Offseason Moves Every NBA Team Should Make
In approximately three weeks, one of the four remaining NBA teams will come home with a championship. That means every single other team needs something more. Every team will need that extra punch that will either bring them closer or, hopefully, the whole thing in the next year.
Some teams will need to build through the draft; some teams need another veteran player to help with leadership; some teams need to completely blow up their roster.
Here we present the offseason moves every team in the NBA must make this summer to improve dramatically, or in some cases just enough, in the upcoming season...
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
With their current roster, the Hawks will make every fan in Atlanta who likes consistency happy. Yet, for every actual fan that would kill themselves for the Hawks to come home with the ring, changes must be done. Right now, they're cemented for 40-50 win territory, but Atlanta won't manage out of the second round with these players.
First of all, they must make the most of the draft. Evidently, they won't be in the lottery, but still can grab a good point guard or center later in the draft (look for Nolan Smith or maybe even one of the Plumlee brothers).
But the most immediate move they must make is grab free agent Shane Battier. It became evident that the Hawks can compete with most teams on the offensive end—though they did struggle against the Bulls—but a great defensive stopper could have easily won them that series.
Though I don't suggest this is a championship team, a good draft and the addition of Shane Battier could potentially put the Hawks in the conference finals and definitely in the right direction.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
There is no denying that the Celtics have a great roster. But it was evident that their lack of a big, rough person (ironically, think Kendrick Perkins) down low and young athleticism to keep up with Miami's up-and-coming trio cost them the series.
The Celtics definitely shouldn't blow up their roster. But they need, at this point, to add talent.
For Boston to compete next year they should trade Jermaine O'Neal and a first-round pick to the Suns for the 13th pick in this year's draft.
Though Jermaine O'Neal played very well in the playoffs, he couldn't always keep up with the pace of the game and his age and injuries have caught up too him quicker than anticipated.
Furthermore, with the 13th pick, the Celts could snag Donatas Motiejunas, a very good athletic, seven-footer from Lithuania.
Lastly, the Celtics should keep all their other free agents. Yes, this includes Shaquille O'Neal who missed more games than he played, because who better to teach rookie Donatas than one of the more dominant future Hall of Famers of all time at that position.
With these moves, don't be surprised if the Celtics stay in the hunt for at least two more years before having to blow up their roster.
Charlotte Bobcats
3 of 30
We mentioned earlier that some teams, the teams that have NO hope for a championship, have to start looking to rebuild. The Bobcats are most definitely one of those teams.
The Bobcats are going to have to look to build around D.J Augustin, the draft, perhaps a trade and hope for the best when it comes to big man Kwame Brown.
Here's what they have to do to start this stage on the right note:
Get Marcus Morris in the draft. Thus, you have a very talented big man on both sides of the court, who will be beside Kwame Brown. The Bobcats should be hoping for a 14-8 year out of him.
Second, they have to trade Stephen Jackson who, though far and away the most talented on the roster, is the oldest and deserves a chance on a decent team.
They should trade him to the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo, who the Grizzlies have reportedly shopped around the league all year long. Memphis is probably dying for some veteran leadership and a scoring boost that can get them a chance next year. Remember, these Grizzlies aren't gonna wait five years before wanting the ring. They want it now.
Even though this trade might seem like a downgrade from S-Jax, when you rebuild, a huge objective is to get younger. Though they are already a young team, getting rid of a whiny vet is a good move.
With this trade and draft pick, the Bobcats start moving in the right direction, and hopefully—with Air Jordan's help—find themselves in the hunt in five/six years.
Chicago Bulls
4 of 30
This is not to say the Bulls are out of the playoff hunt. Though no doubt this will raise a discussion on its own, I still have the Bulls as my favorite to win it all. But it also hasn't been the easiest playoff run ever; and with the Heat now and either the Mavs or Thunder next, it's just going to get harder.
For the Bulls to have an easier time, they need to do one simple thing: Do whatever possible to get Ray Allen, Jason Richardson, Michael Redd or Tracy McGrady from free agency.
