NBA Preview: 50 Burning Questions Heading into the Offseason

The summer of 2010 had all the flare and star power, but when it comes to the future of the NBA, it's the summer of 2011 that really matters.

Sure, there are going to be some players on the move and some talk about big names like Steve Nash and Dwight Howard being traded, but that all comes secondary to what is happening off the courts (hoops and hardwood) and what could possibly go to the courts (judge and jury).

The expiration of the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA players association and the coalition of owners is on the forefront of everyone's mind right after the NBA draft, and quite honestly, nothing else really matters that much.

If this doesn't get resolved, then there is little doubt that there will be games missed next season. It's more of a reality with the NBA than it is with the NFL for one reason: money.

The NFL owners have too much money to lose if they miss even one game, while the NBA owners have too much money to lose if the league continues to be run the way it currently is.

That is why most of the questions in this column are about the CBA, because when it all comes down to it, what happens at the negotiating tables is more important than where any single player may be going or if any single team can stay together.

50. What Undrafted Free Agents Will Get a Look?

There are a lot of players out there that were in the top 50 or 60 on many a big board that went undrafted when many of the general managers started looking overseas late in the second round.

To name a few, David Lighty, Greg Smith, Scotty Hopson, Ben Hansbrough, LaceDarius Dunn and Malcolm Thomas are still out there.

I'd be surprised to see teams avoid at least kicking the tires of a few of these guys, as they could serve to be legitimate bench players within a few years.

49. Will Mikhail Prokhorov Take a More Active Role with the Nets?

The Russian billionaire has been rather quiet over the past year, only coming out to a few games and really only dealing with limited basketball operations in his first year as Nets owner.

Prokhorov did fly over to speak with Deron Williams on becoming the future of the Nets, but other than that he has been rather silent.

Now, he has been elected the leader of the Russian reform party Pravoe Delo, which seems like it will take up most of his time.

48. Will Marc Gasol Eventually Surpass Pau Gasol?

One of the interesting storylines of the postseason was that of the Gasol brothers.

Pau, who has been thought of as the better of the two by miles since Marc entered the league a few years ago, had a miserable postseason, while Marc is a huge part of the reason why the Grizzlies made it as far as they did in the playoffs.

Marc is looking like a legitimate physical center in this league, of which there are very few, while Pau's career may be in flux. This season should be a very interesting one for the legacy of the Gasol brothers.

47. Can the Raptors Make Waves with a Roster Full of Foreign Guys?

Toronto currently has seven players on its roster from outside of the United States and eight from inside, including the players they drafted who remain unsigned but figure to be part of the team at some point.

Nobody has been higher on foreign prospects over the last half a decade than Bryan Colangelo, who has collected them like baseball cards.

But the question remains, can a team succeed with so many different countries represented on its roster?

46. Are the Kings Committed to Tyreke Evans?

As recently as February this seemed to be a silly question, as Evans was one of the few players in the league capable of busting out with 25 points on any given night.

Then, after an injury and a trade for Marcus Thornton, Evans' future in Sacramento has come into question.

Thornton is a free agent, so they will have to throw some money at him to keep him around, and if they do, people will start to question Evans, who is a shoot-first player (much like their recent draft pick Jimmer Fredette) and not as team-oriented as many would like.

45. Is There Any Tension Between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant?

The playoffs this year showed off an interesting little wrinkle that could possibly evolve into a crack or a crater in the evolution of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Near the end of games, Russell Westbrook was the one taking most of the big shots, either because Kevin Durant couldn't get open or because Westbrook fancied himself a better option.

It's a stretch to say that this is a problem right now, but if it continues and goes ignored, it could be a huge problem for this team.

44. Will the Knicks Improve Their Roster Much This Year?

New York has a few trade assets at this point with Chauncey Billups' and Ronny Turiaf's expiring contracts and the rookie deal that Bill Walker is on, but other than that it doesn't have much.

The Knicks have $64 million in payroll locked up next year, and with the new CBA coming up it's hard to imagine them adding any free agents that would make much of a splash.

43. Will the Antitrust Exemption Be in Trouble?

The NFL Players Association decertified in wake of the owners threatening a lockout in order to sue the owners in an antitrust lawsuit.

I would have to be a lawyer to know all the little caveats about the lawsuit, so I'm not going to try to dip in and explain the whole thing, but it is a legitimate threat to the NFL's "legal monopoly," which allows it to operate as a single entity made up of many smaller companies (teams).

