Trade, free-agent questions for 18 teams: Wolves, OKC, Clips, more
-- We're talking about the big trades, the big free agents, the big decisions to come. Our NBA Insiders go 5-on-5 on what to expect in the next few weeks.
The 16 teams covered so far: the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Fact or Fiction: The Timberwolves should spend their cap space this offseason
Kevin Pelton: Fiction. Minnesota will be better positioned to strike in free agency in 2017, when the team will likely be a better draw for top free agents and will have more money available to spend.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Wolves
Oklahoma City Thunder
What kind of trades should OKC consider?
Kevin Pelton: Despite the development of Waiters and Andre Roberson, I'd love to add another two-way wing player to make it easier for coach Billy Donovan to go small and put Roberson at power forward without having to cut the rotation as dramatically as Donovan did in the Western Conference finals. However, I wouldn't overpay for such a player before considering Josh Huestis in that role.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Thunder
Atlanta Hawks
Fact or Fiction: Atlanta should offer Al Horford a max contract.
Kevin Pelton: It certainly shouldn't be their first offer, given the likelihood that the last year of that contract ($33.6 million in 2020-21, when Horford will be 34) will get ugly. But if it's the only way to re-sign Horford, I would reluctantly say yes because I think another team would still be willing to acquire Horford early in the deal, when it's more favorable, should the Hawks go another direction.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Hawks
Boston Celtics
Should the Celtics stay the course or make moves to contend for the title next season?
Bradford Doolittle: Boston's biggest star is its coach, Brad Stevens. On the roster, they have a number of solid young professionals. Now is the time to make a splash and bring some definition to a squad laden with redundancy. Go get a top big man (like Al Horford, Dwight Howard or Brook Lopez) and a scoring wing (Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, DeMar DeRozan), and this all comes into focus.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Celtics
Charlotte Hornets
What is the ideal Hornets frontcourt of the future?
Justin Verrier: Their base look -- Williams at 4, Zeller at the 5 -- works. Zeller, with his aw-shucks demeanor, may not be the sexiest option, but his screen-setting, improving midrange game and physical defense allowed the Hornets to bomb away at the league's fourth-highest rate.
Clifford can adjust, as evidenced by the retro look when Al Jefferson plays, but the Hornets should add more options with range, speed and passing, not limit themselves with a high-priced, older and often injured star like Dwight Howard.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
What should the Dirk plan be?
Jeremias Engelmann: I think it makes sense for him to play another season, but he might want to call it a career before 2017-18 if the Mavs can't significantly improve the roster. That gives him about a year to share the secrets of his patented one-legged fadeaway with Dallas' bigs.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Fact or Fiction: Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond are a championship-level foundation.
Kevin Pelton: Fiction. Look at the best players on championship teams in modern NBA history. They've generally been top-10 players, and I'm not sure Drummond will get to that point. Jackson has the potential to become an above-average No. 2 option, but is unlikely to end up better than Drummond.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Pistons
Houston Rockets
Will and should Dwight Howard return?
Tom Haberstroh: I don't see that happening, which seemed like an impossibility when he joined in 2013. I suspect Howard will end up in Dallas where he can team up with Dirk Nowitzki, be pampered by Mark Cuban and take part in the fountain of youth there. After ranking ninth on the roster in usage rate, my guess is Howard feels as if the Houston thing has run its course.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Rockets
Indiana Pacers
What's your take on the hiring of Nate McMillan as head coach?
Kevin Pelton: While he doesn't exactly fit Bird's stated desire to play faster, McMillan can transition the Pacers to the four-out style Bird wants the Pacers to play. Remember, McMillan's 2004-05 Sonics team that played eventual champion San Antonio as tough as anyone in the playoffs relied heavily on Vladimir Radmanovic as a stretch-4, and some of McMillan's best Blazers lineups had LaMarcus Aldridge in the middle with Gerald Wallace sliding down to power forward.
If retaining assistant Dan Burke can help Indiana maintain its defensive integrity, McMillan's ability to build offenses that combine lots of 3s with strong offensive rebounding could juice the offense.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
For several years, there has been talk of breaking up the Clippers. What is your take on this idea?
Kevin Arnovitz: If you break it up, what exactly are you getting in return? As currently constituted, let's say the Clippers have a 10-15 percent chance of getting where they want to go. Not great, but a puncher's chance. If detonating yields a series of deals that moves that number to 20 percent, go for it. But if there's little value in return, they're probably better off playing the 7-1 or 8-1 odds.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Clippers
Miami Heat
What should the Heat do about mercurial center Hassan Whiteside?
Amin Elhassan: That's the four-year, approximately $92-million question. The Heat darn near had to beg and plead to get Whiteside to buy in when he was making the non-guaranteed minimum, so I don't see how paying him $20-plus million a year will get his attention. That said, he was really productive down the stretch in the regular season, and if you let him go, you have the instant issue of figuring out how to replace him.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Heat
Memphis Grizzlies
What's your take on the hiring of David Fizdale?
David Thorpe: Memphis was wise to promote assistant coach Dave Joerger in 2013 -- top assistants like Joerger then and Fizdale now should get strong consideration more often.
There are not a lot of similarities between the Miami and Memphis franchises, with the Grizzlies enduring a lot of turmoil the past two years. Perhaps the new coach can help settle down a franchise that has some quality talent on its roster and a great fan base.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Grizzlies
New York Knicks
Is it time for the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony to part ways?
Amin Elhassan: Elhassan: Melo's no-trade clause notwithstanding, it's time to aggressively shop him. If they can get a first-round pick for him, great. But waiting until after the first week of free agency might yield some desperate suitors who have struck out in the market and want something to show for their cap space.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Knicks
Portland Trail Blazers
What's missing in Portland?
Bradford Doolittle: As well as the Lillard-McCollum-Crabbe backcourt played, in the long run the Blazers are going to need a dynamic defensive presence in the middle to make it work on both ends. Also, you'd like to see a little more of an offensive standout at small forward, though I really like the way Al-Farouq Aminu has come along.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Fact or Fiction: The Kings should keep and build around DeMarcus Cousins.
Tom Haberstroh: Fiction. Ranadive or Cousins -- one's going to have to go before this organization can take a serious step toward relevance. Ranadive has shown almost no ability to maximize a top-10 talent like Cousins. And I don't see Ranadive being the one to step away.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Fact or fiction: In terms of basketball decisions, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili should retire.
Kevin Arnovitz: In basketball terms, probably. But it's unseemly for anyone to tell a grown professional when and why they should stop working.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Should the Raptors max out DeMar DeRozan?
Amin Elhassan: Yes, for two reasons. 1. Because he wants to be there, and that's crucial to building any sort of sustainable culture of success. 2. Because regardless of how you feel about his current market value, in a year the inevitable cap inflation will correct for it and he'll increase in value by default.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Raptors
Washington Wizards
How likely are the Wizards to sign Kevin Durant with Brooks now in Washington?
Tom Haberstroh: 5 percent. The Wizards had a disastrous season, and there are a lot of questions surrounding Bradley Beal's health going forward. I'm not sure Durant sees enough reliable star power in the nation's capital to tempt him away from Westbrook.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Wizards