Ideally, Ray Allen would be a perfect fit, but realistically the Bulls should focus on those other three names.
With another offensive threat alongside Derrick Rose at the shooting guard position who also knows how to play defense (remove Keith Bogans, Brewer and Kyle Korver from this list), the Bulls should have a much easier task this time next year.
Cleveland Cavaliers
5 of 30
The Cavaliers have at least some reconciliation after such a dismal year: Dan Gilbert's son, Nick Gilbert, landed them the luck of the draw with the first pick and fourth pick in next year's draft.
What better way to start rebuilding?
They should pick point guard of the future Kyrie Irving and hopefully someone who can fill the unspeakable's name (LeBron James for all of you who've lived under a rock the last couple of years) in Cleveland basketball.
With the fourth pick, the obvious ideal choice would be Enes Kanter, but realistically they should either pick the big man from Lithuania who holds a sweet jump shot in Jonas
Valanciunas or athletic small forward Kawhi Leonard from San Diego State.
Lastly, for their team and for the players' sake, the Cavaliers should try to trade the unlucky Antawn Jamison for a big center who is somewhat young (think Marcin Gortat or DeAndre Jordan) and can bang down low.
With this, the probability that the Cavaliers will find themselves in the playoff hunt is still low, but with a good young nucleus and a great coach, the light at the end of the tunnel will start to look brighter.
Dallas Mavericks
6 of 30
The Mavericks are old, but should definitely keep this same nucleus for another two years. They have a great roster and there is no need for anything big now.
That being said, they should try and sign Wilson Chandler, because if there is anything at all that this team lacks, it's an athletic small forward.
He won't be asked to do nearly as much as he used to, but the occasional offensive or defensive boost could be well needed.
They should stay in the hunt for another two to four years.
Denver Nuggets
7 of 30
The picture above sums up the Denver Nuggets roster perfectly: good enough to play with the best, but not good enough to stop them.
Their roster is a bunch of very solid players put together...this is not to say that this won't work. Their performances after the Anthony trade were spectacular, yet died miserably in the playoffs.
But instead of replaying the "close but no cigar" stages with Anthony by getting another star player who refuses to play defense or get others involved, the Nuggets should continue with a good solid team of role players and a young nucleus. They just need better ones.
First of all, the draft is always a good place to start. But in this team's case, they need more.
First of all, they need to re-sign J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin and Nene.
Secondly, I would try very, very hard to get a pass-first, yet extremely talented big man. Even if it means that they will steal minutes from some other talent on the team. Here I'm thinking of free agents David West, Yao Ming and Jeff Green.
If neither of these are available, they should get someone near that caliber, preferably a big man.
But ideally those are the three.
Nuggets, I really hope you guy mesh as a team. You could do something special with this group...
Detroit Pistons
8 of 30
Wow. Where to start...
I think the talent is there, but at this point you can't even call this group an NBA team. Once again, it's not because of lack of talent—it's because of the word team. The players riot, riot and riot, barely show up for games and show no interest in playing.
This is even more surprising considering five years ago the Pistons were the epitome of a team in the NBA. Now they're a bunch of pissed off players.
They should start by drafting Congolese big man Bismack Biyombo for size in the middle.
In the meantime, they should let veterans McGrady, Wilcox and Prince go.
(By the way, if it isn't clear already, the Pistons are in sure-fire rebuilding mode; the only players they should definitely keep are Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe as solid pieces for their future)
The Pistons should then trade Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace for, hopefully, Glen Davis. Though the Celtics will want to get younger, it will be hard for them to reject the defensive presence of Wallace and the right-away scoring of Hamilton off the bench. Sure, if the Pistons really tried they could get more talent for these two, but at this point, Joe Dumars just wants them out of here.
With all this, the rebuilding will begin, but Pistons fans: This is gonna take a looooooong time.
Golden State Warriors
9 of 30
The Warriors constantly make the least with the most. They have a great, great roster, almost overfilled with talent, but their lack of any defensive presence has made them a 20-30 win team for the past three years.
