Free Agency Primer: Team Needs
I was supposed to roadmap every franchise’s offseason, but Danny Leroux copped my idea. So, here’s what I’ll do today — it’s a two-part column. Here, we’ll consider the players each team should target based on their state and cap space situation. You can find the other part here.
Atlanta Hawks
Cap space: None to $10 million
Team needs: Backup point guard, Paul Millsap replacement
Prime target: Resign Tim Hardaway, Jr., Ty Lawson or Milos Teodosic
Secondary targets: Langston Galloway, Patrick Patterson
Millsap is as good as gone, so the Hawks should plug and play with a stretch four who can defend a little. The Hawks need to build for the future, around their core of (gulp) Schröder, Hardaway, Prince, and Howard. A backup point guard who’s better than Malcolm Delaney could help their rotation, too. Teodosic could be interesting here.
Boston Celtics
Cap space: $18–26 million
Team needs: Wing scorer and rebounding bigs
Prime target: Gordon Hayward
Secondary targets: Blake Griffin (but only on a short term deal), Taj Gibson
Boston would be best served to stand pat with their picks, let their young players gain playoff reps, and keep trying to make the Conference Finals. That being said, they have max space to sign another scorer. Gordon Hayward would be a seamless fit in the four- or five-out offense. I personally really like the Horford next to Griffin rotation, but only if Griffin gets a short term deal, something like a 2+1 max deal. A Griffin-Horford frontline would easily be the best passing big tandem in the league, and Griffin’s defensive liabilities and spacing issues would be mitigated by Horford’s rim protection and shooting, and Horford’s bad rebounding can be helped by Griffin’s defensive rebounding ability. Taj Gibson is also an interesting upgrade from Amir Johnson.
Brooklyn Nets
Cap space: $22–32 million
Team needs: Everything
Prime target: Otto Porter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Secondary targets: Any other RFA on the marker
Brooklyn needs to take risks because there’s no downside for them. They should offer max contracts to KCP and Porter, for no other reason than to push drive their contracts higher. Other young free agents would be helpful — Willie Reed, Ben McLemore, etc.
Charlotte Hornets
Cap space: None
Team needs: Shooting wings, backup point guard
Prime target: Bojan Bogdanovic
Secondary targets: Langston Galloway, Deron Williams
The Hornets need to capitalize on their lottery pick to maximize this offseason, but replacing Ramon Sessions with a combo guard who can play point behind Walker and shooting guard alongside him is important. Galloway is a good fit; so is Deron Williams. But the Hornets need cheap offense. Bogdanovic could definitely play big minutes for this team, even helping MKG slide to power forward, where he might be best suited given his offensive trajectory.
Chicago Bulls
Cap space: None to $52 million
Team needs: Shooting
Prime target: Gordon Hayward
Secondary targets: Resign Nikola Mirotic, George Hill
If the Bulls can free up cap space by allowing Wade to opt out and not resigning Rondo and Mirotic, they can sign George Hill and Gordon Hayward and still have room to sign some low-tier free agents, like Luke Babbitt and Willie Reed. A Hill, Butler, Hayward trio with Lopez and insert combo forward here is a pretty good team in the East.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cap space: None
Team needs: 3-and-D players, backup point guard
Prime target: Tony Snell or James Johnson
Secondary targets: Sergio Rodriguez, Shelvin Mack
The Cavs, regardless of the outcome of the Finals, need players who can play in a series against the Warriors. If they can clear up some mid-level room, making a play for a wing defender like Tony Snell or James Johnson would be ideal. They can also try to convince a veteran point guard who has some playmaking and defensive ability to take a minimum contract to play behind Irving, someone like Mack perhaps.
Dallas Mavericks
Cap space: $22–30 millions
Team needs: Starting caliber point guard
Prime target: Jeff Teague or Jrue Holiday
Secondary targets: Resign Yogi Ferrell
With Nerlens Noel under contract, the Mavs need a pick-and-roll partner for the rim-runner. A point guard rotation of Teague or Holiday and Ferrell would be adequate given Nowitzki’s shooting prowess, Barnes’s scoring punch, and Carlisle’s schemes. Finding another bigger wing for defensive purposes could also help, someone like P.J. Tucker or Robert Covington.
