The NBA season is nearly over: be it 1, 2, or 3 more games left. With the offseason looming around the corner, we've been looking ahead with our OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series. In each entry, we preview some big decisions and make some recommendations for plans of attack along the way.
Like the NBA, we've officially come to the end of the road and to our final team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
step one: know it will never be All Quiet on the Western Front
The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of fans, but also plenty of people who enjoy watching them struggle (some even run their own sports websites.) It feels like they've been a punching bag for almost a decade now. Even when the team landed a coup and signed LeBron James, there were plenty of skeptics and haters picking at the roster and fanning the flames of front office tension. Even when the team followed that up with a trade for Anthony Davis, there were STILL doubters and haters camped at the gates.
At the end of the day, LeBron James and company only had one way to shut them up: win.
Now, no one can criticize them anymore. Whatever they did to get here -- it worked. LeBron James deserves a huge amount of credit for this presumptive title (no offense, Miami) but there's plenty to go around. Anthony Davis reminded the world that he's a friggin' beast. Frank Vogel did a great job getting the defense to play on a string, especially on the perimeter. The maligned bench with Rajon Rondo, Markieff Morris, and Kyle Kuzma even stepped up in a major way on the road to the Finals.
While the team may be drenched with champagne by the time you read this, they still won't be satisfied. LeBron James went back to Cleveland to win a title. He didn't go to L.A. and recruit Anthony Davis to win a title. He wants to win multiple titles. He may get his 4th ring after this year, which means he'll only be 2 away from catching Michael Jordan. If he can do that, then there won't be any doubt about his GOAT status. And honestly, it's possible. James still looks like a top 5 player (if not 1 overall), and Anthony Davis is in the heart of his prime. With a decent supporting cast around them, they're going to be in title contention for the next two or three years.
However, the Lakers can't get complacent. They deserved this title, but they didn't exactly beat Murderers' Row to get here. In fact, their playoff opponents had the weakest seed value and weakest W-L percentage of any title team since 2000. Next season may be tougher sledding. The L.A. Clippers could be a real threat with better coaching and better rotations. The Milwaukee Bucks could be a real threat with better health. Health permitting, the Brooklyn Nets have the star power and the depth to be a force themselves. It's going to be a dogfight next season. The Lakers still may be the top dogs in that fight, but they're going to have to scrape and claw to get that bone again.
step two: convince your free agents that It's a Wonderful Life
LeBron James is a champion for player empowerment, but that concept is going to put his L.A. Lakers in a precarious position this offseason. Some decisions with be out of their hands. The team has an inordinate amount of player options for next season, with 5 separate players having the right to opt "in" or "out" of their contracts. Let's take a look at each of those one individually.
The most important, of course, will be Anthony Davis. He has the choice whether to opt in to his $28.7M salary. It's weird to say, but $28.7M is a bargain. Davis is a 27-year-old superstar. He deserves the new max and then some. From the Lakers' perspective, the only question will be timing the extension in the best interest of Davis and the team as a whole. If they wait until next offseason to give him a full max, they may have some more wiggle room in salary to bring in extra free agents (in Offseason 2021, not Offseason 2020.) Perhaps they can convince AD to wait until then to accrue more years. At the same time, uncertainty isn't their friend. If the Lakers disappoint next season and LeBron James hits a wall (unlikely, but theoretically possible) then perhaps Davis doesn't want to stay tethered to this older roster for the long haul. Perhaps his relationship with James -- great now -- bleeds into resentment over time. Who the heck knows. Superstar pairings don't always end with "happily ever after." Even that remote concern would make me push for a max extension for AD ASAP.
The second most important player option will be Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. When the Lakers first signed them, it raised some eyebrows and potential tampering conspiracy theories. These days, his $8.5M player option looks like a good value. KCP shot well this year and played hard on defense. Effectively, he looked like the player that Danny Green was supposed to be. Your hope here is that the Lakers have built enough goodwill with KCP and his representatives to make this a friendly negotiation. Whether that means he opts in, or whether that means he signs a long-term deal, it's a relationship that needs to continue.
step three: but convince others to ride off like Shane
Conversely, there are a few player options that the team may try to talk players out of taking. Avery Bradley missed the bubble for personal reasons, but the Lakers' backcourt did just fine without him. At this stage in their careers, Alex Caruso is probably better at the 3+D guard role. Still, it's going to be up to Bradley whether to return or not. He can opt in to his $5.0M player option. The value is OK in the broadest sense, but perhaps the Lakers are rooting for him to test the market elsewhere. The Lakers should take a hard line here and not offer him extra years; if Bradley leaves to chase a long-term deal, so be it. If he opts in, he may be used as a potential trade chip.
Meanwhile, JaVale McGee has a $4.2M player option himself. McGee started 68/68 games in the regular season, but he didn't always look like their best option in the playoffs. As he ages (now 32), he'll continue to struggle with certain matchups. I don't think McGee can match that $4M anywhere else, so trying to convince him to opt out may be a losing proposition. Again, if McGee opts in, then the Lakers need to consider utilizing his salary as a potential trade piece.
Some of those decisions -- whether they want to keep Avery Bradley and JaVale McGee -- may hinge on some other free agents on the team. Backup PG Rajon Rondo has his own player option of $2.7M. All season long, I'd been talking about Rondo as a potential liability for the team. Instead, he justified some of that "Playoff Rondo" talk. Between Rondo and Caruso, you'd prefer Caruso getting extended minutes. Between Rondo and Bradley, it's more of a debate. Rondo deserves more than $2.7M, so I expect him to opt out. Presumably, he appreciates the role and limelight here in L.A. and wouldn't play hardball. If he's amenable to a short-term, reasonable deal, then you'd want to keep him in house. If his playoff hype spirals into outsized offers (anything over $6M or so) then you should thank him for his service and wish him well.
The Lakers should treat backup C Dwight Howard (an unrestricted free agent) in a similar way. Now 34, he's become a role player. Moreover, his role -- as the more traditional center -- is no longer a valuable one either. Still, he's pretty good at that role -- arguably better than JaVale McGee. The team shouldn't over-invest in this one-two punch though. If Howard wants to re-sign for a bargain basement deal, great. If he expects a mid-sized contract or an extra year, then he may be on the move again. For both Rondo and Howard, I'd stand firm on 1 year deals. However, the team can potentially add in "team option" years on top of that. The purpose would be less to entice them into staying and more to make them potential trade chips (in terms of salary matching) later on down the road.
The Lakers will have more free agents to discuss. Markieff Morris is an interesting one; he looked like a shell of himself after some injuries, but he showed signs of life in the postseason. If that's legit, then he could potentially be a good rotational player for the team (when they go "small" with AD at the 5.) The verdict from team doctors will be crucial to determining his value. Alternatively, vets like J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters don't appear to have any value at all. Fortunately, they don't have player options either.
step four: solve the mystery of The Third Man
All season long, we heard that the Lakers would need a third star to emerge if they were going to win the title. Kyle Kuzma never got there, but it didn't matter. Perhaps we've just defaulted into a more familiar era of the NBA. Shaq and Kobe won without another "star." Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won without another "star" (Dennis Rodman was more of an ultra role player.) With Kevin Durant removed from Golden State, perhaps the bar has been lowered back to reasonable heights for NBA title teams.
Still, the Lakers need to figure out who Kyle Kuzma is, and what his role should be. He averaged 16-6 as a rookie, but showed some signs of a "good stats / bad team" kind of player. That fear hasn't gone away. Since then, Kuzma's shot 30% and 32% from three over the following two years, and played poor defense overall. ESPN real plus/minus metric graded him as a -0.4 and -0.7 defensive impact, while box plus/minus had him at -1.2 and -1.0. That same BPM metric graded him below replacement level overall (-0.2 VORP).
Kuzma has played OK in these playoffs, but he hasn't had a major role. In fact, his minutes per game is down to 23.2 in the postseason so far, with 0 starts drawn. It's clear that Frank Vogel and the team don't believe he's the 3rd best player on the team. He may not even be the 4th or 5th best player.
You may ask: who cares? Kuzma isn't a world beater, but the Lakers beat the world anyway. Still, it's an important question hanging over their heads. Kuzma is under contract for one more year, and then will enter restricted free agency (at a time when they will be a lot of cap space out there.) Based on name value, he's going to get a decent contract.
If the Lakers don't believe he's worth decent money, it may be time to trade him now. (Realistically, the time to trade him was last offseason, but what can ya do.) Kuzma's $3.5M salary is easy to move, and the team can attach other contracts like McGee, Bradley, and Quinn Cook ($3M) to match a deal anywhere from the $3M-$15M range if need be.
What can the Lakers get for Kuzma on the open market? It's hard to tell. He's a polarizing name, so it may depend on whether their trade partner reads reddit or not. I'd call up Detroit and ask about Luke Kennard. If Houston's blowing it up, I'd ask about Robert Covington. If Minnesota's locked into Anthony Edwards at # 1, maybe they'd be open to trading Malik Beasley in a sign and trade. If you want to play dirty, you can tell Portland that Gary Trent Jr. (newest client of Klutch) is going to sign with the Lakers next season no matter what, so they may as well recoup something for him now. Fair? Ethical? Ehh. But hey, it's proven to be effective before.
step five: encourage others to hunt for the Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Lakers don't have much cap space this offseason, but that's not a major problem. They're not going to have to list job openings on monster.com -- available players are going to flock to them. The most obvious reason to join the Lakers would be to chase rings. However, it goes deeper than that. There's not a lot of teams with cap space this offseason, but there are plenty with space next season.
If you're a free agent who's not getting a lot of attention, there's one great way to get attention: play with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. You can inflate your stock for next offseason, when hopefully you cash in.
If I ran the Lakers, my first call would be to a veteran like Darren Collison. Collison took the season off to pursue his faith, but reportedly he may return next year. If so, he'd be a dream fit for this Lakers' rotation. Collison can run the point when LeBron James rests, but he can also serve as a complementary spacer. The former UCLA standout has become a very reliable shooter -- hitting over 40% from deep in his last four seasons. He's undersized and sometimes outmatched on D, but the team has Alex Caruso ready to match up with bigger guards. Collison's skill set would merit $10+ million in a good market, but perhaps NBA teams are going to want to see him "prove it" after his extended absence. If that's the case, the Lakers can thank their lucky stars and Jehovah for delivering him into their laps.
Other veterans who may be drawn to the Lakers like a moth to the flame would include: the underrated E'Twaun Moore (NO) and likable vet Courtney Lee (DAL). Moe Harkless (NYK) could probably get more elsewhere, but he may decide to bet on himself and inflate his price for next season.
Since Anthony Davis still prefers playing PF, depth at center will be more important for the Lakers than other teams. As mentioned, JaVale McGee will probably be back (barring a trade) and Dwight Howard may be as well. If not, the team could try to recruit a player who wants to boost their stock. Nerlens Noel (OKC) could benefit from the spotlight like that; better yet, his agent happens to be some dude named Rich Paul.
Overall, the Lakers need to keep pushing and trying to improve, be it through free agency, through trades, or through the draft (where they have the # 28 pick.) This team may have been good enough to win the title, but as mentioned, one title isn't going to satisfy this star, this team, and this fan base. Hollywood's all about excess, and the goal will be to overindulge over the next few years.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

Undertaking a fairly large project here. The aim is to give each team a plausible trade, signing, and draft pick over the 2020 NBA offseason in order to boost each team's prospects in the upcoming 2020-2021 season. While I can't promise they all will be, I'll try and keep the trades as player-specific, rather than something like "Knicks trading up to draft Ball" or something like that.
I will also try (no promises) to do the trade in conjunction with one another. So it would ideally be proposed as 3-moves to make together, not 3 separate moves to make. Again, no promises, and I'll clarify if I'm suggest one as an alternative, but that will be the aim if I can find a pattern I like.
Also, some players listed in free agency signings do have player options, so we'll treat them all as possibilities to a certain degree. And also, just because your team's player is listed as a trade move for one team doesn't mean they are moving them, just that there either have been rumors they'd be available, or simply that the listed team would be interested in acquiring them.