Getting rid of Don Nelson was a good idea. Getting rid of new coach Keith Smart is even better. His sole purpose on the team was to give them an identity on the defensive end, and he failed to do so.
Right now, the Warriors' biggest issue is getting their new coach. They should focus on Jeff Van Gundy, who has a reputation as one of the better defensive coaches.
On the players end, they should get one of the Morris brothers, both fantastic hustlers and defenders.
To add even more to this defensive slide, Golden State should sign Battier for two primary reasons: One, so that he can act as the defensive stopper that he is on the opposing team's best wing player; and two, so that he can educate these Warriors into realizing how important and how much effort is needed on that end of the court.
With the talent on this team, the Warriors should honestly—no exaggeration—be in the hunt for the Western Conference semifinals.
Houston Rockets
10 of 30
The Rockets are another team—yet they exploit it much better than the aforementioned Warriors—that have more talent that many people realize.
Getting rid of Coach Adelman will be tough, but in the long run, I think it will be the better choice as the Rockets are looking to move on and get younger, even if that includes their coach.
Yet, this means that their search must start now. Look for Mike Brown to be an early candidate for the job.
On the roster side, the Rockets should sign Yao Ming to a one or two-year contract and give him one last chance to get his fragile body back into place.
Though this is not really an offseason move, it's an offseason requirement: The Rockets should put Hasheem Thabeet in every single practice or summer league game possible. He has too much talent, specifically on the defensive end, to be this big of a bust.
Furthermore, they should try and get—though this may surprise some of you—Kenneth Faried with that 14th pick. The Rockets struggled mightily on the boards at times, and who better to solve rebounding woes than the best rebounder in the NCAA last year.
Lastly, the Rockets should try and sign Caron Butler. He can play small forward for a team that lacks at that position give immediate help on both ends of the court, as well as leadership.
With this roster, the Rockets are capable of doing something special. Maybe not now, but soon.
Indiana Pacers
11 of 30
Indiana Pacers have a good, young core coming into this year. Their front line should pretty much be kept the same for years to come with the—hopefully—soon-to-be-dynamic duo of Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough.
Their second forward, Danny Granger, should have the reins of that position for years to come and is one of few players in the league capable of scoring in bunches at almost any time. Lastly, point guard Darren Collison is young and, though his play is immature at times, will only grow and allow Indiana to grow with him.
Finally, at shooting guard, both Brandon Rush and Lance Stephenson should grow into very good scorers and defensive stoppers. This is not to say that the Pacers shouldn't make any moves—any team with the seventh seed in a lowly Eastern Conference has to, no matter how young they may be.
The Pacers should get Tracy McGrady, though old, to play the shooting guard position for two more years before Brandon Rush or Stephenson come into their own.
With this and smart draft choices, the Pacers will comfortably grow into one of the better, younger teams in the conference.
Los Angeles Clippers
12 of 30
The Clippers' success in upcoming years hinges on the picture above. Not literally, of course; but if Griffin improves his already very sexy offensive and defensive game with a sweet jumper, the lesser-known Los Angeles team will have a franchise player and will just have to surround him with very good role players to have a nice dynasty of their own.
The Clippers made what in my mind was a very nice trade (for once from the organization) by getting rid of the talented yet old Baron Davis for the young and almost equally as talented Mo Williams.
Thus, we are left with a roster consisting of Mo, Eric Bledsoe, Aminu, DeAndre Jordan, Griffin and Chris Kaman.
To start the dynasty early, the Clippers should grab a lot of the young talent in free agency. Think J.J. Barea, Josh McRoberts, Shannon Brown or even Rashard Lewis.
The Clippers could easily keep this roster and try to win it all, but every year they will have to build through the draft and like this year, get the younger, talented free agents who show potential.
Los Angeles Lakers
13 of 30
Honestly, heading into the postseason, I thought that aside from assigning the Lakers a new coach, no other roster movement would have to be done.
