NBA Trade Rumors: New Jersey Nets and More in Need of Extreme Makeover
The NBA trade rumors have stopped swirling, but with Dwight Howard's trade request still standing, that could change at any minute.
That's good news for the New Jersey Nets, who desperately need roster changes before they move to Brooklyn next season. If the Nets don't bring in Howard, they will have serious issues on their hands.
Right now, Brook Lopez—a seven-footer that's inexplicably bad at rebounding—is their second-best player behind Deron Williams. After that it's...who? Anthony Morrow? Jordan Farmar? Kris "Most Disliked Player in the NBA" Humphries?
Williams is a free agent in 2012, and although he's saying all the right things, he isn't sticking around unless some major upgrades are made. The Nets need an extreme makeover or they will be doomed to obscurity in Brooklyn.
New Jersey isn't alone in their predicament. Several NBA teams need roster overhauls if they ever want to succeed. These three teams are in the worst shape right now.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets are one of many teams that are stuck in NBA limbo. They aren't good enough to compete for the title, but they aren't bad enough to pick up high draft picks. It's the worst position to be in as an NBA team.
Of course, they tried to shake things up by bringing in Pau Gasol. Then the league stepped in and crushed their future.
Houston will have to find a new way to trade their assets if they don't want a veteran team that only competes for eighth seeds.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors only won 22 games last season, and I doubt they will do much better this year.
DeMar DeRozan has the potential to be the best shooting guard in the league, but that's not happening for at least a few years. Outside of him, I'm not totally sold on any of their players.
The Eastern Conference is steadily improving, which means the Raptors will be left out of the playoff picture for the foreseeable future.
Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats made a couple intriguing moves in the offseason, but they are still one of the worst-run franchises in the NBA.
With all due respect to His Airness, Michael Jordan just isn't cut out for this whole executive thing. The Bobcats have yet to win a playoff game during their seven-year history and Jordan whiffed on two of the biggest draft busts of all time in Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison.
If Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo don't pan out, the Bobcats will be bad for a long, long time.
