Front Office Decisions
To win you have to make difficult choices
In the NBA and all sports leagues worldwide, certain decisions can shift the trajectory of a franchise for many years to come. Some teams will soon come to a crossroads and here are some suggestions on how this should be handled moving forward.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have been put in a reasonably tricky position this offseason, re-sign Bradley Beal to an enormous contract or let him go. There was a third option in there to sign & trade him, but unfortunately, Beal was not inclined to take that option as it would limit the years and money he could have received. Instead the Wizards to into the 2022–23 season with Beal on a new 5 yr/$251 million contract, with a full-on no-trade clause (NTC). This is only the 10th time in league history for that type of NTC to be offered.
While the NTC makes trading Bradley Beal more difficult, ultimately that is the move they will need to make to gain future relevance. Since he can dictate the destination the Wizards will be forced to find a contender or borderline contender willing to give up young players and future picks. With Bradley Beal on the team, the Wizards likely will not mount any significant playoff push without sacrificing much of their youth and future picks. I highly recommend against that and pulling the trigger on trading Bradley Beal, especially considering that I expect him to request a trade when he’s eligible to be traded again.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks made a bit of a splash this summer by signing Jalen Brunson while stirring up a little bit of controversy as well. When it comes to tough decisions, it’s just as much about the decisions you don’t make as the ones that you do. The Knicks will hit a point this summer when they’ll have to choose which path to take in their pursuit of Donovan Mitchell.
Somehow we have reached a point where Donovan Mitchell is becoming underrated. The problem for the Knicks is that the Utah Jazz organization has a very clear perception of his value. While it would be enticing to pair up Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell as backcourt mates, this under-sized duo could cost a pretty penny to put together.
After seeing the haul the Jazz requested and received for center Rudy Robert, one can only imagine the price tag for Mitchell. The Knicks would be forced to give up all their young promising prospects along with all foreseeable draft capital. All of that to end up as a middling playoff team at best is just not worth it despite the excitement we expect Spida Mitchell could bring to the Madison Square Garden (MSG) audience.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors front office has been claiming they are “Light Years” ahead for a while now. For that reason, I am certain they’ve already had some discussions about what you’ll be reading next. Whether or not they have the guts to pull the trigger is the only remaining question.
Following the 2022–23 season, there will be key decisions to make for this team and the front office must plan ahead to navigate these waters. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole will both be due new contracts while Draymond Green has a player option. In order to continue sustained excellence, this situation must be managed perfectly, or the Warriors risk losing multiple players who were key in this recent championship run.
The way the game of basketball has evolved, a player like Stephen Curry is able to significantly increase the span of his prime, but with him, the roster must evolve as well. The true decision point will be in trading away a piece of their “big three”. It will not be Stephen Curry, so that leaves either Klay Thompson or Draymond Green.
Let’s talk about Klay Thompson first. He finally returned this season after missing back-to-back years due to an ACL and then subsequently Achilles injuries. He certainly showed flashes throughout the playoffs that lead you to believe the old version of Klay is still there and the history of these injuries would also indicate that the 2nd season back is really the time he can get his footing. Klay is far too beloved with the Warriors’ fanbase to truly trade him away.
Draymond Green has already come out talking about how he feels he deserves a max extension and expressed some frustration with the belief that he does not deserve this. He is the heart and soul of the Warriors’ defense but has become a black hole on the offensive end for several seasons. While his legacy may traditionally dictate that he deserves a max contract, his contributions certainly no longer justify a $40mil+/year contract.
The ideal situation and first priority for this franchise should be to convince Draymond Green to negotiate a new contract that is not nearly close to the max contract. If they want to really play the odds right, they can have an under-the-table discussion about signing a shorter contract now with a much larger extension once the new NBA TV rights deal passes, causing a significant spike in the salary cap. If this situation cannot be worked out, then someone will likely need to be traded.
While it would be difficult to explain to the fanbase why Klay Thompson was traded, his current skill set is the most replaceable by the talent already on the Warriors roster. Jordan Poole can step into providing the shot-making with an added bonus of playmaking, Jonathon Kuminga/Moses Moody can step in his defensive role, and Andrew Wiggins already has established his place on this team on both ends of the floor. His $43mil price tag will be difficult to move, so it’s unlikely the Warriors go this route.
Draymond Green may choose to pick up his ~$28mil player option and then work with the team to facilitate a trade. The biggest barrier here will be that Green is far more valuable on this Warriors’ roster than he could be in most situations. The Warriors’ front office should look to exploit a franchise like Portland or the Lakers which are attempting to appease their superstar and may overpay to keep them happy. Whatever the final move may be, Draymond Green certainly should not end up on the Warriors’ roster on a max contract in the 2024–25 season.
Los Angeles Lakers
Jeanie Buss and the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a precarious situation just a few years after making a splash by signing Lebron James in free agency and then assisting Anthony Davis in forcing his way out of New Orleans. One championship and two missed playoffs later, they find themselves a middling team within a conference that continues to improve around them. Without a fully healthy Lebron James and Anthony Davis, they project out to realistically be on the bubble of the play-in game.
There is a well-established track record for Lebron James lead teams, in which a sacrifice of future assets is necessary to be competitive in the now. From James’ standpoint, this is exactly how each season should be approached, but at times this is not in alignment with the long-term goals the particular franchise should have. Lebron James has made a commitment to this team for at least through the 2024–25 season, having just signed a $97.1mil 2-year max extension. This is a contract well timed with both the expected spike in the salary cap and also when Bronny James may aim to enter the NBA draft.
If Klutch Sports Group could have things the way they would prefer, Russell Westbrook would be traded along with the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. While the Los Angeles Lakers need to continue shopping Westbrook during his final season, they should in no way be attaching these future assets to make it happen. If they are able to make this happen, they certainly should, but otherwise, they may have to follow in the footsteps of Cleveland, who refused to trade their 8th overall pick and say no to Lebron James and his team’s requests.
