Wild New NBA Landscape

After a wild NBA Free Agency, many teams saw different changes. In this post we will cover all the teams that have changed for better or for worse and which teams have a chance to contend for the NBA Title.

Atlanta Hawks: Already with some great young talent in Trae Young and John Collins, the Hawks got DeAndre Hunter in the draft, and acquired Evan Turner from the Blazers for Kent Bazemore. The only problem that is a really big one is the bench. There isn’t one and they need help. They lack playoff experience. The farthest anybody on the team has ever been is Evan Turner with the Blazers last season (Conference Finals loss.) But the future is bright. With another 30-38 win season, they will get another decent pick, try to load up the bench and then you have a playoff caliber team.

Boston Celtics: After clearing the “virus” from their system, they went out and got another All-Star caliber player in Kemba Walker. They still have young Tatum and Brown and Smart and Hayward. Though they lost Horford and Rozier, I think they have some young guys like Carsen Edwards, Grant Williams and Robert Williams off of the bench. All in all, I think the Celtics will continue to be a playoff team and given time they could be real contenders. But they will need a lot from the young guys off the bench. It might take a few years to be that juggernaut once again in the East.

Brooklyn Nets: After getting KD and Kyrie, along with Deandre Jordan, the Nets seem set for the next few years. Even though KD will probably not play next year, the team will look something like Kyrie, Caris Levert, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen and Garrett Temple. Next year when KD is fully healthy and ready to play, this team will be one of the best teams in the East. The only problem I have with this team is that for the year when KD won’t play, Kyrie might have the same problems as when he was in Boston. Kyrie has proven that he cannot create a culture as the leader of the team and fits better as the #2 on any team. But until KD starts playing, that will not be the case.

Charlotte Hornets: They lost their best player in Kemba Walker to the Celtics and now their starting PG will be Terry Rozier, who , IMO, they really overpaid for. They also lost Jeremy Lamb, their 2nd best player, so yeah. They still have Miles Bridges, Nicolas “Overpaid” Batum, Malik Monk and Frank Kaminsky. But they are going to need a few years of rebuilding to get anywhere. So Hornets fans out there, don’t lose hope but it will be a few ugly years of basketball.

Chicago Bulls: They have a young core of Markkanen, Lavine, and Carter Jr and rookie PG Coby White. They also have players like Otto Porter Jr, Kris Dunn, and Daniel Gafford. While this may not be a playoff team, they certainly have the players that can lead them and if Markkanen and Lavine are healthy, they can do it. If they play together for a few years then they can be a exciting team in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers: After drafting Darius Garland in this years draft, they now have the young CJ and Dame combo in the backcourt with Sexton and Garland. They also have Kevin Love, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson and Cedi Osman. Like the Hornets, they don’t have much going for them right now but in a few years of draft picks, trading and experiments they might find something that works.

Dallas Mavericks: Already with the ROTYin Luka, a hurt unicorn (Porzingis) and pieces like Justin Jackson, Maxi Kleber, and Tim Hardaway Jr, the future is bright for the young Mavericks. As the unicorn gets healthy and Luka gets better, the Mavs might have some 30-40 win seasons, early 1st round exits and decent draft picks. Eventually they will become one of the most elite teams in the Western Conference.

Denver Nuggets: Last season, the Nuggets were one of the best teams in the NBA led by Nikola Jokic at center, Jamal Murray at PG and Gary Harris at SG. This was the first season with these players that the Nuggets had made the playoffs, finishing 9th and 10th in years past. They lost in the WC Semis to the Blazers in 7 (haha!!) But the future is very bright as the Warriors have been destroyed, the Nuggets are one of the favorites to contend next year. The Nuggets are obviously in win now mode and they have set themselves up to do so.

Detroit Pistons: Even though they lost in the 1st round last season, the Pistons have a pretty good future. They already have a dynamic duo in Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond, and pieces like Luke Kennard and Reggie Jackson, the future is very bright. After getting Sekou Doumbouya and Jordan Bone in the draft, and also getting D-Rose from free agency, the Pistons have set themselves up for success in the next few years.