Atlanta Hawks

Draft Pick: G/F Isaac Okoro, Auburn
With plenty of promising scorers, the Hawks should target Okoro to add to their defensive capacity on the wing. Okoro is a very selfless player, and would fit well into a lineup with Trae Young, John Collins and Clint Capela, amongst other promising young players. While ultimately, the Hawks may actually be best suited packaging this pick in a trade, if they stick at #6 overall, Okoro sure would be a good addition for Atlanta.
Signing: F JaMychal Green, Los Angeles Clippers
The Hawks have a few players who can fill minutes behind John Collins at the 4, such as De'Andre Hunter. But adding a clear backup for Collins would round the depth a bit cleaner. Insert JaMychal Green, a quality shooter (39% last season), who still be able to keep the post clear for Clint Capela, will giving Atlanta an excellent depth addition should he decline his player option in LAC and seek out a new opportunity.
Trade: G Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Oladipo would be interesting backcourt partner with Trae Young. In addition to being a high-caliber defender, Oladipo also has the ability to handle the ball when Young isn't on the court. While Indiana risks losing Oladipo down the road for nothing, shipping him off to the rising Hawks, who will be angling for a playoff run next season. Oladipo could be a big piece of that run, and perhaps even help them contend for more if returns to his All-Star form.

Boston Celtics

Draft Pick: F Patrick Williams, Florida State
The Celtics have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, and selecting back at #13 overall means they'll really just be able to target the best player available. If Patrick Williams is available at 13 however, he should definitely be considered, as his versatility would help continue loading up the Celtics bench. And with Williams being a bit raw offensively, the Celtics can afford to take a chance on his upside and develop him under Brad Stevens further.
Signing: F Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets
A 6'6 sharpshooter, Harris would be a fun add to the Celtics rotation. It may take some small moves to create the space for him, but adding the career 3-point marksman would fit in well with the versatile athletes around him like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and help the second unit stretch the floor when he comes off the bench.
Trade: C Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Turner seems like he has been connected to the Celtics for a little while now, and it makes plenty of sense. The Pacers will likely be looking for players who fit better around Domantas Sabonis, and that could give an opportunity for the Celtics to move for Turner. Turner would fit well in the Celtics lineup at the center position, where right now the Celtics have some quality role players, but no star. By adding Turner, the Celtics would have one of the best all-around starting 5's in the entire league (Kemba-Smart-Brown-Tatum-Turner).

Brooklyn Nets

Draft Pick: G Josh Green, Arizona
Finding players who can work alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will be key, and Green's defense and off-ball ability make him well suited to this role. Picking #19 overall will make it difficult to add an instant impact rotation, but Green would have a good chance to find minutes with his skill set.
Signing: C Aron Baynes, Phoenix Suns
Should the Nets see themselves dishing out C Jarrett Allen in a blockbuster trade for a third star (see below), then a backup center becomes a big priority for the Nets. The solution here is Baynes, a hard-working center who had a career season shooting the ball. He'd fit nicely behind DeAndre Jordan.
Trade: G Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
If Beal is available, the Nets should be keen to add him to the mix. Able to offer the most enticing players to any blockbuster package (Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen), the Nets could find their third star to pair with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant when the two return next season. Adding Beal to the mix would immediately vault the Nets all the way to Finals contenders, if the return of Durant and Irving themselves don't already accomplish that.

Chicago Bulls

Draft Pick: PG LaMelo Ball, Australia
If he's on the board at the #4 overall pick, the Bulls should be keen on bringing LaMelo in to the Windy City. Perhaps the Draft's best playmaker, he could fit well with scoring guards like Coby White and Zach LaVine, while operating a dangerous pick and pop with big guys like Markkanen. With the size and athleticism to match up well defensively, LaMelo's playmaking ability would help turn the Bulls into a legitimate playoff threat in 2020-2021. If LaMelo is off the board, the Bulls could go in several direction, perhaps even trading the pick if they find a suitable offer.
Signing: C Meyers Leonard, Portland Trail Blazers
The Bulls could use some depth in the frontcourt, and Leonard's range and 3-point ability make him a great player to add into a rotation that ranked in the bottom third of the league in their percentage from deep, and could potentially lose F Otto Porter if he opts out, one of their better marksmen. The question will likely be centered on how much money Leonard is aiming for, but if the numbers work, Leonard should be a serious target for Chicago.
Trade: C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid may or may not be available, there have been reports going both ways. But if the former Jayhawk is on the block after the 76ers quick exit from the playoffs, then Chicago should be very interested in acquiring him, even if means shipping out Wendell Carter and some other assets. With Markkanen capable of spacing the floor (34.5% shooter from deep), an Embiid addition would give Chicago two versatile bigs, given Embiid's proficiency from deep as well (34.8%). But most importantly, he'd be a scoring machine that would be the focal point of a fun, versatile Bulls roster that could push into playoff contention quickly with him leading the way.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Draft Pick: F Obi Toppin, Dayton
With it almost assured that neither LaMelo Ball nor Anthony Edwards reaches Cleveland at #5, their hope should be in Toppin making his way past the Hornets and Bulls. A dynamic forward who excels in multiple facets of the game, he'd represent the best player available at this point in the draft, and an ideal addition for a talent-needy Cavaliers team. Whether replacing Kevin Love, or playing alongside him in looks, Toppin should stay in Ohio if at all possible.
Signing: F Derrick Jones Jr., Miami Heat
The Heat need cap space for upcoming extensions, so it's likely that Jones Jr, a versatile role player, will hit free agency. Cleveland is already reportedly interested, and it makes sense why. Providing quality defense on the wing, he's 23 years old, which fits Cleveland's rebuilding timeline, and should have time to round out and improve his offensive game (8.5 ppg, 28% from 3). The name of the game for the Cavs is to acquire talent, and Jones Jr. provides them with an intriguing piece with room to grow.
Trade: Moving Kevin Love for Assets
After landing a dynamic replacement for him, the Cavaliers are a team that doesn't necessarily have a specific player to target, but rather figure out what they could get for someone like Love, who shot 37% from deep last year. His salary could be problematic here, but even adding second round selections has proven useful for Cleveland (Kevin Porter Jr.).

Dallas Mavericks

Draft Pick: G Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Maxey may not be a lethal shooter by any means, but his defense should make him a desired player for a Mavericks team that could use a defensive stopper to pair with Luka Doncic down the role. Maxey brings athleticism, ability to finish at the rim, and a decent mid-range game to the table, which should be enough, along with his defense, to make a desirable player for Mark Cuban's Mavericks.
Signing: SF Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings
Limited to what they can make happen with the Mid Level Exception or in a sign-and-trade, the Mavericks should get creative and add Bogdan Bogdanovic to the roster. The 27-year old wing would fit right at home with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, a high caliber shooter, especially on catch and shoot situations. If Sacramento doesn't believe they can fit Bogdanovic in with upcoming deals for Fox and Bagley, along with Hield potentially, landing some assets in a sign-and-trade would make sense. If no sign-and-trade, perhaps a 3&D wing like James Ennis (Orlando) could be an easier fit financially.
Trade: PF Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Whether Kristaps Porzingis fills more time at the four or the five, finding a way to pair him and Gordon together in a frontcourt would be fun to watch. Gordon's resurgence for the Magic this past season was a large reason they managed to make it into the playoffs. His defensive versatility and 3-point ability would make him an ideal third star to pair with Luka and Kristaps.

Denver Nuggets

Draft Pick: F Jaden McDaniels, Washington
The Nuggets were patient in bringing along Michael Porter Jr., who has stepped up big time during the Bubble. And with several Nuggets wings likely to depart in free agency (Millsap, Torrey Craig), adding a high potential piece like McDaniels to develop and even rotate in behind Grant and Porter Jr. would give Denver the opportunity to take a chance on someone like McDaniels.
Signing: C Thon Maker, Detroit Pistons
If Plumlee is in fact priced out of a return to Denver, finding a suitable replacement at center will be important. While Bol Bol could claim that spot, it's not a certainty, and thus, adding a three-level scorer at the 5 would be a wise insurance policy for the Nuggets.
Trade: G Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans
A high caliber veteran on a rebuilding roster, Holiday could be a great partner to pair with Jamal Murray in the backcourt. Less costly than someone like Bradley Beal, Holiday would be a much more realistic third star to bring in. A lineup with Holiday-Murray-Porter Jr.-Nokic and whoever else you want in that fifth spot seems deadly. With Gary Harris and plenty of other assets available, the Nuggets could offer an intriguing package for Holiday.

Detroit Pistons

Draft Pick: G/F Devin Vassell, Florida State
This may break from the mock drafts a bit, which usually have the Pistons adding a point guard. However, Vassell could be an interesting piece for Detroit to select, especially considering that the top point guard in the draft (LaMelo Ball) will not likely be available for Detroit at #7 overall. Instead, Detroit adds a long 3&D piece that could fit nicely in between Luke Kennard and Sekou Doumbouya long-term. And as for a point guard. . .
Signing: PG Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
Reuniting Dwane Casey and VanVleet seems like an ideal pairing, especially the major need Detroit has at point guard. With Blake Griffin still a high caliber player when healthy, adding a win-now veteran like VanVleet could perhaps boost Detroit all the way to the playoffs next season if Griffin is playing. And at 26-years old, he's both an instant impact veteran as well as a possible long-term solution at the position.
Trade: C Mo Bamba, Orlando Magic
The Pistons may have found themself something with C Christian Wood, who emerged as a quality option for them in the wake of the Drummond trade. However, Wood's emergence was a very small sample size, raising some questions over how much stock Detroit would put into it. Acquiring Bamba would give them another starting caliber option, who has proven himself as a decent player off the bench behind Vucevic if Wood does manage to build on his promising play.

Golden State Warriors:

Draft Pick: C James Wiseman, Memphis (kinda)
Should the Warriors not move this pick, Wiseman makes more sense than LaMelo Ball in terms of fit and need. Though both have questions of maturity and consistency, Wiseman's size and length would offer the Warriors a weapon they haven't really had alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. If Wiseman can fit in the frontcourt with forward Draymond Green, and Golden State makes the pick, it should be Wiseman.
Signing: PG D.J. Augustin, Orland Magic
At 32-years old, Augustin likely won't command more than any of the exceptions that Golden State would be able to muster up. However, he still can make an impact, running the Warriors second unit when Curry and Thompson (both returning from injury) need a breather. A quality shooter as well (35%), Augustin to the Warriors makes plenty of sense as they attempt to return to their place at the top of the Western Conference.
Trade: PF John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
While the Warriors seem to be another team interested in acquiring All-Star G Bradley Beal, perhaps a move for John Collins would be more feasible. The beauty for Golden State is that they would likely be able to orchestrate this trade more along the lines of a pick swap than an outright deal using their #2 selection. If the Hawks are interested in pairing Trae Young and perhaps LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards, this could the way to get there. Collins' 3-point shooting and athleticism would make him a quality fit in Golden State.

