I am once again putting on my general manager hat and attempting to evaluate all 30 teams in the NBA once their seasons have concluded and giving my opinion on what they should do next. This will include any potential coaching changes, trades, free agency, and draft prospects. I started with the bottom five teams in the Eastern Conference. Now I will be moving on the bottom five teams in the Western Conference.
New Orleans Pelicans
Head Coach: N/A
Van Gundy was let go after one season with the team, due to circumstances unrelated to the results of the game. The main worry for me is the next not being able to channel the kind of production that Van Gundy got from Zion. I did think this would be a successful marriage between Van Gundy and Zion, but the disconnect with the front office was going to prevent any real success.
Building Blocks: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram
As mentioned Zion is playing up the hype and there’s not much more to worry about in that aspect. With Ingram, it was trickier to count him as a building block. Obviously, he is more talented than some of the other names I consider building blocks but those other players fit the team’s mold better. As a person who watched a lot of Pelican games, the team was better when the offense was centered around Zion. If that was the case, then is Ingram really that important of a player? Cause without his scoring his impact is minimal. While I list Ingram as a building block today, I can see a scenario where the Pelicans look to move Ingram for better complementary pieces for Zion.
What They Need To Do
I didn’t list Lonzo Ball as a building block. To simply put it, I think either way the Pelicans will be alright. If they want to resign him (he’s an RFA) then I think that would be fine. If they let him walk then they will be fine too. I know my negative tone towards Ingram and Ball seems like I think they’re useless. However, there is a reason why they finished 10 games under .500 with Zion being healthy most of the season. And it’s not because these guys are flourishing in year four.
Another thing they will need to do is trade Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams. Bledsoe is serviceable at times, but for the most part, is just a guy taking $18 million and not pushing this team any closer to the playoffs. Adams is a necessary player on most teams but the Pelicans aren’t one of them. He’s better used as a PNR partner with a guy who runs to the rim like Westbrook. He can get offensive boards too.
Yes, I am suggesting the Pelicans shift around all their top players not named Zion. This is the Western Conference. Where there are already nine teams who have high expectations to make the playoffs at this point. They have a lot to do in order to even be in the mix. So, what do they need to do after they move around all these pieces?
First, I would look at getting a stretch-Center. My first choice (that is reasonable to obtain) would Thomas Bryant of the Washington Wizards. If you are looking at free agency, then I would look at Daniel Thies. Not the sexiest names but guys who better fit around Zion and would cost less than Steven Adams.
Next, find a veteran Point Guard whose game is more about creating for others than himself. If you’re looking for a trade, then I would look at Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves. If they go the free agency route then I would look at Jeff Teague as a possibility. These are either not very realistic scenarios or the team would be worse off. That’s why I don’t think it would be a bad thing if they resigned Ball, but if they can get Rubio I would definitely let Lonzo walk.
After that, it would be getting as much defensive depth as possible as these hypothetical starting lineups would be heavily slanted towards offense.
Sacramento Kings
Head Coach: Luke Walton
Walton gets a lot of criticism. However, I don’t think he’s as bad as a lot make him out to be. He’s more around average with not much opportunity to succeed. I do think if the Kings make the right moves he can get this team to the playoffs.
Building Blocks: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton
I am a big fan of Haliburton’s game. He has shown a lot of promise defensively and if can become a more consistent man-defender I think he would be one of the better defensive Shooting Guards in the league. Obviously, De’Aaron Fox needs no introduction. Despite not being a great three-point shooter or free throw shooter he has made a bigger offensive impact with each passing season. Will his defense always hamper his overall game? Sure, but Fox can still be the best player on a Western Conference playoff team.
What They Need To Do
Much like the Pelicans, the Kings will need to make some drastic changes in order for them to be a playoff team in the Western Conference, where there are nine legitimate playoff teams already and there’s a sizeable gap between them and those teams.
First, they need to trade Buddy Hield. He has wanted out for a while now and he’s not really a guy who makes or breaks your roster. His team-friendly contract makes it easier for him to be traded. With Hield gone I would plug in Haliburton as the full-time starter.
I would also look to trade Marvin Bagley. Guy has shown some flashes, but he’s not really pushing this team any closer to the playoffs, and taking off another $11 million from the books would be good for the Kings. That would give the Kings roughly $43 million in cap space to work with. They could obviously trade for someone when they move Hield or Bagley. Preferably a Center or defensive wing. Perhaps Andrew Wiggins from the Warriors as they look to get out of the luxury tax. If you want to go for a defensive Center they could go for Jusuf Nurkic from the Blazer or Myles Turner from the Pacers.
In free agency, they could go for someone cheap like Nerlens Noel at Center. And at the wing, I would see them taking a gamble at Justise Winslow or maybe even Nic Batum after he saved his career.
