NBA Franchises with the Bleakest Futures
The Charlotte Bobcats may have finally laid a foundation for a turnaround in the near future thanks to new head coach Mike Dunlap and second-overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
Even if they haven't, this team really has nowhere to go but up. It may take another premium draft pick or two to get the franchise back on track, but there's at least a light at the end of the tunnel for the first time in a while.
Never mind that the light is faint and far, far off in the distance. It's a light.
But, who will be joining the Bobcats over the next couple years and joining them in the worst possible way?
Here are five clubs that don't appear to be going anywhere fast. This is a fluid league and rosters can quite literally change overnight, but until these do, they might find themselves getting comfortable with the Bobcats in the NBA lottery.
Utah Jazz
The fans in Utah have been in denial ever since the days of Karl Malone and John Stockton came to a sad end. While Western Conference cohorts like the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs went on to win championships, the Jazz slowly receded into irrelevance with the departures of Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams.
Utah now has arguably the deepest front line in the league while suffering from weaknesses up and down the rest of its lineup. Perhaps no team in the league more desperately needs a trade or two.
Until then, the Jazz will somehow have to find a way to share minutes between Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter while the starting backcourt is comprised of Mo Williams and Randy Foye.
With the rest of the Western Conference getting better, the Jazz could quite possibly take a step or two back.
Houston Rockets
As it turns out, there will be no Dwight Howard in Houston, or even Andrew Bynum. The Rockets' bold plans to reel in a top-shelf superstar with a stash of young assets appear to have backfired, at least for now.
That could always change quickly at any moment once general manager Daryl Morey regroups and moves on to Plan B. There was a Plan B, right?
For the moment, Houston is saddled with an overpriced Omer Asik, a relatively unproven Jeremy Lin, shooting guard Kevin Martin and a bunch of promising youngsters. This organization either has more wheeling and dealing ahead of it, or it's planning on taking a year off and having another stab at the draft.
Until this franchise steadies its course, the future appears bleak–or at least really murky.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving may have the brightest future of any young player in the game today, but that doesn't mean you can say the same for the rest of his team. The Cleveland Cavaliers took a risk by selecting Dion Waiters with the fourth-overall pick in June's draft, much as they did last summer by taking Tristan Thompson with the fourth pick in 2011.
Both picks may well pan out much to the dismay of conventional wisdom, but there's a good case to be made that the organization could and should have done better.
The more troubling fact is that while this franchise has some money to spend going forward, it isn't an especially hot free-agent destination. An opportunity to play with Kyrie Irving might change that, but the Cavaliers still look to be a couple of years away from escaping the lower rungs of the NBA standings.
Detroit Pistons
Yes, Joe Dumars will one day soon enough rid himself of Charlie Villanueva's salary, and he already exchanged Ben Gordon's albatross of a deal for Corey Maggette's expiring contract. The only remaining question is what will go wrong with this roster next.
There's some exciting young talent to be sure. Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond could one day comprise one of the league's elite front lines, and Brandon Knight is already making his presence felt in the backcourt.
On the other hand, Drummond remains unproven, and it's still too soon to make any firm prediction's about Knight's upside. Only Monroe is a sure thing at this point.
Unfortunately, it will probably take another draft or two before this lineup raises any eyebrows. Even then, they may not be raised for the right reasons.
Orlando Magic
Fans in Orlando may still be dumbfounded by the seemingly paltry returns from the Dwight Howard exchange, but we should give this deal some time before judging it too harshly.
At the very least, general manager Rob Hennigan may have made the right decision by foregoing Brook Lopez' contract and letting the Brooklyn Nets move on with their lives. The Magic will have cap flexibility and the opportunity to shape the roster as they see fit without taking expensive risks on one of the few star-caliber players available on the trade market.
Lopez may have been the best Orlando could do, but that's not a reason to take him given the price tag.
Silver lining aside, though, the Magic will be awful in the short-term. The draft can't come soon enough for this franchise.
