Finding Hope for Every NBA Offseason Loser
While the NBA offseason is generally a time for optimism leaguewide, it's inevitable that some teams take a step back during those late June and early July days.
Of course, there's no way to know until the season starts whether their regression is real or imagined by the basketball media, but in many cases, on-paper questions can translate to legitimate quandaries.
However, sometimes teams that had a "losing offseason" band together instead and become much more fun or successful than originally anticipated. Think teams like the post-Paul George Indiana Pacers or last year's Sacramento Kings—squads that wildly exceeded low expectations and either experienced playoff success or found real growth and development.
Who will be the 2019-20 version of this team? Let's look at a few "losers" and find some hope for them.
Honorable Mentions
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Minnesota Timberwolves: Defense Is Fun Now
It seems like the distant past when the Timberwolves were anointed as the next great NBA team.
Remember when we were still all excited about Andrew Wiggins? That seems like a lifetime ago, and even though Minnesota snapped its playoff drought in 2017-18, the team has still fundamentally underachieved for a club that rosters Karl-Anthony Towns.
However, the Wolves still have a fun team. Defense will be the focus here. Towns was a much-maligned defender for much of his time in the NBA, but he improved after Jimmy Butler was traded. Plus, the Wolves have All-Defense wing stopper Robert Covington, second-year grinder Josh Okogie and rookie Jarrett Culver.
It may not be the star-laden team Wolves fans once hoped for, but it could get the job done.
Orlando Magic: So Many Big Men; There Must Be a Trade
Somebody pull John Hammond away from the controls! Once upon a time, he drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now it seems like all he's trying to do is find the next Greek Freak. How else do you explain drafting Jonathan Isaac, Mo Bamba and Chuma Okeke in consecutive years while re-signing Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon and bringing in Al-Farouq Aminu, all while lacking a starting-caliber point guard?
Well, the past is the past, and there's nothing Orlando can do about signing those players now. However, the fact the Magic are overcrowded in the frontcourt and have a clear positional need at lead guard loudly suggests a trade.
At this point, it is foolhardy to expect Markelle Fultz to return to college form, so Orlando must keep a clear lookout for point guards in bad situations, like D'Angelo Russell or Goran Dragic.
Washington Wizards: Hang on to Bradley Beal
Just two years ago, the Wizards were a game away from the Eastern Conference Finals, and the core of John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. looked to be the next great team in the East. Wow, things have changed quickly.
Porter was traded to the Bulls last year for a future second-round pick and two players who are no longer on the roster, and Wall will likely miss all of the 2019-20 season rehabbing a torn Achilles. As it stands, the Wizards' second-best healthy player is probably Thomas Bryant.
However, Beal is still very much alive and kicking. He made his second All-Star team last season and continues to improve every year, proving himself capable of carrying the offense after Wall succumbed to injury.
As we now exist in a world where stars on bad teams are expected to want out, Beal's future in Washington is constantly questioned, but he has renewed his commitment to the organization and city multiple times, and the Wizards' brain trust has repeatedly said he will not be traded.
Of course, the Pelicans also stated they would not trade Anthony Davis, and they ended up doing so. Things move rapidly in the NBA, so Wizards fans must cherish these times with their franchise player before it's too late.
Boston Celtics: Brad Stevens, Point Guard Wizard
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Before last season, Brad Stevens was known as perhaps the best coach in the NBA. I mean, he got a team led by then-rookie Jayson Tatum to Game 7 of an Eastern Conference Finals against LeBron James just two seasons ago. What happened?
Well, it's simple—nothing happened. He's still the coach who briefly made Isaiah Thomas The King in the Fourth; it's just that at some point last year, Kyrie Irving hijacked Boston's season and nobody could stop him.
But Kyrie is gone now, with Kemba Walker in his place. And that switch should be a win for Boston. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor wrote:
"Walker's style should theoretically be more conducive to Boston's preferred offensive flow, thus fostering better team cohesion. Walker has never played on a team with this much talent, which suggests he could be due for a career-best season in terms of scoring efficiency and playmaking, though he'll also need to change styles for the first time. All he's ever known is ball dominance due to the nature of his teams."
Losing Al Horford is likely a death blow to the Celtics' Finals chances, especially given he was replaced by Enes Kanter—a poor defender. But if Walker leaps from a fringe All-Star to a top-tier NBA point guard under Stevens' leadership, the future will be bright in Boston.
Charlotte Hornets: Finally, a Rebuild
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We talk all the time about the "mediocre middle" in NBA discourse, particularly in the context of how it is the worst place to be with regards to team building.
