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Atlanta Hawks Key free agents: Josh Childress (R), Josh Smith (R).
Needs: Center; depth behind All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson.
Outlook: With coach Mike Woodson signed to a new two-year contract, the Hawks will have to work hard to appease Smith, who has had more than his share of differences with Woodson. Smith is the type of free-agent prize who could draw some creative offers that the Hawks may find tough to match. |
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Boston Celtics Key free agents: Tony Allen (R), P.J. Brown (U), Eddie House (U), James Posey (P).
Needs: A way to limit the Big Three's minutes; backup point guard.
Outlook: Paul Pierce (31 next season), Kevin Garnett (32) and Ray Allen (33) are going to need all the rest they can get in 2008-09 considering their age and the fact that they will be playing with those big red targets on their backs each night. Adding a few younger pieces off the bench would help. |
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Charlotte Bobcats Key free agents: Emeka Okafor (R).
Needs: Size to help Okafor with the low-post work; perhaps a point guard to set a defensive mind-set.
Outlook: Defense will be the guiding principle now that Larry Brown is calling the plays. Not only will that be the case in the draft, but also in any other personnel moves the 'Cats make. Rasheed Wallace, anyone? |
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Chicago Bulls Key free agents: Luol Deng (R), Ben Gordon (R), Chris Duhon (U).
Needs: Interior scoring; a more reliable point guard.
Outlook: This is a crucial summer for the Bulls. With another high draft pick to add (No. 1 overall), does GM John Paxson deal some of the "older" youngsters (Kirk Hinrich? Tyrus Thomas?) for win-now veterans? Or do the Bulls gamble that Derrick Rose is the piece that can focus them into the unit some predicted would reach the Eastern Conference finals last season? In any event, it figures to be a busy summer in Chicago. |
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Cleveland Cavaliers Key free agents: Daniel Gibson (R), Delonte West (R).
Needs: Someone who can create scoring opportunities besides LeBron James; a young big man to groom as Zydrunas Ilgauskas' successor.
Outlook: The clock is ticking as the Cavs try to keep LeBron happy enough to stay with them past 2010. GM Danny Ferry has about $30 million in expiring contracts to use as a way to upgrade the roster. |
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Dallas Mavericks Key free agents: Devean George (U).
Needs: Low-post presence who plays defense and rebounds; point guard who can run the team when Jason Kidd sits.
Outlook: As if getting bounced in the first round for the second straight year wasn't a bad enough return on the Kidd trade, the Mavs also gave away part of their future in shipping Devin Harris to New Jersey, as well as two first-round draft picks. Mark Cuban will have to be at his boldest if he hopes to revive the flagging fortunes of a team whose title window is a lot more narrow than it was only two years ago. |
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Denver Nuggets Key free agents: Allen Iverson (ETO), J.R. Smith (R), Eduardo Najera (U), Anthony Carter (U).
Needs: Point guard; younger and healthier frontcourt options.
Outlook: Capped out and armed with only one draft pick, the Nuggets will have to deal if they hope to make that jump among the West's elite. GM Mark Warkentien has proved willing to swing big before as he did with Iverson, who reportedly will not opt out of the last year of his contract. |
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Detroit Pistons Key free agents: Jarvis Hayes (U), Lindsey Hunter (U).
Needs: More young blood; fresher legs at center.
Outlook: Team president Joe Dumars has stated his intention to make significant changes this offseason, a process that started already with the hiring of Michael Curry to replace Flip Saunders as coach. Of course, this all could have been avoided had the Pistons not passed on the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade for Darko Milicic in the 2003 draft. |
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Golden State Warriors Key free agents: Baron Davis (ETO), Monta Ellis (R), Andris Biedrins (R), Mickael Pietrus (U), Matt Barnes (U).
Needs: Another frontcourt presence; insurance at point guard.
Outlook: If the Warriors can re-sign Biedrins and Ellis -- as vice president Chris Mullin has vowed to do -- that would be a successful summer alone. But that might not come easy as both players' youth and skills will make them wanted men in free agency. |
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Houston Rockets Key free agents: Carl Landry (R), Dikembe Mutombo (U).
Needs: A backup for Yao Ming who doesn't carry an AARP card; more consistent point-guard play; scoring.
Outlook: Losing Yao regularly -- he has missed at least 25 games in each of the last three seasons -- would be alleviated a bit if the club had a few more offensive options beyond Tracy McGrady and a barrage of three-pointers from Rafer Alston.
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Indiana Pacers Key free agents: Jermaine O'Neal (ETO), David Harrison (R), Kareem Rush (U).
Needs: A point guard who stays off the police blotter; center; a cheaper version of O'Neal.
Outlook: The Pacers need to finally close the book on the Palace brawl era. That means shipping out the wildly inconsistent Jamaal Tinsley and the inconsistently healthy O'Neal. The return may be less a ready-made contender than a respectable, but lottery-bound, team in transition. But the promise of the unknown has to be more palatable than a nightly reminder of what could have been were it not for a single beer cup.
