NBA: Odds for All 30 Teams to Win a Championship Within the Next 5 Seasons

With more than a year until the start of next season, I felt like it was only right to predict not only each team's odds of being next year's title winner, but the chances that each team would win a title over the next five seasons as well.

It's either that or some more lockout and LeBron talk, your choice.

The way NBA teams are stockpiling All-Stars—the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics to name a few—is causing a great disparity between the contenders and pretenders. Rather than the Cavaliers, Suns, Nuggets, and Heat contending for a title, only the Heat and Knicks will be legitimately contending for a title because they have taken so many All-Stars for themselves.

It's unfair to the smaller market teams that can't afford two or more max-deal players, but it does certainly provide some of the most entertaining basketball since the 1990's.

This article, however, is dedicated to the emerging teams as we not only give odds on who can win it all this year, but who can win it over the next five seasons. Rather than pointing out the obvious contenders for this season and the next, we'll take a look at the up-and-coming teams that could very well be the ones contending for a title within the next five years.

With so much young talent in the league currently taking the league by storm, it shouldn't come as a surprise if a 23- or 24-year-old ends up leading a team to an NBA title.

After all, a 22-year-old did just take home an MVP.

From the veteran-led experienced teams to the young and athletic ones, here are the odds of all 30 teams taking home a championship within the next five seasons.

Charlotte Bobcats, 1000:1

The franchise least likely to win a title next season, or whenever there is a season, the Charlotte Bobcats are going to have to wait a long time before they come close to contending for a title.

Prior to the lockout, they made the decision to trade away their main offensive threat in Stephen Jackson to the Milwaukee Bucks for 12-year veteran Corey Maggette. He will be joining his third team in four years and is coming off of a season in which he played his lowest number of minutes per game since 2000-'01. He only managed to average 12 points per game on 45 percent shooting.

Possibly joining him in the starting lineup will be up-and-coming point guard D.J. Augustin, young Gerald Henderson, Boris Diaw, and Kwame Brown if he's not picked up during the offseason by another team.

The 'Cats got some needed help from the draft by trading for defensive specialist Bismack Biyombo and offensive juggernaut Kemba Walker. Even with the bright futures that these two players possess, there's no chance that they or anyone on this Bobcats team is going to lead them anywhere near the NBA Finals.

Cleveland Cavaliers, 750:1

Sorry, but not even the combined forces of No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving and No. 4 pick Tristan Thompson can help the Cleveland Cavaliers achieve the status that LeBron James had brought the team to in years past.

At least not now.

The Cavaliers made the wise move by selecting the Duke University standout with the first pick despite him playing in only 11 games in the one year he played. Even with the limited time he played, Irving still proved to be the cream of the crop amongst the weak draft class of 2011. Irving averaged 18 points and four assists per game while exhibiting a keen understanding of how to run the point.

His new teammate in Thompson is coming off of a season in which he averaged a solid 13 points and eight rebounds per game. He'll be a worthy replacement for former starting power forward J.J. Hickson, who was recently traded to the Sacramento Kings for sharpshooter Omri Casspi.

Cleveland certainly won't be as abysmal as they were the previous season, but they will improve and that's all the team can currently ask for from their deteriorated franchise.

Detroit Pistons, 500:1

Hopefully the Detroit Pistons can go a season without the players staging a modern-day mutiny on the bounty.

With Jon Kuester out, the roster can now go on to actually playing basketball rather than making a statement by staging a boycott by not playing. Even with all the veterans returning to play, the Detroit Pistons won't make too much of an impact as far as the postseason goes unless their young stars begin making a quick impact.

One of those young stars would be former University of Kentucky standout Brandon Knight who is coming off of a quality season in which he averaged 17 points, four assists, and four rebounds per game. Knight showed a great deal of maturity running the point as he showed he was very well and capable of running the point at a powerhouse school. He led the team deep into the tournament before faltering late.

He isn't the only young gun on this team as he'll be joining center Greg Monroe as another player with significant promise. He was given the start at center and would average nine points and eight rebounds in his rookie season, and came on strong near the season's end. Monroe would record as many as 17 boards in one game and score as many as 27 points as he showed off a quality post game as well as a knack for banging with the bigger bodies down low.

Joining those two in the lineup next season will most likely be veterans Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince and possibly Charlie Villanueva with Ben Wallace likely on the way out in the very near future. The team is going to have to start looking for answers and fast if they ever want to achieve the level of success that they saw in the mid-2000's when they were perennial title contenders.

As for now, the Pistons are still a team in disarray and need to start looking for some more answers outside of the organization.

Toronto Raptors, 500:1

The Toronto Raptors can pick up the entire Euro League All-Star team and they still wouldn't come close to contending for a title.

With the fifth pick in the draft, the team decided to pick up a center that actually stays in the post by selecting 19-year-old Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas. He only played in 14 games and was limited to only 15 minutes per game at Europe's highest level of professional basketball, in which he would average eight points and five rebounds per game. Having a player like Jonas on the team will mean having a post presence off the bench that can actually score and grab boards at a high rate.

Playing alongside Jonas will be top offensive producers in Italian Andrea Bargnani and rising star DeMar DeRozan. Bargnani is coming off of a career season in which he averaged a career-high 21 points per game, while DeRozan is also coming off of a career-best 18 points per game. The statistical rise can be attributed to the fact that they lost Chris Bosh, who was averaging 24 points per game the season before.