Houston Rockets

Draft Pick: - - - No Selection in Upcoming Draft - - -
The Rockets could always try buying a second round pick to add someone like C Nick Richards (Kentucky) or F Paul Eboua (Italy), but for now, they do not possess a pick.
Signing: C DeMarcus Cousins, Los Angeles Lakers
The Rockets have found success operating without a center, but should look to find a big man or two who fits alongside Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Cousins' season was derailed by injuries, but his ability to stretch the floor as well as battle big men like Davis or Jokic in the West make him an appealing option for the Rockets.
Trade: F/C Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
Likely dependent on whether or not they made the signing above, the Rockets could also choose to trade for a big man to help stretch the floor. A decorated veteran, Love has plenty of experience playing with ball-handling stars, and so long as he continues to shoot a good clip from deep and rebound the ball, he'd be an invaluable piece for Houston as they attempt to win a title.

Indiana Pacers

Draft Pick: F Killian Tillie, Gonzaga
The Pacers do not posses a first round pick this year, so finding a useful rotational piece at #44 overall will be the challenge here. For the Pacers, finding a clean backup for Sabonis would be a welcome add. Tillie is a floor-stretcher at the four, hitting over 40% from deep every season at Gonzaga. Mixing him into the second unit with Doug McDermott on the wing and Gaga Bitadze at center should give the Pacers the depth they need to make a run.
Signing: G/F Kent Bazemore, Sacramento Kings
Should the Pacers decide to move Victor Oladipo before he departs in 2021 free agency, then adding a wing like Bazemore should help fill in the depth after Jeremy Lamb steps into Oladipo's spot. Bazemore saw his 3-point percentage climb after moving to Sacramento (38%), and if he's able to continue hitting at a quality rate like that, he'd be a valuable two-way wing that would be helpful for a hopeful contender like the Pacers.
Trade: G Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
The Pacers have several very intriguing pieces that they could potentially move, notably G Victor Oladipo and C Myles Turner. Should they move Oladipo, perhaps using him as the centerpiece to a Bradley Beal piece would give Indiana a shot at the player who would most likely elevate their team beyond first-round playoff exits. Swapping Oladipo for Beal should be discussed if the Wizards find themselves willing to move Beal.

Los Angeles Clippers

Draft Pick: F/C Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State
If JaMychal Green departs, finding another power forward would make sense for the Clippers to look for. Picking so late in the draft, #57 overall, limits their options in terms of finding an immediate contributor. Rather, targeting someone more developed like Wesson would be their best bet of finding a contributor, though they could easily opt for someone with more raw potential. Either way, Wesson's 3-point ability makes him an interesting option to develop into a rotational piece.
Signing: F/C Marvin Williams, Milwaukee Bucks
While the most likely signings for the Clippers will revolve around internal free agents, notably Marcus Morris and Montrezl Harrell, they still will have a bit of room for a smaller addition like Williams. If Harrell does depart, the Clippers could use another big to add to the rotation, and Marvin Williams would be a quality small ball center option for any teams looking to contend for a title, like the Clippers.
Trade: G J.J. Redick, New Orleans Pelicans
The Clippers have a very deep roster already, but Redick is exactly what you'd want to bring in to bolster your chances of winning it all. An elite, established marksmen, his shooting off the bench would be a big plus, and the defensive-minded Clippers already can compensate for him on that end of the floor. If they can make the money work, reuniting Redick and LAC would make sense as they chase a title.

Los Angeles Lakers

Draft Pick: G/F Desmond Bane, TCU
Picking at #28 overall, the Lakers would be wise to target Bane here, as his crazy 3-point rate (43%) would make him an energizing option off of the bench. The Lakers have a handful of wings as well on expiring deals, and should they lose someone like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, bringing in Bane to boost their mediocre 3-point numbers could help LeBron win another title.
Signing: C Bismack Biyombo, Charlotte Hornets
The Lakers have had DeMarcus Cousins, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard all on the roster in 2019-2020. McGee has an option for 2021, so the Lakers could see some turnover at the center position if any of the aforementioned don't want to run it back with LeBron and AD. If they need a new center, Biyombo's defensive chops would make him a good fit as a backup or rotational center to help the Lakers win a title.
Trade: PG Derrick Rose, Detroit Pistons
Ensuring that the Lakers can generate offense with their stars getting a breather is crucial for any contender. Derrick Rose may no longer be the star he was, but he's still a valuable piece off the bench, and would fit quite well leading the Lakers second unit, should Rajon Rondo decline his player option.

Miami Heat

Draft Pick: C Jalen Smith, Maryland
The Heat have found tons of success with Bam Adebayo at the five, but for a team as deep as Miami, bringing in a high potential big man like Jalen Smith could give them a fun piece to develop. A quality three point shooter already, ironing out his defensive inconsistencies would give the Heat a quality contributor with the #20 overall pick.
Signing: F Dario Saric, Phoenix Suns
With Adebayo more of a playmaking Energizer Bunny, bringing in another big who can play alongside Adebayo, or relieve him, would be wise. The Heat will likely focus on bringing back players from their current roster, which would likely take them out of the running for Danilo Gallinari, for example. Instead, Saric could provide the same style of play at a more affordable cost. And that's important because....
Trade: Nothing Big...for now
Miami has a claim to one of the deepest rosters in the league. Their system works and they have the financial flexibility and assets to go big game hunting. With a poor free agency market this year though, the Heat should hold tight for another season and take a shot at a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and then pair him (or whoever) with one of the stacked free agents on the docket (Kawhi, LeBron, Beal, Gobert, Paul, etc). Adding DeMar DeRozan right now may be tempting, but don't do it, hold tight...for now.

Milwaukee Bucks

Draft Pick: PG Devon Dotson, Kansas
With multiple guards on expiring contracts, the Bucks should aim for a guard capable of providing them minutes in the Draft. An absolute blur, Dotson is one of the most physically impressive prospects in the Draft, though he'll need to work on deep range shooting before pairing up with Giannis. For now, he'd be a fun piece to add off the bench, able to push the ball in transition opportunities.
Signing: F Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets
With a physical freak like Giannis leading the charge, surrounding him with shooters is the best course of action, and Harris shoots incredibly well. The Bucks may need to get create to afford Harris, but if they can make the money work, they likely won't find anyone as impactful as Harris in their pursuit of an NBA title.
Trade: F Nemanja Bjelica, Sacramento Kings
Bjelica had a quality season for the Kings, and while they'd likely want to hang onto him, the Bucks should consider making a call and working something. A 6'10 big with fantastic floor stretching ability (42% from 3), he'd represent a significant upgrade from the older Ersan Ilyasova. All about adding shooters, and even relative upgrades should be considered if the Bucks can afford it.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Draft Pick: SG Anthony Edwards, Georgia
This is a fairly easy one, as the Timberwolves hold the top pick and will have their choice of player here. The most likely, and most logical, is Edwards, who would pair with D'Angelo Russell in a high upside backcourt in Minnesota. While not an elite shooter, Edwards finds plenty of ways to score, and should continue to do so in the NBA, as Russell and Karl Anthony Towns take up the most attention from opponents.
Signing: F/C Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers
The Timberwolves could give themselves a defensive boost by bringing in Harrell, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. Whether playing the four or five, Harrell would give the Timberwolves a high intensity option that can play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns or relieving him when he's off the floor.
Trade: G/F Josh Richardson, Philadelphia 76ers
If the 76ers do enter a fire-sale, the Timberwolves should put in a call for two-way wing Josh Richardson. Still only 26-years old, Richardson has plenty of upside for a relatively young team like the Timberwolves. Adding him to the mix would give them another capable weapon around their stars.

New Orleans Pelicans

Draft Pick: F Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt
A 3-point marksman to fill in on the wings would be the exactly the type of player to put around a playmaker like Zion Williamson. Nesmith's large wingspan (6'10) would be an asset as he develops into a top two-way wing, and doing so in New Orleans would be an excellent move for the Pelicans to pursue with the #13 overall selection.
Signing: PG Austin Rivers, Houston Rockets
If the Pelicans look to accumulate assets by moving Lonzo Ball or Jrue Holiday, than bringing a quality shooting point guard makes a lot of sense. Rivers shot 36% on 4 attempts per game in Houston, and showed the ability to play with more ball-dominant players in Russell Westbrook and James Harden, which would suit him well in a lineup featuring Zion Williamson. And at 28 years old, Rivers still has plenty of good years left in him as the Pelicans work towards contending status.
Trade: Whatever Assets They Can Get From Redick or Holiday
The Pelicans don't bring a specific target to mind, but rather as a team who should aim to accumulate assets. Gathering picks or promising young players would position them well to make a move for a bigger superstar down the road, one who, paired with Zion Williamson, would propel them into championship contention. And with both Redick and Jrue Holiday in town, the Pelicans have some intriguing pieces to dangle for teams looking to win now.

New York Knicks

Draft Pick: PG Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
Unless the Knicks trade up to acquire PG LaMelo Ball (which they are reportedly looking at), the Knicks should feel comfortable picking the best guard on the board at #8 overall, as there are several quality options. Haliburton, however, is the ideal target here, as he's a high IQ player with a good 3-point shot and excellent defense, he would fit Thibodeau's style pretty well, and presents less of a risk than Cole Anthony or Killian Hayes for example.
Signing: F Danilo Gallinari, Oklahoma City Thunder
With Mitchell Robinson not a shooting threat in the slightest, the Knicks should target someone who can stretch the floor from the four position. The best name available there is OKC's Danilo Gallinari, who nearly went to the Heat, but now is a free agent. Whoever the Knicks end up with at point guard will be well-aided by the floor stretching capacity of Gallinari, a 40% shooter the past two seasons.
Trade: PG Chris Paul, Oklahoma City Thunder
Another name out of OKC, the Knicks should feel no issues drafting a point guard and trading for Chris Paul. First and foremost, the Knicks need to rebuild a winning culture, and bringing in Paul and Tom Thibodeau are good first steps towards that end. Likewise, even if the Knicks do select a point guard in the draft, Paul has shown himself quite adept at sharing the floor with other ball-handlers, like he did in Houston with James Harden, and as he did this past year in OKC with Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Dennis Schroeder. A great leader, player and mentor, Paul would help the Knicks build the right environment to end their playoff drought.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Draft Pick: C Isaiah Stewart, Washington
If the Thunder move Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari walks, they could be in for a rebuild. Stewart may be raw and underdeveloped offensively, but at 19-years old, he has time to develop his offensive game. Meanwhile, his wingspan, strength and motor give him major upside as a defensive stopper in the post. With Nerlens Noel potentially departing OKC, there could even be minutes for Stewart to step into as a rookie and get his feet wet.
Signing: F Otto Porter, Chicago Bulls
The Thunder could possibly be losing their best shooter (Gallinari) and their best defender (Roberson). Finding someone who can provide a little bit of both could work for them, with Porter shooting 38% last year in Chicago. An easy fit in between OKC's high powered guard duo and center Steven Adams, Porter could serve as either a reinforcement for another playoff run, or a piece with some long-term upside.
Trade: F Nemanja Bjelica, Sacramento Kings
If the Thunder aren't able to retain Danilo Gallinari, perhaps bringing in Bjelica could give them a similar styled replacement. As mentioned already, Bjelica is a floor stretching forward (42% clip) that would put another dangerous shooter around Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous Alexander.

