The 8 Worst Teams in the NBA and How to Fix Them

With so much attention paid to contenders, pretenders and everything in between, clubs struggling to rebuild get lost in the mix. But, even the worst teams can find the right pieces and turn their fortunes around in no time at all.

Just ask the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Of course, the right pieces are rarely easy to come by. It looks like the general managers for the NBA's eight worst teams could use a little help, so here's a how-to guide for rebuilding the league's most damaged franchises. 

No. 8: Cleveland Cavaliers

More than any other sub-par team, basketball fans have to be pulling for the Cavaliers to rebuild—and not just because LeBron James spurned the organization for the bright lights of South Beach.

Kyrie Irving's exceptional rookie campaign has given fans a lot to like. Antawn Jamison's exceptionally veteran campaign hasn't been bad, either.

The Cavaliers don't have any long-term contracts threatening to weigh them down in the future, and they have two young bigs to build around with Anderson Varejao and rookie Tristan Thompson. As middling teams go, Cleveland isn't half bad.

The news gets even better, though. Cleveland's pick will fall in the lottery this summer, and it owns another selection later in the first round thanks to Ramon Sessions' trade to the Lakers. Ordinarily a late first-round pick wouldn't be much to celebrate, but with this year's draft promising to be a deep one, the Cavs could find themselves adding some extra talent.

The starting five is set at point guard and has some options in the paint, so the biggest draft priority should be acquiring help on the wing (possibly someone like Harrison Barnes should be slip far enough). That said, if there's a big still on the board that qualifies as an upgrade over Varejao and Thompson, it's worth taking him.

It's not as if Cleveland has All-Stars manning the post, and it certainly can't have too much depth in the paint. Additionally, Varejao could become valuable trade bait in the Cavaliers' pursuit of help at the shooting guard or small forward positions.

Either way, the organization has to take the best available talent and worry about shaping the roster later. This is still a club that should be more concerned with acquiring assets than ironing out the details. 

No. 7: Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings may be struggling this year, but they probably have the best young core of any sub-.400 team. Their four leading scorers are all under 24 years of age and include arguably the league's best young center in DeMarcus Cousins.

In many respects, the Kings' best policy going forward is to simply let the youth develop. The backcourt combination of Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and Isaiah Thomas could flourish for years to come.

There's no question though that Sacramento could accelerate its improvement and turn some heads next year.

The Kings should find themselves at least $10 to $15 million under the cap come the off-season, but they could clear even more room by using the amnesty clause on either John Salmons or Francisco Garcia. Salmons' deal could impact financial flexibility going forward, especially in 2013-2014 when he's set to make over $7.5 million in the last guaranteed year of his contract.

The Kings will have to give Tyreke Evans a raise that season, and it could be a big one if another team offers him a max-level offer sheet. Sacramento will remain well under the cap and could certainly afford to keep both of them, but Salmons will be almost 34 and may threaten the team's ability to make a big splash in free agency.

Whether shopping among free agents or relying on their upcoming lottery pick, the Kings definitely need an upgrade at the three and four spots.

In order to put its best players on the floor, the team has gone small lately and started Thomas, Thornton and Evans together in a three-guard lineup. That probably will not be sustainable over the long term, especially given the lack of height in a Thomas-Thornton backcourt.

A legitimate small forward would allow Evans to go back to shooting guard with either Thomas or Thornton coming off the bench as a spark plug.

Unless the team views Jason Thompson as its power forward of the future—and it hasn't seemed that high on him historically—then it could also look for an upgrade at the four. Chuck Hayes has struggled to provide meaningful depth at the position, and the Kings bought out J.J. Hickson after his failed experiment.

With the available size in this draft, finding a starting power forward shouldn't be a problem.

No. 6: Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are nowhere close to being a legitimate playoff team, but they are not bad enough to get their hands on a top-five draft pick. 

That's especially unfortunate given that the draft is one of the few ways this team can improve. 

Detroit will spend over $20 million in each of the next two seasons on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva's combined contracts. Neither player is worth anything close to his salary, so moving them will be next to impossible.

Meanwhile, the Pistons are also stuck with another three years of Tayshaun Prince's ill-advised contract, giving them as many overpaid players as any team in the league.

Rebuilding this squad will be an epic headache, and Pistons' fans have Joe Dumars to thank for that.

On the bright side, Detroit does have some promising young talent to work with. Second-year center Greg Monroe has rapidly become Detroit's best player, boasting a 22.9 player efficiency ranking that ranks fourth among all centers. 

Rookie point guard Brandon Knight has also proven to be a capable starter and should continue to improve thanks to the ample playing time he's received.

Even with the young talent, Detroit is in desperate need of a shot-blocker. Jason Maxiell is an undersized power forward, and Monroe doesn't play above the rim. The first priority in this summer's draft should be finding someone who can intimidate shots in the paint—a little bit of luck in the draft lottery wouldn't hurt this endeavor.