Denver Nuggets
Cap space: None to $12 million
Team needs: Point guard, scoring forward
Prime target: Resign Danilo Gallinari, Patty Mills
Secondary targets: Milos Teodosic
The Nuggets have Mudiay and Murray, both of whom could be the Nuggets point guard of the future. Until then, they need a stop-gap, someone who can play off-ball just as well as he can with the ball in his hands. Patty Mills fits the bill, even though Teodosic’s existing chemistry with Jokic could be interesting. Resigning Gallinari will give this playoff fringe the continuity it needs to improve.
Detroit Pistons
Cap space: None
Team needs: Shooting wings
Prime target: Resign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Secondary targets: None
The Pistons are tied up with bad contracts, especially with Leuer and Marjanovic tying up more than $25 million in salary. Retaining KCP is of utmost importance to continue the spread pick-and-roll system around Jackson and Drummond. Should the Pistons not want to resign him, Justin Holiday could be a cheap replacement.
Golden State Warriors
Cap space: None
Team needs: Seriously?
Prime target: Resign Steph Curry and Kevin Durant
Secondary targets: None
Fuck Joe Lacob.
Houston Rockets
Cap space: $10–12 million
Team needs: Secondary creator, defensive big
Prime target: Gordon Hayward
Secondary targets: Serge Ibaka, Willie Reed
The Rockets have plenty of complementary scorers in Anderson, Gordon, and Williams. But another player who can shoulder the offensive load as the primary would go a long way. Gordon Hayward would be an ideal fit. Ibaka could be an interesting addition as well, both alongside and behind Capela.
Indiana Pacers
Cap space: $18–32 million
Team needs: Youth if Paul George gets traded, shooting wings, backup bigs
Prime target: Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap
Secondary targets: J.J. Redick, Ben McLemore, James Young
The Pacers should try their best to get picks from Paul George’s eventual departure. And should he be traded, they take over the Nets-ian philosophy of taking a chance on young prospects that were overlooked by other teams, like Ben McLemore and James Young. They could also throw money at restricted free agents like KCP or Otto Porter and hope they land them or drive the price up for conference rivals. Otherwise, they’ll need to convince George that they’re trying their level best to build a contending team. So, they have to surround him with complementary players that can play defense and shoot, pieces like Gordon Hayward, J.J. Redick, and the dark horse Paul Millsap. Finding a way to shed Ellis and Jefferson would help build a scary good offensive team. Another option could be to replace Teague with a better point guard, perhaps throwing money at Kyle Lowry.
Los Angeles Clippers
Cap space: None to $37 million
Team needs: Wings
Prime target: Resign Chris Paul and Blake Griffin
Secondary targets: C.J. Miles, Thabo Sefolosha
There’s nothing else for the Clippers to do than to roll it back and hope for less injuries. They won’t be able to afford to resign Redick, so they need to replace him with either better defensive wings like Sefolosha or cheap shooters like Miles.
Los Angeles Lakers
Cap space: $17–23 millions
Team needs: Rim-running big, veterans on the cheap
Prime target: None, keep eyes open for thrown aways
Secondary targets: Dewayne Dedmon, Willie Reed
The Lakers have a clear path to success. Draft well and just develop the right way. They can supplement the growth of their prospects by making them compete for minutes against players that are fighting to stick in the league — players like Ben McLemore, K.J. McDaniels, or Alex Poythress (if they sign for a 1 year, $3–5 million). In the meantime, splurging a little on a center who can protect the rim and finish like Dedmon or Reed would be a good fit.
Memphis Grizzlies
Cap space: None
Team needs: Stretch four, cheap wing
Prime target: Resign JaMychal Green
Secondary targets: Ron Baker, Edwin Jackson, or James Young
The Grizzlies are straddled with what is probably the worst contract in the NBA: Chandler Parsons. That being said, renouncing Zach Randolph will give them some room to resign Green and some young wings to minimum contracts. If not, they’ll have to pick apart the G-League again for spare parts.