But while most teams are actively striving either for deep playoff runs or rebuilding efforts, the Charlotte Hornets seemingly became satisfied denizens of that dreaded middle tier, winning between 33 and 39 games in four out of five years since returning to Charlotte. Clearly, they plateaued as a franchise, but this summer's events may have given the team new life.
With the swap of Kemba Walker for Terry Rozier, the Hornets are now the only club in the NBA without a recent high-lottery pick or established star, which makes them the worst team in the league almost by default. Is Charlotte's best player Miles Bridges? Marvin Williams? Cody Zeller? Whew, boy.
It has been time for a rebuild for several years, but Walker's departure makes that path a near-certainty. The Hornets will likely have a top-five draft pick next year and will be able to give run to young players like Bridges, Malik Monk and P.J. Washington in a low-pressure environment where they can play through mistakes.
The Hornets should have traded Kemba when they had the opportunity, but at least they own all of their future first-round picks and should have early picks in the next couple of drafts to look for a star.
Golden State Warriors: The Status Quo Still Exists
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On a strictly talent basis, the Golden State Warriors are now a middle-tier Western Conference playoff team.
They have the lowest expectations a Warriors team has had since the beginning of President Barack Obama's second term, and it's possible they miss the playoffs considering the ridiculous depth of the conference.
Something just feels wrong about counting them out, though. Kevin Durant's departure should have signaled the end of the dynasty, but there is still plenty enough in place to ensure success in a post-KD world.
Two of the now-Big Three are healthy for next season, likely with as much motivation as they've had in years.
The last time Stephen Curry had so much offensive responsibility and freedom, he won the MVP in unanimous fashion and had the best shooting season in NBA history. In addition, Draymond Green will be entering the final year of his contract, and considering his prior statements about wanting a max-level deal, he'll likely be in peak condition all season.
Add in D'Angelo Russell, who is a poor fit with the Warriors but still made the All-Star team last year—not to mention Willie Cauley-Stein, who has never been on a team as talented as this one before and could prove to be an excellent role player—and the Warriors could be right back in the thick of contention come April 2020.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis
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There are compelling arguments on both sides as to whether the Lakers had a successful offseason. On one hand, they acquired Anthony Davis. In case you haven't heard, he's pretty good at basketball.
On the other hand, they went all-in on the pursuit of Kawhi Leonard, failed to sign him, and instead of surrounding their existing superstars with role players like Bojan Bogdanovic, JJ Redick or Terrence Ross were left with the likes of Avery Bradley and Quinn Cook.
We say the Lakers are losers because the gain of Davis is outweighed by the numerous players and picks they gave up for him, as well as the thin depth chart that the botched pursuit of Leonard subsequently yielded. Of course, the Lakers should have gone after Kawhi, but their stubborn refusal to sign any free agent while waiting for his decision has the chance to seriously harm their championship aspirations.
However, the Lakers are not destined for a first-round exit like they may have been last year. Despite an eyesore of a backcourt, they still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their team, and they make up arguably the best duo in the NBA.
LeBron has shown countless times in the past that he can win with a cast of role players just as easily as he can with star teammates by his side. Of course, all of that success was in a weaker Eastern Conference, but LeBron is King for a reason—he figures these things out. The Lakers missed out on Kawhi, but make no mistake: they're deadly.
New York Knicks: Well, They Still Have Young Players
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Unlike with the Lakers, there are no two ways about it here—the Knicks unequivocally lost this offseason.
James Dolan openly boasted about signing marquee free agents this summer, and unless he considers Julius Randle and Bobby Portis to be among the best players in the NBA, they failed.
All that said, New York still has plenty of young talent worth developing. Kevin Knox looked improved at summer league, Allonzo Trier is a walking bucket, Mitchell Robinson is on the verge of becoming a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and Dennis Smith Jr. is an uber-athlete with developing skills.
Plus, of course, there are the rookies. Despite a somewhat worrying summer, RJ Barrett was the third overall pick for a reason, and second-rounder Ignas Brazdeikis looks to be a steal based on his 15 points per game on 51 percent shooting in Las Vegas.
That young core is nowhere near the best in the league, and the overwhelming number of veterans on the Knicks roster may limit its playing time to a concerning degree. But Knicks fans will need some way to occupy their time before they once again get excited about a big name like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard making his way to the Garden in two years.
Phoenix Suns: Ricky Rubio, Secret Weapon?