If the NBPA decides to decertify, then we could be in for the same thing with them, which could mean a long process of lawsuits.

42. How Many Alley-Oops Will John Wall Throw Next Year?

Assuming a basketball game is even played next year, the Washington Wizards figure to be one of the most exciting teams on the planet.

The Showtime Wizards feature JaVale McGee, Jan Vesely, Jordan Crawford and Nick Young who can just jump at any time and have John Wall lob the ball up for a arena-exploding alley-oop.

Washington may or may not be a playoff team, as nothing is for certain, but I know for sure that it is going to be a very exciting team.

41. How Long Will It Take for Kurt Rambis to Be Fired?

This Kurt Rambis saga in Minnesota has dragged on for what seems like months at this point, with reports coming out every other day that he is going to be let go this week or next.

It is evident that Rambis is going to be let go at some point in the next month, but what is the point of dragging it on for so long when it is obvious he should have been fired as soon as the season ended or sooner?

Only David Kahn could make a decision that seems this simple turn this complicated.

40. Will the Cavs Start Selling?

At some point in the next 365 days the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have shopped many of the players on their team. The question now is when they will start.

They have a few players teams are interested in acquiring with Ramon Sessions, Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao and a few good expiring contracts with Antawn Jamison ($15 million this year) and Baron Davis ($13 million this year, $14 million next year).

Realistically, nobody is off limits for the Cavaliers to move except their new No. 1 draft pick Kyrie Irving, so it's all just a matter of time.

39. Will the Players Union Decertify?

After the NFLPA set the precedent by decertifying a few days after the draft, it is a possibility that the NBPA will do the same, although it will be a much riskier move for them.

The NBPA would have to risk much more than the NFLPA because they seemingly have less leverage in this case, but if the NFL players win their case, then it is huge for the NBA players.

38. How Much Pressure Will Be Put on Pau Gasol?

Pau Gasol was singled out as a big part of the reason why the Lakers fell flat this year for his lethargic play, averaging only 13 points and eight rebounds in the postseason after averaging 20 and 11 the previous year.

Rumors have been around that Gasol could be on the trading block, and if they need to move him to bring in a young superstar (Dwight Howard?) it's definitely not out of the question.

37. Will the Grizzlies Hold Their Team Together?

Memphis had a terrific physical team that proved problematic to teams in the playoffs, but with Shane Battier and Marc Gasol becoming free agents (Battier unrestricted, Gasol restricted), it may not be the same next year.

Both players were integral parts to the mean Grizzlies team that beat the Spurs and pushed the Thunder to the edge, but if they can't bring them both back, then they may not be able to do it again next year.

36. When Are the Pistons Going to Blow Up Their Team?

Detroit is entering the hell that is basketball purgatory.

They aren't getting much better because they are consistently winning around 35 games a year, giving them a mediocre draft pick.

The Pistons are handcuffed by horrible contracts (Barlie Gordanueva), young, underperforming players (Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum and Austin Daye) and veterans who just need to move on (Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Tracy McGrady and Ben Wallace).

35. Is Kris Humphries Really Going to Get a Good-Sized Contract?

Here's a guy who came out of nowhere to average a double-double and get engaged to Kim Kardashian in the span of a year. Few guys can say they have had a year as good as Kris Humphries in either respect.

However, Humpries is coming off a contract year where he averaged over four points more than his career average and nearly five rebounds better playing alongside a center in Brook Lopez who seems to have forgotten how to grab a board.

Some poor general manager is going to get infatuated with this guy, and it could end up costing him his job when Humpries comes out of the gate next season and averages six points and five rebounds.

34. Will Nene Leave Denver?

Nene has an early termination option this year, and with him playing the position that is in the highest demand in the league, he could see dollar signs and bolt for greener pastures and bigger paychecks.

The Nuggets may very well hang around and be a decent team again this season, but it's hard to say if they will stay afloat and avoid a huge rebuilding process, which could be incentive enough for Nene to head out the door.

He is a great defender with a pretty turnaround jumper and low-post moves, which is enough to make every team who doesn't have a guy named Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Al Horford or Andrew Bogut interested.

33. How Much Hype Will Accompany Ricky Rubio?

The hype machine that was owned by Ricky Rubio's agent was put on full blast two years ago when he was drafted, hoping to get him to go to a lucrative city like, you know, not Minneapolis.