Even with Jonas, DeMar, and Andrea, the Raptors still need some work on defense as well as a reliable post threat that can score and rebound. In a division with four potential postseason-bound teams in Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, the Raptors are going to be on the outside looking in next season.

Minnesota Timberwolves, 300:1

Give the Minnesota Timberwolves some credit for once; they're actually taking steps in the right direction.

In fact, the Wolves might possess one of the league's strongest front courts after selecting University of Arizona standout Derrick Williams with the second pick in the draft. Williams was considered the most athletic and overall best player in the draft after averaging 20 points on 60 percent shooting to go along with eight rebounds per game. He can score from the post and outside as well where he shot 57 percent from deep.

However, it's still a questionable move considering that there really isn't a place in the starting lineup where Williams fits. He's a power forward through and through and he's certainly not going to beat out the current rebounding champion in Kevin Love who is coming off of a season in which he just averaged 15 boards per.

Love was at the top of his game last season on a team that didn't even get past 20 wins. He recorded the first 30-30 game in over two decades, led the Wolves in scoring at 20 points per and even converted 42 percent of his three three-point attempts per game. Even with the weak defense that Love plays, he's a commodity in this league that the NBA hasn't seen in years just because of his influence around the glass and the fast breaks he starts with his outlet passes.

Ricky Rubio will also make his NBA appearance this season after being drafted by the Wolves in 2009. Rubio has been playing overseas and has matured since making his basketball debut before he could even buy a pack of cigarettes.

It's a nice start by the Wolves and they could be a playoff contender in a short period of time, but don't expect anything near a title for a few years.

Sacramento Kings, 300:1

This is going to be an interesting season for the Sacramento Kings. Not only do they still have to deal with the prospect of possibly packing up and moving, but they also might be witnesses to one of the more drastic moves in a starting lineup among all the NBA teams.

With the team electing to trade for BYU sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette in the draft, Tyreke Evans may have a permanent stay at the shooting guard position. During his Rookie of the Year campaign, Evans became only the fourth rookie in NBA history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game. He saw his stats decline the next season, however, while he dealt with injury concerns.

Evans can play at the two, but it's more of an advantage to himself and the Kings to have him play point. He's 6'5" and is still quick enough to keep up with most opposing point guards on defense. With his height, court awareness, and agility, Evans was one of the league's most valuable point guards as he held a height advantage over every other point guard in the league that was similar to Magic Johnson.

The Kings also traded sharpshooter Omri Casspi for Cleveland Cavaliers power forward J.J. Hickson a season after he averaged career highs in nearly every statistical category. Hickson averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game last season and proved to be a valuable presence in the post that could still use some work from the mid-range.

Sacramento has a quality team with a quality lineup that should end up being Fredette, Evans, John Salmons, Hickson, and DeMarcus Cousins. They have an extremely bright future with the talent they have in the starting lineup, but they desperately need a bench and some veteran leadership if they want to end up contending for a title.

Washington Wizards, 300:1

They won't be making any title games, let alone the playoffs, any time soon but at least we'll be entertained for the time being.

The Washington Wizards continued to build on their young, athletic roster by selecting Czech Republic sensation and high flyer Jan Vesely with the sixth pick in the draft. At 6'11", Vesely is a combo forward that can play at both positions very well as well as having an extreme height advantage over any small forward. He's lanky at only 240 lbs., but he does possess the strength to hold his own against the NBA level power forwards.

He'll address the issue at small forward as he could join a starting lineup that includes Rookie of the Year runner up John Wall, high flyer Nick Young, sharpshooter Rashard Lewis, and should-have-been dunk champion JaVale McGee. The team is highly inexperienced with the exception of Lewis and they're going to have their hands full since they reside in a division that includes the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat. Still, they could give any of those teams a run for their money when it comes to athleticism.

Wall definitely lived up to his expectations as a No. 1 pick after averaging 16 points, eight assists, and four rebounds per game in a very impressive first season. He had his obvious flaws as he averaged nearly four turnovers per game and limited range, but he showed more promise than anything and it was a great sign of things to come for the Wizards franchise as they attempt to recover from the Gilbert Arenas era.

As I stated before, don't expect the Wizards to miraculously make a comeback and win 35 games or more. They'll greatly improve and they'll make some noise, but give it a few more seasons before this team becomes experienced enough to even contend for a title.

Milwaukee Bucks, 250:1

"Fear the Deer" is a thing of the past. Deer in the headlights would associate better with the Milwaukee Bucks franchise today.

It was only two years ago that the Bucks were the most feared team to play in the NBA as they dominated the second half before seeing Andrew Bogut succumb to injuries before an eventual first-round loss. They didn't ride any momentum into the next season as they started off slow and finished where they usually finished at 35-47 and far out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The team did manage to address a key concern with their lack of an offensive presence by trading for Charlotte Bobcats sharpshooter Stephen Jackson. The always offensive-minded Jackson is coming off of another solid season in which he averaged a little below 19 points per game on 41 percent shooting to go along with two three-point makes per contest on 34 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

He'll add some needed firepower to a team that finished dead last in points per game at 92.

The Bucks were one of the few teams to make moves prior to the trade deadline as they also traded away John Salmons, who had struggled last season, shooting only 42 percent from the field and scoring only 14 per.

Milwaukee does have a few things to look forward to, including a healthy Andrew Bogut and a more experienced Brandon Jennings. The duo have the chance to turn the Bucks into a perennial playoff contender if Bogut can add to his offensive repertoire and if Jennings can learn to take better shots. He failed to shoot above 40 percent for the second consecutive season last year and hit only 32 percent of his three-pointers.