Orlando Magic

Draft Pick: G Theo Maledon, France
The Magic need someone to boost their struggling offense, and Maledon's craftiness as a ball-handler and off-ball shooting ability (37% from deep) should peak the Magic's interest. While Markelle Fultz has rebuilt himself into a potential long-term point guard, Maledon should seamlessly fit in next to him, and even provide minutes backing him up when Fultz heads to the bench.
Signing: G Wesley Matthews, Milwaukee Bucks
If Evan Fournier opts in, the Magic won't have the money to add bigger names, but Matthews would fit in well after finding a role as a rotational two-way guard. And even if the Magic do see Fournier depart elsewhere, Matthews' veteran experience could help their young core figure things out.
Trade: G/F Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets
If the Nets have interest in bringing in Aaron Gordon to add to the Irving-Durant duo, the Magic should be intent on getting Caris LeVert shipped to them as part of the deal. Only 26 years old, Levert averaged 19 points per game while fueling a KD-less Nets team to the playoffs. A young core of Fultz, Levert, Isaac, and Bamba is a group that you can build around.

Philadelphia 76ers

Draft Pick: G Cassius Stanley, Duke
The 76ers could use guards and shooting, and with limited financial flexibility, may need to find it in the NBA Draft. Thus, Stanley to Philly, where his elite athleticism and quality range (36%), would be a welcome addition to the 76ers. If he's still on the board at #21 overall, Stanley would make plenty of sense for the 76ers.
Signing: PG Goran Dragic, Miami Heat
The 76ers management has said they intend to keep Simmons and Embiid together, but if they don't keep that intention, bringing in Dragic to run the offense could be the move to make. Still productive for the Heat at 33-years old, Dragic would likely pair with Embiid better than Simmons did, as indicated by his shooting ability (37%).
Trade: PG Chris Paul, Oklahoma City Thunder
Breaking the mold here, should the 76ers decide to move Simmons, but not bring in Dragic, perhaps a bigger move would solve the question better. While the Knicks are the one most often linked to a move for Paul, the 76ers may want to consider adding the veteran PG to the mix, especially if they decide to breakup the Simmons-Embiid duo, and ship Ben Simmons out. Paul's veteran experience and versatile game should make him a much better sidekick for Embiid than Simmons managed to be.

Phoenix Suns

Draft Pick: PG Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama
The Suns needs someone in the backcourt, preferably someone who can work with Devin Booker, and run the offense when he's off the floor. That someone could be Lewis Jr., who averaged 19 points per game at Alabama and was able to knock down over 36% of his threes over two seasons. Finding a quality playmaker to carry the load could give them the breakthrough they need.
Sigining: F Moe Harkless, Los Angeles Clippers
Current starting wing Mikal Bridges was a solid compliment to Booker and Ayton this past season, but adding some more depth, especially a defensive geared piece, would give the Suns some switchy wings who can help them slow opponents down in the playoffs next year. Harkless will be a fairly cheap way of doing so.
Trade: F Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
Putting Markkanen in an offense led by Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton could give him the space he needs to regain some of the production he had earlier in Chicago. Able to shoot off the pick-and-pop, Markkanen won't need to crowd in on Ayton to be an effective piece to the Suns offense.

Portland Trail Blazers

Draft Pick: F Saddiq Bey, Villanova
With two picks in the first round (16 and 29), the Blazers will have the flexibility to fill multiple needs with the most talented players on the board. For that first selection, Bey would be a quality addition, giving the Blazers wing defense and reliable shooting. A second team unit featuring Trent, Little and Bey would be very versatile. Then, with that second first rounder, targeting a big man like Jalen Smith would be a quality Draft for the Blazers.
Signing: C Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets
With Hassan Whiteside hitting free agency, it's likely the Blazers could find themselves in need of a backup center if Whiteside is unwilling to accept a role as a backup. Thus, Mason Plumlee could be an option, as a veteran big with a quality motor who has been a serviceable option for Denver. Plumlee may not fill up the stat sheet, but in Game 6 of the Playoffs, made a direct impact for Denver with a handful of offensive rebounds and high energy. That kind of team player who work well for the Blazers rotation.
Trade: PG Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs.
The Blazers have a quality starting lineup with Lillard-McCollum-Ariza-Collins/Melo-Nurkic. What they still could use is a backup point guard to help generate some points when Lillard takes a breather. Perhaps swinging a deal to bring in Patty Mills to an actual contender would be a good match. Mills currently backups Dejounte Murray in San Antonio, but his quality production and veteran leadership could be a boost for the Blazers.

Sacramento Kings

Draft Pick: G/F Devin Vassell, Florida State
With De'Aaron Fox running the point, the Kings need to surround him with shooters like Vassell. A 6'10 wingspan and 42% clip from deep, Vassell would be an ideal fit on the wing, and could help the Kings make the push into the playoffs by bolstering their offense and defense.
Signing: F Jerami Grant, Denver Nuggets
If Grant opts out of his deal in Denver, he'd give the Kings a two-way option at the 3 or 4, an excellent depth addition to add in rotation with Jabari Parker, Bjelica, and Harrison Barnes. And of course, important to note when playing with De'Aaron Fox, Grant has a quality shot from deep, hitting 39% for the Nuggets this season.
Trade: F Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers
If the Kings are moving G Buddy Hield, then perhaps he could interest the Lakers, who would likely want to acquire a more high profile guard to compliment LeBron and Davis. Thus, a move for Kuzma could be in play, as he'd give the Kings a versatile wing to pair with Harrison Barnes. Kuzma would also compromise a promising young trio along with De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III.

San Antonio Spurs

Draft Pick: F Deni Avdija, Israel
If there's any team that should be angling to move up should Avdija slide, the Spurs would likely be one of them. An excellent distributing big wing, capable of giving the Spurs minutes at the 4, Avdija seems like a tailor made fit for a Gregg Popovich offensive system. Between his schematic fit and his upside, he'd be the ideal player for the Spurs to come away with on Draft day.
Signing: F/C Bobby Portis, New York Knicks
Portis has plenty of upside if he can get straightened out, and if anyone is going to get the most out of Portis and teach him to play in a system, it's Gregg Popovich. If he succeeds, the Spurs find themselves with an offensive forward who can score in multiple ways, or even another trade piece if they want to sell high. Either way, taking a gamble on Portis could pay off for a program needing a new direction.
Trade: As Many Picks as They Can Get
The Spurs run is over for now. They did well to bring in some fun pieces in the Kawhi trade, but the Spurs need to enter a rebuild or risk an extended play in no man's land. Selling on DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, Patrick Mills, and Marco Belinelli should be the aim. Get picks, get promising young players, and set yourself up to rebuild quickly. If one of these guys can even help you move up and select Avdija, do it.

Toronto Raptors

Draft Pick: F Robert Woodard II, Mississippi State
An athletic forward with a good build, Woodard could be a steal if Toronto is able to land him at #29 overall. After taking a major leap in between his freshman year and sophomore year, Woodard developed an outside shot (43%). For a team that may not be able to retain Serge Ibaka, finding another big to provide some range on the outside would give them a quality replacement.
Signing: PG Austin Rivers, Houston Rockets
Should Toronto be unable to retain Fred VanVleet, finding a guard capable of picking up minutes at point guard and shooting guard would serve them well. Rivers may not the same caliber of VanVleet, but can provide the versatility needed, along with a quality enough shot from deep (36% in 2019-2020).
Trade: SG Luke Kennard, Detroit Pistons
Thinking outside the box here, if the Raptors aren't comfortable paying VanVleet the rate it'd take to retain him, perhaps a sign-and-trade for a team like Detroit could send them back something useful, rather than letting VanVleet walk entirely. A sharp shooting guard (40% over his career, Kennard could fit well in Toronto, either as a long-term solution, or a piece to flip as part of a package at the deadline for a bigger star post-Kawhi.

Utah Jazz

Draft Pick: C Aleksej Pokusevski, Serbia
A unicorn big-man, Pokusevski is a mobile center with fantastic height (7'0) and the ability to knock down shots beyond the arc (32% shooter). While he'll need to get bigger (only 205 lbs and lanky), he's still very young and should be able to develop into a starting caliber player down the road. And selecting at #23 overall, that's really what you're looking for.
Signing: G Langston Galloway, Detroit Pistons
While the main signing priorities for Utah will be re-signing Jordan Clarkson and extending Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz could also look to add another guard into the rotation, and Galloway's versatility and shooting make him an easy player to fit into any rotation.
Trade: PG Dennis Smith Jr., New York Knicks
The Jazz would have some quality offers if they did move C Rudy Gobert. But assuming they keep Gobert, the Jazz target someone to give their second unit a boost, especially as an aging Mike Conley drops off from the All-Star player he was. Smith looked much better earlier in his career, averaging around 15 points per game through his first three seasons. If he can recapture that, he could even play his way into the direct replacement for Conley.

Washington Wizards

Draft Pick: F Isaac Okoro, Auburn
This one makes more sense than a lot of these other picks, in my opinion. The Wizards are horrendous on the defensive end, and Okoro is the best wing defender in this year's Draft. Being able to lock up opposing team's top scorer will allow Beal and Wall to go to work on the offensive end, lightening their load a good deal.
Signing: F Moe Harkless, Los Angeles Clippers
Bringing in one defensive minded rookie won't solve the defensive woes of the Wizards. With not a ton of cap flexibility, the Wizards should aim for someone relatively cheap, who can fill a clear role, and help develop young players like Rui Hachimura. That someone would likely be Moe Harkless.
Trade: The Biggest Haul They Can Get for Beal
I know the Wizards have said they want to see what Beal and Wall can do next season, rather than moving Beal now. But I personally think that's a mistake, and that cashing in on Beal, and getting a jump start on the rebuild is the way to go. The Wall-Beal duo didn't accomplish anything before Wall tore his Achilles, and the longer they wait, the more likely they get screwed over. If they can land two of Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, or Jarrett Allen from the Nets, I think that would be the best package, but the aim is less so a specific target than just hoard what they can get.
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Anyways, this took a little while to put together, so I hope you don't totally hate it. Let me know if you agree, disagree, think someone would fit better!