Miami Heat
Cap space: $22–36 million
Team needs: Shooting wings, backup point guard
Prime target: Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap
Secondary targets: Resign James Johnson and Dion Waiters
Add a wing scorer to this team and they’re probably nearly a 50 win team. Hayward will fit perfectly with Spoelstra’s offense. If Hayward’s not an option, a short term contract for Paul Millsap is a good fit next to Whiteside. They can also resign their breakout standouts in Johnson and Waiters and roll it back, hoping Young and their 14th pick pan out.
Milwaukee Bucks
Cap space: None to about $10 million
Team needs: Low-usage bigs and wings
Prime target: James Johnson
Secondary targets: Resign Tony Snell, Robert Covington, Dewayne Dedmon
The most ideal scenario for the Bucks will be if they can move Henson’s salary and Monroe opts out. They can then shore up wing or big man depth in the draft (someone like Justin Patton or Justin Jackson) and then supplement the roster with defensive and heady veterans like Johnson, Covington, or Dedmon. Resigning Tony Snell at a reasonable price (3 years, $30–32 million) could also be a priority.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Cap space: $26–33 million
Team needs: Stretch four, 3-and-D wings, viable point guard
Prime target: Paul Millsap, Serge Ibaka
Secondary targets: James Johnson, Joe Ingles
Minnesota have their primary and secondary scorers figured out in Towns and Wiggins. Finding a third scorer, either in the form of trading for a starting point guard or a stretch four that can supplement Towns is ideal if the Timberwolves want to start making the playoffs. If Jonathan Isaac falls to them at the seventh pick, the Timberwolves can throw money at a restricted free agent like KCP or Otto Porter to pair with Wiggins on the wing. If not, adding a veteran forward like Millsap or Ibaka can alleviate some of their defensive and shooting woes.
New Orleans Pelicans
Cap space: None to about $12–13 million
Team needs: Facilitating point guard, wings
Prime target: Resign Jrue Holiday
Secondary targets: C.J. Miles, Tim Hardaway, Jr.
New Orleans, first and foremost, need to throw as much money as they can muster towards Jrue Holiday to maintain their trio of Holiday, Cousins, and Davis. If not, a point guard like Patty Mills or Shaun Livingston might be the only other option to split time with Tim Frazier. Adding a shooting wing will also open up the floor for their twin towers.
New York Knicks
Cap space: None to $15 million
Team needs: Point guard, defensive center
Prime target: Kyle Lowry
Secondary targets: George Hill, Dewayne Dedmon, Aron Baynes
I have no clue what the Knicks are doing. Their 8th pick in this NBA draft will yield, at worst, a rotation player, but until they can ditch the triangle offense and find a point guard of the future, they’re going nowhere. If they’re in win-now mode, Kyle Lowry and Dedmon could be gotten with some cap machinations. That could be an interesting upgrade from last year’s Rose-Noah 1–5 combo.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Cap space: None
Team needs: Backup point guard, 3-and-D wings
Prime target: Resign Andre Roberson
Secondary targets: Langston Galloway, Milos Teodosic, Thabo Sefolosha
Andre Roberson is a top three perimeter defender. He needs to be on the Thunder team moving forward. The next move is to upgrade from Semaje Christon. A combo point guard like Galloway or Teodosic gives the Thunder the ability to rest Russ and also play him alongside other creators. If Roberson gets a max contract and the Thunder choose not to resign him, Thabo Sefolosha could be a facsimile.
Orlando Magic
Cap space: $12–16 million
Team needs: 3-and-D wings, stretch bigs
Prime target: Danilo Gallinari
Secondary targets: C.J. Miles, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Mike Muscala
The Magic are in a weird situation. If all goes well, they could have their backcourt of the future, drafting Ntilikina or Smith, Jr. and Ferguson in the first round. If they miss, they need to save their cap space to resign Gordon and Payton. Danilo Gallinari would be a decent fit next to Gordon and wouldn’t strap them for cash. More shooting in the form of Miles or Hardaway couldn’t hurt either. If the Hawks don’t resign Muscala, his stretchiness would be helpful for a team that has some awkward frontcourt fits.