Well, two years later Rubio begrudgingly signed with the Timberwolves and is on the way to play in the US after having a few down years in Europe.

Now the Timberwolves are going to be turning on their hype machine to get season tickets sold and national television interested.

32. Is Andre Iguodala on the Move?

Andre Iguodala has been linked to a few trade rumors over the past few weeks, most notably being linked to the Clippers and Warriors for a West Coast relocation.

Realistically, the 76ers are a young team looking to get their young players some more playing time, especially Evan Turner, who is buried on the depth chart below Iguodala, who is a valuable trade asset at this time with his vastly improved defense.

31. How Will the Owners Use the Hornets as Leverage?

The biggest caveat in the NBA labor negotiations is the league's collective ownership of the New Orleans Hornets.

The league will likely use them as evidence that teams are hemorrhaging money and could even threaten to fold the team if talks get ugly.

30. Will There Be New Contract-Voiding Rules?

In the NFL there are player conduct rules that allow teams to void players' contracts at a minimal financial hit if they do something like, you know, pull a gun on a teammate.

This allows for teams to save face, save locker room morale and save money in the process and allows the player to get a new start more easily instead of toiling away on the bench.

A rule like this could make the large salaries of head cases more friendly, giving the owners the knowledge that if someone does make a horrible decision, they can cut ties with him immediately.

29. What Round of Veterans Will Be Part of the Heat Next Year?

Mike Bibby, Erick Dampier, Eddie House, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Juwan Howard and Jamaal Magloire littered the floor with the big three in Miami this year, and you are high out of your mind if you want to tell me that any team with this set of guys can call this a good seventh through 12th man.

With only the mid-level exception and the biannual exception at their disposal (possibly not even that if CBA talks go the owners' way), it's going to be hard for the Heat to add much in terms of younger, more effective players, which means more veteran and league-minimum contracts for the Heat's bench.

28. Where Will Monta Ellis End Up?

Monta Ellis is a rare breed that can score 25 points a game no questions asked, and now that he is on the trading block, there should be a handful of teams looking to buy him.

Who cares if only a year ago he was labeled as a chucker and he plays less than no defense? He is instant offense and should be moved just as soon as the Warriors find the best deal possible for him.

27. Could Phil Jackson Come Back to Coach Again?

Phil Jackson is never coaching again. Right, we get it. But he's probably coming back eventually, right?

There are a few teams out there that make sense for Jackson to coach, as he could come in and take the reins of an already established team, work his Zen magic and win another three championships.

He definitely won't be back this year, but next year he should be at least contacted by the likes of the Knicks or Heat.

26. Will the Heat Trio Do Anything Else to Nab the Negative Spotlight Again?

I suppose the title for this one should be, "What will the Heat do to nab the negative spotlight again?"

Many have come out to say that the media is unfairly portraying the Miami Heat in a negative light, but when you hold a championship celebration the day after signing LeBron James and have multiple foot-in-mouth moments coming over the course of the year, it's kind of hard to paint them as the good guys in any case.

I'll put the over/under at 4.5 dumb comments or actions by a member of the Heat, take the over and pair that with at least three of those incidents coming from LeBron James.

25. Can the Heat Scavenge a Center?

Miami needs a big man.

Joel Anthony can be tough, but he is only 6'9" and not the smartest basketball player, Zydrunas Ilgauskas might not actually have knees anymore and anyone else on their roster is just a bad option.

There are a few centers out there, but it seems unlikely that they can grab them with their mid-level exception, as centers are at a premium right now.

It seems the only serviceable big men that could come at that price would be Nazr Mohammed, Spencer Hawes or possibly Joel Przybilla.

24. Will Talk of Contraction Re-Emerge?

With the league ownership of the Hornets, negotiations could get messy, especially when both sides think the other is lying.

The owners seem to have way more leverage than the players with actual complaints like, "We just lost $400 million," or, "Bucks owner Herb Kohl is living in a cardboard box" (one of those was a joke), while the most the players seem to have is, "We want players like Eddy Curry to continue to collect paychecks while injured and eating cheeseburgers on the bench."

With contract talks getting ugly, it's entirely possible talk of contraction re-emerges, freaking out the players union in the process and sending us full-throttle into a lockout and missing a good chunk of the season.

23. Will There Be an Amnesty Clause in the New CBA?

The blogosphere is glowing with the potential amnesty clause that has been talked about as part of the league's new CBA.

