| 19 June 2009
Cleveland Cavaliers
Draft Pick(s): 30th & 46th
Free Agents: Eric Snow, Wally Szczerbiak, Lorenzen Wright & Joe Smith
Team Needs: Athleticism in the front line & depth
Assets: Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas' expiring contracts.
It's pretty difficult to find fault with a team that won 60 games last season, but hindsight being 20/20 this team had some flaws that the Orlando Magic exploited in the Eastern Conference Finals. Namely the lack of athleticism in their front line. Zydrunas Ilgauskas couldn't slow down Dwight Howard, Anderson Varejao couldn't keep up with Rashard Lewis and Ben Wallace couldn't stay in front of my grandma.
They have two chips that might make this possible. Ben Wallace's contract will finally be coming off the books at the end of this season, and that actually makes him relevant again. Big Z is also in the last year of his contract. He's also a much better player than Wallace which makes him easier to move. Obviously the Cavs would prefer to dump Wallace if they are moving either of their expiring big men in exchange for an impact player.
Maybe that assumption is way off base considering they had a chance to do the exact same thing at the trade deadline. They could have moved Wally Szczerbiak's expiring contract for any number of players, but they chose not to because they thought they had the horse to win it all. Cleveland shouldn't make the same mistake again. The Shaq rumors are a little ridiculous because he wouldn't address the issue of lateral quickness. There are several better options: Washington is looking to shed payroll and might consider sending a package including Antawn Jamison if they get cap relief in return, Richard Jefferson is on the table in Milwaukee, and Atlanta, Memphis, Charlotte, Sacramento and Toronto are always looking for cap space.
The could use their draft picks as incentives in any potential trades. I'd expect them to hold onto at least one of those picks and try to identify someone that can bolster their bench. Cleveland could use a back-up point guard, and Patty Mills and Nick Calathes should both be available at 30.
Chicago Bulls
Draft Pick(s): 16th & 26th
Free Agents: Ben Gordon, Lindsey Hunter & Aaron Gray
Team Needs: SG
Assets: Kirk Hinrich's contract is very movable. John Salmons has a fantastic contract considering his production. Tim Thomas and Brad Miller both have expiring deals.
There is a lot to like about this Bulls squad heading into next season. They have some very good core pieces in Derrick Rose & Tyrus Thomas. They have top-notch role players in John Salmons, Kirk Hinrich, Joakim Noah and Brad Miller. Each of their role players has the versatility to play multiple positions and a very appealling contract. The only negative that can be brought up is the ridiculous contract they handed out to Luol Deng, but even that can be forgiven if he just gets healthy and provides similar production as two seasons ago.
The big question this offseason will be whether or not the Bulls re-sign Ben Gordon. Gordon is the go-to scorer for this club, and he showed just how much Chicago needs his production in the first round against the Celtics. They don't have the cap space to make a run at anyone else, so Gordon may be the only offensive difference-maker the Bulls can sign. But signing him to any deal worth more than $10 million per year wouldn't make sense for Chicago, and Gordon may be looking for something more lucrative. The Bulls aren't handcuffed long-term since Rose and Noah are still on their rookie scale and no other player besides Deng is signed past 2011, but they still can't afford to lock $10 million+ per year into a player whose main purpose is just scoring.
The draft could be interesting for the Bulls. They have two first rounders this year and could very well package the picks to move up if there is a player available that they really like. If they don't move up, they'll need to draft a back-up plan in case Gordon walks. They should also be looking for a center/power forward. This would allow them to move Brad Miller or let him walk when his contract is up at the end of the season. James Johnson, Earl Clark and B.J. Mullens could all be available at 16. Mullens might be too raw for any immediate needs, but it wouldn't be the first time a team talked themselves into a player that isn't very good based on size and potential alone. They could also pick a guy like Terrence Williams at 16 to fill the SG void and pick up a project like Omri Casspi or Jonas Jerebko at 26. There are a number of servicable guards that will be available at 26 so expect them to go with a big man first.
