Short and Long Term Moves/Goals for EVERY NBA Team (3/18/17)
Short term: The Hawks are not a contender, and they should look to play younger guys like Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry down the stretch to determine the value of their prospects.
Long term: Paul Millsap will soon be 33 years old, not exactly in his prime any longer. They should to find a “replacement” for Millsap as the franchise player, as he will be an UFA in ‘18.
Short term: The goal for the Celtics should be to most importantly keep the #2 seed in the East, and shoot for an ECF matchup, likely with the Cavs. They don’t need to necessarily beat the Cavs and make it to the Finals this season, but being one step away would be a huge milestone for a team that’s still considered to be rebuilding.
Long term: Despite being involved in nearly every trade rumor around the league, don’t buy into the hype that the Celtics “need another star” in order to win it all. The real (and realistic) move they need to make is to trade one of the Brooklyn picks for a quality starting power forward who can defend the post and get a rebound.Guys like Taj Gibson, Kenneth Faried, and Larry Nance Jr. come to mind.
Short term: Obviously, the Nets are in one of the worst positons in the league with the worst record across both conferences as well as being without their 1st round draft pick for the next 2 seasons. However, it isn’t all bad in Brooklyn. They have prospects they need to be playing (Caris LeVert and Isiah Whitehead) to see if they can become quality starters for the team over these next few years.
Long term: The idea may be a bit extreme, but it may be time to trade Brook Lopez. At 28 years old, he likely won’t be a major contributor by the time this team becomes a legitimate playoff team. A center that plays at his level is becoming more and more rare in this league, and Lopez would likely bring back a lot of value if the Nets make the right move. If they can acquire a high pick or a budding prospect, they should be alright. They also must make sure they don’t overpay for FA this offseason and lock themselves into deals that they’ll end up regretting.
Short term: At this point in the season, the Hornets are not going to make the playoffs. That being said, they must look forward to the draft, and try to get the best pick in the draft that they possibly can. They should look to find a guy at the PF spot, as Marvin Williams isn’t exactly having the season he was last year. They’re currently looking at a pick towards the back of the lottery, so a guy like Harry Giles or Ivan Rabb might be worth taking a chance on if they’re available when Michael Jordan makes his selection.
Long term: After earning his first all-star appearance, it is clear Kemba is the guy in Charlotte. At 26, you might even say that with him, the ceiling is the roof. All jokes aside, they need to add depth at PF, whether it’s in FA or the draft, as well as adding some shooters in order to space the floor. Guys like Redick and Korver will likely resign with their respective squads this summer, but with the way the league is evolving, it shouldn’t be too hard to find someone to knock down some 3s.
Short term: In order to not completely fall apart and lose D Wade and/or Jimmy Butler, they need to make a playoff push this year in order to keep their guys at least somewhat happy. They aren’t going for a title this year, but a solid playoff run could entice upcoming FA to team up with the duo next season.
Long term: With 5 PG’s on roster, they need to trade ATLEAST 1 for a veteran big man. Maybe a guy like David West, Marcin Gortat, or even Brook Lopez in order to win now.
Short term: Despite losing Bogut for the season after just 58 seconds with the team, the Cavs will be just fine. All they need to do to prepare for a second title is get healthy and maintain the 1 seed in the East. Once Love gets back, the Cavs will show why they not only won it all last year, but that they are poised to do it again.
Long term: Regardless of what happens this year come playoff time, there is one area that Cleveland will need to address. That is to get depth down low, whether it means retaining Bogut or adding a guy like Roy Hibbert or even David West, if he’s available.
Short term: With so many other teams pushing for the 8th seed out West, it seems likely that the Mavs will not be in the playoffs. That means they need to prepare for the offseason by evaluating the talent of Yogi Ferrell and see if he can be the starter moving forward.