Even with Jennings, Salmons, and Bogut rounding out a solid starting lineup, don't expect the Bucks to make too much noise as they'll clinch an eighth seed at best.

Phoenix Suns, 250:1

It's depressing to have the Phoenix Suns this low. Even with Steve Nash, the team just doesn't have nearly enough pieces to make anything near a title run.

The best offensive facilitator in the league, Nash will be 37 years old next season and has enough juice left in the tank to at least have the Suns contending for a low playoff seed. He's coming off of another stellar season in which he led the league with 11 assists per game to go along with a modest 15 points per game on 49 percent shooting. He also hit a little below 40 percent from beyond the arc to maintain his 43 percent career average from deep.

With no Amare Stoudemire or Shawn Marion to look to, Nash's main targets next season will be Marcin Gortat and recently drafted Markieff Morris.

It's not too much to be disappointed by, actually, because the combination of Nash and Gortat was actually reminiscent of the Nash and Stoudemire duo that were perennial contenders to advance to the title game. Gortat was a perfect complement to Nash as he ran pick and rolls perfectly and averaged 13 points and nine rebounds per game.

There won't be much to look forward to this season unless they make some big offseason pickups that can help Nash support the cause. The only answers they have thus far are a 38-year-old Grant Hill, who still needs to be re-signed, Channing Frye, and Jared Dudley. The team still has its three-point shooters, but they're heavily lacking on the defensive end, as usual, and it's going to cost them in the long-run.

Golden State Warriors, 150:1

The Golden State Warriors certainly have the players to become a possible contender in a Western Conference that will soon be led by young athletes, but there are just so many other problems that they'll never come close to a championship game setting without fixing a few of them.

For one, they need to play defense because they run an even worse style of defense than the Phoenix Suns did during the Mike D'Antoni era. The run and gun method has never worked before and it will never work now because it will always be defense that will win championships. Once you start preaching defense, a team can come together and form one of the tougher defenses in the league with the right mentality.

The Warriors don't do that. Maybe new coach Mark Jackson can preach "hand down, man down".

On offense, the Warriors are easily the most volatile as they possess four of the most prolific scorers in the game today in Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, David Lee, and Dorell Wright. Each are easily capable of scoring 20-plus points per game. Curry and Wright are sharpshooters from deep, Ellis is one of the best in the game at slashing and driving the lane, while Lee holds his own in the middle and from the mid-range.

While Wright just began to show off that he's actually a quality offensive threat, Curry and Ellis have extremely bright futures ahead of him. Ellis is coming off of another impressive season in which he averaged 24 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game while even beginning to exhibit some range as he improved his three-point shot as well.

Curry kept at it and hit 44 percent from beyond the arc for the second consecutive season.

Until the Warriors learn to play some defense, they will unfortunately only play the first 82 games and sit out the next month.

Houston Rockets, 150:1

The Houston Rockets might have suffered a devastating blow by losing Yao Ming to retirement, but they were smart enough to stock up on big men in this year's draft by selecting a big power forward in Marcus Morris and a 7' player in Donatas Motiejunas.

Morris received plenty of attention at the national level as he and his brother Markieff formed one of the more formidable duos at the college level at the University of Kansas. In his final season with the Jayhawks, Morris averaged 17 points and eight rebounds per game while displaying a great deal of maturity by knowing how to throw his wide frame around. He's exactly what the Rockets could use at this time and the team has needed a banger down low that can contend with the bigger power forwards and centers of the league.

He will be joined by the Lithuanian Motiejunas who we'll just call D.M. for sanity's sake. D.M. is 20 years old and recently spent time in the Italian League and in the EuroCup where he was one of the team's strongest competitors. He averaged 13 points per game on 53 percent shooting, as well as 43 percent from deep, to go along with five rebounds per game.

The glaring problem with D.M. is that he stands at 7', but is a beanpole at 215 lbs. With the size of centers at the NBA level, D.M. is going to need to add some weight if he wants to ever compete with players at this high of a level.

As for the returning players, the Rockets still have a number of reliable teammates in Luis Scola and Kevin Martin as well as some young up and comers in Chase Budinger and Kyle Lowry. All four of these players, combined with the two rookies, could cause some havoc in a tough Southwest Division as they look to break through past the Yao Ming era.

Indiana Pacers, 125:1

The surprise guest of last year's postseason, the Indiana Pacers might have upset the Chicago Bulls had they actually learned to finish games.

The Indiana Pacers are the type of team that sneak up on you and beat you as they methodically make three-pointers as well as work it inside with 7'2" Roy Hibbert. The third year Georgetown product had the best year of his young career last season as he helped lead the Pacers back to the postseason while averaging 13 points, eight boards, and two blocks per game. He showed off a quality post game as well as a modest mid-range game that could turn Hibbert into one of the more volatile centers in the game today.

He'll be joined once again by sharpshooter Danny Granger who saw his points total drop the past two seasons, as he only scored 20 points per game compared to the 24-plus that he had averaged the past two years. Granger saw his offensive role decrease with new threats as he attempted two fewer shots per game from the field overall and from the three-point stripe where he was taking more than seven three-pointers per game in 2009-'10.

The biggest surprise of this past Pacers season came from former North Carolina Tar Heel and All-American Tyler Hansbrough who showed a great deal of improvement. He had a quality mid-range that extended as far out as 20 feet and he's also a fierce competitor on the inside as he's willing to throw his body around just to grab some boards. He averaged 11 points and five boards last season and could very well be the team's starting power forward next year.