Golden State Warriors: After having their 3-peat chances blown this year after losing to the Raptors 4-2 in the NBA Finals, and losing KD and Klay Thompson to injuries along the way is bad. KD even left the Warriors to go to the Nets to play is worse. They did manage to re-sign Klay back, but since he tore his ACL, he will probably not be playing next year. So now they have Draymond Green and Stephen Curry to lead the way. I think Curry will average something crazy like 33+ points for the Warriors, but all for nothing as I do not think that this team can make the playoffs. But if there is anybody in the world who can carry a team, Stephen Curry better be on that list.

Houston Rockets: After losing in the WC Semis, and doing nothing except for re-sign people, the Rockets are exactly the same team is last year, which sucks. Yeah they have the best SG in the league in James Harden, but Chris Paul had one of the worst years of his career, not making the All-Star team and averaging lows in points and FG%. Paul is getting older but his contract is so massive that it would be hard to trade him. This is why I think this drove the Rockets to get Westbrook from the Thunder, because they need a new PG. But with Russell Westbrook, he can pass and score and the responsibilities from Harden. This will an interesting combo, 2 MVP’s who are ball dominate playing together. I think that they will make the playoffs, lower seeds somewhere like 5, 6 or 7.

Indiana Pacers: With Oladipo hurt for the 2nd half of the year, the Pacers were unable to live up to their full potential. Now adding Jeremy Lamb and Malcolm Brogdon, it helps them add scoring guards off the bench. If Oladipo is healthy for most of the year, then the Pacers will have a shot at being real contenders in the Eastern Conference. The future looks to be really bright future for the Pacers as they look to revive their deep playoff runs.

Los Angeles Clippers: Well they were pretty good before free agency and now adding the 2 best two-way players in the league won’t hurt. Although they lost Gallinari and SGA, Clippers fans will be fine. After George and Leonard, they have pieces like Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet and bench pieces like Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. So all around this Clippers team is a two sided sword, with Kawhi, George and the bench duo and on the defensive side you have Kawhi and George to guard the best players on the other side with Beverley pestering everybody in general. I think that this team is the better of the 2 LA teams, for they have a better supporting cast and the best player in the league in Kawhi.

Los Angeles Lakers: After giving away years of tanking in Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart along with some picks, the Lakers got their man, AD from the Pelicans. Instead of doing the stupid thing and signing another big name player and forming a big 3, they got lots of their players back like Javale, KCP, Caruso and Quinn Cook. So, the Lakers will definitely be a playoff team, but can they contend with the top teams in the west.

Memphis Grizzlies: The rebuild really has started as they have got rid of Conley and Gasol. Now with young PG Ja Morant, the future looks bright. They also have guys like Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson Jr. So the Grizzlies may not make the playoffs anytime soon, but they will be an exciting team to watch.

Miami Heat: The Miami Heat are in a very interesting place. They have players like Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Justice Winslow and Dion Waiters. But during this off season they lost some of their best players in Josh Richardson, who was coming off his best season as a pro going to the 76ers and rim protecting center Hassan Whiteside who went to the Blazers. The Heat are a team that can definitely make the playoffs but I think they will be a 5 seed of lower.

Milwaukee Bucks: After losing in the ECF to the Raptors in 6 games, the Bucks had a very busy off season ahead of them. They had Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Brook Lopez, George Hill and Nikola Mirotic in free agency. They managed to re-sign Khris Middleton, the most important piece. Malcom Brogdon was traded to the Pacers where he got a huge deal, 4 years, $85 million dollar. Brook Lopez and George Hill both re-signed with the Bucks and Nikola Mirotic went overseas. Now that the Bucks got most of their pieces back, they are in a prime position to win the East now that it is so wide open. The Bucks and the 76ers are the 2 front runners for now but a few teams could sneak up there. I expect the Bucks to make it at least to the EC semifinals.