The playoffs continue to rage on, but there are 23 teams sitting at home with nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs, tweet Danuel House jokes, and wait for next season to start.
For their sake, we wanted to look ahead with the next edition of the OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series. In each, we'll preview some big decisions and make some recommendations for plans of attack along the way. Today, we're looking at the Cleveland Cavs.
step one: sit down, because this may take a while
In the aftermath of LeBron James' exit, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to rebuild from the ground up. Understanding that, they hired a veteran college coach in John Beilein to effectively build an entire program from scratch. Alas, it did not work as planned. Instead of a long-term partnership that may have lasted 5+ years, the pairing combusted before the 60 game mark. Clearly, Beilein (age 67) had a hard time connecting with NBA players, and vice versa. At the end of the day, it's fine. It's better to realize that a marriage won't work and divorce with a clean break before it gets too ugly and you end up smashing up the walls.
After the relationship ended, the team rebounded with J.B. Bickerstaff. And this is hardly Bickerstaff's first rebound rodeo. Bickerstaff is only 41 years old, but this is already his third interim takeover. He stepped in after Kevin McHale got fired in Houston, and stepped in after David Fizdale got fired in Memphis. The jokes write themselves; hiring J.B. Bickerstaff as your assistant coach is like having sex with a black widow or marrying an axe murderer.
While Bickerstaff's resume so far may be stained, he's not a bad fit for this franchise. As mentioned, he's young. He's an NBA lifer, literally born and raised into the league (as the son of a coach.) He should be in this for the long haul. And more than anything, that's what the Cleveland Cavs need right now. Some familiarity. Some continuity. Some slow, gradual steps to improvement.
It's going to be a long, long road back. This season, the Cavs finished 19-46 -- second worst in the NBA. They were also second worst in point differential, SRS, expected win total, total defensive efficiency, etc. Amazingly, their advanced stats this season were actually better than last year, which is how they should track success for the next few years. You're not going to be good for a while, but you want to keep moving forward. As long as Bickerstaff can do that, he can stay in charge of the ship.
step two: out with the old...
The Cleveland Cavaliers don't have many free agents, although two familiar faces will be off the books: Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova. Thompson actually had his best season in a while, scoring 12.0 points and grabbing 10.1 rebounds per game. 4.0 of those were offensive rebounds, which ranked second in the entire NBA (behind new teammate Andre Drummond.) The "old man" (only 29, in reality) looked like he had some life in his legs, and may have bought himself a few more years as a starting big.
That starting job is unlikely to come here in Cleveland. Drummond will opt in to his $28M player option, which soaks up the center spot. The Cavs also have Kevin Love under contract (for now), as well as Larry Nance Jr. It simply doesn't make sense to invest more in the frontcourt. The Cavs should wish Thompson well as he heads off to his next adventure.
Taking it a step further, the Cavs need to field trade offers for Kevin Love as well. Love has been a good soldier for the franchise -- both during their championship past and now in their post-apocalyptic present. It'd be in the team's best interest, and his best interest, to find a deal that would bring him to a playoff contender. Now 32, Love shouldn't spend his late prime wasting away for a bottom dweller.
The return for Love may be modest. He's under contract for three more years at $31M + $31M + $29M -- an overpay but not a complete albatross of a deal. He's still a good player, as illustrated by his averages of 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists this year. His defense and his rim protection are still an issue, but he can at least toggle between PF and C depending on the matchup. The Cavs have been playing him 90% of the time at PF over the last two seasons, but another team will likely try him as a stretch center.
Some veteran teams may be inclined to take a chance on Love, although his big salary will make "matching" difficult. The most fitting, from a karmic perspective, would be a sequel of the Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins trade. The Cavs need wings and youth, while the Warriors will still be in "win now" mode. I actually don't mind the idea of Love + Draymond Green defensively, figuring Green could take the tougher matchup in the frontcourt. That said, if Golden State is still wary of the James Hardens and Houstons of the world, then an old Kevin Love may not be their ideal solution. I'd presume the Warriors would prefer Wiggins at this point, but it may depend on their plans for the # 3 pick.
Overall, the Cavs aren't going to get a huge haul for Love, or perhaps any real positive returns at all. Given that, they can treat Love more as a human being than an "asset," and work with him to find a good situation. Maybe that's Golden State, maybe that's Portland, maybe that's Brooklyn (any good team that can try to cobble together matching salaries, really.) But if possible, it'd be great to see Love find his footing and his relevance again.
step three: in with the new.
There's usually a silver lining to a bad year: a nice, high draft pick!
Unfortunately, the Cavs' lottery luck has run out lately. They stumbled from the # 2 slot down to # 5.
That could be an especially challenging fall given the context here. This isn't a particularly strong draft to begin with; in fact, it's one of the weaker drafts of the decade. Moreover, the strengths of the draft don't line up with the Cavs' needs. There are several lead guards at the top of the class (LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes), but the Cavs have selected scoring guards like Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in back to back years. There are a couple of big men who could be top 5 picks (James Wiseman, Onyeka Okongwu), but the Cavs just traded for Andre Drummond. This is a team that's starved for wings, but they find themselves in a draft that's run out of wings in the kitchen.
There are two top 5 talents that would be great fits for the Cavs, but both may taken before # 5. SG Anthony Edwards (Georgia) may be the top talent overall, which means that he's not lasting to # 5 barring some injury or ethics scandal. More realistically, the team should root for Deni Avdija (Israel) to fall to them. He has the size at 6'9" to play either SF or PF, two areas of need. He's a smart player and a ball mover, two aspects which should mold well into this current core.
So what should the Cavs do in a "worst case scenario" if Edwards and Avdija are off the board? They could consider taking one of the big men, knowing that Drummond's contract will only run 1 more year anyway. Alternatively, they could debate reaching on the next level of prospect.
Among those, there are a few I'd caution against. PF Obi Toppin (Dayton) had been productive in school and flashes some scoring chops, but he plays tall and stiff and may have some real trouble hanging on defense in the NBA. SF Isaac Okoro (Auburn) is getting some love from scouts based on his strength and athleticism, but he lacks pro-ready skills to me. I wouldn't bet my life on them being long-term starters, which is a scary thought for a # 5 pick.
Two "reaches" that I actually like are Devin Vassell (Florida State) and Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt.) Vassell is the prototypical 3+D wing, with length, defensive instincts, and a solid shot (41.5% from three.) Nesmith is an even better shooter, perhaps the best in this class. He's not a great athlete or defender, but he has enough length ( 6'10") to hang at the 2 or 3. Perhaps Vassell and Nesmith lack the upside of an Obi Toppin, but I'd consider them safer bets for long and productive NBA careers. They have the skill sets that the league is looking for right now. Taking them would represent a step in the right direction.
step four: don't be afraid to take your lumps
The Cavaliers made a curious move when they traded for Andre Drummond. Even if we presume they'll find a taker for Kevin Love, Drummond still may not match the timeline of this team. He's already 27, and may be past his prime in 2-3 years. The Cavs may not be ready to contend for a playoff spot in 2-3 years.
Adding Drummond shouldn't put pressure on the front office to "win now." They need to keep the long term, long road approach. If it turns out that the team goes 20-62 next year, then that's okay. Maybe that's a sign that they should let Drummond walk, and push their window and timeline down a few more years. They have the luxury of patience, and they need to exercise that.
That should also apply to the rotations for next year as well. J.B. Bickerstaff is going to have to put on his white coat and goggles, because he needs to start some experimentation. The team needs to figure out whether Darius Garland and Collin Sexton can play together heavy minutes (or whether the defensive issues would be too severe.) If it doesn't work, they need to figure out if one is more effective coming off the bench. They need to figure out if there's any remaining spark in Dante Exum (acquired from Utah.) They need to figure out if SG Kevin Porter Jr. can turn into a high-level scorer and potential building block. Bickerstaff is going to have to try a lot of different combinations here to see what works, and what doesn't. If the team can end 2020-21 with some of these questions answered, it'll be in their best interest in the long term, even if it results in a few extra losses.
If the team can get on the same page and follow through, then there may be gold at the end of the rainbow. Next year's class appears (at the moment, anyway) to be a strong group, highlighted by... WINGS! WINGS! WINGS! Point forward Cade Cunningham (heading to Oklahoma State) and scoring swingman Jalen Green (heading to the G-League) headline the class right now, while PF Jalen Johnson (Duke), and SF Ziaire Williams (Stanford) have the potential to join the # 1 pick conversation in time. And while those flattened odds make it difficult to ensure the # 1 pick, grabbing the # 1 spot means that you can only drop as low as # 5. If the Cavs end up in that top 5 again, it may be a major boost of NOS to their long journey.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

Although Jerry West is a first-ballot hall-of-famer, NBA logo, and quite possibly the greatest front-office figure in basketball history. However, his career, dare I say, is greatly underappreciated by many fans, both casual and dedicated. Let me get to the point: when taking a look at Jerry West's career and his statistics, it rapidly becomes clear that he is truly one of the greatest players of all time. To start, we'll use the simplest measurement of basketball proficiency: ability to get the ball through the hoop.
In West's career, he averaged 27.03 points per game. There are five players in front of him: Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James. This places him above "pure" scorers like Adrian Dantley, Alex English, and Allen Iverson. What makes this so fascinating, though, is that West ranks 35th all time in assists per game. Other than Lebron, there's no player ahead of him who even comes close to sniffing his points per game.
Where West's mind-bending statistics really start to shine, though, is in his defense and his rebounding. In West's era, rebounds were the property of big men, with one notable exception: his teammate, Elgin Baylor, who gobbled up an unworldly 13.5 per game in his career (even in the time of increased pace, even with poorer shooting, all of that, it's still fucking ridiculous that Baylor, who was 6'5, got that many rebounds). And yet, West's rebounding is already oddly good for a 6'2, scrawny, outside-oriented guard, especially in that era. For his career, he averaged 5.8, and he averaged about 7 until the arrival of a certain rebounding god named Wilt Chamberlain.
So yeah, those numbers were pretty good. But yet, he was also able to back it up with defense. His entire career, West was regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, based on his lighting-quick reflexes and long arms. Although steals were not an official metric, it's a safe bet to say that his steal numbers were pretty damn good, based off of anecdotal evidence. From the inception of the all-defensive team in 1968, West made every single one until his retirement- on the back end of his career, when the physicality that helps every player's defense had long since waned. By now, it should be obvious that he was an all-around, two-way superstar, worthy of the greatest accolades.
And yet, even with all of this, the West's career still suffers from two all-time what-if scenarios: what if he had a better supporting cast through most of his career, and what if the NBA had a 3-point shot? For starters, we'll take a look at his supporting cast. Although he had the benefit of playing with another all-timer in Elgin Baylor, he was bereft of other legit talent through most of his career, until the very end. While the Celtics, the Lakers' greatest enemy, could roll out sqauds deep with Hall of Famers, West and Baylor were limited to "meh" caliber teammates. Until the arrival of Wilt, the Lakers never once had anything that could even remotely challenge Bill Russell in the paint. Although the Lakers still lost all of those Finals, most of them were extremely close. With just one more star to get them over the hump, could the Lakers have erased the Celtics from the history books? We'll never know, but I believe the answer is a yes.
And second, his shooting. As mentioned, West is 5th all-time in points per game. He also played his entire career as a perimeter-oriented player (he was given the nickname "Mr. Outside" when he was a rookie) at a time when there was no three-point line. If West were to have had that benefit, which has made the careers of guys like Steph Curry and Ray Allen, it's impossible to not think that his average wouldn't have gone up a few ticks, maybe even beating out Jordan. And make no mistake, he could shoot: the footage reveals as much. In particular, he hit one of the greatest shots in basketball history, from half-court in an NBA Finals. The question isn't if he could shoot a three, it's how many could he have made?
So, what does all of this mean? Even ignoring the normative statements made in the previous two paragraphs, which would've radically altered NBA history, I believe a case can be made for West as one of the ten greatest players in NBA history. First, I'm willing to concede that there are four players clearly better than him and two likely better: Jordan, LeBron, Kareem, Wilt, Magic, and Larry. After that, though, I'd argue that he has just as good of a case as anyone for that #7 spot. Although he didn't enjoy the aura of team success of players like Tim Duncan or Bill Russell, he has a stat-based argument to make against both of them (although comparing players purely on stats when their playstyles are that different is a nightmare). Although he didn't have the same supernova peaks as Shaq or Hakeem Olajuwon, his long-term numbers beat both. Although he doesn't have the same stardom as Kobe Bryant, his numbers are better and his supporting cast was leagues worse.
So, a list with West in consideration would look something like this:

1. MJ
2. LeBron
3. Kareem
4. Wilt
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. West
8. ...?

Even if you don't buy into that, one thing is undeniable about Jerry West: his career was unthinkable. In his time, scrawny, white, 6'2 dudes from the back hills of West Virginia weren't supposed to compete in the age of the pass-first point guard and lumbering big men. Despite that, he managed to stake his claim as not just one of the greatest of his era, not just one of the greatest Lakers ever, not just one of the greatest shooting guards ever, but as one of the greatest players of all time, period. With those circumstances, only one word can be used to describe him: an anomaly.

