What Each Team Needs to Think About This Offseason

[Xist2Inspire]

San Antonio Spurs
Should we even try this season?
After a disappointing (sorry Eazy) 1-and-done playoff run, the 60-win Spurs are capped out with every major piece returning save Cliff Paugh and maybe Norrin Radd. That leaves minimums and MLE signings as the only way for the Spurs to make roster improvements this season, unless they decide to ship Jaren Jackson Jr's expiring deal out totally, and even then, that would only provide a tiny bit of space. But speaking of expiring contracts, the Spurs have another in Robert Bonnett. After those two come off the books, the Spurs will have a nice amount of cap to maneuver with...which begs the question, should they just coast this year? Yandell and Lewis are improving year by year, signed long-term, and haven't even hit their primes, so there's no real rush to go for it all now. Why not wait a season, stack some points, and see what you'll need to win when you have the cap room to try and do so?

Indiana Pacers
Who do we need to sign in UFA?
Even De'Aaron Fox can't do it alone. And as his prime comes to a close, the Pacers, who will have an impressive amount of cap space, should really only be thinking of one thing: How do we sign as much veteran talent as possible? I know Ronnie Reynolds, who Pauly wants to be an Indy lifer, is an RFA, but everything changed once Fox stepped in the door. The Pacers' only thought should be title contention while he's on their roster, and you're not going to contend by throwing money at an unproven wing. All Pauly's attention should be laser-focused on UFA. Those signings, or lack thereof, will make or break his season.

Los Angeles Lakers
Now or later?
Greeple's somehow managed to create every GM's wet dream scenario - he's entering the offseason with only one contract on his books, and that contract belongs to his best player, 25-year-old blue/purple Delmar Lopez. This provides Greeple with an interesting choice - he can either load his team with vets and push for a title as Delmar enters his prime, or he can toss around huge wads of cash in RFA to try and create a self-sustainable army of young talent with the intention of having multiple years of contention as they all grow together. Either are valid options, and it's extremely rare to have a situation where going all-in either way is equally rewarding.

Washington Wizards
How to capitalize?
Like the Pacers, the Wizards are led by a purple/purple beast, this one by the name of Quintin Kidd. Unlike the Pacers (sorry Pauly), the Wizards are coming into the offseason fresh off of a Finals run derailed by a key injury and a shallow bench. Also unlike the Pacers, the Wizards have a fairly thorny outlook that ruins their rosy cap space. Whereas Indiana can spend their cap freely and bring Fox in whatever he needs, the Wizards have to not only pay their 2nd and 3rd options, but also retain Smallwood in RFA and Cuomo/Washington in UFA. And since that wasn't enough to win the title, banking on a repeat performance with the same group isn't wise. Oh, and Kidd's 28 going on 29, so this is pretty much the last chance for the Wizards to put a title-worthy quad around him. So the question isn't if the Wizards will finally break the bank, it's how much will they spend, and who will they spend it on?

Denver Nuggets
Should we blow it up? (Again?)
Injuries derailed the Nuggets' latest about-face from "we're rebuilding" to "we're competing." While it'd be sad to see that roster never get a shot at fulfilling Syndicate's original plan, the fact is that Garvin's a free agent, Bjorn's 32 with a contract that gets more unmovable by the day, Stoll's 27 and on his own hefty deal, and the Nuggets now own all of their picks going forward. While I don't doubt Syndicate's ability to pull a surprise Finals run outta nowhere, or his ability to unload an "unloadable" deal far beyond the original expiration date, at some point it's just time to bite the bullet, and maybe this is the time.

Sacramento Kings
Who do we pair with Hayes?
As one of the teams strongly in the running for one of the two PPPs in draft, the only thing the Kings are really interested in this offseason are the lotto results. As such, there's nothing else to say at this time. EDIT: So, it looks like the Kings ended up with #2. The question of who to draft now brings up a much bigger argument: How much is a low purple is worth vs. a high blue? Whitley's a shaky purple prospect, and ultimately may turn out worse than the blue prospects beneath him. However, few GMs have turned down that particular color, so it'll be interesting to see how Nola handles this.

Atlanta Hawks
Who and what can we flip for points?

Milwaukee Bucks
What next?
After a...you know what, maybe I shouldn't have been the one to write this article. The Bucks have little cap to work with, but they also have Morant/Rodriquez/Haile. Haile in particular is the leader of the next generation of Bucks, alongside Olney and Pastor. Look, we all know Quail isn't going to stand pat. So what's going to go down? Stay tuned!

Orlando Magic
Is it over?
The Return of Boban almost, almost was a success, as the Magic took the Pacers to 7 in Round 1 and fell just short. But now that is has, the Magic really need to think about where they're going. Last season was the result of an extremely slow half-rebuilding effort that saw Bronny fail to be the hero Orlando needs, and yet still remain on the roster. This time around, he and Candelaria are the only notable talents on a thin roster, and whatever cap space they have will get eaten up before UFA by RFA Richard Hunt...who's 26. After that, it would then become about retaining chronic underperformer Josh Schumann, debating on whether or not to bring back Boban, and cobbling together whatever other pieces they can find, and hope that Bronny and Josh finally get it together in a consistently tough conference. At that point, you have to look at the fact that you own all of your picks and wonder, is it really worth it? Why not cut ties completely, get what you can for what you have, and start from scratch?