Long term: Dirk, after scoring his 30,000th point, has proven that he still has enough in the tank to make one last run at a title. They aren’t quite there yet, as they will need to address the guard depth on the team. Luckily for them, it is a wing heavy draft this year, and looking forward, they should look for a guy that will pair up well with Nerlens. With where they’re currently slated to pick, they should be intensely scouting guys like Justin Jackson, Malik Monk, and even Lonzo Ball if they want to make a trade come draft night to select the future star.
Short term: The most important objective for Denver right now is doing everything they can to maintain the 8 seed to give Jokic, Mudiay, and all their young pieces playoff experience moving forward.
Long term: The Nuggets have no significant holes on their roster, so a small shakeup of the roster may be able to push them over the top. Trade Gallinari or Chandler in order to get slightly younger and build a roster around Jokic that will be a contender for years to come.
Short term: After being swept in the first round last season, the Pistons should look to atleast win a few games in the playoffs and show hope for future. They don’t have a good shot at beating any of the Celtics, Raptors or Wizards.
Long term: Heading into next season, the Pistons need to find their answer at PF whether it be in the draft with a guy like Hartenstein or Ivan Rabb, or in a trade, which would likely mean having to move either Tobias Harris or Stanley Johnson.
Short term: With the best record in the league for the 2nd straight year, the only thing the Warriors need to do for the rest of the regular season is stay healthy and not allow the Spurs to catch them in the standings. This won’t be easy, as they will go head-to-head one more time before the playoffs begin.
Long term: Find an inexpensive option for a rim protector. Fill Bogut’s role by drafting a Thon Maker-esque prospect) Plan for long term development in order to have a plan for aging assets such as Andre Iguodala.
After defeating the Cavs, the Rockets have shown that they are a legitimate threat to the Warriors in their pursuit of a second title in 3 years. If Houston can keep healthy throughout the playoffs, it seems more and more likely that they will reach the WCF.
While the 3PT shooting is working wonders for the Rockets, they will need to get better defensively if they want to have a good shot at a title. Adding a guy like Andre Roberson or Sefolosha would help out an aging Trevor Ariza on the wing, while someone like Wilson Chandler could help down low, if the Rockets can come up with the cap space.
Short term: Indiana should look to at least win one playoff series this season not only for confidence, but also to prove to soon-to-be free agent Paul George that he should stay with the Pacers.
Long term: This past ofseason, the Pacers signed the most talented players they could. However, they failed to realize that these players do not play well together. Al Jefferson clogging up the middle along with few shooters to spread the floor has made it difficult for Indiana to score. Adding scorers like Allen Crabbe, Gary Harris, or Josh Richardson could solve that problem.
Short term: The Clippers need to stay healthy in order to make a playoff run, which they have been unable to do over the past few years. With all the talent out West, it is unlikely they advance past the second round regardless of injury.
Long term: For years, the gaping hole at SF has held the “Other LA Team” from taking the next step and becoming true contenders. Signing anybody who’s a decent SF will get the job done, but their best option appears to be Wilson Chandler.
Short term: The Lakers have been a mess this season, even more so than most people predicted. We know D.Loading is legit, but the verdict is still out for Ingram. Give him time to develop and the Lakers should be just fine. (eventually...)
Long term: While Tarik Black’s hustle is applaudable, LAL needs a young, starting caliber center to continue the rebuild. Maybe they can pry Alex Len away from the Suns.
Short term: With the seeding in the West just about set, the Grizzlies should give more playing time to Wade Baldwin and Deyonta Davis and give them a chance to prove themselves, as Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, and Zach Randolph aren’t getting any younger.
Long term: With the Memphis roster beginning to age, they should look to add younger players down low, or just give Davis more PT if he proves he can play. Other than that, despite being a great defender, Tony Allen does not fill the role of creating his own shot, which Memphis desperately needs.
Short term: After a rough start to the season, the Heat have played their way into the 7th seed in the East and are one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs. Depending on who they get matched up with, they could give a top team a run in the first round. They shouldn’t be expecting much more than that, though.