As we continue to wait for real basketball to happen (or not?), it may be a good time to monitor teams that will definitely be missing out on all the playoff bubble hijinks.
Here's a look at the CHICAGO BULLS, with a special shoutout to true Bulls' fans like celsius_two_3_two for helping me review the content.
PART ONE: From Playoff Challenger to Challenger space shuttle
Like any proper degenerate, I like to make a few Las Vegas "oveunder" bets before the season (note: don't try it at home, it's usually a waste of time and money.)
Still, a few win totals jumped out at me. Among them: the Chicago Bulls, oveunder 33.5 wins.
Now, the logical move may have been to pound the "under" here. After all, this was a team coming off two seasons with 27-55 and 22-60 records. However, I couldn't help but overthink this one. Sure, the Bulls had a very bad 2018-19 season (highlighted by Fred Hoiberg getting fired and Drill Sergeant Jim Boylen taking over). At the same time, they played better in the second half of the season. Boylen (douche or not) would presumably keep improving their defense. Moreover, Boylen and the front office were on shaky ground in terms of their job security, which usually motivates an organization to push forward and win as much as possible.
The front office clearly had that in mind as well, signing Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young to sizable $10M+ contracts. Neither are great players, or perhaps even good players, but they're solid and reliable veterans whom the team could immediately plug into a rotation. These Bulls felt deep, balanced, and perhaps ready to strike. After all, star Zach LaVine would be set to enter Year 6 in the league. Otto Porter would be entering Year 7. Some of their other "young" pieces weren't that young; for example, Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine are both 26 right now.
Overall, this felt like a recipe for success. Or at least, semi-success. The Bulls were ready to take a jump. Making the playoffs may have been unrealistic, but 35-38 wins felt doable. "OVER" it is!
Flash forward nearly a year later, and I've got so much egg on my face that vegans won't even talk to me anymore. Turns out, these "new Bulls" were the "same ol' Bulls." They'll end the season with a 22-43 record, which would have put them on pace for 27.8 wins over 82 games, well under the 33.5 set by Vegas.
So what went wrong? How did this potential darkhorse run so far off the rails that it needed to get shot and turned to glue? Let's take a closer look.
PART TWO: Missing Otto Porter III + D
One of the major reasons the Chicago Bulls disappointed in 2019-20 was injuries. Center Wendell Carter missed time, and Otto Porter III barely played due to lingering hip injuries. He appeared in 14 games, and only drew 9 starts (averaging 23 minutes per game.)
On the surface, Porter shouldn't feel like a huge loss. After all, this is a player who's never averaged as much as 15 PPG in any season in his career and has never sniffed an All-Star team.
That said, the loss of Porter had a trickle down effect that hurt the team in numerous ways.
Offensively, Porter is a low-usage player who's about as efficient as anyone in the league. For his career, he shoots over 40% from three (40.4%). Better yet, he's only averaged 0.8 turnovers per game (1.1 TO per 36 minutes.) He's what you'd call a role player / assassin. He gets in, hits his target, and slips out without being noticed. Porter actually has a little more versatility to his offensive game than the average catch-and-shoot player (he can take you down on the block, for example), but most often, he's used as a spacer and he thrives in that regard. Without Porter's shooting, the Chicago Bulls' offense looked even more sluggish than usual. Their offensive rating ranked 27th out of the 30 teams in the league.
Porter's loss also showed up in other ways. Porter's not a great defender -- he's probably "above average" -- but that's still an asset to have in your lineup. He's a savvy player who's usually locked in defensively, despite one infamous Shaqtin' A Fool moment. He also has good size and length for his position at 6'8" with a 7'1" wingspan.
That size is a key element to this discussion. Porter has "plus" size as a small forward. In his absence, the Bulls struggled to fill that void with the same. They ended up shifting Zach LaVine (6'6", 6'8" wingspan) over to small forward quite a bit. LaVine played 67% of his minutes at SF this past season according to basketball-reference. You can take those positional play-by-plays with a grain of salt because it's not easy to track and label, but that's still a notable difference in terms of the roster composition. The Bulls were smaller than average at SF, and smaller than average at SG with rookie Coby White (6'4", 6'5" wingspan) playing the majority of his minutes there.
The natural follow up to this may be: so what? Even with those size limitations, Jim Boylen's Bulls still finished with the 14th best defense (up from 25 last year.) However, the lack of size on the wings helped contribute to the Bulls' problems on the glass. They finished 30th (out of 30 teams) in total defensive rebounds, and 28th in rebounding differential (-3.6 per game). Using rebounding totals isn't always the best metric to use because bad teams miss more shots (and thus allow their opponents more rebounds). However, if you dig deeper, the numbers still aren't pretty. The Bulls' grabbed 75.6% of their potential defensive rebounds -- 5th worst in the league. Overall, they grabbed 47.9% of all potential rebounds -- 2nd worst in the league. "Rebounds" may be not be an en vogue stat in general, but it's a weakness that still hurt the team at the margins. When you're a mid-level team, those extra few possessions per game could mean the difference between a win and a loss.
The good news? Porter will likely be back and healthy next season. The bad news? He's not cheap. He'll almost certainly pick up his oversized $28M player option. In another circumstance, he may try to rip it up and renegotiate a long-term deal with the Bulls or another team instead, but the murkiness around the cap and around his health makes that too difficult to imagine. Barring a trade, he'll be back with the Bulls next year, and will help the team win a few more games.
PART THREE: Misusing their offensive weapons
The Chicago Bulls are a young team, built around young stars like Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen. Both LaVine and Markkanen have some limitations overall, but they're both gifted offensive players. So given that, how is it that the team only finished 27th in offensive efficiency?
In terms of the national media, a lot of the blame tends to fall on Zach LaVine. After some inefficient play early on in his career, the narrative has stuck that LaVine is an "empty calorie" or "volume" scorer. However, the results on the court don't really justify that anymore. Sure, LaVine shoots a lot, but he doesn't take as many bad shots as you may expect. He takes 8.1 threes per game (and makes an above-average 38%). He takes 5.6 free throw attempts per game (making 82% for his career.) Overall, that's a winning formula. LaVine's efficiency and true shooting is above league-average, no small feat for a player averaging 25.5 points per game this year. You'd like to see him hammer his way to the line even more, but he's not the problem for this team (offensively.)
Meanwhile, Markkanen has some work to do. For a 7-footer, he's a gifted shooter. He shot 42.3% from three in college (and even flirted with 50% early in the season.) He carried that success over to the NBA for his first two years, netting over 36% from three each year. His results at the free throw line (84% then 87% as a second-year player) illustrated his potential to keep improving from there. 7-footers tend to get labeled as "stretch bigs" if they can get anywhere over 30% from three; Markkanen has the potential to get closer to 40%.
However, that leap didn't happen in Year 3. Markkanen sagged to 34.4% from three, and "only" 82.4% from the free-throw line. But those percentages aren't what bothers me. Percentages will go up and down over smaller sample sizes like that. What's more concerning is how Markkanen's role shrunk offensively. After averaging 15.3 field goal attempts last season, he slipped down to 11.8 attempts this season per game. Even if you account for a few less minutes, he dropped from 17 FGA to 14 FGA in terms of "per 36" numbers.
As mentioned, Markkanen is an offensive player. He's a shooter. I'm no coaching genius (and neither is Jim Boylen apparently), but I'd encourage a shooter to SHOOT. Because if Markkanen isn't a focal point of your offensive attack, then he's not doing much good for your team. He's not a good defender -- he's not a good rebounder. This is like the Justice League sending Aquaman off to the find evil aliens in the desert; we're misusing his talents here, people.
Practically speaking, the next Bulls' coach needs to rethink the approach with Markkanen. Personally, I believe he has more in the tank offensively than he's been allowed to show so far. Maybe he's not Dirk Nowtizki, but he's still an extraordinary talent as a shooter for his size; I'd make a point of funneling him the ball. And if the problem is that he's getting marginalized by ball-dominant LaVine, then Markkanen should come off the bench as a 6th man scorer instead. He needs to be an offensive priority whenever he's in the game. And consequently, a better offensive philosophy and system needs to be installed in order to allow that to happen.
PART FOUR: Natural growing pains
When the Chicago Bulls' playoff chances slipped away, Jim Boylen and the front office finally unleashed their rookie, Coby White.
White took advantage of that greenlight and turned up the gas as a scorer. He'll end the season with a modest 13.2 points per game, but that undersells his impact as a scorer. Per 36 minutes, he averaged 18.5 points per game. That trended upwards over the course of the season as well. White averaged over 20 points per game in February and March (albeit over a limited 14 game size.) If White can do that as a 20-year-old rookie, then it's fair to suggest that he could be routinely scoring over 20 PPG in his prime.
While Coby White has some obvious virtues -- highlighted by his quickness and his cool hair -- there are some natural concerns and growing pains that he showed. He scored, but he didn't necessarily do that with efficiency. He shot only 39.4% from the field, and netted only a 50.6 true shooting percentage that's well below the league average.
Defensively, White also struggled. Playing "up" at SG for 71% of his minutes (and even at SF for 17%!), White's limited size and limited experience showed. ESPN's real/plus minus metric graded him as -1.9 impact per 100 possessions. If you wanted to count White as a point guard, that would rank 89th best (out of 94 qualifiers.) If you envision him as a shooting guard, that would rank 134th (out of 137 qualifiers.)
That debate -- is Coby White a point guard or shooting guard? -- is an important one. Sure, we're in an era of "position-less" basketball to some extent, but players still have certain roles offensively and certain assignments defensively. White's limited size and length (6'5" wingspan) projects best as a point guard. However, he's more of a scorer than a natural distributor. He only averaged 3.8 assists per 36 minutes this season, not far removed from the 5.2 assists per 36 minutes he averaged back in college at UNC. His playmaking can improve, but he's more of an attack dog by nature.
This combination of strengths and weaknesses makes you wonder about the long-term fit next to Zach LaVine. If the Bulls' long-term plan is to play White at SG and LaVine at SF, then they're always going to be behind the eight-ball in terms of length and rebounding (especially with Lauri Markkanen at the 4.) If their plan is to start White as a point guard, then they're going to have to rely on LaVine to be more of a lead facilitator, or on the entire team to adopt more of a ball-moving offense 1-5.
Most realistically, White projects best as a super-scorer off the bench, a la Lou Williams. To excel in that role, he'll need to continue to draw more free throws (he was at only 2.0 FTA per game as a rookie), but the potential is there to improve his shot selection and become a big-time scorer. Staggering White and LaVine would also allow them to be aggressive as scorers without stepping on each other's toes.
PART FIVE: Done with Dunn?
The other reason that it'll be important for the new Bulls' coach and front office to devise a long-term plan for Coby White is because it will affect other decisions on the roster. Among them: the fate of Kris Dunn.
Like Coby White, Dunn has some extreme strengths and weaknesses -- they just happen to be in opposite order. He EXCELS defensively. He has a big frame (6'9" wingspan) and natural instincts on that end. He nabbed 2.0 steals this season in only 24.9 minutes of action. A lot of times, "steals" can be misleading because they amount to gambling. For Dunn, it's more reflective of his actual talent. He has extremely quick hands; he could have made a lot of money as a gunslinger back in the Old West. In some ways, he reminds you of Andre Iguodala on the ball defensively, combining length, strength, and savvy.
The rest of Dunn's game is a mixed bag. He's not a bad distributor (averaging 6.0 assists in both 2017-18 and 2018-19), but he's a poor shooter. He's also had injury issues flare up over the course of his career. As mentioned, he's already 26 years old, so it's unrealistic to expect him to become a wholly different player in the next few years. With Kris Dunn, you mostly know what you're getting to get. So the question is: do you want it or not?
The Bulls will have to make that choice this offseason, as Dunn enters his (restricted) free agency. There's a chance that COVID will infect the cap and allow them to retain him on his one-year qualified offer of $7M. Alternatively, there's a chance that another team will swoop him and sign him to an offer sheet. He'd make some sense for a team like the Detroit Pistons, who could invest in him as an heir apparent to Derrick Rose at PG. If a team like that offers Dunn a deal in the 3 year, $8-10M per year range, will the Bulls match it? TBD.
Again, a lot depends on their views regarding Coby White. If they envision White as a future starter at PG, then there's less of a need for Kris Dunn. The Bulls would be able to start White at PG as soon as next year, with Tomas Satoransky as a combo guard off the bench and Ryan Arcidiacono serving as a third point guard and insurance policy. If the team envisions Coby White as a SG (or combo guard off the bench) then there's more of a need for Kris Dunn to platoon with Satoransky as a lead guard.
This game of musical chairs may be getting more crowded, because there's also another element at play: yet-another lottery pick.
PART SIX: Drafting some Help
Currently, the Chicago Bulls are slated in the # 7 position in terms of the NBA Draft order. They have a 9% chance of moving up to # 1, and a 32% chance of moving into the top 4. If they can make that leap, then that would mean adding another potential star to the fold. It's not a strong draft by any stretch, but SG Anthony Edwards (Georgia) and C James Wiseman (Memphis) have the potential to be good starters. If they can land someone like that, you ignore "fit", take the potential stud, and work out the rest later.
More likely, the Bulls will be picking in that 7-8 range. That's still a good pick, of course, but not one that should cause you to throw the baby out with the bath water and ignore the composition and needs of your team.
Again, this is why the "Do the Bulls need a PG?" question becomes so critical. This is a poor draft, but it's strongest in terms of its point guard depth. According to ESPN's draft experts, 5 of the top 13 prospects are point guards (LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes, R.J. Hampton, Cole Anthony). A few of those -- namely Hayes and Anthony -- are "pure" point guards who don't have enough size to switch around and play minutes at the 2.
Among the crop that's likely to be available around pick 7, here are some potential fits.
PG TYRESE HALIBURTON, IOWA STATE (# 8 on espn). Haliburton is one of the easiest "fits" for the Bulls and for basically every team, because he offers a versatile set of skills. He's technically a point guard (averaging 15.2 points and 6.5 assists last year) and can capably fill that role. Better still, he can be effectively off the ball. His three-point shot looks a little wonky, but he converts it well, hitting 42.6% of his threes in college. Defensively he's got good size (6'5" with a 6'10" wingspan) and instincts (2.5 steals, 1.3 fouls last year). In a sense, Haliburton can be a "3 + D" point guard that plays alongside a ball-dominant player, be it Zach LaVine or Coby White. If the team drafts him, you figure it'd be with the intention of using him as an upgrade on Dunn (slightly worse defense but better offense.)
SG DEVIN VASSELL, FLORIDA STATE (# 16 on espn). Like Haliburton, Devin Vassell is another player who could fit well on virtually every team because of his 3+D potential. He's hit 41.7% of his threes in his two years at FSU with a good-looking form that's aided by good size for his position and a higher release than Haliburton. Right now, Vassell is listed around 6'6" with an estimated 6'10" wingspan, but he looks bigger than that to my eye. That's crucial because it would allow him to play both SG and SF and draw some different assignments defensively. I also like Vassell's personality off the court; he seems like a good kid that should continue to improve. Like Haliburton, Vassell is the type of player that should easily into a lineup with LaVine and/or White.
SF DENI AVDIJA, ISRAEL (# 5 on espn). I'm not going to pretend to have as much confidence in my projection of Avdija, who's played in the international youth circuit and has been a rising star with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Based on what I do know, he could be an intriguing boom/bust pick around # 7. He's a big forward (6'9") who can convert inside, and better yet, has a real knack for playmaking. The Bulls' young stars -- Zach LaVine, Coby White, Lauri Markkanen -- are all better scorers than passers right now, so perhaps Avdija can operate as a de facto point forward and help the offense click into place. Right now, his shooting results have been shaky though, so he's not someone you can just throw out there and tell to stand in the corner as a 3+D option. If you take him, you need an actual plan to highlight his skill set. The Bulls' top exec Arturas Karnisovas is from Lithuania originally, so you presume that he'd have no qualms about selecting an European like Avdija (whose dad is Serbian) if need be. Of course, that logic didn't quite work out for Sacramento GM Vlade Divac and Luka Doncic.
SHAKIER FITS. Alternatively, there are some players in the Bulls' draft range that may not be ideal fits. As mentioned, Killian Hayes and Cole Anthony are more of traditional ball-dominant point guards; I don't love the idea of that next to Coby White and Zach LaVine. I'd also be wary of Dayton's PF Obi Toppin. Toppin has strong scoring potential with a decent shot and good athleticism inside. That said, he's a little stiff in the hips defensively, and may duplicate Lauri Markkanen in that regard.
PART SEVEN: Buh-Buh Boylen
One of the Chicago Bulls' biggest decisions will be among their first. Technically, the new front office has not fired coach Jim Boylen yet, but it appears that his clock is ticking on that decision. It's only a matter of time.
Candidly, Boylen gets too harsh of a rap from national media and fans. He's not a complete asshat. He's had success as a defensive assistant in the past, and did help the Bulls' defense improve some over the past few years. He'd be a fine assistant coach somewhere in that limited capacity.
However, he does seem woefully out of his depth as a head coach. He's never had success in that role before, and he didn't have any now. His offensive system is virtually nonexistent, and his attitude is boarish. Usually those "Drill Sergeant" coaches get a short-term year or two of improvement from a young team, but he couldn't even do that. We need to pull him out of there before there's a full-on Full Metal Jacket rebellion here.
Looking ahead, the Bulls need to pick a coach that can get the team back on track, especially in terms of their offensive philosophy. That said, the Bulls have to be careful not to "zigzag" too much in their coaching hires. They went from Tom Thibodeau (the gruff, defensive-heavy coach) to the Anti-Thibodeau in Fred Hoiberg (likable, low-key former player), and then jumped on the seesaw again with the complete opposite in Boylen. There's always a tendency to go for the opposite of your last coach, but presumably there's a happy medium in between these two poles. Goldilocks was happy to find something "just right," so Karnisovas should be as well.
According to media reports, Ime Udoka is a top candidate, and would be a natural fit. While Udoka doesn't have head coaching experience yet, he's about as "ready" as any first-time coach would be. He's a former player, and a long-time assistant under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio (and now has worked the last year in Philadelphia.) The Spurs' philosophy is an ideal template for the Bulls to use, both in terms of their offensive ball movement and their locker room culture.
I'd also recommend Kenny Atkinson as a viable candidate. He didn't mesh with the new superstars in Brooklyn, but he'd done a great job prior to that in terms of rebuilding a broken Brooklyn team. He specializes in pace and space offense, and player development. That sounds ideal for this team right now.
There are a few other candidates out there that would be worth interviews (Chris Finch, Wes Unseld Jr., Chris Fleming, Nate Tibbetts, Alex Jensen, Dave Joerger, etc) but Udoka and Atkinson represent a very solid top two. Hiring either of them would be a great first step for this new administration.
TL;DR
The Chicago Bulls' "breakout" didn't happen; instead, they broke down. However, the foundation isn't bad here. If the new front office wants to push for the playoffs next year (manifested by keeping Otto Porter and continuing to play veterans) then it's not unrealistic that they can get up to 35-40 wins with better health and a better offensive system. Conversely, the team may decide they're further away than that, and take a step back to collect their bearings.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