Philadelphia 76ers
Are we there yet?
The 76ers have had a strange build-up to their first playoff appearance, seemingly alternating at will between stacking enough young talent to make the Suns blush, and bringing in whatever veteran talent they can afford to. The latest step in that plan saw them deal off some talent in order to pick up Josh Hart to help push them to the playoffs, and it worked! So now, with Hart and Cage on the way out, and Wiseman headed for a payday, K100 needs to decide if this is the squad he was hoping to build. If so, the the plan is simple: Re-sign Wiseman, bring in whatever talent you can with the cap you have left, and roll with it. If not, then Long probably needs to go, and K100 should then use the cap left over to continue tailoring his team to what he wants it to be. Either way, a decision will have to be made right now.

Brooklyn Nets
Who do we actually want to be here?
The Nets have had one of the quietest rebuilds I've seen in a while, and while I don't doubt that a dry trade market probably has the most to do with it, there's also a hint of indecision lingering around RPF's office. I'm only saying this is because of two things: Peter Harker's newly minted bust status, and the fact that Jame Hector was put on the block during the season. Harker's merely a disappointing blow to a Shuo/Harker tandem, but Hector, who's only 25 and already on the hook for 2 more years on a hefty deal, isn't really the kind of guy you'd put on the block when you're looking to start anew. And now Wesson's on the block too, even though he's Hector but cheaper. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it seems as if RPF's having a little trouble figuring out just how much he wants to renovate his roster. Ideally, a reset would be better (and probably easier) than a full-fledged rebuild, but with Clay Waters on the hook for a RFA deal, there isn't much time left to figure out who should stay and who should go.

Cleveland Cavs
Is it time to put more effort in?
The Cavs have somehow managed to sustain themselves for years on semi-autopilot, with LHamilton showing up just often enough to make sure nothing goes totally wrong. That strategy failed last offseason when LHamilton neglected to check in during RFA and lost Ronald Haile for nothing. Haile then proceeded to effectively replace Joshua Schumann and help the Bucks go on a major playoff run. And even with that major gaffe, the Cavs still did okay. Make no mistake, this team has playoff potential now that Petit's bloated contract is off the books and Chris Ridley has gone purple. However, it all hinges on whether or not LHamilton deems the Cavs worthy of his attention. If not, he stands to lose both Harms and Dodge during Free Agency, and from there it's a steep fall into the depths of a deep rebuilding effort around Cassel and BBJ.

New York Knicks
How'd we win 31 games?
Seriously, figuring out how an obvious tank job turned into a 31-win season should be the top thing on Kavarga's To Think About list, if only to determine how to squash it so that it doesn't happen again. Once all silly notions of "winning," "pride," and "competitiveness," have been fully expunged from MSG, he can then proceed to tank properly.

Chicago Bulls
Can we keep this going?
As champs, there really isn't too much to worry about. Technically, your plans have already paid off. Still, looking at the Bulls' roster, there is an interesting (and obvious) question: Should they go for a repeat? Hayes is the only significant contributor who's a free agent. Feliciano and Turney will only get better. Silky's in his prime. And while Allen and Barrett have clearly been aging, they're still a long ways off from being negative value. Add that to the fact that Allen and Barrett are also both expirings (Allen has a team option), and even though Garbageman's never hesitated to unload talent when they've served their purpose, and has been quite successful doing so, the Bulls really have nothing to lose from loading up with some minimums/MLE signings and giving it another go.

Utah Jazz
Can we stop biting on certain trade offers?
While the Jazz do have a very critical offseason coming up thanks to Bias and Udoka hitting the open market, if Digiskunk's going to be seriously involved in the league this season, he really should use this time to reflect. He's developed a bit of reputation as an easy mark over the years, with a knack for losing good talent. Like, really good talent. There was a meme about it. Seriously, two Jazz alumni just faced off in the Finals, and one took home MVP. And if his year in Toronto was any indication, Brooks Jackson might be the next to add to the list of former Jazz prospects-turned-superstars. The Jazz just had their best season in ages, led by two guys who Digiskunk steadfastly refused to let go. Maybe there's something to that strategy?

Los Angeles Clippers
How quickly can we make our move?
The Clippers have one more year left of Sabo and Lopez, and Sabo in particular is the kind of guy who you want to make every season you have with him count. However, the Clippers have a problem. They have very little cap space, and what little they do have will be eaten up by Terry Sterner come RFA. That doesn't leave a lot of time for Mamba to bring in a solid piece or two, but he really has to, or else he'll be stuck with roughly the same team as now, only a bit worse with no MLE to help.