Basically, it allows teams to designate one horrible contract to take off its payroll to get the team near or under the luxury tax while still actually paying that player.

This happened back in 2005, becoming known as the Allan Houston rule, as 17 teams used the clause to clear a terrible contract. (The Knicks actually used theirs on Jerome Williams, not Allan Houston, who they used a medical retirement clause for.)

22. Will There Be a Franchise Tag in the New CBA?

One of the biggest (but probably least possible) impacts of the new CBA could be the implementation of an NFL-like franchise tag for the NBA.

Instead of just tabbing a player and forcing him to come back the following season, it would allow for a team to offer a more favorable contract to one player on the team, giving him more money and adding an extra year to a maximum deal.

21. Who Takes a Gamble on Yao Ming?

Yao Ming is damaged goods. That much is obvious. But he is also a 7'6" center who has showed that he can play in the NBA, which is enough to get some general managers salivating.

If there is one GM out there who would overpay for Yao, there are a dozen, and if he does come back and stay healthy, then you look like a genius. If not, then you're probably going to get fired.

High risk, high reward.

20. Will Greg Oden Be Leaving Portland?

Greg Oden has spent more time in a suit than in a jersey for the Portland Trail Blazers.

They seem to want to do all they can to keep him and get him healthy, but if a team offers something they decide is halfway decent, then Oden could be out the door.

He is a restricted free agent this year, which could mean a team out there could offer him ridiculous money, but that doesn't seem likely with his hobbled past.

19. Are the Jazz Built to Recover This Year?

Utah got the best it could have ever hoped for out of the Deron Williams trade, and while the Jazz may have fallen off quite a bit last year, that doesn't mean they are going to stay in the gutter.

Derrick Favors should come in and improve quite a bit, and Paul Millsap and C.J. Miles could continue to get better, while Enes Kanter and Alec Burks could come in and make an immediate impact.

18. Will the Players Union Get the Owners to Get Rid of One-and-Done Rules?

One of the cards the players do hold in the collective bargaining issue that is coming up in the next few days with the lockout looming just days away is the option of getting rid of the age restriction on players entering the NBA.

The players union has always thought they should be able to make a living without being forced to go to college, and this could be one of the things the owners concede to get what they want.

17. Can the Bulls Move Carlos Boozer? If So, Do They Want To?

Carloos Boozer has quickly fallen out of favor in Chicago with his lackluster performance in the playoffs.

One moment Chicago fans were bragging that they got someone better than Chris Bosh for a smaller price, and the next they were calling for his head.

Boozer has an absolutely untradeable contract at the moment, and it would be a miracle for the Bulls to find a suitor, but do they really want to give up on him this soon?

He has been a good player in the past few years despite his defensive shortcomings, and he should be able to recover from a down year where he was fighting injuries most of the time.

16. What Does the Future Hold for the Maloof Brothers?

The Maloof brothers almost refuse to acknowledge the fact that they are going broke right now and owning an NBA team may not be the wise thing to do.

They had to trade for an injured Marquis Daniels earlier this season just to get above the cap floor, which is downright embarrassing.

15. Will Guaranteed Contracts Be Reduced?

One of the biggest problems plaguing the NBA is the issuing of large, mostly guaranteed contracts to players coming off contract years.

This leads to players not being able to live up to their huge contracts, whether it be because they are injured, aging or just not that good (I'm talking to you, Eddy Curry and Rashard Lewis).

Reducing guaranteed money could be one thing that reduces the amount of money the league is losing.

14. Can the Celtics Remain Contenders?

The original big three is getting old, and it showed in their playoff series against the Heat.

Where the Dallas Mavericks beat the Heat with veteran savvy, the Celtics lost to the Heat with veteran bodies.

They need a legitimate starting center to be able to continue to play championship-caliber basketball, and if they can't get one, it could be time to start trading some players away.

13. How Much Money Did Teams Lose This Year?

The big bombshell from a season ago was that league owners collectively lost $370 million, a number that the players union refutes.

Now it has come out that the Milwaukee Bucks borrowed $55 million from the league this season to make operating costs, which means the number could be even higher than it was last year.

This could be the ultimate tool the owners use in collective bargaining talks.

12. Will the Suns Start to Talk About Steve Nash Trades?

The Phoenix Suns are going nowhere but sideways, and with Steve Nash trapped on their team, he is wasting away another precious year where he could be helping a team win a ring.

