The NBA is a constantly evolving league. Just when teams think they have things figured out, something unexpected happens to throw things out of whack.
Sometimes that unexpected thing can be a pleasant surprise, such as the Bulls winning the draft lottery despite having the ninth-worst record in the NBA.
Other times that unexpected thing can be of the unpleasant variety—such as when your starting point guard/franchise player opts out of his $17.8 million contract to join the Clippers for five years and $65 million.
It's not as if the NFL, NHL or Major League Baseball are any different in that respect.
What separates the NBA from the other three major leagues is the summer of 2010. If you don't believe me, take a look at RealGM.com's list of the 2010 free agents. The list is highlighted by names like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, and Chris Bosh.
The NBA could undergo a carousel of player movement, resembling that of a fantasy draft.
As a result, the current state of the NBA has put teams into five sub-categories:
We'll call the first of these categories "The Future Is Now". These are the teams that certainly have an eye on the summer of 2010 but are more concerned with the present. Because of the average age of the team and the amount of money being spent on their players, they don't have a choice but to try to win it all now.
The list is as follows:
- Boston Celtics
- Los Angeles Lakers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Detroit Pistons
- Dallas Mavericks
- Phoenix Suns
- Washington Wizards
The Celtics, Spurs, Pistons, Mavericks, Wizards, and Suns are on the list because they are teams comprised of mostly expensive veterans who are either in their prime or just past it.
The two worst teams on the list, the Suns and Mavericks, proved that they were "all in" at the trade deadline when they traded for Shaquille O'Neal and Jason Kidd, respectively. The Mavs now have nine players on their roster over the age of 30. The Suns have eight. By contrast, the Lakers have one player on their current roster over the age of 30—at least until Kobe turns 30 next month.
These are not the teams who could win it all now. These are the teams who think they could win it all now.
The Lakers are on the list for a different reason. The impending free agency of their franchise player, the NBA's reigning MVP, has dictated that if they are not competing for a championship then he'll have no problem asking for a trade, or walking away at the first opportunity he has to do so.
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