' development is now tied to ball-dominant veterans. He has worked well with Carmelo Anthony, but adding Rose threatens to throw off the equilibrium by limiting unicorn touches.
Backcourt depth is a major concern whenever a team counts Justin Holiday or Sasha Vujacic as its fourth-best guard. The 6'8" Lance Thomas can play the 2 if the Knicks are in a bind, but that doesn't justify their obsession with stockpiling bigs.
Offering guaranteed money to another guard, such as Ron Baker, instead of Lou Amundson, Marshall Plumlee or Maurice Ndour would have made more sense. Anthony and Thomas—even Mindaugas Kuzminskas—can play the 4, while the platoon of Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O'Quinn and Porzingis can pitch in behind Joakim Noah at the 5.
It's not too late to remedy this bizarre setup: eat one of the cheap guaranteed deals in favor of Baker or another option. This is not to say it will happen—they are, after all, the Knicks.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
| Russell Westbrook | Victor Oladipo | Andre Roberson | Ersan Ilyasova | Steven Adams |
| Cameron Payne | Anthony Morrow | Alex Abrines | Domantas Sabonis | Enes Kanter |
| Ronnie Price | Kyle Singler | Nick Collison | Joffrey Lauvergne* | |
| Josh Huestis |
Notable Exclusion: Mitch McGary ($1.5 million guaranteed)
Piecing together the Oklahoma City Thunder's depth chart is a straightforward undertaking. If only their place in the Western Conference was as unequivocal.
Victor Oladipo should start beside Russell Westbrook. The alternative has him coming off the bench as a more efficient, better defensive version of Waiters. But that's not too appealing when his primary backup is three-point specialist Anthony Morrow, and not at all necessary now that Cameron Payne has his feet wet.
Andre Roberson's starting job is safe in the interim. The full scope of his role depends on his jumper and how effectively Alex Abrines adjusts to the NBA. Ersan Ilyasova could lose some burn to Domantas Sabonis, but only if the Thunder aren't bent on securing a playoff invite. Any interest in extending the season could end with Sabonis ceding status to Nick Collison.
Oklahoma City's Steven Adams-Enes Kanter-Joffrey Lauvergne troika provides a nice mix of defense, scoring and spacing, respectively. Maybe that takes attention away from Serge Ibaka's absence. However, it looks like the Thunder may need to cut ties with Mitch McGary, who will serve a 15-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy and procedure, to make room for Lauvergne.
Another move or two might be on the way. If not, Oklahoma City will need a big year from bench-mobbers Kyle Singler, Abrines and Payne.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
| Elfrid Payton | Evan Fournier | Aaron Gordon | Serge Ibaka | Nikola Vucevic |
| D.J. Augustin | Jodie Meeks | Mario Hezonja | Jeff Green | Bismack Biyombo |
| C.J. Watson | C.J. Wilcox | Branden Dawson* | Damjan Rudez* | Stephen Zimmerman |
Notable Exclusions: None
Trading Oladipo has simplified the Orlando Magic's backcourt rotation. Evan Fournier and Elfrid Payton complement one another nicely, D.J. Augustin is a driving machine, Jodie Meeks can hit threes if he ever gets healthy, and the 6'8" Mario Hezonja will bully smaller guards whenever he's not playing the 3.
No such clarity exists in the frontcourt, where the Magic are oversized and overstocked.
Acquiring Ibaka was justifiable, even at the expense of Oladipo. He will block shots and, hopefully, space the floor. Nikola Vucevic can score in the post, hit long twos and drop dimes. But then Orlando made Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green two of its three highest-paid players—which, ya know, yikes.
Aaron Gordon is now a full-time small forward, as head coach Frank Vogel confirmed to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe. Ibaka must show he can stroke threes without Durant and Westbrook creating uncontested bunnies. Green fits in here somewhere, likely as midseason trade bait who steals minutes from Hezonja in the short term.