Now I realize how wrong I was. For whatever reason, my beloved Los Angeles roster imploded during the postseason, and, especially with Jackson's departure, it makes it clear that L.A. needs to shake up the roster.
Here's what the Lakers should do:
Trade Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and cash considerations to Orlando for Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.
The Lakers do this because they get rid of Gasol—who almost single-handedly ruined their championship aspirations—and Andrew Bynum—because he would get replaced by the better Howard—while receiving Jameer Nelson—because Nelson is the fast point guard who can score in bunches that the Lakers evidently needed in both playoff matchups. Finally, they get rid of Lamar Odom just so that Orlando accepts.
If this trade happens, there's no way the Lakers aren't at least in the hunt next year.
Furthermore, they should re-sign Shannon Brown and upgrade Brian Shaw to head coach.
Memphis Grizzlies
14 of 30
If any team not still in the playoffs should be confident about their future, it's the Memphis Grizzlies. With an extremely young team and their second-leading scorer out, the Grizzlies stunned the Spurs in the first round and almost did the same with the Thunder in the second.
At this point, the Grizzlies really don't need to make any roster changes, save if Mayo demands to leave. In this scenario, the Grizzlies should trade Mayo for perhaps either of the Timberwolves' two best players: Kevin Love or Michael Beasley.
With any of those three on the roster next season—Mayo, Beasley or Love—and with the other members of the roster growing their games and maturity, the Grizzlies should actually look to get to the NBA Finals or at the least Western Conference finals next season.
Miami Heat
15 of 30
There are three untouchables on the Heat, and I think that's fairly obvious. Then there are two players I would not recommend trading: Mario Chalmers (whom they should re-sign) and Udonis Haslem.
The rest of the roster can basically do as they like. Miami doesn't really need any major roster adjustments, obviously, but they should get a rebounder down low.
The Heat should go after new star Kris Humphries—a free agent—so that rebounding margins against teams such as Chicago, Orlando and L.A. won't be as large.
Other than that, they should load up on spot-up shooters, and—as LeBron gently put it—they could be in the running for "not five...not six..."
Milwaukee Bucks
16 of 30
The Bucks are an interesting team. Just a year ago they were where the Grizzlies are now: an up-and-coming team with a lot of talent that was meant to really make a splash this year.
Instead? They fizzled. Sure, you can blame it on Andrew Bogut's bum knee, and I'm sure that was a factor,—ut it was something more.
They aren't really a team. Brandon Jennings looks for his shot. Maggette looks for his shot. Salmons looks for his shot. Boykins looks for his shot. Bogut looks for his shot (but, to his credit, he's actually a better passer than most of the guards on his team).
Milwaukee still has a lot of talent, but unless Scott Skiles or whoever's coaching the team next year can get them to work together, they won't even be competing for a playoff spot.
That being said, the Bucks have some work to do this summer.
First and foremost, they should aim to pick Jan Vesely in the draft, a 6'11" tweener who could play alongside Andrew Bogut in what could be one of the longest front lines.
Secondly, they should let Michael Redd go (who barely offers any more than Salmons and Maggette anyways) to clear up cap space.
Though I know I should offer more, I feel after another offseason with the whole team and an offseason where every member of the team realizes how much more they want, the team should go back in the season confident. If the team starts to deteriorate again, the Bucks should use the cap space gained by letting Redd go and start getting rid of pieces and rebuilding around Bogut and Jennings.
Minnesota Timberwolves
17 of 30
For such a dismal team the past couple years, the Timberwolves really shouldn't be that nervous. Kevin Love, though someone who really should stop getting double-doubles for the benefit of his defense, has shown huge upside and can one day be the focal part of this team.
Former bust Michael Beasley has shown ridiculous athleticism and should be a 20-PPG player for years to come.
Then, you have a string of young players with potential: Jonny Flynn, Wes Johnson, Wayne Ellington and Anthony Randolph.
What the Timberwolves should first do this offseason is grab Derrick Williams with their second pick in the draft. In this way, they have a power forward to play along Kevin Love and a strong body who can score in various ways.