Nash is set to be a free agent next year, and if the trend continues of trading your superstar before his contract is up, talks to trade Nash could start sooner rather than later, which means the Suns could be one of the worst teams in the league this year.

11. When Will the Dwight Howard Saga Begin?

The biggest name in 2012 free agency is Dwight Howard, who everyone believes has one foot out the door in Orlando, but that may not be true.

Dwight is going to get a maximum contract and seems to want to play in a large market, with rumors of him going to the Lakers, but they won't be able to afford him in free agency.

In fact, it's a stretch to say that any big-market team could, meaning he would have to settle for a medium-sized market or stay in the one he is in with Orlando.

10. Where Will the Salary Cap Be?

The 2010-11 NBA salary cap was set at $58 million, with almost every team in the NBA exceeding the salary cap.

The biggest thing that is going to come out of CBA talks is the new number, which figures to be significantly lower than that.

9. Will the Owners Be Forced to Share Revenue?

The biggest argument the players have against the owners when they complain about smaller market teams losing money is that they don't share revenue, something the NHL does and MLB does in a bastardized way.

Complaints are that the teams in the big markets are raking in the cash while small-market teams are lucky to squeak by.

Players will argue that the owners are a collective unit and therefore should help each other make money by sharing revenue.

8. Will the Hornets Do Anything to Keep Chris Paul?

The most interesting team in the league right now is the New Orleans Hornets.

NBA owners got a bit perturbed when the team added salary at the trade deadline even though it was under emergency takeover by the owners as a whole, so will that stop the Hornets from doing anything if nobody has bought the team by the time the CBA is signed?

If they don't do much in terms of acquiring and creating a championship-caliber team, then Chris Paul should have more than a foot out the door.

7. Will Players Be More Bound to Their Teams?

After Chris Bosh and LeBron James left their teams, hurting them badly in the process, owners started to cry foul that they couldn't do enough to convince players to stay if they were in "undesirable" cities.

This could mean the owners could look to implement a type of franchise tag or even restrict what teams could do to take players away from other teams in free agency.

6. Can the Spurs Still Contend?

After the Grizzlies beat the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs this year, everyone called it the end of an era and the end of a dynasty.

Well, calm down there, fellas. Isn't this the team that was the best team during the regular season in the Western Conference a year ago, and don't they have just about the smartest basketball staff in the NBA?

You would have to hold a gun to my head to get me to count them out this year. They aren't done yet.

5. How Exciting Are the First Few Days After the CBA Going to Be?

If there is one good thing that is going to come out of the potential lockout, it is the scramble that is going to follow the signing of the CBA.

The few weeks after the agreement is signed (if it has infringed on the regular season) will feature a slew of free-agent signings, retirements, releases and trades, a quick training camp and the start of a brand-new NBA season.

I, for one, can't wait to see what comes of that.

4. What Will the Mavericks Do to Stay in Contention?

The Dallas Mavericks have six players becoming unrestricted free agents this summer, all but one of whom played a role in their run to the championship.

J.J. Barea, Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, Peja Stojakovic and most importantly Brian Cardinal will be free agents, and it will be hard for them to pay them all under new rules.

It will be interesting to see if they can hold their team together for a chance at a repeat.

3. What Are We Going to Watch If There Is No NBA or NFL?

Are you guys ready for some hockey?

Well, if you aren't, then you damn well should be.

If the NFL court case continues to drag out and talks about their new collective bargaining agreement flop, the NBA will likely do the same, meaning the NHL will be the only professional sport playing provided both leagues lock out into November.

I'm a hockey fan myself, so it won't be that jarring, but I know quite a few people who will be lost with just college sports to watch.

2. Will There Be a Hard Cap?

The question of the year when it comes to the new collective bargaining agreement is whether the cap will be hard or just harder than in years past.

A hard cap could make it impossible to continue to assemble super-teams like what is in Miami and what is going on in New York.

This could mean that the Heat will be in a league of their own for a few years with three superstars, or they could be screwed with no ability to sign legitimate support for their superstars, forcing them to trade one down the line.

1. How Many Games Will the League Miss?

Really, this is the only question that matters, right?

The reason I write about basketball is because I like to watch basketball.

In 1999 the longest lockout in league history shortened the season from 82 to 50 games and completely nixed the All-Star game.

If the NBA is gone this season, I would be lying to say that I wouldn't be at least a little bit sad. It's almost silly that we let a game affect our day-to-day life as much as it does, but it's too much fun not to.