Some tantalizing combinations come out of this logjam—the defensive ceiling of a Biyombo-Ibaka dyad, for instance. For the most part, though, a frontcourt pileup is an unneeded headache.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
| Jerryd Bayless | Gerald Henderson | Robert Covington* | Ben Simmons | Nerlens Noel |
| Sergio Rodriguez | Hollis Thompson* | Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot | Dario Saric | Joel Embiid |
| T.J. McConnell* | Jerami Grant* | Richaun Holmes | Jahlil Okafor | |
| Elton Brand* |
Notable Exclusions: Anthony Barber (non-guaranteed)
"I don't like to look at positions 1 through 5," Philadelphia 76ers president Bryan Colangelo told Adrian Wojnarowski on The Vertical Podcast. "I like to say there's guards, namely point guards, ball-handlers, setup players. There's wings, that's really the 2s and the 3s. And there's bigs, the 4s and the 5s. I love versatility. I love positionless basketball."
Positionless basketball is often associated with undersized lineups, but the Sixers are looking to turn that meaning inside out, as they station taller players all over the place. Ben Simmons, standing 6'10", will play some point guard. Dario Saric, also 6'10", will see time at small forward. Joel Embiid (7'2", per Colangelo), Nerlens Noel (6'11") and Jahlil Okafor (6'11") will take turns defending power forwards.
Philly is deeper at point guard with Jerryd Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez, has properly sized wings to develop with Jerami Grant, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Hollis Thompson and should dabble in sporadic small ball.
But the core belongs to the bigs.
Any minutes reserved for Robert Covington and Jerami Grant as 4s are gone. Sixers coach Brett Brown can, if he wishes, cut loose an all-6'9"or taller lineup that features Covington, Embiid, Noel, Saric and Simmons. Hell, it has to happen.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
| Eric Bledsoe | Brandon Knight | Jared Dudley | Dragan Bender | Tyson Chandler |
| Leandro Barbosa | Devin Booker | P.J. Tucker | Marquese Chriss | Alex Len |
| Tyler Ulis | Archie Goodwin | T.J. Warren | ||
| John Jenkins* | Alan Williams |
Notable Exclusions: None
Nearly everything about the Phoenix Suns' depth chart is a toss-up.
Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight should make up the starting backcourt, with Devin Booker coming off the pine. How long that lasts, though, we don't know. Barring a trade, it's only a matter of time before that trio all play in the first unit together.
That, in turn, would demand a full-time shift to power forward for Jared Dudley, a la last season. From there, the Suns would have to squeeze minutes for Dragan Bender at the 5, with Tyson Chandler and Alex Len still in the mix. One of Bender and Chriss can start at the 4—flip a coin there—with T.J. Warren and Dudley absorbing any leftovers.
For now, the Bledsoe-Booker-Knight triplet gets to live on volume without much resistance, until P.J. Tucker fully recovers from back surgery. From there, most of the snafus above are unavoidable if Phoenix doesn't auction off parts.
Stashing Booker in a reserve role only keeps his progression at bay.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
| Damian Lillard | C.J. McCollum | Evan Turner | Al-Farouq Aminu | Mason Plumlee |
| Shabazz Napier | Allen Crabbe | Maurice Harkless | Ed Davis | Meyers Leonard |
| Pat Connaughton | Jake Layman | Noah Vonleh | Festus Ezeli | |
| Luis Montero* |
Notable Exclusions: Greg Stiemsma (non-guaranteed)
Per Joe Freeman of the Oregonian, Evan Turner is expected to receive consideration for the Portland Trail Blazers' starting small forward job, which is kind of a big deal. Portland's starting five outgunned opponents 16 points per 100 possessions after welcoming Maurice Harkless and Mason Plumlee to the party.
But sticking with that exact group isn't an option. Teams don't normally shell out $70 million for reserves—like the Blazers did for Turner—not even this side of the NBA's salary-cap boom. And they have another $75(ish) million man coming off the bench in Allen Crabbe. Pinning two of their three highest-paid players to the second unit would be weird.
Fortunately, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum usually operate on ball and successfully coexist alongside each other. Partnering with Turner shouldn't be a problem then: His jumper isn't much worse than Harkless', and he can play pretend-point guard while Lillard and McCollum scuttle around screens.