Philadelphia 76ers
Cap space: $36–46 million
Team needs: Shooting
Prime target: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Secondary targets: Tim Hardaway, Jr., Otto Porter, J.J. Redick
Any addition of shooting, at any of the perimeter positions would be a nice safety valve for the Simmons-Embiid-2017 3rd pick trio. KCP might not be a consistent three point shooter, but his defensive prowess makes up for a shaky stroke. And if his three-point shooting improves to about 38–40 percent, he’s the perfect two-guard next to a frontcourt of Simmons, Saric, and Embiid.
Phoenix Suns
Cap space:$8–15 million
Team needs: None
Prime target: Resign Alan Williams
Secondary targets: None
The Suns should stand pat this free agency period. They have a wing coming in, in either Tatum or Josh Jackson. They have a budding primary scorer in Devin Booker. And one of Chriss or Bender should pan out. They should let Alex Len walk, and if no one signs him, throw him an extending offer. If not, keeping Alan Williams and his toughness should be the only move they consider this offseason, in terms of free agency. Trading Eric Bledsoe, however, should be a priority.
Portland Trail Blazers
Cap space: None
Team needs: Bigger wings
Prime target: No one
Secondary targets: Luke Babbitt, Thabo Sefolosha
Portland has no cap space and basically no open roster spots. Any kind of defensive or shooting help in the forward spots will help. I still contend that the Blazers should trade McCollum and their picks for a stab at Paul George and a George-Lillard-Nurkic core.
Sacramento Kings
Cap space: $10–15 million
Team needs: Combo forwards, veteran point guard
Prime target: Shabazz Muhammad
Secondary targets: Darren Collison, Jose Calderon
Am I stupid to think that the Kings aren’t in a terrible situation? They can conceivably end up with De’Aaron Fox and Lauri Markkanen, and they throw out the core of Fox, Hield, 3-and-D prospect, Markkanen, and Labissiere/Cauley-Stein. Even though that starting lineup will drop games, many games, probably 50–55 games, it’s still exciting. Hit another lottery pick out the park in 2018, and the Kings could have something brewing.
San Antonio Spurs
Cap space: None to $24 million
Team needs: Point guard, athletic bigs
Prime target: Chris Paul
Secondary targets: Resign Dewayne Dedmon and Patty Mills, Gordon Hayward
The Spurs, if they somehow get Parker, Ginobili, and Gasol’s contracts off the books, can sign a top free-agent. That’ll allow them to grab Chris Paul or Gordon Hayward and finally have a second creator next to Leonard. If they can’t, it’s important to resign the weapons and keep moving forward.
Toronto Raptors
Cap space: None
Team needs: Uh…
Prime target: Resign Kyle Lowry
Secondary targets: Resign Serge Ibaka, K.J. McDaniels
The Raptors have reached their peak: a 55-win team at best and a flame out in the postseason. Keeping the Lowry-DeRozan-Ibaka core will keep them there. They can take a chance on a young, fluttering prospect like McDaniels or McLemore to bolster their depth alongside Norman Powell, but they’re pretty much stuck.
Utah Jazz
Cap space: None to $27 million
Team needs: Versatility in the power forward sport
Prime target: Resign Gordon Hayward
Secondary targets: Resign George Hill or throw money at Chris Paul
The Jazz have a solid path to contention — bring back the team, develop Hood, Lyles, and Exum, and run the team back over and over again. That requires them to resign Hayward as their primary scorer. The point guard is the next topic of discussion. Throwing money at and signing Chris Paul would be the dream, but the retention of Hill wouldn’t be the worst stop-gap until Exum figures it out.
Washington Wizards
Cap space: None
Team needs: Bench scoring
Prime target: Resign Otto Porter
Secondary targets: Ty Lawson, Justin Holiday
The Washington starting five was one of the best lineups in the league. If the Wizards have to max out Porter to retain that lineup, they have no other option. Shoring up the bench with cheap pieces that fit would also help. Oubre and Mahimni are still viable bench options. Lawson and Holiday could add a little offensive pop and defensive versatility.