Former San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill will join the team next season as well. He's coming off of another solid season with the Spurs in which he averaged 12 points per game and shot 38 percent from deep. Hill is just another three-point threat that the team can rely on next to Granger, Mike Dunleavy, Jr, and Brandon Rush.

The Pacers could make some noise and make a surprise visit in the postseason again, but they're not going to reach a title unless a young Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson make another appearance.

Los Angeles Clippers, 125:1

The Los Angeles Clippers had a grand total of zero first-round draft picks in this past draft. They didn't need them.

Aside from watching Blake Griffin destroy everything in his pace, the Los Angeles Clippers actually had a quality season which featured a number of other players rising up to the occasion.

One of those players was Eric Gordon who flew under the radar for most of the season despite averaging 22 points per game and converting on two three-pointers per. After two consecutive seasons in which he averaged around 16 points per game, Gordon took the initiative to become one of the team's main contributors on offense and attempted nearly five more shots per game than he did the past season.

Gordon displayed a terrific ability to explode off the dribble and also showed some quality range to add another dimension to his already dangerous offensive repertoire.

The obvious success story of the Clippers, however, was Griffin, who was only a year removed from a knee injury that had kept him out for what was supposed to be his rookie campaign. Clippers doctors turned Griffin into an athletic juggernaut as he made highlight reels in each of the 82 games he played. His ability to jump from a distance and the strength he possesses to out-muscle any player that attempts to contend with him led him to be known as one of the most dangerous players to face at such an early age.

Griffin took home Rookie of the Year award and averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists per game as he led the Clippers to their best season since 2006-'07 when they won 40 games.

In over four decades as a franchise, the Clippers have never reached the NBA Finals. It's not going to happen now either, as they'll have to wait for their young core to get some experience before they can even think of contending.

Denver Nuggets, 120:1

For awhile there, we actually thought that the Denver Nuggets might have been better off without Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. After all, they did still manage to win 50 games and clinch a fifth seed with a completely new roster that was equipped with New York Knicks role players.

Once the postseason came around, however, the Nuggets were lost as they didn't have the go-to guy that Anthony and Billups provided season after season. Instead, they were led by the likes of Nene Hilario, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler who hardly provided any resistance to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. They lost the series in five games.

It's going to be an interesting season for the Nuggets as they look towards finding a new player from either inside or outside of the organization. Within, they could possibly look to their center in Hilario who was playing some of the best basketball of his career once Anthony and Billups departed. Nene took advantage of the increased role by averaging 15 points per game on a career-high 61 percent from the field to go along with a near career-high of eight rebounds per.

It's definitely a positive for the Nuggets to have a center like Hilario supporting the team, but they're going to need more.

Perhaps they can look towards their soon-to-be starting point guard in Ty Lawson. The 5'11" guard averaged 12 points and five assists per game, but he showed off some of the best parts of his game late in the season with a 27-point effort in the Nuggets' lone playoff win and a 37-point performance near the end of the regular season in which he manged to hit an unheard of 10 of 11 three-point attempts.

The Nuggets have a solid roster, but it's not solid enough to ensure title contention. They'll need to find a new offensive leader if they want to become a title contender again.

Utah Jazz, 120:1

Chances are, the Utah Jazz didn't expect to have this team last season. They probably envisioned themselves fighting deep into the postseason with Deron Williams leading the way alongside arguably the best frontcourt in the league that is headed by Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap, and Al Jefferson.

Instead, the team is now without All-Star point guard Deron Williams and Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan. The Jazz struggled mightily without either of the two as Devin Harris took over the point and the franchise was left in disarray. Without their point guard or coach leading the way, the Jazz were lost and they fell out of the postseason race fast.

It doesn't mean that the Jazz don't have a lot to look forward to next season with their volatile frontcourt that recently added athletic superstar Derrick Favors and center Enes Kanter via the draft. Kanter was a wild card in this year's draft but was still selected with the No. 3 pick as the top center amongst all the newcomers. Kanter spent time at the International level with his native Turkey, as well as playing in the EuroLeague before he was even 18 years old.

At 6'11", 260 lbs., Kanter is a big body that can aid the Jazz off the bench for the time being. He'll be joined on the bench by former New Jersey Net Derrick Favors who was acquired during the Deron Williams trade. He wasn't given too much of a chance to prove himself in his time with the Nets as he was limited to 20 minutes per game and is still an extremely raw player who could use some work on offense. But he's still a superstar as far as athletes go and he's a terrific rebounder on both sides of the court.

The Jazz still have a lot left on their plate with the likes of Jefferson and Millsap leading the way on the frontcourt and Devin Harris and young sharpshooter Gordon Hayward possibly getting the start at the two. Hayward came as a surprise late in the season as he ended the year with a 34-point effort in which he converted 12 of his 17 shot attempts.

In time, we can give the Jazz a legitimate shot at contending for a title, but don't expect too much without the proper leadership.

Philadelphia 76ers, 100:1

Credit the Philadelphia 76ers organization; they built up a good team, hired the right coach, and then picked up the right player in the draft by selecting Nikola Vucevic.

Vucevic can either play at power forward or center, most likely center for the Sixers, and has a quality offensive repertoire that includes scoring from inside and from the perimeter. In his final season at USC, Vucevic averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game and is already said to have the build of an NBA center according to draft experts. At 260 lbs., he's wide and stocky enough to hold his own against the bigger bodies in the paint.