Minnesota Timberwolves: After another season of not making the playoffs, the Wolves are desperate. They got Jarrett Culver with the 6th pick in the draft, a guy who should help them on the scoring end. They did lose Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and Dario Saric during this period. Now they have Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, Jeff Teague, Jarrett Culver, Gorgui Dieng and Josh Okogie along with other young players. The top 5 seeds have been all but decided with the Top 5 teams in the west, Denver, Utah, Portland and the 2 LA teams. But the remaining 3 slots could be filled by lots of teams, the Rockets, Kings, Timberwolves, Pelicans and Spurs. The Timberwolves definitely have their best shot to go to the playoffs this year, but we will have to wait and see. They could be a really solid team or they could be a sub-par team once again.

New Orleans Pelicans: The future is great. They gave up their best player in Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart along with the 4th pick. The Pelicans will use these players and they used the 4th pick in a trade to get picks 8, 17 and 35. With those picks they got Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Marcos Louzada Silva who will all probably play. And of course they got Zion with the #1 pick. They also added JJ Reddick and still have veteran Jrue Holiday. So the Pelicans have lots of young talent for the future and veterans to help them out. I think the Pelicans could be a pretty good team 40-50 win teams and make the playoffs, but at the same time it could take them awhile to reach their full potential. But I don’t think Pelicans fans really care and this team should be a really exciting team to watch.

New York Knicks: In typical Knicks fashion, they screwed it up. They had fantasies of getting KD, Kyrie and Zion but they struck out in Free Agency. They managed to get some players like Julius Randle, Wayne Ellington and Taj Gibson among others. They also got RJ Barrett with the 3rd pick in this year’s NBA Draft. They also have pieces like Dennis Smith Jr, Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina. I think the Knicks will have another bad year, but they should not try to tank because they did it this past year to try and get Zion, but that didn’t happen. I think they should play to the best of their abilities and see what happens at the end of the year, but I don’t think that they will make the playoffs.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Now with Russell Westbrook and Paul George gone, the Thunder are now in rebuilding stage. They now have 8 first round pick lined up from now until 2026 and also some pick swaps. They also have an older Chris Paul, SGA and Danilo Gallinari. Steven Adams is also with them. The Thunder will have to use these picks in the future to build there team again. But yeah, they will probably not make the playoffs for a few years.

Orlando Magic: After making the playoffs for the first time in a long time, the Magic are trying to get back to playoffs. They resigned their best player in Nikola Vucevic, and are getting back 6th man Terrence Ross. They also got another wing in Al-Farouq Aminu. They still have Markelle Fultz, Aaron Gordon, Mo Bamba, Evan Fournier and Jonathon Isaac. So their team is pretty much set as they prepare for next season. I think the Magic will have a better season and have better chances now that the whole East is wide open.

Philadelphia 76ers: It’s been a long free agency for the 76ers, getting rid of Jimmy Butler for Josh Richardson, getting Al Horford from the Celtics and re-signing Tobias Harris. Now their team is like Ben Simmons, Al Horford, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Josh Richardson along with TJ McConnell and Jonathon Simmons and Mike Scott. Their team is pretty much set as they emerge as the favorites from the wide open East. I think that they are better off without Butler who has had chemistry problems with every team that he has been on when he has been in the NBA. This will be the 76ers greatest chance to go to the Finals. I imagine that they’ll be a top 4 seed in the East this season.

Phoenix Suns: They screwed up big time. After heading into the draft wanting a PG and they had pick 6. Since Darius Garland was taken the pick before at 5. The obvious choice would be Coby White from UNC. Instead they traded down to pick 11 to take a SF in Cam Johnson who was also from UNC. What the heck. This made no sense. They did get Ricky Rubio, but I would rather have a younger, quicker and more scoring oriented PG in White then an older, pass first PG for the Suns. With White, they could continue their fast pace with Booker and Ayton. But instead they chose the older guy. Typical. Other than these 3 they have Kelly Oubre Jr, Tyler Johnson and Dario Saric along with some younger talent. I think that this team will be like the Kings from this year. Solid throughout the year, but not enough to make the playoffs. But in a few years time it may all come together and the Suns could win their first NBA championship in franchise history.