Then, the Timberwolves should look for Zydrunas Ilgauskas in free agency who, though old, can be a big body the T-Wolves lack for three or four more years to help them with their growth. And lastly, the should look for Matt Barnes, another free agent, as a spot-up three-point shooter that the T-Wolves don't have and their primary defensive stopper.
With all this and maybe one more good lottery pick, I like Minnesota's promise.
New Jersey Nets
18 of 30
The Nets have one thing going for them: their billionaire Russian owner, who should be a major piece in upcoming years to get high-priced free agents.
Other than that, their roster is tumultuous. Other than Deron Williams and Brook Lopez—when he wants to show up—they have no players who would even stand a chance of starting on any other team in the league.
This summer, though, could be their first important step to their rebuilding process.
First off, they should re-sign Kris Humphries, whose rebounding was spectacular the second half of the season.
Then, they should sign Mickael Pietrus, who isn't too old to help this team finally think about achieving a winning record. Secondly, they should sign Shawne Williams who at times showed a lot of promise playing for New York this summer.
Because both these players would obviously be paid higher salaries than they are now and both will get more minutes, it should pretty much be a wrap.
New Orleans Hornets
19 of 30
The Hornets have Chris Paul for one—one—more year. That means that this year is their last chance to show Paul that the management is serious about keeping him and willing to stack him with the pieces needed to make a run.
First of all, the Hornets must re-sign David West for at least two more years, who they sorely missed in the first-round matchup against the Lakers. They should also sign Aaron Gray, a big banger who can help out down low.
The Hornets should try and sign J.R. Smith to help as Paul's backcourt mate and should also try to get Jason Kapono as the spot-up shooter they haven't had since getting rid of Peja Stojakovic.
With these pieces, the Hornets may not be a championship-caliber team starting next year, but if it excites Paul enough to stay with them, New Orleans is moving in the right direction.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
Though I know some disagree, the trade to get Carmelo Anthony was a brilliant move; it's a move you have to make nine times out of 10.
Though they lost some valuable talent—and I know now it seems as if the Knicks' three or four best players are playing with a bunch of D-Leaguers at times—they now have two players that, with the right amount of talent surrounding them, can bring this franchise a much-needed championship.
First of all, it must be noted that next summer is going to be the actual summer for the Knicks. They will get either Chris Paul or Tony Parker and that big three will compete for a title every single year.
But this summer, they should still make one important trade:
They should send Bill Walker, Roger Mason Jr., cash considerations and a 2012 second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Greg Oden in a sign-and-trade.
The Blazers have grown weary of Oden's ways and are looking for new bodies. The Knicks need a big man who can play defense alongside Amar'e Stoudemire but is good enough to still remain an offensive threat.
If this doesn't work out, the Knicks should try and sign Chuck Hayes, yet that would mean that Amar'e would have to play center, not his most preferred position.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
With the way the Thunder played this season and these playoffs, and with their extremely young core, it's hard to imagine that any moves are made this offseason.
Though none are essential, there is one I would highly recommend:
Trade Nazr Mohammed and Nate Robinson to the Hornets for Jarret Jack and cash considerations.
Thus, the Thunder get rid of two dispensable pieces (this is not say that they are bad, but they are still third or fourth on their respective depth charts) and get Jarret Jack who is rumored to have really helped Chris Paul's growth this season.
If any extremely talented PG is in need of growth, it's Russell Westbrook who—pun intended—has been stealing Durant's Thunder as of late.
OKC should be in the running for years to come.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
Orlando is going to be one desperate basketball city.
The organization realizes that this is potentially—and most likely if he doesn't make the championship—Dwight Howard's last year (much like the Hornets' dilemma). The Magic had an extremely disappointing first-round exit, and it most evidently wasn't Howard's fault.
It is now time for the organization to realize that the pieces around him aren't ideal and should aim for a make-or-break season.