He'll join an athletic Sixers team that might be headed up by Andre Iguodala, power forward Thaddeus Young, sophomore Evan Turner, and possible All-Star Jrue Holiday.

Each player provided a strong push for the Sixers as they held one of the top records in the second half of the NBA season and made it to the postseason after starting out the season 3-13. Iguodala's athleticism and defense, Young's inside presence, and Holiday's maturity at running the point were all key contributions to the Sixers success as they pushed the Miami Heat to the brink in all but four of the five games they played in their first-round success.

Possibly the best story to come out of Philadelphia, though, was the re-emergence of Elton Brand who had his best season since signing an $80 million deal with the Sixers three years ago. After two injury- plagued years, Brand played in all but one game and looked healthy for the first time since 2007 when he was still a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. Brand averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game last season, which were promising numbers for a Sixers organization that didn't want to look too ridiculous at the eventual end of Brand's tenure with the team.

The Sixers have a solid roster that's equipped with veteran leadership as well as a few athletic youngsters and they could sneak into the postseason again. However, don't expect them to keep up in a developing Eastern Conference that's soon going to be stronger than the West.

New Jersey Nets, 100:1

From 12 wins one year to obtaining Deron Williams another, the New Jersey Nets could experience the postseason as soon as next season if they can bring in another quality piece to play alongside Williams.

Obtaining Williams was a huge step in the right direction for the Nets as they obtained arguably the best point guard in the league. His influence with the Jazz was astronomical as he led the team to heights they hadn't attained since Karl Malone and John Stockton were attempting to lead the team to titles. Deron helped lead the team to its first Conference Finals since 1998 and helped the team obtain better than 48 wins for four consecutive seasons.

Instead of Carlos Boozer, Williams will now look towards Brook Lopez to complete a duo with his new team. Deron already made his presence felt in only 12 games with the team as he averaged 13 assists per contest, including a 21-assist effort in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He struggled with his shot, however; he only averaged 15 points per game on 35 percent from the field and 27 percent from beyond the arc.

Williams' main running mate will be Lopez, who is coming off of a career season in which he averaged 20 points per game on 49 percent from the field. He shows off a quality offensive repertoire that includes post moves and a mid-range game that extends out to near 15 feet. However, Lopez is absolutely abysmal when it comes to defense and rebounding. He only averaged six boards per game last season despite being 7' tall and spending the majority of his game in the paint.

The Nets also found support from an unexpected source in Kris Humphries, who had the best year of his decade-long career in averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds per game, both career highs.

It'll take a few moves and a few years for the Nets to begin contending for the title as they'll look towards building up the supporting cast to surround Williams with talent.

New Orleans Hornets, 75:1

Next year will be the time of judgment for the New Orleans Hornets.

For now, they have to make it an issue to re-sign David West and surround Chris Paul with some talent if they don't want him pulling a LeBron James. Paul is in a similar situation as he has yet to find the supporting cast that he's been waiting for since leading the team to its first division title in franchise history. Aside from West, the team hasn't given Paul much with Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza being the team's biggest acquisitions.

Paul showed off some of his best work in this year's postseason in which he nearly single-handedly led the New Orleans Hornets to a first-round upset over the Los Angeles Lakers. After a sub-par regular season in which he only averaged 16 points and a little under 10 assists per game, Paul dominated in the few games he played in the playoffs by averaging 22 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds per game. Without West, the Hornets would have lost in six games, but Paul showed that he was back after suffering an injury that limited him two seasons before.

It's tough to judge just how well the Hornets will play next season considering that they have eight free agents including West, Carl Landry, and Marco Belinelli. The toughest loss by far would be West who has been a key member of this Hornets squad since he was drafted in 2003. He has been one of the team's most consistent players as his mid-range game reigns supreme above nearly every player in the league.

He's coming off of another solid season in which he averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game.

The New Orleans Hornets had the chance to become contenders when they won 56 games as well as the Southwest Division in 2007-'08. Instead, they made no attempts to improve and stood pat as the other teams in their division continued to improve. The organization is basically giving Paul no choice but to leave if he wants to find greener pastures and eventually win a title.

Memphis Grizzlies, 70:1

After their best season in franchise history, is it possible the Memphis Grizzlies could advance even further in future playoffs?

Maybe. It depends on the development of center Marc Gasol, how consistent and healthy Rudy Gay can remain, and just how much of an effort Zach Randolph wants to give on a nightly basis.

The Grizzlies are coming off of a season in which they not only dismantled the No. 1-seeded San Antonio Spurs in six games (it could easily have been five), but advanced past the first round for the first time in franchise history. They would then go on to push the Oklahoma City Thunder to the brink in the semifinals before succumbing late in Game 7.

With Rudy Gay sidelined by an injury, the wide Grizzlies frontcourt led the charge with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol in sudden takeover mode. After another solid regular season in which he averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds per game, Randolph would advance to only his third postseason over his decade-long career. His size was enough to throw off the aged Spurs frontcourt as he would average 23 points and 11 rebounds per in the postseason.

After a disappointing regular season in which he only averaged 12 points and seven rebounds per game, Marc Gasol wasn't expected to make too much of an impact in the postseason. It wasn't until he started exhibiting a wide array of post moves as well as a mid-range game that extends to 10 feet that we realized Marc Gasol was actually worth trading Pau Gasol away.

