". This group is made up of teams that need only to gain experience and a player here or there before they are competing for an NBA title. This list consists of:

• New Orleans Hornets
• Portland Trailblazers
• Utah Jazz
• Orlando Magic
• Philadelphia 76ers

All five of the above-mentioned teams are young teams that are on pace to make a leap next season, solely based on their players getting older. All five have young stars who have yet to enter their prime, and all five have good coaches who don't appear to be leaving any time soon.

It's always fun to be a fan of a team like this because you realize that the journey is much more fun than the destination. There's nothing like being a fan of a team as they go from lottery team to NBA Finalist.

Four of the five teams have big-name free agents to worry about it in the next couple of seasons, but should they re-sign those guys those teams will be competitive for the next three to five years.

The Blazers have three of the top nine players from the 2005 NBA Draft approaching restricted free agency next summer (Martell Webster, Channing Frye, and Ike Diogu), and have three more restricted free agents the following summer in LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, and Sergio Rodriguez, to go with unrestricted free agents Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw.

With a billionaire owner writing the checks, I fully expect at least half of those guys to get  extensions and the other half to either be let go or traded for something of substance.

The Jazz have already agreed to an extension with Deron Williams, and now need only worry about Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur opting out next summer. There's been chatter this week about Boozer signing an extension. I don't expect Okur to go anywhere.

If Okur decides not to opt out, then he'll be a free agent in 2010. Depending on what the Jazz give Williams and Boozer, they might be able to add a significant free agent in 2010. If not, then they definitely will be able to a year later when Andrei Kirilenko's contract expires.

The Magic only have to worry about last season's Most Improved Player, Hedo Turkoglu. He's got a player option for the 2009-10, and he's sure to opt out, based on the fact that his value has never been higher.

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