Trade, free-agent questions for 22 teams: OKC, Warriors, 76ers, 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.
Oklahoma City Thunder
What is Kevin Durant likely to do?
Kevin Arnovitz: If you're Durant, why not take the LeBron Plan -- a two-year deal with the second year a player option? This allows Durant to kick the can down the road for a year and give it one last go with Westbrook, whose contract expires in the summer of 2017. At that point, Durant can make a long-term decision that takes into account Westbrook's intentions.
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
Chicago Bulls
Should the Bulls trade or build around Jimmy Butler?
Kevin Pelton: From the outside, I think they should build around Butler. What we don't know is how legitimate the concerns are about Butler's chemistry with his teammates and coach Fred Hoiberg. If those problems are likely to continue, Butler's trade value is presumably near its peak. However, it's always challenging to get equal value in return for a star player, so I would be inclined to keep Butler.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Will and should the Cavs trade Kevin Love?
Tom Haberstroh: Yes, and I think they should. I overestimated Love's defensive potential when he came to Cleveland, and it's clear he needs to be on a team with a defensive center where he can flourish as a top option. Boston, Utah and New York should be blowing up Cleveland GM David Griffin's phone with text messages.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Cavs
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
Golden State Warriors
Fact or fiction: The Warriors should pay Harrison Barnes the max, if necessary.
Amin Elhassan: Fact, but only if the other options on the market have been exhausted. Although Barnes is only 24, Golden State's window for championships is now. The Warriors must do whatever they can do to exploit this window, even if that means letting a talented young player walk to gain several more pieces.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the Warriors
Houston Rockets
Is James Harden a reliable foundation for the Rockets' future?
David Thorpe: He is, simply because he is clearly one of the world's best players. He has personality issues that prevent him from being a better leader, but men can grow and change, something a new coach can help to happen.
Remember when Zach Randolph was a guy no one wanted to be around? Now he is the Mayor of Memphis and deservedly so. It's mandatory to spend money on guys, though, who fit well with how Harden is and how he plays.
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
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
New York Knicks
Is it time for the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony to part ways?
Amin 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
Philadelphia 76ers
Should the Sixers trade Nerlens Noel and/or Jahlil Okafor?
Kevin Pelton: If Embiid is healthy, it's hard to see how the Sixers find enough playing time for him, Noel and Okafor when Simmons should ideally be playing power forward and Noel and Okafor were wildly ineffective together last season. So yeah, I'd be looking to trade one of them -- probably Okafor because my perception of his trade value exceeds how I'd value him.
More questions:
For all the answers, check out the 5-on-5 on the future of the 76ers
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