In his first postseason, Gasol averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds per game as he dominated the veterans of the Spurs and even the young stars on the Thunder. It was obvious that Marc was the superior Gasol then and possibly for good.

Even with Gay returning healthy next season, don't expect the Grizzlies to make as much noise as they did last season. They'll be a scrappy team that may give some contenders a scare, but they won't be in contention to win.

Portland Trail Blazers, 65:1

You don't even have to watch the Portland Trail Blazers during the regular season because you know they'll always find a way to make the postseason.

Even without Brandon Roy, the Blazers managed to secure a sixth seed. Of course, they would need someone to step up in place of Roy and that would end up being fifth-year power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. With the spotlight looking for someone to shine in, Aldridge took full advantage by playing nearly 40 minutes per game and averaging career highs in points and rebounds at 22 points and nine rebounds per contest.

Aldridge emerged as a top-ten power forward, and possibly top-five in some groups, after showing quality play on both sides of the ball. He was a superior presence on the inside and he had a mid-range game that extended as far out as 20 feet. His range made him quite the force to be reckoned with on the offensive end. It was his presence that allowed the Blazers to make the postseason despite losing their star player and their center in Greg Oden yet again.

Speaking of Oden, in case you were wondering, he's still on the team and is set to make nearly $10 million per year despite playing in 82 total games since 2007.

The Blazers' gamble on Wesley Matthews also paid great dividends as he ended up having a quality sophomore season after being given a deal that was worth over $30 million the past offseason. He was second in the team in scoring at 16 points per game and was the team's top three-point shooter, hitting two three-pointers per game on 41 percent shooting.

The team also acquired Raymond Felton in a deal that sent veteran Andre Miller to the Denver Nuggets. Portland will be Felton's fourth team in three years as he split time with the Nuggets and New York Knicks last season. He didn't make much of an impact with Denver, but he was having a career season with the Knicks as he averaged career highs of 17 points and nine assists per game.

The Blazers have been perennial contenders for the past decade and next season will be no different.

Atlanta Hawks, 60:1

You can spend $120 million on your star player. Don't think it means that you're going to see any title soon because it doesn't, especially in the case of the Atlanta Hawks.

It was a desperation move by the Hawks organization to make Joe Johnson one of the league's highest-paid players as they could have possibly convinced Johnson to sign for less while surrounding with some sort of talent from the number of role players that were out there. Johnson would actually end up having an off-season as he would only average 18 points per game of 44 percent shooting while converting fewer than 30 percent of his three-point attempts.

I can think about 120 million reasons why this was a bad deal, but I'll just let those stats and another second-round exit do the talking.

Matters will only get worse for the Hawks if they end up losing one of their main offensive threats in sixth man Jamal Crawford. The sharpshooter had another quality season in which he averaged 14 points off the bench to go along with a little less than two three-pointers on 34 percent shooting. He truly made his presence felt in the postseason by scoring 23 points or more in the team's first four playoff games.

While the Hawks' $120 million man will be 35 by the time his contract runs out, the team does have a lot to look forward to in the future with Al Horford, Josh Smith, and now Jeff Teague possibly leading the way. With original starting point guard Kirk Hinrich sidelined by injury, Teague was given the start in the team's semifinal series and held his own against Derrick Rose as he scored at least 10 points in all but one of their six games against the Chicago Bulls.

It's a stretch to consider the Hawks a title contender now and in the near future, but they are always a dangerous team to face with their number of offensive weapons and athleticism.

San Antonio Spurs, 50:1

The clock is ticking and so is Tim Duncan's time in the NBA.

It couldn't have been more obvious that the San Antonio Spurs could have possibly seen one of their few remaining shots at a title depart as they suffered an embarrassing six-game series loss to the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. It was only the fourth time in NBA history that a No. 1 seed lost to an eighth seed and only the second time in the past decade that the Spurs exited in the first round.

This time around, however, was the first time that the Spurs appeared to be very vulnerable. Even after a regular season in which they finished with the No. 1 seed and won 61 of 82 games, the team looked winded when they faced an athletic and upstart Grizzlies squad. Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess were no match for Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph as the two dominated the aging veterans down low to ensure an easy Grizzlies victory.

This next season or the one after could be the last possible chances for the Tim Duncan-era Spurs to have a legitimate chance of winning a title before handing over the reigns to a player worthy enough to lead one of the league's most respected franchises.

Perhaps they can look towards former San Diego State star Kawhi Leonard, who the Spurs obtained in a trade that dealt George Hill to the Indiana Pacers. Leonard was a monster in the lane as he dragged down 10 boards per game, three of them offense and made his presence felt in the lane on both sides of the court as he also averaged a little under 16 points per game.

For now, the team can look towards a few more years of prosperity with the core of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Duncan, a core that has taken three titles over the past decade. No matter how old they are today, they're still contenders through and through because of just how much chemistry and cohesion the three players share.

Orlando Magic, 45:1

If the Orlando Magic ever decided to make some significant moves that actually benefited the team, now would be the best time since next season might be the last time they're a championship contender.

With Dwight Howard set to be a free agent next season, the trade rumors have already begun as analysts are led to believe that Howard is unhappy with his situation in Orlando. Despite being an MVP contender over the past four seasons, Howard's Magic have only been to the Finals once and they could only come away with a win. They recently lost to the division rival Atlanta Hawks in six games, a series in which Howard averaged 27 points and 16 rebounds per game.