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Los Angeles Clippers Key free agents: Elton Brand (ETO), Corey Maggette (ETO), Shaun Livingston (R).
Needs: Scoring punch at SG/SF; a point guard if Livingston is not healthy (he'll become an unrestricted free agent if the Clippers don't make him a qualifying offer); a replacement for Brand should he opt out of his contract.
Outlook: This could be a sobering summer for L.A.'s "other" team. Maggette is likely to become a free agent, and Brand might leave $16.4 million on the table to, well, win. Barring a pair of sign-and-trades or some serious sweet talking, the Clippers could find themselves in the midst of yet another rebuilding project, this one centered on Chris Kaman, Al Thornton and the seventh pick in the draft. |
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Los Angeles Lakers Key free agents: Sasha Vujacic (R), Ronny Turiaf (R).
Needs: Toughness; rebounding.
Outlook: Amid all the hoopla over Pau Gasol's addition, it was easy to forget how Andrew Bynum's development into a potential top-notch center drove the Lakers toward the top of the Western Conference before a knee injury ended his season. His return alone will make the Lakers the favorite in the West, if not the NBA. With a young roster, the Lakers need only to fine-tune a few areas. |
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Memphis Grizzlies Key free agents: Juan Carlos Navarro (signed with Spanish club), Kwame Brown (U).
Needs: More agile post play; outside shooting to replace the departing Navarro and possibly the traded Mike Miller.
Outlook: This summer is supposed to be when the payoff for the Gasol trade begins. The first-round draft pick, the salary-cap space -- all of it keys to rebuilding the Grizzlies, all of it in return for essentially handing the Lakers the West crown. Somehow, though, the Lakers' No. 28 pick and an invitation to play for the league's fifth-worst team probably won't offer the same return for the Grizzlies. |
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Miami Heat Key free agents: Shawn Marion (ETO), Jason Williams (U), Alonzo Mourning (U), Ricky Davis (U), Dorell Wright (R).
Needs: A center with a pulse; point guard; small forward should Marion depart.
Outlook: Congrats, Erik Spoelstra, you were just given a team with no salary-cap space, little inside game, an increasingly fragile superstar and precious few outside threats. At least you get the No. 2 pick in the draft and -- most likely -- Marion in a contract year. Things could be worse; you could have someone like Pat Riley in your front office ready to steal your job if you start winning. Oh ... wait a minute ... |
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Milwaukee Bucks Key free agents: None.
Needs: A defibrillator for Bobby Simmons' career; willingness to play defense.
Outlook: The Bucks are rumored to be willing to part with a backcourt piece, be it Michael Redd and his exorbitant salary or Mo Williams and his shoot-first approach to playing point guard. With the Bucks in need of a change of chemistry, Redd's shooting could be a valuable asset to deal on draft day. |
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Minnesota Timberwolves Key free agents: Ryan Gomes (R), Craig Smith (R), Sebastian Telfair (R), Kirk Snyder (R).
Needs: Scoring at small forward; a center so Al Jefferson can slide back to power forward.
Outlook: Well, that Garnett trade doesn't look so bad now that KG dedicated his title with the Celtics in part to "'Sota," right? In truth, Jefferson, Gomes, Telfair and two draft picks may turn out to be a better return than anyone expected. But can vice president Kevin McHale do what he couldn't very much with KG -- build up the talent base beyond one star? Randy Foye and Rashad McCants are good starts; keeping those pieces and adding a productive No. 3 pick are the next steps.
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New Jersey Nets Key free agents: Nenad Krstic (R), DeSagana Diop (U), Bostjan Nachbar (U).
Needs: Power forward; depth behind Vince Carter; shooting range.
Outlook: If Phase 1 of the post-Kidd era was Devin Harris, then Phase 2 is the draft, where, with two first-round picks this year (Nos. 10 and 21), the Nets will look to build the type of team LeBron can't say no to when team co-owner Jay-Z makes his recruiting pitch in 2010. And if Carter can be dealt for another pick, Rod Thorn and Co. should be listening hard. |
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New Orleans Hornets Key free agents: Jannero Pargo (P), Bonzi Wells (U).
Needs: A bit more athleticism at the wings; more scoring punch off the bench.
Outlook: The Hornets have many of the pieces in place for another run in the West. Expect a few tweaks around the core of Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic. |
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New York Knicks Key free agents: Stephon Marbury (ETO).
Needs: Point guard, small forward, rebounding, defense ... ah, heck, just about everything.
Outlook: If Donnie Walsh has the power he claims, he'll take a Hoover to this club. That won't be easy, considering he's working with a lot of big salaries attached to underwhelming talent. But if Walsh can at least start the process -- in addition to weathering the annual Marbury storm to get the salary-cap savings at season's end -- that would be worth more than any victories the Knicks scratch out under Mike D'Antoni in 2008-09. |
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Orlando Magic Key free agents: Keith Bogans (P), Keyon Dooling (U), Maurice Evans (U), Carlos Arroyo (U).