Here's what I recommend they do. Like it or not, Gilbert Arenas is still extremely talented and when he plays, can put on a show.
If you put Arenas at starting point guard, you then have a very talented trading bait in Jameer Nelson. What Dwight needs is a power forward who can make it so teams don't have the option of double-teaming him in the post.
That being said, they should trade Jameer Nelson to Atlanta for Al Horford.
The Hawks know that they desperately need a point guard, and they also know that the trio of Johnson, Smith and Horford most likely isn't going anywhere special.
And with this, the Magic have a lineup of: Arenas, Richardson/Reddick, Turkoglu, Horford (playing power forward—his preferred position) and Howard (with another All-Star caliber post mate).
If this doesn't work out next season, it becomes a rebuilding stage in Orlando, but it's definitely worth a shot.
Philadelphia Sixers
23 of 30
Here's a team with a bright future. Philadelphia has a coach who really, really cares about the players and really wants his team to win.
They have a young, thunderous backcourt combination of Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams and Evan Turner.
At small forward, they boast defensive star Andre Iguodala.
And then they have Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes up top.
Though this is a talented roster, it still doesn't have enough to make a serious run. What I recommend doing could backfire: Trade Elton Brand, the second-oldest on the team, for a younger, maybe worse now, but more promising big man.
The Sixers should send Brand, Antonio Daniels and cash considerations to the Blazers for Greg Oden in a sign-and-trade.
Or, they could send Brand and Daniels to the Nets for Brook Lopez.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
It's time to say good bye. The Suns had one of the most entertaining teams the last eight years or so, but with Stoudemire's departure and Nash's age, it's time to rebuild.
Before doing anything, the Suns have the draft. Though this may surprise some of you, the Suns should pick Jimmer Fredette with a make-or-break kind of pick, ultimately hoping he can become a franchise player.
Then, the Suns have three players they should now trade to start this process: Nash, Vince Carter and Grant Hill—all well over 30.
But they should let Nash stay one more year to help Fredette grow confident and become the player some expect him to be. Yet, his addition means that Carter and Hill are now almost redundant.
They should trade Carter, a first-round pick in 2012 and a second-round pick in 2013 to the Mavericks for Rodrigue Beaubois.
Thus, they get rid of one of their older players, who no doubt would stunt their growth as a team, and get one of the more promising, athletic players in the league who can play either guard position.
Secondly, they should trade Grant Hill to Houston for Hasheem Thabeet and Courtney Lee.
With all this, the Suns can start their rebuilding process on a very, very high note.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
The Blazers made a great trade in getting Gerald Wallace. They now have three All-Star caliber players in Aldridge, Roy and Wallace.
But they now must realize that with their current team, a championship is out the question. It is also time to realize that Greg Oden needs a fresh start, and that he won't get that in Portland. Here's what they have to do:
Trade Andre Miller and Greg Oden to Orlando for Jameer Nelson.
This way, they get rid of their oldest starter and injury-prone Greg Oden.
In return, they get a very good point guard to complement the rest of the lineup. They should start Marcus Camby at center which leaves them with a lineup of: Nelson, Roy, Wallace, Aldridge and Camby with Batum, Wesley Matthews and others coming off the bench.
With all due respect to the very talented Miller and Oden, getting rid of them is becoming a must and this is one of the better trades that they can achieve.
With this lineup, the Blazers trio—or soon to be quartet—will have a chance to compete with the best of them.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
This offseason should be considered a success no matter what for Sacramento, as they successfully managed to keep the Kings for a couple more years.
But that doesn't take away from the fact that for a team with this much talent, their record was atrocious. Luckily, it landed them with the seventh pick in the draft.
That being said, the Kings should pick...Kemba Walker. He and Tyreke Evans could switch off from point guard to shooting guard and eventually become one of the better backcourt tandems in the league.
Cousins will only grow, as will Omri Casspi and Marcus Thornton.
The Kings could look for maybe a couple role player free agents (think Delonte West or Anthony Parker) but apart from that, they should wait and see how well this team meshes this year. Because, believe me, the talent is there.