There's no easy fix for Detroit, but it should use its amnesty clause on Charlie Villanueva and look to acquire more draft picks by any means necessary. Even second round picks could become a useful avenue for injecting cheap, low-risk talent.

Since no one is likely to take Gordon back in a deal, the Pistons can figure on him becoming a veteran sixth man for the next couple of years. Prince, on the other hand, might be an attractive option for a contender in need of some wingspan length at the three. Ideally, Detroit could have begged a team like the Lakers to take Prince in exchange for its trade exception, but any expiring contract would do.

The sooner Detroit can clear cap space, the sooner it can convince a free agent or two that Detroit has the youth to become something more. With Motor City's auto industry making its own comeback, there's no better time for the Pistons to do the same. 

No. 5: Toronto Raptors

The Raptors need to hit the reset button and fast. They are more than a high-lottery selection away from being a team with a shot at the playoffs.

There are some nice young pieces to be sure. Andrea Bargnani may not be a traditional big man, but he's a good shooter worth holding on to. Ed Davis has shown promise and—at just 22—he's far too young to give up on. The same goes for 22-year-old DeMar DeRozan.

The problem for Toronto is that it's relying on its prospects to play like stars. DeRozan is shooting at just 41 percent and Jerryd Bayless at just 43 percent, yet they account for a combined 23 shots per game.

This team doesn't need scoring so much as it needs efficiency.

A lock for a lottery selection, the Raptors should be able to grab a promising big in this season's draft. In that event, they could either hold on to Davis and Bargnani or move one of them for an upgrade on the wing. If someone like Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is still available when Toronto comes up in the draft, it could go in that direction instead—the team has a clear need for a starting-caliber small forward.

The Raptors will have substantial cap room in the offseason, but they should also look into using their amnesty clause on Linas Kleiza. The 27-year-old forward has two more years on his deal at $4.6 million a piece—that may not sound too expensive, but it's a bit much for a guy who doesn't do much defensively and only shoots at 41 percent .

Luring free agents to Toronto might not be easy, but there's always the chance they could sell a guy like OJ Mayo on a more prominent role and a talented young supporting cast. It might even be worth overpaying someone if it's a legitimate upgrade. Adding pieces that will fit with Toronto's long-term plans would, in turn, free the organization to use guys like DeRozan, Davis or Bargnani as trade bait.

For a team that has so far to go before becoming competitive, acquiring assets by any means necessary is an absolute must. 

No. 4: New Jersey Nets

With Dwight Howard sticking around Orlando for at least another season, it just got a lot harder for New Jersey to keep Deron Williams.

Both Williams and the newly acquired Gerald Wallace have player-options to remain with New Jersey next season, and Williams has already said he'll be exploring his options in free agency. That means the Nets could lose both Williams and Wallace, and—as per the Wallace trade—they'll almost certainly lose their first-round pick this year unless it winds up in the top three selections.

Things could go very badly for New Jersey.

However, if Williams and Wallace stick around, the Nets will have something to work with. They can match offers for restricted free-agent center Brook Lopez, and they'll have stand-out rookie MarShon Brooks for at least the next three seasons. 

Lopez and Brooks could either round out a solid starting-five, or they could be used as trade chips to land the Nets another star to pair with Williams.

If New Jersey loses Williams, it will be right back where it started (minus some draft picks and Derrick Favors, of course).

The Nets will not be able to finalize a long-term plan until Deron Williams makes a decision. The rosters will either be a lock for the playoffs or a skeleton crew in desperate need of help. The good news is that even if Williams leaves, New Jersey will have the money to attract an elite free agent, and it can sell them on becoming the face of a re-tooled Brooklyn franchise.

Whatever they do in the event of losing Williams, the Nets should be weary of overspending on a restricted free agent in a bid to ease the pain. Unless they can snatch away someone like Eric Gordon or Roy Hibbert, waiting out another rough year or two may be the best play. 

No. 3: New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets actually have a nice combination of young prospects (Al-Farouq Aminu, Greivis Vasquez) and veteran role-players, and they will have a top-five pick thanks to a series of injuries absolutely wrecking New Orleans' record. 

Of course, their most promising young piece is shooting guard Eric Gordon. The first step for the Hornets will be holding on to the restricted free agent. This could require them to match a substantial offer (from the Pacers for example), but New Orleans will have money to work with as $26 million comes off the books with Chris Kaman and Carl Landry's expiring contracts.

The Hornets might even decide to keep either Kaman or Landry on board if the price is right.

Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor are each under contract through 2013-2014, and while it could be tempting to move one of them for additional cap flexibility, it's doubtful the Hornets could find equal value. Both Ariza and Okafor are good defenders who fit with Monty Williams' philosophy, and they should remain solid role players on an improved team.