Long term: The biggest question mark for Miami this Summer will be what to do with Chris Bosh. If he can no longer play, avoiding his monster contract will help the Heat add someone new to play alongside Hassan down low. However, if Bosh is able to come back full force, then the Heat are better off sticking with their current roster. This is a team that has just 6 losses in the last 2 months, and they have been playing without both Bosh and Justise Winslow.
Short term: Milwaukee is still fighting for a 7 or 8 seed right now, but assuming they make the playoffs, their only goal should be to give their young core playoff experience for the future. As incredible of a player as the Greek Freak is, he likely will not carry the Bucks past a team like the Cavs, Celtics, Wizards, or Raptors.
Long term: Outside of getting Jabari Parker healthy, the Bucks biggest need is to find a back court mate for Brogdon, regardless of whether he plays the point or or if they decide to slide him over to the 2. Josh Richardson seems like the perfect fit, but the real question will be is Milwaukee willing to part with a few pieces in order to solidify their starting lineup. One guy that needs to be moved, however, is Greg Monroe. Despite being a talented center, he clearly does not fit in with the fast paced style the team now identifies with.
Short term: Expectations for this Minnesota team may have been set a little high for this season, as many saw these young T-Wolves as a playoff team heading into the year. While that is now far out of the picture, there are definetely bright times ahead for this team, with one of the most promising young cores in the league. Thibodeau needs to use the rest of the season to find lineups that play well together, despite being without Lavine
Long term: If the market shows enough interest, it may be smart to trade Rubio in order to get a quality big man to give Dieng and Towns some help off the bench. It would be preferable if this player was a veteran that would have a strong locker room presence, similar to what KG did a few years back.
Short term: In order to show upcoming free agents that Davis and Cousins can play for a title with a little help, they’ll need to start winning some games THIS season. Even if that means they won’t make the playoffs OR get a good draft pick, it won’t matter, because the Pelicans gave up their pick to Sacramento to get Cousins.
Long term: Going into next year, all the Pelicans need to do is add as much talent as possible at the wing spots. Luckily for them, it is a wing-heavy draft this year. Unluckily for them, they traded their currently-6th overall pick to the Kings in order to acquire Boogie. However, they can still look to add some free agents, such as Otto Porter or Tim Hardaway Jr., assuming they don’t get resigned, to help with scoring.This will help with Holiday’s lack of shooting that has hurt them all season long.
Short term: The Knicks are in the worst position a franchise can be in: not good enough to make the playoffs, but not bad enough to hope for a top pick. They need to just finish the season without any more internal issues, and begin the rebuild starting with draft night.
Long term: It will be no surprise if New York dumps as much salary as possible this offseason, and after Derrick Rose and his “super team” weren’t able to get it done, his time in the Big Apple has likely come to an end. On the opposite end of things, one guy that definitely will be sticking around in NYC is Porzingis, and the best thing the Knicks can do to build around him is to draft an all around guard with potential, which is why Malik Monk is the perfect fit if he ends up sliding down towards the middle of the lottery, which is a very possible scenario. In terms of free agents, Trey Burke and Darren Collison could be a few cheap options at the PG spot, and adding a guy like Mirotic to pair up with Kristaps would sure up their frontcourt relatively quickly.
Short term: After a few nice wins, the Thunder could potentially steal the 4th seed in the West over the Jazz and Clippers. If that is the case, they have a good chance to advance into the 2nd round where they would likely play the Warriors, which we would all love to see.
No player outside of LeBron could have filled the hole that KD left after abandoning Westbrook, but OKC needs to do a good job this offseason of replacing the impact that Durant had at SF. The front office shouldn’t rely on the far-fetched rumors of Paul George teaming up with Westbrook in 2018, so a more realistic option would be Gallinari.
Short term: Now that Orlando has cut their losses by moving Ibaka, they can finally look forward to the future. With a young core of Gordon, Payton, and Vucevic, they should continue to develop their guys for the rest of the year.