Portland can stagger Turner's minutes with the starters if it's after more balance—think along the lines of what Golden State does with Iguodala, but in reverse. Meyers Leonard and Crabbe create just enough space for Turner to run pick-and-rolls with Ed Davis, and one of Lillard or McCollum can always round out the hybrid unit.
Juggling the frontcourt cluster won't be so painless. The Blazers will need to make some tough decisions—probably to the detriment of Noah Vonleh's future in Portland.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
| Darren Collison | Arron Afflalo | Rudy Gay | Willie Cauley-Stein | DeMarcus Cousins |
| Ty Lawson* | Garrett Temple | Matt Barnes | Omri Casspi | Kosta Koufos |
| Ben McLemore | Anthony Tolliver | Georgios Papagiannis | ||
| Malachi Richardson | Skal Labissiere |
Notable Exclusions: Jordan Farmar (non-guaranteed)
You might think the Sacramento Kings are holding a yard sale for players 6'11" or taller. They're not. But rival general managers can totally have Rudy Gay. Maybe.
Sources told Wojnarowski that Gay informed Sacramento he'll become a free agent next summer (player option) and is unlikely to return. Per Woj, the Kings have "shown no inclination to move Gay without a substantial package in return," but that will change this side of his professional courtesy.
Arron Afflalo and Omri Casspi will see more time at small forward, and Malachi Richardson will actually see time if Gay gets moved. The collection of centers isn't going anywhere, but Willie Cauley-Stein can defend power forwards while DeMarcus Cousins spaces the floor on offense.
Point guard is an unmitigated disaster: Darren Collison could face some sort of suspension after pleading guilty to domestic battery in September, and Ty Lawson spent last season failing to be a shell of his former self. Garrett Temple has logged time as a point guard in past years, but Cousins has the higher career assist percentage of the two. Sacramento has Jordan Farmar on a make-good deal and could dump Ben McLemore to fit both Farmar and Lawson.
The Kings, not surprisingly, enter the season with more questions than training camp—or an entire 82-game schedule—can reasonably answer. It's business as usual in Sactown.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
| Tony Parker | Danny Green | Kawhi Leonard | LaMarcus Aldridge | Pau Gasol |
| Patty Mills | Manu Ginobili | Kyle Anderson | David Lee | Dewayne Dedmon |
| Jonathon Simmons | Livio Jean-Charles | Davis Bertans | Joel Anthony* | |
| Dejounte Murray |
Notable Exclusions: None
At some point this season, Dewayne Dedmon and a 33-year-old David Lee will share the floor as the acting frontcourt for the Spurs. Let's take a moment to reflect on how far we've come in the last few months.
The team will miss Tim Duncan, but Pau Gasol ensures the starting lineup will remain largely the same. Tony Parker, 34, won't be in danger of forfeiting minutes until San Antonio signs Chris Paul next summer there's another pure facilitator behind him, and the two wing spots stretch at least three players deep.
What remains to be seen is how the Spurs will account for the absence of Boris Diaw. Going big without sacrificing versatility is tough when your primary frontcourt backups don't defend multiple positions.
Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Anderson will get looks at power forward to offset the difference. According to NBAWowy.com, neither fared well in that role last season, but San Antonio wasn't emphasizing those shifts. Jonathon Simmons' and Anderson's progressions better equip the Spurs to play small, and last year's results might change with a larger sample size.
San Antonio is still going to be really good.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
| Kyle Lowry | DeMar DeRozan | DeMarre Carroll | Patrick Patterson | Jonas Valanciunas |
| Cory Joseph | Norman Powell | Terrence Ross | Jared Sullinger | Jakob Poeltl |
| Delon Wright | Bruno Caboclo | Pascal Siakam | Lucas Nogueira |
Notable Exclusions: Jarrod Uthoff (non-guaranteed)
A healthy DeMarre Carroll is like a free-agency acquisition for the Toronto Raptors, so their starting lineup gets exponentially better without lifting a finger. Carroll saw just 16 minutes with DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson and Jonas Valanciunas last season, but Toronto was a plus-12 during that short time.