Howard recently finished second in MVP voting after averaging a career-high 23 points and 14 rebounds per game while also taking home another Defensive Player of the Year award. Losing a player of Howard's caliber would be a devastating blow to the franchise so they're going to need to make some moves and surround the big man with some talent before he takes advantage of next season's free agency period.

Aside from Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson, the team doesn't have too many players it can consistently rely on. Hedo Turkoglu had a quality season, averaging 11 points and five rebounds, but also scored fewer than 10 points in four of the Magic's six playoff games.

If the Magic want to see success in the future, they're going to need to either switch up the offensive system and give more looks to Howard or start bringing in some talent whose specialties include three-point shooting and not playing defense.

New York Knicks, 45:1

It's tough to judge how successful the New York Knicks will be in the future because the current team isn't going to look like this for that much longer.

By trading away the majority of their key role players to acquire Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks were left without a few pieces that they probably could have used during their postseason sweep and defeat to the Boston Celtics. For Anthony's short tenure with the team, the Knicks were depleted as they hardly offered him, Amare Stoudemire, or Chauncey Billups any support. The organization had traded four role players to acquire the two All-Stars from the Nuggets.

There's no doubt that this core could be regarded as one of the best in the NBA, but it doesn't exactly mean that this team is ready to win a title. In the little time we saw Stoudemire and Anthony play together, we saw a great display of the high octane offense, but we also saw the two struggle to play together. The two are both used to being the offensive leaders of their team and they're not too keen on passing either.

Even with the miscommunications at times, the two combined to average over 50 points per game with Anthony leading the way with a little above 26 points per game. He shot 46 percent from the field overall and 42 percent from deep in 27 games. Stoudemire was terrific in his first season with the Knicks and showed no signs of missing Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns as he averaged a near career high of 25 points per game.

The fact that neither plays defense is also a clear sign that the Mike D'Antoni system is in full effect with a returning student of his as well as a new pupil.

The Knicks will remain contenders for the next five seasons, but it's going to take more than a high-energy offense to win a championship. Coach D'Antoni should have learned that by now after suffering so long in Phoenix.

Oklahoma City Thunder, 35:1

Give it a few seasons and maybe the Oklahoma City Thunder won't give up leads in the Conference Finals that turn out to be three losses.

The Thunder are going to have to take their 4-1 Conference Finals as a lesson learned and move on because there's no reason for a team that young to dwell on a series like the one they just dropped to the Dallas Mavericks.

Oklahoma City was led by its new core in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden as they won in five games in the first round and in seven in the semifinals. The three of them all played key roles in the Thunder's deepest playoff run since 1996 with Durant and Westbrook gunning to be the main scorer on some occasions. In close games, it would sometimes be Westbrook taking the final shot rather than giving it to the more capable scorer in Durant, who had more experience with such shots.

That was one of the biggest problems that arose for the Thunder near the end of last season. Westbrook was trying to be too much like Durant when he should have recognized his role as a second option. In the playoffs, he was taking the same number of shots as Durant, but was scoring five fewer points and was shooting 39 percent compared to Durant's 45 percent.

This is the type of duo that you don't want to break up since their combined offense is second only to Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, but it just might have to be broken up if they continue to have postseasons in which they duke it out to see who should be the scoring leader.

Of all the teams in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder may have the most upside and most young talent. The only problem is whether that young talent is willing to cooperate for the greater purpose of taking home a title.

Boston Celtics, 30:1

Much like the San Antonio Spurs, the Boston Celtics' championship window is closing fast.

This was never more obvious than during last season, when they dropped their semifinals matchup with the Miami Heat in only five games, the first time they had lost in fewer than seven games in a playoff series since Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce joined to play together. The Celtics looked winded by the end of every one of those games and didn't have nearly enough to compete with a team of the Heat's caliber in the fourth quarter as fatigue took over for the aging veterans.

When the Celtics' latest dynasty was brought together in 2007, the window to win championships was short. Garnett, Allen, and Pierce were all over 30 years old and their collective primes were believed to be past them. They would win in their first season together, but would then fall in the semifinals the next season without Kevin Garnett. They then lost in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers the following season.

This year was by far the worst ending for the Celtics since 2007 as they not only suffered an early exit, but also appeared to be more vulnerable than ever even with Ray Allen netting a near career high of 17 points per game and hitting nearly 45 percent of his three-point attempts. Paul Pierce was no slouch either, as he led the team in scoring with 19 points per game.

This core would need to win a title within the next two seasons before Garnett reaches 37 years old and can't play with nearly with the same intensity and emotional level. Following his possible retirement and the possibility of his teammates retiring, the Celtics don't have too much to rely on outside of Rajon Rondo, Glen Davis, and Jeff Green.

Rondo has the potential to lead a team into the postseason, but he and those other two will hardly make the same impact as the original big three did.

Los Angeles Lakers, 15:1

Another team whose championship window could be closing soon, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to do more than get embarrassingly swept at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks if they want to bring home an 18th franchise title as well as a sixth for Kobe Bryant.

A sixth title would actually warrant legitimate comparisons between Bryant and Michael Jordan.

The Lakers have had the strongest team over the past two seasons as they're only three years removed from taking home back-to-back championships with wins over the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics. Bryant would win Finals MVP in both instances after leading the Lakers to their first Finals since 2004 and their first win since 2002 when Shaquille O'Neal was still a member of the team.

