If the Pistons choose to either trade McDyess and/or Wallace or let them walk, they'll be able to re-sign Hamilton, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson—and still the have cap space to go after a big name, since two of their young players, Rodney Stuckey and Aron Afflalo, won't be eligible for extensions until after 2010.
This is why Joe Dumars is the best GM in basketball. Even though the Pistons have only won one championship under him, he's positioned them to have maximum flexibility every year, by getting the better end of every deal he's made and using the draft to build the team's next generation.
Before you remind me that Dumars drafted Darko Milicic instead of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh, let me remind you that the Pistons still won a championship with Darko on their roster, and that Dumars was able to trade Darko to the Magic for the draft pick that became Rodney Stuckey.
The Spurs have only two significant players under contract for 2010-11—Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Manu Ginobili will be a free agent and I fully expect the Spurs to do the same thing with Ginobili as they did with Parker and Jason Kidd in 2003. The Spurs made a run at Kidd, and when they struck out they brought back Parker. Look for them to make a run at LeBron, Wade and Kobe or bring back Ginobili on a two-year deal if they fail to land any of the three.
In the meantime, the Spurs are still good enough to compete for championships over the next two seasons with the team they have. Sure, they got bounced by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals—but it's hard to deny they would have given the Celtics a better run than the Lakers did, based on their experience.
The Wizards might be the most surprising team on this list. Their payroll says "championship contender," but reality says "delusional ownership".
The Wizards have three players on their roster making eight figures. My biggest problem with giving $40 million per year to three players is that Gilbert Arenas is better suited for shooting guard, Antawn Jamison is not a true power forward, and Caron Butler plays a position that's easy to replace.
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