Portland Trail Blazers: After making to the WCF and getting swept by the Warriors, the Blazers remain serious contenders in the West. Led by Lillard and McCollum, the Blazers have a real shot this year. But during this free agency, they made lots of moves. They lost Enes Kanter, their star from the playoffs, Aminu and Harkless, 2 scrappy wings that will be missed, Myers “overpaid” Leonard, Evan “really overpaid” Turner. They also lost Seth Curry to the Mavericks. They did manage to get Nassir Little from the drat at pick 25, and he will probably get some minutes. They also have 3rd year forward Zach Collins who should see more minutes. They managed to get Rodney Hood back, their likely 6th man or starter. As part of the Evan Turner trade, they got another Hood-type player, a scoring wing in Kent Bazemore who will come off the bench. They also got Hassan Whiteside from the Jimmy Butler trade. Whiteside is an expiring deal and will be starting for the Blazers until Nurkic comes back. I don’t think the Blazers will keep him next year or Kent Bazemore, but they should help out for this year. The Blazers have a chance to be a top 3 in the West once again but they have a realistic chance of leading the West for the first time in a LONG time. But all in all, the Blazers have title hopes on their mind, and they have got a really good shot.

Sacramento Kings: After a pretty successful year, the Kings look to make the playoffs. Led by young Fox and Hield along with Bogdanovic for scoring. They did lose their center in Stein, but they still have Bagley III, and Harry Giles. They also have guys like Harrison Barnes, rookie shooter Kyle Guy, backup PG Corey Joseph, wing Trevor Ariza and Dwayne Dedmon off the bench with a physical presence and veteran mentality to the young Kings. The Kings are one of those teams in the West that could sneak into one of the lower seeds. This would a great time for the Kings to make the playoffs. After a few years of 1st and 2nd round they will get experience and make some deeper runs in the future.

San Antonio Spurs: After competing with the young Nuggets and challenging them to a 7 game series in the first round, where they eventually lost, the Spurs now have a chance to get higher in the west. Still with Derozan and Aldridge, along with young guards Derrick White and Bryn Forbes. They also have Lonnie Walker who was injured last year and Dejounte Murray was also injured. They also have Keldon Johnson and Luka Samanic from the draft. The Spurs have a very solid team and could definitely make the playoffs this year.

Toronto Raptors: After winning the NBA Finals, the Raptors main goal was to retain Kawhi Leonard, the best player in the world. They were unable to keep him and even Danny Green who went to LA Lakers. So now they’re team is still very good, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet. This team will miss those 2 very dearly, but this team can definitely get to the playoffs and win a playoff series.

Utah Jazz: Perhaps the team that added the most. The Jazz was a solid team led by young super-star Donovan Mitchell and complemented by big man Rudy Gobert, passing PG Ricky Rubio, sharpshooters Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, and Joe Ingles and big man Derrick Favors. This team was pretty good. This free agency they lost Ricky Rubio, but added Mike Conley from the Grizzlies. This will add more scoring power and lift some of the pressure from Donovan’s shoulders. They also added wing-man Bojan Bogdanovic. He will serve the same purpose as Joe Ingles, a scoring wing who can create his own shot. All in all, the Jazz have gained the most and are now serious contenders in the Western Conference, and they should expect to be a top 4 seed in the West.

Washington Wizards: Well, without John Wall this team is not the same. Wall will probably not be playing this season either so the Wizards will have to adapt. They lost Tomas Satoransky, but they added Isiah Thomas. They got forward Rui Hachimura from Gonzaga. Really good scorer and defender, should help them out. Beal will once again have to lead the squad. They also have Bobby Portis, CJ Miles and Davis Bertans to come off the bench. Although the year might be rough, this team could make the 7th or 8th seed, with 30-40 wins. In a few years when wall is healthy and they get a couple of good draft picks, they could be ready for a deeper playoff run.

I hope you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment on which teams you think will do really well and which teams will under perform.