New Orleans will also have point guard Jarrett Jack under contract next season, and he could serve either as an experienced starter or top-notch sixth man.

In addition to its own pick, the Hornets also acquired Minnesota's first-round pick from the Clippers in the Chris Paul deal. That pick could be a late-lottery selection or—at worst—a mid-rounder.

The multiple selections give New Orleans the flexibility to grab an elite big while also getting younger at the point or small-forward positions. Jack and Ariza are solid players, but they probably aren't long-term solutions.

More than any team at the bottom of the barrel, New Orleans could see dramatic improvement sooner rather than later. 

No. 2: Washington Wizards

The first thing Washington should do is change its name from the Wizards. Unless the franchise is angling to win over Harry Potter fans, this whole Wizards thing was an ill-conceived plan.

Speaking of ill-conceived plans, Washington's roster is in dire need of an intervention.

It might have made some sense to part ways with JaVale McGee, but the Wizards made a deal that was every bit as boneheaded as McGee.

Nene will make $13 million through 2015-2016, when he settles into his mid-30s. That's a lot of money for a center whose never averaged more than 7.8 rebounds or 1.3 blocks. Perhaps he'll be a good influence on the team, but that's a lot of money to spend on inspiration. These guys could huddle around and watch a copy of Shawshank Redemption for all of two bucks.

Or, they could just sign a trusty veteran or two on the cheap.

Meanwhile, Washington gave up on a guy who, at only 24, is a more productive rebounder and shot-blocker than Nene has ever been. Maybe he wanted too much money. Maybe he didn't have the best attitude. These things happen on terrible teams, and those teams have to finds ways to make things work.

At this juncture, Washington could get under the salary cap by using its amnesty clause on Rashard Lewis and the $23.7 million he's due next season. Even so, it's hard to imagine any impact players wanting to come to the Wizards.

The better amnesty target may be Andray Blatche whose hefty contract won't run out until 2015. Given some time, the Wizards could build a core that's more intriguing to free agents, and they won't want Blatche's contract getting in the way. 

If the Wizards are committed to a "win soon" mentality—which Nene's acquisition might suggest—they should consider moving some of their younger assets for more proven talent. With another premium lottery pick, Washington could grab an elite young power forward to pair with Nene and keep a fundamentally young core.

Accordingly, the organization could spare some combination of youth like Jordan Crawford, Trevor Booker, Chris Singleton and Jan Vesely. Teams looking to get younger could be sold on just such a package.

Talent may not matter all that much if Washington can't get its house in order defensively. The best anecdote for this team's ills is a coach who will convince them to play on both ends of the court and an off-season worth of practice to get the message across. 

No. 1: Charlotte Bobcats

As bad as the Bobcats' roster is, the biggest problem in Charlotte may be Paul Silas. The frustrated coach failed to keep his concerns about Boris Diaw in the family and ranted to the media on March 7th about his various grievances—most notably the belief that Diaw passed the ball too much.

Maybe Diaw was a lost cause in Charlotte, but you'd sure like to think your coach can take care of business without airing a team's dirty laundry. A coach's job is to make his team better in the locker room.

Berating them in public? Not so much.

This isn't Silas' first failure. In his second season coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers, Silas made it 64 games before management decided to go in another direction. His inability to craft a consistent rotation played a role in his dismissal, but so too did his unprofessional treatment of the team. Most notably, Silas kicked veteran leader Eric Snow off the bench during a game against Detroit after the two got into an argument.

It's a good thing DeMarcus Cousins isn't on this Bobcats roster.

Unfortunately, there's not much else on this roster either. The Bobcats would do well to part ways with Silas, but they still need to infuse the lineup with some talent.

While using the amnesty clause on DeSagana Diop (set to make $7.3 million next season) would be a good start, all the cap room in the world isn't going to change Charlotte overnight. Free agents still have to want to sign with a team, and the Bobcats shouldn't overpay sub-par talent just to make a splash.

They already have Corey Maggette after all.

Rookies Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo are clearly steps in the right direction, and guard Gerald Henderson has shown nice improvement this season.

The Bobcats might like to hold on to the affordable DJ Augustin for another season, but he forces the Bobcats to either leave Walker on the bench or trot out a small backcourt. Charlotte should look to move Augustin for either a draft pick or a guard/forward to replace Maggette or Henderson.

Maggette is slightly undersized to play small forward 6'6'', and Gerald Henderson is better suited for sixth-man duty at 6'4''—Charlotte should look to acquire a guy in the 6'8'' or 6'9'' range to add some length.

Drafting young talent and developing them internally stands a better chance of success than awaiting a marquee free agent to come knocking.

The team could also use some front-court help, especially in the event Tyrus Thomas continues to regress. Fortunately, this draft has a number of attractive options, and Charlotte should have its pick of the litter.