Lastly, though, the Kings have to fire Paul Westphal. They should try and get Tom Izzo, a good coach with young, immature players.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
Poor Spurs. Popovich, Duncan and Co. really thought they had a chance at winning it all. Obviously, the Grizzlies thought otherwise.
Why didn't they win this year?
As weird as it seems for the Spurs, overconfidence was one of the reasons. But also, they were just out-hustled by the younger, more athletic Memphis team. That's not say they should blow up the team yet.
Give them one more season—one more season for the Spurs to redeem themselves from an embarrassing first-round exit. Then next year, they get rid of Parker and Ginobili, keep Duncan as the fourth or fifth option on the team and start building around George Hill and DeJuan Blair.
This year, though, they still have on thing to do if they want one last chance:
Trade Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess to the Pistons for Richard Hamilton.
Both teams are trading veteran for veteran, but the Pistons get rid of a disgruntled one and the Spurs get one with way more playoff experience than Jefferson has to offer.
This is their last chance; here's to hoping they make the most of it.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
Another team that brings up the question: Where to start?
The departure of Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack left them with a bunch of players who can barely compete with some of the worst in the league.
At least there were some bright spots; though still as dismal on defense, Bargnani showed us what he is capable of with the ball in his hands, averaging a career-high 20 points. The other bright spot, DeMar DeRozan—though I don't think he knows he's allowed to pass the ball to teammates—is becoming one of the better drivers in the East.
Apart from these two and maybe Reggie Evans, almost everyone should be considered trade bait at this point.
To start the summer on a high note, with the fifth pick in the draft, the Raptors should pick Brandon Knight who has huge upside and could serve as closure on the whole "Jose Calderon franchise point guard" idea.
It's already going to be a hard road ahead for Toronto; it honestly might be a decade before this team is relevant again, specifically because no big star is going to come to Toronto.
Yet, the Raptors should try really hard to get Rudy Gay, who would like to be the star player and could make this team somewhat relevant in the upcoming years.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
The Jazz went through a huge "midseason crisis" with Jerry Sloan retiring and franchise player Deron Williams getting traded.
Though it obviously ruined their chances last year, it should help in the long run. If the Jazz can find the right coach to keep Devin Harris on a leash and help their young big men improve, with some offseason moves, Utah should return to relevancy.
First of all, they have two very, very important draft picks.
With the first one, at No. 4 overall, they should take either Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter, depending on who is available.
Then, with the 12th pick, the Jazz should pick Jimmer Fredette—more because of the hometown hero factor than the skill factor.
Finally (yes, they will be quite busy), they should trade Al Jefferson to Golden State for Monta Ellis.
That would leave the Jazz with a core of: Harris, Ellis, Kirilenko/Fredette, Kanter/Williams/Favors and Millsap.
With all this, the future in Utah should look nice.
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
The Wizards are hoping to a take another big step forward during this year's draft. They weren't as lucky as last year, as they wound up with the sixth pick. Although the Wizards have made it clear that they would love to get Enes Kanter and vice versa, it is unlikely to happen.
In the draft, Washington should either target Kawhi Leonard–who needs to develop a jump shot but is an athletic freak—or Alec Burks, who scored at will last season. Either of these players would complement franchise player John Wall nicely.
As far as free agents, the Wizards should try to sell their many washed-up vets and players who won't pass the ball. That means saying good bye to Josh Howard, Rashard Lewis, Yi Jianlian and Nick Young.
Despite a weak free-agent class, they could chase the likes of Rudy Gay (through a trade), Tracy McGrady and Thaddeus Young. However, the ideal fit would be for Tyson Chandler, which would allow them to trade Andray Blatche for a more physical power forward such as J.J. Hickson from the Cavs.
If they can give JaVale McGee more time to learn how to not jump at everything and not dribble up the floor by signing another big guy, that would help.
The Wizards could be the next Thunder, building solidly through the drafts, along with a couple small but effective signings.
Hope you enjoyed!