Bryant and new teammate Pau Gasol would form one of the more formidable duos in the league as they would join forces to bring home those two titles. Gasol was acquired from Memphis after a few strong seasons there before turning into a completely different player with the Lakers. After being criticized for his passive play with the Grizzlies and early on with Los Angeles, Gasol suddenly toughened up and became arguably the best power forward in the league.

He would average over 10 rebounds for the first time in his career in 2009 and would then do it again the next season.

Despite Bryant being 32 and Gasol being 31, the Lakers still have plenty of time to take home a title with the amount of talent they possess. Perhaps their young star center in 7' Andrew Bynum can help contribute to the cause after another injury-laden season in which he averaged only 11 points, nine boards, and two blocks per game.

Bynum would be the only young star on the Lakers, so it might be time to start making some moves to bring Dwight Howard in, or 2009 the Lakers' last title for quite awhile.

Chicago Bulls, 15:1

The Chicago Bulls didn't have anything to be discouraged about in their five-game series loss to the Miami Heat in this years past Eastern Conference Finals.

After all, their leader in Derrick Rose was only 22 years old and they basically had no one that could score outside of Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, who would then go on to have little impact throughout the team's series loss.

The emergence of Rose as an MVP was one of the better stories of the NBA last season as we saw him turn from an above average point guard who just kept the team afloat to an absolutely terrific ball player who would become one of the league's best finishers around the basket and one of its best offensive facilitators. Rose ended up averaging 25 points, eight assists, and four rebounds per game in his MVP season as he also helped lead the team to the league's best record at 62-20.

Nobody has led the Bulls to the best record and a Conference Finals appearance since 1997.

Rose could still grow up as a player, however, as it was his selfishness that at times caused the Bulls to drop their series against the Heat. He attempted 19 or more shots in every game and would even take a combined 56 shots in the team's final two games, scoring only 58 points on all of those shots. He would also convert on a combined three of 17 from beyond the arc as he attempted to force the issue by attempting to be a shooter that he wasn't, while not relying on the main part of his game.

The Bulls came close to achieving their goals in only their first season together, but they could still use some work. For one, the team needs to acquire a scorer that specializes in jump shooting after the way Kyle Korver disappointed last season with his no-shows throughout the season.

If Luol Deng is the team's only reliable shooter and Boozer doesn't even show up for the playoffs, then the Bulls will never bring home the franchise's first championship since 1998. If they can get some support for Rose, however, then they no doubt are contenders for the next few seasons.

Dallas Mavericks, 10:1

Yes, they have the second highest odds of bringing home a title over the next five seasons, but let me explain before you get all wound up about it.

The Dallas Mavericks took home their first title in franchise history last season with a six-game series win over a powerhouse Miami Heat club that had steamrolled its way through the Eastern Conference's best. It wasn't until the Mavs started using a zone defense and getting inside the head of LeBron James that they would take over in the series by winning its final three games, similar to when the Heat took home the last four games of the series in their 2006 Finals matchup.

Dirk Nowitzki would take home MVP honors after an unbelievable postseason run in which he came up clutch throughout the playoffs, mostly in the Conference and NBA Finals. Nowitzki averaged 28 points per game on 49 percent shooting and 46 percent from deep to go along with eight rebounds and three assists per game. He also shot 94 percent from the foul line and missed a grand total of one free throw throughout the NBA Finals.

Nowitzki was supported by one of the league's most versatile rosters with sharpshooter Jason Terry supporting the cause on the perimeter by hitting 44 percent from deep, point guard Jason Kidd still doing everything on the court at nearly 38 years of age, and Shawn Marion providing the necessary defense to limit James to only 17 points per game throughout the series, his lowest ever mark in a postseason series. Even without Caron Butler, the Mavericks' chemistry and versatility was what led them to their first title win.

Their window for titles could be closing soon with Nowitzki set to be 34 years old next season, but there's still plenty of time left for this team take home a title, even as soon as next year. Dirk is coming off of the best postseason of his career and could ride that momentum towards possibly bringing home back-to-back championships if he and the Mavericks can continue to stay the course and come up big late in games as they did this time around.

Miami Heat, 5:1

Easily the team with the greatest upside, the Miami Heat are not only the favorites to win a title over the next five years, but they're also favorites to take home more than one title over the next five years.

In only one season together, the Heat showed no signs of letting up in the Eastern Conference playoffs as members of the big three took turns in dismantling their three opponents. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James led the charge against Philadelphia, Wade and James in Boston, and Chris Bosh and James against Chicago before the team let up against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

They would lose that series in six games after James struggled to average only 17 points per game and hardly provided the same type of clutchness that he brought in the three series prior. Wade and Bosh were on their own in the Finals as they would do all they could in attempt to salvage a championship without James' help. This proved to be too much for them to shoulder, however, as the Mavericks' balanced attack and zone defense was too much for the two to overcome.

James went from being considered one of the league's most clutch players to a choke artist once again in the span of two weeks as he could only manage two fourth quarter points in the team's final five games. Shawn Marion was a quality defender, but James is coming off of series in which he just beat Andre Iguodala, Paul Pierce, and Luol Deng. The zone defense was what killed James as he couldn't find any way of breaking through and attacking.

Even with the disappointing end to an otherwise impressive first season together, the team still has a lot to look forward to over the next five seasons as all three of them will be in their primes. The fact that not one of these players are even 30 years old yet is a good sign for the future for this Heat team that is now even more hellbent on taking home a title than before.

Miami will need to look for some answers in this year's free agency, but with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem returning from injury to join the young big three, the team is easily the favorite to win it next season and in the four seasons following.