To sum it up, the Kings need to fit the philosophy that Walton practices. Which is having a more defensive-slanted team. As mentioned, Haliburton can be a good defensive guard relative to the position he plays and any of the aforementioned names would help this team’s defensive production. They can live with Fox never being a good defensive player because of what he does offensively which they still need to preserve. If they can play their cards right they could be in the mix next year.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Head Coach: Chris Finch
I will be honest, I am not very familiar with Finch. I will say though that I watched some Timberwolves games down the stretch and when Russell, KAT, and Edwards were all healthy they were holding their own against some good teams. Finishing the season 9-7 with wins over the Heat, Warriors, Mavericks, and two wins over the Jazz. So, there seems to be something there. Or is it fools gold? No one knows yet.
Building Blocks: D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards
On paper, this pretty exciting stuff for Wolves fans as they’ve never really had to cheer for since Kevin Garnett was on the teams. The question is what is the ceiling for this trio? KAT is just below All-NBA if you ask me. Russell is a fringe All-Star in the East, but not an All-Star in the West. And Edwards ceiling? Probably the same ceiling as Russell. So, how far can these guys go? I am not sure, but I know they will be entertaining to watch.
What They Need To Do
There is not much I would think they can do. They are much closer to the luxury tax than people realize. I would probably look to trade Ricky Rubio and Malik Beasley just to put some space between them and the luxury tax.
The thing is they’re still in a pretty good position. As of today, Towns is only 25. Russell is only 25. Edwards is 19. For the most part, they are a really young team. Only having three guys older than 25 with Rubio being the only guy older than 27. It is all about development at this point and allowing them to grow together. While there is a six-year gap between Edwards and the other building blocks there should still be a window where everyone is on an upward trend when it comes to their prime.
To sum it up, Wolves fans just got to stay patient with this. Their time will come.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Head Coach: Mark Daigneault
I will be honest, I am also not very familiar with Daigneault either. I did watch some Thunder basketball, but because I did I will give Daigneault an incomplete for his first year with the team. Mostly because the team was filled with a bunch of veterans that were traded at the deadline and a bunch of young players getting minutes, which of course didn’t lead to many wins. We will see in Year 2 if he can get these guys to improve.
Building Blocks: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
I am sure Thunder fans will want me to include Lu Dort and variations of the other young players the Thunder have. However, I view Dort as a player who fills a similar role to Marcus Smart. A great team player who can shoot a little bit and be the defensive leader. However, the rest of the team is just bad. You don’t go 2-23 with a young corps that has any sort of potential.
What They Need To Do
They need to start using their draft picks quite honestly. They can keep piling up on draft picks but they have only so many roster spots. And given how little time there is between these draft picks that’s going to leave very little time to evaluate the players they currently have, as well as their future draft picks. This definitely can lead to some oversights and they actually miss out on a great player because they had every single pick in the next draft and had to move someone.
Then there is also the cap space issue. They currently have only $62 million on the active roster. Which leaves a lot of room to fill. Since there is a cap minimum they need to spend they will need to sign players to decent money in order to meet those requirements. For now, it seems like Kemba Walker is going to partake in the “trade value rehabilitation” program the Thunder seem to have. If they do decide to move him they will need to fill that money elsewhere. With that being said, they will still have a lot of money for the future.
What should they do with that money? First, extend Gilgeous-Alexander. This won’t affect the cap situation for this off-season, but it will give them a better idea of what they have to work with in the future. Next, they need to decide if they actually want to be competitive this year or just meet the requirements so they don’t get in trouble with the league.
I am assuming they will just meet the requirements but still want to focus on the young guys. I imagine they will sign guys like Otto Porter Jr to a nice one or two-year deal that will take a large chunk of cap space. However, if they were looking to try to be competitive without sacrificing the young timeline they have, they can go after guys like Lonzo Ball, John Collins, and Justise Winslow who are all younger than 25 and are better than what they have. Although I doubt any of those guys would want to play for Oklahoma City.
Houston Rockets
Head Coach: Stephen Silas
I will also be giving Silas an incomplete grade for his first year with the Rockets. Harden wanted out. John Wall once again shows he can’t stay healthy. Eric Gordon has had his problems with health. Just a complete mess. We will see what happens going forward but I feel bad for Silas.
Building Blocks: Christian Wood
This one was a bit challenging for me. Given that he is going to be 26 when the next season starts is he really going to the foundation they build around? He’s only got two years left on his deal and I can imagine he’s looking to go to a contender considering he’ll be 28 when his contract is up. I will say sure for now, but I don’t if they actually build around Wood or their upcoming pick–which could be Cade Cunningham.
What They Need To Do
This actually a scary time for the Rockets. There is a 47.9% chance their pick lands outside the Top 4 and if that happens it goes to the Thunder. So, they could have gone through this miserable season and not have a pick in the Top 20. They still have the Bucks pick and the Blazers pick that is projected to be the 23rd and 24th pick, but that would be demoralizing to the franchise that they lost 45 out of 51 games and their only picks are late first-round picks.
On the financial side, they are in a similar position to the Thunder. John Wall wants out and his $44 million cap number would open up a lot of space. Apparently, the Knicks are interested. However, if they manage to get Wall off the books without taking much cap in return that will still leave a lot of space open. Again, like the Thunder, I doubt good players will be lining up to play in Houston. So, the Rockets could follow a similar path where they pay a few random free agents a nice one or two-year deal to meet the cap requirements without worrying about the long-term outlook.