Phoenix Suns
Will Messi 2.0 ever resurface?

Houston Rockets
What are we even doing?
Timo Cruz, Modestine Digimon, Justin Todd, Michael Essex, Deni Avdija, Jerry West? The Rockets' season was one of the oddest collections of talent I'd seen in quite a bit, and after years of silently putting out sleeper threats, it appears that 78's madcap genius needs to be applied to building something new rather than....well, whatever's going on now. Honestly, I'm excited to see what an avant-garde 78 rebuilding project looks like, it's been so long.

Portland Trailblazers
What are we waiting for?
They're waiting for Lugentz Dort to dominate, duh. But seriously, Bow has made it abundantly clear that he's still tinkering and figuring out who he wants to run with going forward. But time waits for no one, and now both Brooks and Lynch are UFAs. Now I doubt they're a part of his plans, but it's probably about time that Bow makes a definitive statement on who his core is gonna be and starts making moves to put pieces around them. Brooks and Lynch are just the start, if he waits too long to make a decision, he runs the risk of losing guys for either chump change or nothing. Lutes and Mitchell are the next up after this, so...better hurry.

Oklahoma City Thunder
How do I hold all this cap space?
It's not the most cap space in the league, but it's a lot. After burning down the roster, all the Thunder have left are Scot Bulter's bulging deal (he will likely be traded), Daniel Oturu (he will probably be a centerpiece), and Arturs Zagars' leg (which will be rehabilitated). The reason why I think AB's cap room is so interesting is because it doesn't seem like he's interested in using it. AB's been pretty clear on his intent to rebuild, so cap space means nothing to him unless it comes with enticing salary dump trades. Not sure how many of those are out there though.

Miami Heat
Do we really have to pay these guys?
The Leiker trade really paid off for LogP, going from 26 wins to 53 and making it to the conference finals before getting stomped out by the Bulls. But now here comes the hard part - only Thomas, Hughes, and Harrison are on contract entering this offseason. Morley and Leonard are UFAs, while Barton, Guyer, and Leiker are UFAs. That's quite a lot of key talent on tap for paydays, and Leiker is guaranteed a max. Basically, LogP has a lot of work to do when it comes to determining which non-Leiker guys deserve to get paid, and which ones will keep last season from being a fluke.

New Orleans Pelicans
Am I ready for another rebuild?
After abandoning a previous rebuilding plan to pivot hard towards contention, time appears to have caught up with Nick's squad. The majority of his team is heading towards Free Agency now, and given their ages, paying too much to retain their services is probably a bad idea. It seems like it's time to start over, but...Deuce and Cam are still around for at least one more season. There's serious talent in Free Agency. If Nick wants to, he can cobble together something interesting to ride out the end of his 30-year-olds' contracts, but there really is no better time than the present to call it quits and start planning ahead for the seasons to come.

Detroit Pistons
Who else can I grab?
It's been a banner season for Balls in all facets of SLOE (both sim and real life), as taking a team on life support and making them a sleeper contender earned him GMOY honors. But as we all know, Balls wants contention stones for his gauntlets, not participation jewels, and so the prime thing that should be (and is) on his mind in sim is how to get his squad what they need to reach the next level. It'll have to be through smart min and MLE usage, as they're capped out and might not even bring back Elisha Davis if the price is wrong. I'm expecting at least one Wig-level WTF minimum signing from Balls this offseason.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Why did I trade for Luka?
I mean, in the end it all worked out anyway, as Harker proved to be a bust and Wolfgang is a great pickup. The Wolves are in a great spot with the OG/Mitchell/DW trio, and honestly, they can completely no-show this offseason after the draft and still come out looking nice. Still, some reflection is needed on why the sudden swerve to put Luka on a clearly not-ready squad was made, so that it doesn't happen again with this crew. The next time might not turn out nearly as well.

Toronto Raptors
Do I strike now?
Despite having both a 23-year-old B/P and a 23-year-old pure PG, Sound actually doesn't have a lot of time left to let his guys grow. Loredo's already on a max deal, Chadwick's about to get one in UFA, and then Brooks Jackson will come around looking for a bag next offseason. Point is, cap is about to be looking real scarce in Toronto, and so if Sound has any aims on building a contender, it'll be much easier to be proactive about it now than it will be later.

Dallas Mavericks
What do I do with Don?
The Mavs/Bucks trade earlier in the season was a strange one to me. While I know that it helped Quail get out of the tax, I didn't understand why he would trade away his only bit of depth at the PG slot. On LPH's end, I didn't understand why he would take on Sanchez and put himself in a position where he might have to go further into the cap for the sake of retaining an unproven talent. Even though their draft pick will definitely help matters, I can't help but think that this team's not going to make much noise again next season, and there's few things worse than being a lotto team with a tax bill. What LPH decides to do with Don will probably have a pretty big impact on the kind (or lack of) moves he'll have to make going forward.

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