Good afternoon East Coast! Had a huge weekend, 3-2 on Saturday with a CLEAN SWEEP yesterday (Sunday) 4-0! Hopefully we carry the same momentum into today's picks! Got 1 early game, rest will occur this evening, here's my models picks today!
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[Barr's Bets 8/3/20]
[NBA] 1:35 PM EST TORONTO RAPTORS VS. MIAMI HEAT, **PICK: OVER 221 (+100)*\* With the big introduction to the bubble for both teams (Raptors knocking off the Lakers, and Heat smoking the Nuggets) it's hard to predict what type of game we're going to have. Both high-octane offenses could have the opposing defenses in shock as players begin to regain their grip on the "new" season. Most of the games in the bubble have seen a high score, and the model likes riding the wave here. We're getting decent value at +100, the model likes it.
[NHL] 6:35 PM EST DALLAS STARS VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS, **PICK: OVER 5 (-140)*\* Hockey is back, and I'll start off with I hate odds this low. The model has it at a virtual lock (which is indicative of the line I suppose) with push outs at 5 (2-3, 3-2 variations). Let's hope for a high scoring game despite the Knights missing one of their forwards.
[NBA] 8:05 PM EST SAN ANTONIO SPURS VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, **PICK: UNDER 227 (-101)*\* Brutal showing by the 76ers (I'm a fan, from NJ/Philly) in their first game back against the Pacers. A fan would argue that "it's not the worst loss" considering we've beaten the Celtics all year (if we draw them in the playoffs)... Regardless, Shake Milton looked brutal at PG and there was noticeable arguments/frustration with the new starting lineup. Despite Joel's MONSTER game, it wasn't enough. The 76ers will bounce back here, but the model is riding the under. If you wanted additional action on the game, I think you'd have to eat the bad lines and take the Sixers ML and even consider the spread (probably ~ -7 PHL). I hate betting on games when my team's playing, but the model liked it :-/
[MLB] 8:10 PM EST CHICAGO WHITE SOX VS. MILWAUKEE BREWERS, **PICK: UNDER 9.5 (-105)*\* Yelich and the Brewers have been no where to be found with the bats in hand, and the model is rooting that way again tonight with the Under 9.5 bet. Though it could come down to the end around a 5-3 score (predicted), we're hoping for nothing spicy in the 9th like they did against the Pirates to shit on our perfect day last week. Both teams strike out a lot, and both pitchers aren't great, but they have to get into groove here in a shortened season. For every MLB game, expect the teams to want to win.
[MLB] 8:40 PM EST SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS VS. COLORADO ROCKIES, **PICK: COLORADO ROCKIES (-131)*\* Cueto at the mound today for the Giants, just hasn't been good after coming back from Tommy John Surgery (in 2018). Gonzalez on the other hand isn't much better... This could be a high scoring game, and I'm surprised the model didn't side with the over (although it's enormous at O/U 13). This isn't a big ROI but the model thinks the Rockies will take it in their park.
[NBA] 9:05 PM EST LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. UTAH JAZZ, **PICK: UNDER 217 (-102)*\* After a huge game to start bubble play, AD really cooled off vs. the Raptors. The Jazz match up pretty well vs. the Lakers in what I'm hoping (for the bets sake) is a heavier defensive matchup. Both teams need to win the game, I'm hoping they make the most of their possessions (kill that clock) towards the end of the game. The Lakers have only scored a max of 103 points, with the Jazz averaging 100 in the bubble. I see why the model likes the under in this slow paced game.
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Good luck to everyone, and gamble responsibly! Never bet with what you can't afford to lose :) Let me know if you're tailing!

