NBA Offseason: Where the Contenders Will Go from Here----Part 2

Since I am still all amped up from last night's amazing end (at least for me and the rest of Boston) to the NBA season last night, I just can't wait to write part two of my series until tomorrow, it needs to happen today.

7. Utah Jazz:

The Jazz will have a very quiet offseason unless they do something big...more on that later.

They have two restricted free-agents, CJ Miles and Paul Millsap.

The Jazz also have a team option on Millsap, so don't think Millsap will be hitting the free agent market anytime soon. He has been productive for the Jazz in his first two seasons, and Jerry Sloan loves the way he plays, so expect him back in Utah next year.

CJ Miles is an interesting player. He is only 21 and has shown, on occasion, that he can put the ball in the hoop. The only problem is that Jerry Sloan just doesn't trust him enough.

He forces shots a lot, rushes the fast break, and doesn't always play defense, something that will put him in Sloan's doghouse fast. He doesn't earn a lot now, but I don't think the Jazz will match the offer sheet unless some team tries to lowball Miles.

Their only unrestricted free agent is Jason Hart, who has a player option and may choose to come back to Utah and fight for the spot behind Deron Williams. 

He averaged 11 minutes a game this season, and his production and game management was solid enough. But he won't make an impact.

The only way the Jazz can considerably improve in this offseason is by shaking things up and trading Andrei Kirilenko. AK-47 has been off and on with Utah in the past two seasons since many thought he would break through, and his time in Utah should be over.

They would probably be best served by trying to find a big body for him. Rasheed Wallace would be a perfect fit, but the salaries don't really match up.

He would be an even better fit in Denver, and if the teams could make it work maybe Kirilenko for Camby and JR Smith could work.

The one thing for sure is Utah will be stagnant this offseason, and the same team next season unless they trade Kirilenko and switch their offense a little.

8. Orlando Magic:

This is a team that will be reworked by next season, mark my words.

With six unrestricted free agents and one useless restricted free agent, the Magic, who don't free up a lot of cap space, will still be major players in the offseason.

First, out of a free agent crop that reads: Carlos Arroyo, Keith Bogans (player option), Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans, Adonal Foyle, and Pat Garrity. The Magic will probably try to hold on to two or three of those players.

Bogans has already told the Florida Sun Times that he will not opt out of the final year of his contract, so include him on next year's roster. 

I am also willing to be Adonal Foyle will not find a lot of inquiries into his services if he tests the open market, so expect him back as well.

I would expect the Magic to do everything possible to retain the services of Evans.  He reminds me a lot of James Posey in the sense that he can defend multiple positions well, and can knock down open shots when called upon to do so.

He is the exact type of bench player you would hope to have if you wanted to make a championship push.

Outside of Evans, there is a strong likelihood everyone else will be gone. The Magic might try to hold on to either Dooling or Arroyo, but they can find serviceable back up point guards for much less than those two, or they could try to draft one and groom him.

In the final piece of offseason news, J.J. Redick has reiterated his desire to be traded before the start of next season.

If you remember, this was the season Redick was supposed to break out and be a sniper for the Magic, instead his bad man-to-man defense and nagging injuries kept him buried.

The Magic might still want to hold on to him in case a light goes on in his head, but I would trade him. His value is at its highest right now, and they could probably get a late draft pick or even another serviceable backup big man to play behind Howard, the kind of depth they lacked when they were dismantled by the Pistons.

9. Phoenix Suns:

Everyone and their mother knew that if the Suns didn't win the title this year, the team would get blown up, starting with the head coach.

Exit Mike D'Antoni to the New York Knicks, enter Terry Porter with a career record of 71-93 (.433) as the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, and a guy who walks into a world filled with expectations and a "win now" mentality.

The Suns have a lot of free agents, but none of them are worth much except maybe Grant Hill. But Phoenix is not getting any younger. Raja Bell, Shaq, Steve Nash, and Hill are all well into their 30s, and if they don't win soon, it might never come.

They will most likely only try to retain Hill out of a free agent crop of Hill, Eric Piatkowski, Gordan Giricek, Linton Johnson, Brian Skinner, and Sean Marks.

Giricek and Skinner are relatively inexpensive and could be inexpensive again for another two years, so they are the most likely after Hill to be seen next year in a Suns uniform.  Clearly the Suns aren't excited about their choices.

What the Suns would really like to do is get the old Boris Diaw of 2006 back, re-teach Leandro Barbosa how to shoot and play defense, or trade one of the two in order to try and move pieces around.

Ideally, the Suns would like Diaw to go, he is only 26, but they must be regretting paying him $9 million per year and now watching him average nine points and four assists per game.

There might be teams out there that would want him, but most likely the best move they could make would be to turn Diaw into some expiring contracts and set themselves up nicely for a run at the big names free agents in 2009.

But that doesn't help them or Terry Porter who needs help.

I guess he could always ask Shaq for help on how better to deal with his rising mortgage crisis...

10. Philadelphia 76ers:

The Sixers and new GM Ed Stefanski have a great deal of decisions to make before next season rolls around.

Philadelphia could have as much as $20 million worth of cap space coming to it to spend on top tier free agents, but in order to free up that much space they would have to say goodbye to Andre Igoudala and Louis Williams—both of whom were key contributors to their run to the playoffs in the second half of the season.

My guess is Philly will keep one of the two players, most likely Iguodala, who is a burgeoning superstar, and free up enough space to make a run at one of the power forwards or centers who could become available.

Antwan Jamison and Elton Brand will be the two big named power forwards tossed around by teams, and Jermaine O'Neal, however injury prone, could benefit from a change in scenery and a better supporting cast.

The guess here is that they will go after Elton Brand, who will have a hard time demanding a huge contract since he was injured almost all of last year and there will be concerns about that.

If they get Brand, imagine the line up the Sixers could put out on the floor next year.

Andre Miller at point guard, Willie Green or Igoudala at the shooting guard, Thaddeus Young or Igoudala at the small forward, Brand at the power forward, and Dalmebert at the center, with Reggie Evans and Rodney Carney and a maybe a mid-level guy like Bonzi Wells or Quentin Ross as well.

Now tell me that isn't one of the best four teams in the East next year.

I know I said I would do the Nuggets in this installment, but they are so interesting as a player this offseason I want to spend more time on them and save them for last. Tomorrow I will do the Rockets, Nuggets, Raptors, Wizards, Hawks, and Mavericks.

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