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Sure, the title of this slide is extreme, especially considering how widely derided Rubio's contract with Phoenix was this summer. And the deal is certainly not perfect—the Suns are paying a lot of money for a point guard who can't shoot or defend at an elite level like he used to.
However, Rubio could help the Suns in two major ways.
First, he'll reduce the offensive burden on Devin Booker. Since trading Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix has relied on Booker to basically be the full-time point guard. To his great credit, he has improved both statistically and skill-wise since assuming that increased responsibility, but with Rubio in the fold now, Booker will be freed up to play more off the ball, a role in which he excelled at Kentucky.
This leads neatly into the second way Rubio could help: His still-otherworldly passing instincts may be able to unlock Phoenix's shooting, of which there is quietly a lot. Booker's reputation from three-point land is well-known, but Mikal Bridges, Ty Jerome, Cameron Johnson and Frank Kaminsky can all knock down long-range shots with ease. Average three-point shooting would be a big improvement on recent seasons in Phoenix.
The Suns have almost no shot at the playoffs, but Rubio may fast-track them toward contention in the near future.
Portland Trail Blazers: It’s All About Dame
8 of 10
In a summer where three perennial All-Stars descended upon Los Angeles, Russell Westbrook rejoined James Harden in Houston and Mike Conley teamed up with Donovan Mitchell in Utah, roster stasis is viewed negatively. And devoid of context, the Portland Trail Blazers likely did get worse, losing starting forwards Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless and replacing them with Kent Bazemore, Mario Hezonja, Anthony Tolliver and Hassan Whiteside.
To count Portland out is to doubt Damian Lillard, and throughout his career, he has thrived in underdog circumstances. During the summer of 2015, all four of Lillard's fellow starters departed Portland, leaving him to conduct an offense that prominently featured the likes of Allen Crabbe, Gerald Henderson and Meyers Leonard. Lo and behold, the Blazers won 44 games the following season and made it to the second round of the playoffs.
Fast forward to this time last year when they were ignored following a first-round sweep at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans, and once again, Lillard proved ready for the moment and swaggered his way to the Western Conference Finals, upending the Oklahoma City Thunder's future in the process.
So, sure, Portland lost some wings who play good defense and can make open jumpers. But the Blazers still have Lillard, arguably the second-best point guard in the NBA, and CJ McCollum, an All-Star-caliber sidekick. They have continually exceeded expectations under their leadership.
Sacramento Kings: Ends Can Justify the Means
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Kings GM Vlade Divac's free-agent signings this summer suggest that he may be a broken clock who just happened to guess right in drafting De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III and trading for Buddy Hield.
Spending almost $200 million on Trevor Ariza, Harrison Barnes, Dewayne Dedmon and Cory Joseph is not an ideal allocation of capital.
Despite those players' clear limitations, they can still serve a purpose in Sacramento's larger Fox/Bagley/Hield/Harry Giles-centric future. Ariza, Dedmon and Joseph specifically are solid role players who play to their strengths and compete on both ends of the floor.
As long as the vets don't take away playing time from Sacramento's young players while also mentoring them and providing leadership, then they will be doing their jobs. And if Fox is an MVP candidate leading a Western Conference Finals team in three years, who cares that Harrison Barnes made $85 million or that Dewayne Dedmon was paid $40 million?
We talk so frequently about contracts being "good" or "bad," but teams sign players to perform specific jobs. From a managerial perspective, if these players then do their jobs well, they are worth every penny, no matter what we outsiders say.
Toronto Raptors: Internal Growth
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Even the most optimistic of Raptors fans would tell you that their championship window closed when Kawhi Leonard joined the Clippers. Repeating should not be Toronto's expectation for this season. However, a fast reload is certainly possible given the personnel still around up North.
The next phase of the Raptors should center around last year's Most Improved Player, Pascal Siakam. As much as the 2016 27th overall pick improved last season, he can still get even better. But it's not even just Siakam.
Finals hero Fred VanVleet is good enough to be a starting point guard, and mysterious wing OG Anunoby took a step back last season due to injuries but is an effective jump shot away from being a two-way menace. Add in improvement from solid depth pieces like Norman Powell, reclamation projects like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson, and on-the-rise youngsters like G League MVP Chris Boucher, and Toronto could be threatening again.
Of course, banking on improvement from ALL of those players is a lot to ask, especially when Siakam is already a top-30 player in the league and VanVleet earned a Finals MVP vote last year. But the Raptors are one of the best organizations in the league and molded Siakam into the game-breaking force that he is now, so don't count anything out with Nick Nurse, Masai Ujiri and company.