This is a challenge I had failed before and decided to try again now that I have more experience on the game. Basically it's trying to get MJ a title with the Wizards while he still plays has good production and minutes (so not waiting until he is older and just let him ride the bench). Let's see if the GOAT can get it done:
Preseason
There is no building for the future here; MJ wants to compete. The Wizards are in full win now mode, so there are a lot of moves to be made and assets to be flipped. The first out the door is Kwame Brown, who somehow gets us Reggie Miller's big contract from a rebuilding Pacers. We need big men so we make some trades for Olowakandi, and surprisingly The Admiral himself from the title contenders Spurs. Teams really don't value old guys I guess. We have no depth so another trade brings us some bench players and also our starting PG: Sam Cassel.
While the starting 5 was looking fine, the bench is still weak and our money situation doesn't give us much flexibility. So we have to give the Admiral to the Hawks for pieces we can flip. Our team still needs a big name that can make us championship contenders, and the best player that has a team willing to trade him is Allen Iverson, who comes to our team in place of Reggie Miller and the very valuable 2003 1st round pick. After one last trade to bring center Scot Pollard to our bench, we are out of 1st round picks but the team is complete. As you can see it's not amazing, but the East is weak and almost all of the teams that are better than us on the Power Ranking, are on the West. So they aren't a problem until the Finals, and we can give any of them a fight.
All-Star Break
We couldn't give any of them a fight.
We lost all of our match ups against strong teams, and them some. Worst of all AI has been a big disappointment so far, only averaging 18 ppg. He doesn't even make it into the All-Star game, Sam Cassel is the only one that makes it. MJ is averaging around 12 ppg, 2 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 steal.
MJ couldn't be happy with AI's lack of effort, so he has to go. We are a very small team, so we got to get better in those positions first: AI goes to Portland, we get Rasheed and Dale Davis to be our front court, and Bonzi Wells to be our 6th man. We are much more well-rounded now, but we still lost our big star. MJ is still great, but at 39 he can't carry this team alone. Luckily, I remember one rebuilding team that wanted to get rid of a good scorer and were just asking to get fleeced: The Knicks. Sprewell comes in exchange for some bench pieces and the Portland 1st.
The team improved a lot and our Power Ranking shot up to 72. Now the only teams ahead us are the Lakers, Mavs and the Kings who have are first by a lot with a PR of 80. The Nets are our biggest worry in the East. They are also a 72. With these improvements, the possibility of a ring is much closer. We are good in most categories, except height, speed, and jumping ability, which I admit are a bit important for basketball. But I'm sure we can make up for that in the other areas.
Playoffs
We get the 1st seed without much problem. The Nets get 45 wins same as the Pistons and are the favorites to meet us in the conference finals. The west is mostly as expected, with the Lakers, Kings and Mavs on top.The Spurs fell down a lot without Robinson, and AI's new team managed to get in but don't have much hope against the favorite Kings.
The team is looking great, everyone is doing well and those trades in the middle of the season really paid-off. MJ can already smell that 7th ring!
First Round
Cassell's ex team doesn't put up much of a fight. The Bucks get taken out in 3 and we move on. There are two big surprises however. The 3rd seed Nets and the West 1st seed Lakers got swept, and just like that two big threats get taken out.
Second Round
The 5th seed Hawks, who we traded The Admiral to, took out the Raptors to face us in this round. We are better than them in most things except that they are the 2nd tallest team in the league and we are the 20th, but I'm start the series confident that they won't be much of a problem....huh
That was a weird series. Most of the games were a boring affair with one team on top pretty much all of the game. Robinson seemed pissed that we got him and traded him away on the same day. But if someone should be pissed it must be MJ. This was only the 4th time he was taken to a game 7, and he was invisible mots of the series. Barely putting more than 10 in games 1 to 6 and only scoring 4 points on the game 5 loss. He put up 17 on game 7 but still, it shouldn't have been that hard. The next team better watch out, because Jordan is gonna come out looking for blood.
Conference Finals
Who else? Of course it would be Detroit who stand in the way of MJ's 7th final. You couldn't script it any better. The Stackhouse and Ben Wallace's Pistons made it here, by sweeping the Bulls in the first round and taking out the Celtics 4-2 in the second. On the West is the Kings against the dark horse of the tournament, the Elton Brand's Clippers.
Game 1: The Wizards come out strong. MJ is having a weak game again, but they are still walking all over the Pistons through the first three quarters with a 13 point advantage entering the 4th quarter...and then. The Pistons just stop missing shots, and MJ is still cold, finishing the game with only 6 points on 3/10 shooting and didn't even get any free throws . We lose home court advantage in a heartbreaking manner, and things look bleak.
Game 2: This game goes more as expected score wise...however disaster strikes again. Rasheed Wallace goes down injured only 2 minutes into the game. Luckily the team regroups and takes the W behind Cassell's 15-10 double double. But Rasheed's injury will have him out for 7 games. He is out for the series. MJ couldn't score much, and ends the game with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Games 3 and 4: Without Rasheed, the team struggles in Detroit. The Pistons don't fail in their court and take both games convincingly. MJ puts up 9 points in game 3 and 8 in game 4. 5 rebounds and 3 assists in both. And now we have to trun another 1-3 around. Is the dream dead? Is MJ just too old?
Game 5: In the first elimination game MJ finally scores in double digits, scoring 11 in a comfortable home-court win behind a monster game from Rodney Rogers who scores 24 coming from the bench. But the Wizards don't return to Detroit with much hope. Cassell plays only 16 minutes and goes down from a strained abdomen that will have him out for 7 more games. The best two players of the team are out for the series.
Game 6: the team is decimated, and even rookie Gerald Wallace who averages 4 minutes a game will have to play important minutes. But MJ comes out inspired and lits a fire in the. Bonzi Wells and Rodney Rogers do their best to cover for Cassel and Rasheed Wallace.
The Wizards give it they all, barely managing to keep the game close entering the 4th quarter up by 2. The last quarter is a slugfest, both teams score more than 30 points. When there are only seconds left the score is 91-91. MJ only has 13 points so far and 3 players have scored more this game, Sprewell has 20. But would you give the ball to someone else? It's the last play of the game, the season is on the line, the Wizards won't make it in overtime. They haven no energy, no Sam Cassell and no Ben Wallace...but they have the G.O.A.T. We're going to Game 7 once more.
Game 7: It's not even close. Even without Sam and Rasheed, the Wizards blow out the Pistons, who were to demoralized after the last game. Of the 8 players left in the Wizards rotation, 6 put up double digits. MJ puts up 10 points in what amounts to no more than a victory lap. For the second time in his career, Jordan is back in the finals after coming back from retirement.
FINALS
The Kings. The favorites to win it all make it to the finals as was expected, however they struggled to get past the 4th seed Clippers who took them to 7 games. Their respective battles left both finalists with men down. For the Wizards: Rasheed will miss one more game,and Cassell is still out for four. The Kings are missing Peja, their second bet player, who will miss the first 3 games. The Wizards are still very weak, and with only 8 available players. The Kings have a much deeper bench to cover for Peja, and they have home-court advantage.
Game 1: The Kings are strong, but the Wizards manage to match them blow for blow. The one who has been covering for Cassell, Bonzi Wells, plays like he never did before. But there is a teammate who is playing just as well if not better: Michael Jordan. Looking like his old self, he is leading his team. He doesn't know what is like to lose an NBA final and he doesn't plan to find out now.
But Sacramento aren't the favorites for nothing. Even with these two players playing out of their minds they keep the game equal.The first quarter ends with the Wizards up: 23-22. The second quarter both teams score 19 points. On the third, both score 22. Neither team can pull away. With the game about to end the Wizards are up two. The last play of the game goes to the paint, but surprising everyone it's not Webber who gets the ball, not even Vlade. It's Hedo Türkoğlu, and he misses....however, being caught off guard Sprewell fouls him. Hedo, in the most clutch moment of his career nails both free throws and sends the game to OT.
Everyone expects the Kings to take it now. It seems impossible that the battered and tired Wizards can possibly hang on. But yet they do. MJ won't let them lose, not after coming so far. Just like the rest of the game, it's a close affair. The only difference is that this time,when the game is about to end, it's Sacramento who is up by two: 115 to 113. Jordan has the ball. Everyone remembers the play against Detroit, so when he drives in the defense collapses on him, leaving him no chance to score. But what they should be remembering were older plays. They forgot about Steve Kerr, and Jim Paxon, and they forgot about the player that usually was the 7th man of the Wizards rotation, who now got the ball when Jordan passed it out: Rodney Rogers. Both MJ and Bonzi Wells end the game with 27 points. The Wizards steal court home advantage, and Rasheed is coming back.
Game 2: The Kings show that they won't break as easily as the Pistons did. Even after a heart crushing defeat, they come out strong. However with the return of Rasheed Wallace, the Wizards are much stronger and enter the 4th quarter with an 11 point lead. But Chris Webber won't let it end so easily. He leads his team to close the lead and take a one point lead 83-82.
THe next play goes to MJ, who show up once again. Next possession Doug Christie gets fouled and goes to the line. He chokes and only makes one to tie it 84-84. Neither team manages to score again and for the second time in a row the game goes to OT. And when the time comes Jordan can't get up. MJ is spent. After the series with Detroit, the OT victory last game and his performance today where he has 17 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds, he is out of energy. He is just too tired, no matter how much he tries his legs just don't respond. Will the Wizards fold without their leader? No. They do not let him down.
Rasheed stood in the sidelines all those other games so now when he has to cover for MJ he anchors the defense and Sacramento only manages to score 4 more points. And in the offense Bonzi Wells, the man who has covered flawlessly for Sam Cassell, leads the way. After a hard game in regular time, they steamroll the Kings in OT, who seem to have run out of energy.The Wizards go back to Washington and don't plan to return to Sacramento.
Game 3:Inspired by his teams drive and their performance in the last game, a rested MJ comes out guns blazing. The Wizards take a 10 point lead in the first quarter and never look back. MJ again leads the team in scoring with 20 points. The next game Peja returns, and it will be the first time we face them at full strength. But the series is 3-0, so it might be too late for them.
Game 4: The Kings with Peja are a different beast. For the first time in the series they take a lead through the first and second quarter. But Rasheed and Sprewell have their best performances in the series. Jordan and Bonzi Wells also have good games. With the whole team showing up like that, the Kings can't pull away by much and the Wizards turn it around in the third quarter, going into the fourth with a three point lead. By then the Kings just deflate, and resign themselves to the sweep. In front of their fans, the Wizards lift the trophy. The 7th ring for Jordan, who remains undefeated in the finals. In this Finals he averaged 19,5 points - 4 assists - 5 rebounds, the true leader of this group even at 39 years old. So how else could it end but with the words:
Your 2002 Finals MVP is.....Bonzi Wells?! What the hell Basketball GM? Ever heard of narrative?
Well an almost perfect ending anyways. I didn't plan to write so much but it ended up being more emotional and dramatic than I expected. Might re-sim it to see if I can get him the FMVP now that I see he can still perform so well lol. Here are the Season Summary and Jordan's stats. He didn't shoot a single three the whole season. Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did.