The Raptors are fortunate to have this starting five, because strong bench play isn't a given.
Losing Biyombo hurts—Toronto doesn't have a clear replacement for his shot-blocking and rebounding services. Does Sullinger move over to center like he did in Boston? Will the Raptors go for polish over pomp with rookie Jakob Poeltl? Can Lucas Nogueira be Biyombo Lite?
Other unknowns are peppered throughout the perimeter: Cory Joseph is a starter who is masquerading as a backup, but Terrence Ross has yet to establish himself as more than shooter. Norman Powell, a sophomore, will be looked to for breakout-level contributions.
None if this is enough to remove the Raptors from second-place consideration in the Eastern Conference. Most of their starters can be penciled in for 30-plus minutes, diminishing the burden n the second unit, and Lowry gives them someone most other teams don't have: a fringe MVP candidate.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
| George Hill | Rodney Hood | Gordon Hayward | Derrick Favors | Rudy Gobert |
| Shelvin Mack | Dante Exum | Joe Johnson | Trey Lyles | Boris Diaw |
| Raul Neto | Alec Burks | Joe Ingles | Joel Bolomboy | Jeff Withey* |
Notable Exclusions: None
It's official: The Utah Jazz aren't fair.
They played like a top-five Western Conference team for more than half of last season, and each of their four most-used lineups posted a top-three net rating. Having a healthy Alec Burks, Dante Exum, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert is enough to push them over the top.
But that's not all, folks!
Hill joins Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood, Favors and Gobert to form one of the league's best starting fives. And there aren't five teams with better benches on paper. The additions of Boris Diaw and Joe Johnson, the surprise rookie showing from Trey Lyles, demotion of Shelvin Mack and the returns of Burks and Exum should leave Utah with a top-five (perhaps top-three) supporting cast on both sides of the ball.
If there's anything to lament, it's head coach Quin Snyder's abundance of lineup options. How much time should Lyles see at the 4 beside Gobert? Should Favors' minutes be staggered so he can play more 5 with the second unit? What would that mean for Diaw? Can Hayward and Johnson be squeezed into the power rotation?
Is Burks really the third-string shooting guard? Does it make more sense to use Exum as the backup point guard? Is an Exum-Hayward-Hill-Hood-Lyles lineup worth playing, if only so Utah can have its own Death Squad at the ready?
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
| John Wall | Bradley Beal | Otto Porter | Markieff Morris | Marcin Gortat |
| Trey Burke | Tomas Satoransky | Kelly Oubre Jr. | Andrew Nicholson | Ian Mahinmi |
| Marcus Thornton | Jason Smith |
Notable Exclusions: None
After dealing for Markieff Morris at last season's trade deadline, the Washington Wizards went 17-13 and posted the net rating (plus-two) of a mid-end playoff team. That's the silver lining they ride into 2016-17 with—they needn't do anything to register on the postseason radar.
Yet, they still made changes, most of them for the better. Andrew Nicholson at least begins to replace Dudley's versatility, and Mahinmi is a major defensive upgrade over Nene. The team might miss Temple's work at the 2 and 3, but 24-year-old rookie Tomas Satoransky comes stateside as one of Europe's best two-way swingmen.
Assuming Nicholson is playable and doesn't pale in comparison to Dudley, backup point guard Ramon Sessions is the Wizards' biggest loss. Trey Burke could never put it together in Utah and won't come close to compensating for the playmaking deficit when John Wall takes a seat.
But Wall is a 35-minutes-per-game-or-more guy. Thus, the gap Washington needs to bridge is barely 10 minutes long. Bradley Beal could use some solo time on the ball, and Satoransky has the vision of a combo guard.
More pressing uncertainty exists at small forward. The Wizards need Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre Jr., two works in progress, to hold down the fort, with a little help from the 6'7" Satoransky. If that position becomes a regular plus, Washington will cruise into the playoffs as more than a harmless steppingstone.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com, Sports-Reference.com, DraftExpress and NBA.com unless otherwise cited. Salary information via Basketball Insiders.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @danfavale.
.png?w=600 "New Mock with Lottery Odds Locked In 🔮")