NBA Lockout: 10 Pressing Questions Facing the League with a Lost Season Looming

Fans have questions about what would happen in some key areas of the NBA if the entire season is washed out, and rightfully so.

There are a multitude of storylines that were set to play out in 2011-12, but now we might have to wait an entire year to see how it will impact the scope of the league going forward.

It's definitely an issue on most people's minds, and we're here to discuss what might happen to some of your favorite players and where they may be headed next.

Will Any Current Player Ever Be Able To Break Ray Allen's 3-Point Record?

Ray Allen is currently the all-time leader in three-pointers made with 2,612.

During the 2010-11 season, Allen surpassed Reggie Miller, who is now second on the list with 2,560.

Jason Kidd, Rashard Lewis and Peja Stojakovic are all closing in on 1,800 career makes, but each of them is nearing the point in their career where it's hard to imagine them eclipsing Allen's mark.

What Does It Mean for the Los Angeles Clippers?

Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon both gave a reason for fans of the Clippers to get excited about the future of the team, but a lost season could change those high hopes.

It means that DeAndre Jordan (restricted) and Eric Gordon (restricted) would both hit free agency simultaneously, and that might change the long-term outlook of the group.

Chris Kaman's hefty contract would still come off of the books, but both young guys are going to be looking for a big pay day, and the Clippers still need to maintain the financial flexibility to eventually address Griffin's next deal.

Can Dallas Mavericks Repeat?

Can the Mavericks repeat for a 2012-13 championship with their core another year older?

Better question: can this team win another title without Tyson Chandler, who is going to be an unrestricted free agent when the NBA reopens its doors for business?

Jason Kidd is 38 and turning 39 in March, Dirk Nowitzki is 33 and the team has serious question marks in terms of its depth on the bench with a number of expiring contracts in 2011 and 2012.

What Happens to the 2012 NBA Draft?

Allow this point to be clear: nothing has been officially decided in terms of the 2012 draft order in the event of a canceled season.

It's imperative to note the following: there must be a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place in order for the 2012 draft to even occur.

The two ideas being floated right now are as follows:

• The league can have the same draft order that was held in 2012, which would really favor the ability of some teams to turn around the team in a hurry.
• The league can hold a lottery that includes all 30 teams rather than those that finished as the worst 14, but that might create an even further divide in talent around the NBA.

What About Expiring Contracts?

Fans of the Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets and New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets are not going to be happy with this news.

Despite the fact that the entire 2011-12 season could be lost, it wouldn't keep players like Dwight Howard, Chris Paul or Deron Williams from hitting free agency in 2012.

That means that these players could have very well played their last games for their current clubs.

Notable 2011 free agents: Nene, Marc Gasol, Tyson Chandler, David West, Jamal Crawford, Wilson Chandler (currently playing in China), DeAndre Jordan, Kris Humphries, Carl Landry, Jason Richardson, Thaddeus Young, Marcus Thornton, Nick Young

Notable 2012 free agents: Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, D.J. Augustin, Derrick Rose, Danilo Gallinari, Roy Hibbert, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Andrew Bynum (team option), O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez, Chauncey Billups, Russell Westbrook, Elton Brand (early termination option), Gerald Wallace (player option), Nicolas Batum, J.J. Hickson, Tim Duncan, JaVale McGee

Will Kobe Bryant Catch Michael Jordan in Scoring with a Lost Season?

Kobe Bryant has five career championship rings and 27,868 career points scored.

Michael Jordan has six career championship rings and 32,292 points scored.

With MJ reportedly taking a hardline stance amongst the owners and denying Bryant a potential chance to eclipse him in both categories, it certainly makes for an interesting subplot to monitor into the future.

It would make for some serious irony.

Would the Boston Celtics' Championship Window Be Closed?

Without a season, both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen would hit free agency.

Heading into the 2012-13 campaign, the Celtics would have just three players under contract: Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley.

That would mean that the Celtics would be in the market for help at every position across the board, and only two of the "Big Four" would remain.

The championship window could be slowly closing.

End of Lamar Odom in Los Angeles with the Lakers?

The Lakers hold an $8.2 million team option ($2.4 million guaranteed) on Odom for the 2012-13 season, but this team has serious salary concerns going forward.

Kobe Bryant is slated to collect approximately $28 million during that time, and Pau Gasol is also scheduled to earn a whopping $19 million on his own.

Translation: that's almost $50 million between two players.

The club also has a lucrative team option on Andrew Bynum at a shade over $16 million, so there are going to be some difficult decisions to make as the team retools for the future.

Will Orlando Be Able To Retain Dwight Howard?

This is the question that's on the mind of every Magic fan around the world.

Without a season, Orlando won't have an opportunity to significantly improve the roster as Howard has stated he'd like to see.

There are going to be a lot of teams with the ability to add some significant talent by the time the 2012 offseason rolls around, and despite the plethora of talent that would be available, Howard would be the headlining name of the class.

With no shortage of interest in his services around the league, the Magic face some stiff competition in an effort to re-sign him.

He wants to win a championship, and there will be several opportunities to pursue that path outside of Orlando in an effort to do exactly that.

Will Tim Duncan Retire?

If an extended lockout forces Duncan into retirement, that's a sad day for the NBA and a terrible way for this big man to end a historic career.

He was supposed to earn $21,300,000 in 2011-12, the final season of his contract with the Spurs.

At 35 years old and turning 36 in April, it's not a slam dunk that he'll return to the court.

While a lengthy layoff could be good to rest his chronic knee issues, it could very well have an opposite impact, and it's not going to be easy to get back into basketball shape in the event he's forced to miss so much time.

Last season was the first time in his career where Duncan failed to average double-digit rebounds, and paired with the lowest scoring output he's had in 14 seasons, it's clear his career is coming to its conclusion.

The only question is whether he'll hang 'em up before giving it a final go.