Needs: Shooting guard; inside help for Dwight Howard; point guard.
Outlook: Last year's spending spree on Rashard Lewis was the easy part. Now GM Otis Smith has to round out his club with the mid-level exception and sweetheart veteran deals. The No. 22 pick also could offer some help, but maybe not yield the every-game point guard this club needs to truly take off. |
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Philadelphia 76ers Key free agents: Andre Iguodala (R), Louis Williams (R).
Needs: Power forward; shooting range.
Outlook: Few teams are in better position this summer than the Sixers, who have about $11 million in salary-cap space to go with the No. 16 pick in the draft. If GM Ed Stefanski can entice Iguodala and Williams back with reasonable deals, the Sixers could add the type of veteran (Elton Brand, you can stand up now) that would catapult them from playoff novelty to second-round shoo-in.
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Phoenix Suns Key free agents: Grant Hill (P).
Needs: Small forward with a better track record of health than Hill; point-guard-in-waiting behind Steve Nash; solid backup center behind Shaquille O'Neal.
Outlook: Keeping the Suns' contender window open would have been a whole lot easier if they hadn't consisently sold or traded draft picks since 2004. Maybe then GM Steve Kerr wouldn't have to consider trading Leandro Barbosa or Boris Diaw. Maybe then the Suns would have gotten past the Spurs and D'Antoni would still be in Phoenix. Maybe then the Suns wouldn't be almost as close to the lottery as they are to the conference finals. |
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Portland Trail Blazers Key free agents: James Jones (P).
Needs: A veteran presence; more consistent point-guard play; a healthy Greg Oden.
Outlook: With depth everywhere and versatile Spanish shooting guard Rudy Fernandez expected to join the fun next season, the Blazers' draft approach should be interesting: They have four picks, including No. 13, making them a team to watch in the trade market.
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Sacramento Kings Key free agents: Ron Artest (ETO), Beno Udrih (U), Kenny Thomas (ETO).
Needs: Point guard; rebounding.
Outlook: Time was, Artest was a unique player who could transform a playoff participant into a title contender so long as a team could look past his eccentricities. Now, he is too much of a distraction -- because of his past and his selfishness on the court -- to any team on which he is allowed to be the dominant personality. Even if Artest chooses not to opt out, the Kings would be better off parting ways with him as well as useful, but overpriced, center Brad Miller and turning the keys over to a hungry Francisco Garcia and a promising Spencer Hawes. |
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San Antonio Spurs Key free agents: Michael Finley (U), Robert Horry (U), Kurt Thomas (U), Brent Barry (U), Damon Stoudamire (U).
Needs: Bench help; fresh legs at small forward; another scoring option.
Outlook: Restocking the bench and adding some athleticism on the wings will be the priorities for the Spurs. The former goal has taken a hit with 6-11 Brazilian forward Tiago Splitter's decision to remain in Spain next season rather than join the team that drafted him 28th in the 2007 draft. |
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Seattle SuperSonics Key free agents: Robert Swift (R).
Needs: Better point-guard play; more production at center.
Outlook: Talk about building a team from scratch. The Sonics have six picks in the draft (including two first-rounders), on the heels of adding two top five picks last season, one of whom is the reigning Rookie of the Year.
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Toronto Raptors Key free agents: Jose Calderon (R), Carlos Delfino (R).
Needs: More toughness alongside power forward Chris Bosh; a bit more explosiveness at shooting guard.
Outlook: Let's clear up any debate about the Raptors' point-guard conundrum: Keep Calderon, trade T.J. Ford. Ford's comeback from a spinal injury is a great story of perserverance, but Calderon is the better point guard, from his health to his shooting stroke. |
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Utah Jazz Key free agents: Paul Millsap (T), C.J. Miles (R).
Needs: Defensive interior presence; another athlete in the frontcourt.
Outlook: A summer of introspection awaits the Jazz, who need to determine whether they can reach the Western summit with a quiet summer of improvement from Ronnie Brewer and a mid-level addition, or whether this team has maxed out its talent and requires more drastic measures, such as dealing Carlos Boozer, as has been rumored. There is always the middle-of-the-road approach: draft a low-post power player such as Roy Hibbert and push for an Andrei Kirilenko trade.
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Washington Wizards Key free agents: Gilbert Arenas (ETO), Antawn Jamison (U), Roger Mason (U).
Needs: More consistency at center; defender/rebounder down low; a Plan B if Arenas and/or Jamison depart.
Outlook: The temptation to let Arenas walk might be strong given how the Wizards reached the playoffs largely without him. But game-changing stars are rare in the NBA, and Arenas, for all his eccentricities and recent knee problems, is a game-changing star. This would be an expensive summer for the Wizards if they re-sign Arenas and Jamison, but isn't the hope that Arenas stays healthy and the team finally learns to play playoff-winning defense a better option than irrelevance?
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