Long term: After a rough start to the season, Elfrid Payton has come alive as of late, posting back to back triple doubles, silencing those who have said Orlando needs a new answer at PG. What the Magic need now is a difference maker at the wing spot, and the draft could take care of that problem with a selection of Lonzo Ball or Jayson Tatum. They should also look for some inexpensive options to help bolster their second unit, and a few guys that come to mind are Shaun Livingston, Patty Mills, and JJ Redick, should he become available this Summer.
With Embiid done for the year, his teammate Saric is the likely candidate for ROTY. The only other goal this team needs to achieve is to stay healthy.
Philly is probably going to be a contender once Embiid, Simmons, and co. reach their prime. Before that can happen, however, they need to decide whether or not they want to keep Okafor. He’s a very good post player, but he might not fit in with the rest of the team once Simmons inserts himself into the starting lineup moving forward.
Short term: Phoenix is another team with exciting prospects but is not a team that will make the playoffs this year. Giving Ulis, Booker, and Marquese Chriss the most amount of minutes possible is essential to developing their abundance of talent that they possess.
As unhappy as Suns fans may be, trading Eric Bledsoe is a must. He’s currently 27, so by the time they are a legitimate playoff team, he will be on the wrong side of 30. Phoenix needs to trade him while his value is still high so that they can acquire a difference maker at either big man spot.
Only a game behind the Grizzlies, Portland still has hopes of playing in the post season. Outside of that, they have seemingly no chance against either the Warriors or Spurs, although they could potentially win a game or two in the series should they get that far.
The Blazers are not rebuilding, they simply need to retool in order to push themselves back to being a top team. However, with virtually no cap space, that will prove to be difficult. If they can trade away one of their expensive players (Crabbe or Ezeli) that would free up room to add a starting caliber PF, they should be just fine.
Short term: Now that the Kings are officially rebuilding, all they should have on their to-do list for this season is getting Hield acclimated to playing in SacTown.
Long term: With two high draft picks in this upcoming draft, Sacramento should have their eyes on a guy like Dennis Smith to be the PG of the future. Also, they have to give up either Rudy Gay or Tyreke Evans and get back a center that will be a part of the long term future.
Short term: With Durant out, the Spurs all of a sudden look like the favorites to win the West, which could be huge assuming they will face the Warriors in the WCF’s. If that is the case, having home-court advantage gives them a great chance to advance to their 6 Finals in 13 seasons.
Long term: Just keep being the Spurs. No franchise is better at being a consistent winner than San Antonio. The only offseason plans they should have are to prep Dejounte Murray to become the starting PG once Parker regresses, as well as upgrade defensively in the paint, which they can do by drafting Cameron Oliver, who’s averaging 2.6 blk/gm at Oregon.
Short term: Ensure Lowry is healthy come playoff time while still earning the 3 seed to avoid having to play the Cavs until the ECF. Assuming they get that far, hoping for a Finals appearance this season may not be too far fetched.
Long term: All this team really needs to do is keep their guys together. Resigning Lowry is the biggest part of that. The Raptors don’t need to make too many moves outside of keeping the roster together.
Short term: Despite being a very respectable ( and underrated) team over the past few seasons, Utah is still not contending. They should look to at least win one playoff series this year, then look forward to next season.
Long term: Not allowing Hayward to walk this Summer has to be the top priority for the Jazz. After that, they may need more depth at center, and giving up a guy like Alec Burks for Jahlil Okafor might give Utah the scoring down low that Gobert doesn’t quite have.
Short term: Being in a similar position as the Raptors, the Wizards need to earn the 3 seed to also avoid the Cavs until the ECF’s. Otherwise, they look sure to be a second round exit.
Long term: Washington has a very talented starting backcourt, but behind them, improvements are needed. A few options for them could be Ben McLemore or Jonathan Simmons. They might also considering adding more talented depth down low, looking for a guy like Amir Johnson, Thomas Robinson, or Mason Plumlee, if any of these guys are available this offseason.