Detroit Pistons
Draft Pick(s): 15th, 39th & 44th
Free Agents: Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, Walter Herrmann & Antonio McDyess
Team Needs: PF, C & depth at every position
Assets: No one on their roster is locked up long-term, and they have an abundance of cap space.
Joe Dumars absolutely blew up this roster only keeping a few key pieces. He traded for Allen Iverson's expiring contract early on last season and knew that Rasheed Wallace would also be coming off the books this summer. That has left the Pistons with about $20 million to spend on free agents, and they'll need to spend it because their cupboards are bare.
Detroit could be in the running for one or two of the bigger name free agents this offseason. Carlos Boozer would be a player that would address a big need at power forward and replace the production of Sheed if he were to opt out as many expect. There are also rumors that Detroit is looking to add Ben Gordon via free agency. Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom, Mike Bibby and Trevor Ariza could all get a look from Detroit.
The cap room also gives the Pistons the ability to make a trade and bring in a player making more money than who they are trading away. They could explore a move for a player like Chris Bosh and still have money left over to spend on other free agents. Richard Hamilton will be Detroit's trading chip this offseason. Hamilton is talented enough to bring back a good player in return, and his expiring deal will be very appealing for teams looking forward to next offseason.
As far as the draft is concerned, the Pistons are another team that has the picks and cap room to be very active on draft day. They can package their picks to move up or trade for an established NBA player. If they don't move the picks, look for Detroit to lean towards a big man with the 15th pick and a replacement for Hamilton at some point in the second round.
Indiana Pacers
Draft Pick(s): 13th & 52nd
Free Agents: Rasho Nesterovic, Eddie Jones, Jarrett Jack, Maceo Baston, Stephen Graham & Josh McRoberts
Team Needs: SG, back-up point & anyone that wants to play defense
Assets: More small forwards than you can shake a stick at. Jeff Foster has an appealing contract and Marquis Daniels is trade chip.
The Pacers are a team that can score with just about anyone and are very dangerous on any given night that they are healthy. Their only problem is the complete lack of any defensive effort from night to night. Danny Granger is a commited defender and certain players will buckle down for stretches, but the Pacers seem to be glad to give up easy buckets because it just means another opportunity to score.
Shooting guard is a concern especially when the Pacers were dealing with injuries to Granger and Mike Dunleavy throughout the season. Marquis Daniels flourished when given the minutes, and the Pacers shouldn't hesitate picking up his option this summer. Brandon Rush also put up a respectful 8 points per game in 24 minutes and could be a long-term solution, but Indiana would much rather have Dunleavy available to play SG for a whole season.
The T.J. Ford-Jarrett Jack combo at the point was very effective, but Jack might be on his way out. He is a restricted free agent, but there are quite a few teams that will be interested in signing him. If he does walk, that would leave the Pacers with an immediate need for a back-up point guard. Technically Indiana still has Jamal Tinsley under contract, but his injury problems have kept him off the court and his contract is impossible to move.
The Pacers seem to have their front line set for the next couple of years with Troy Murphy (who put a very quiet 14 and 12 this season) and Roy Hibbert. Hibbert didn't seem like he made a lot of sense on this squad, but he made the most of limited minutes. With an increase in minutes, Hibbert could easily develop into a 13 and 9 type of player with a couple of blocks. He may become the stopper in the middle that this team needs as long as he can stay out of foul trouble.
More than anything the Pacers just need their main rotation guys to stay healthy, and they could be a sleeper in the East. With that being said, there are a number of positions that they can address in the draft. A power forward or center would be the main target since they could easily move Jeff Foster to a team desperate for rebounding and bring back a point guard or use part of their MLE on a point guard. DeJuan Blair should be available and would give the Pacers another great rebounder and an above-average defensive player. Their second pick is probably going to be a project most likely at point guard. A player like Patrick Beverley coming back from overseas. Someone that should be available is Lester Hudson. He'd be a high value pick with very little risk and could definitely fill the role that Jarrett Jack plays now i.e. great scorer at the point.
Milwaukee Bucks
Draft Pick(s): 10th & 41st
Free Agents: Damon Jones, Charlie Villanueva, Adrian Griffin, Keith Bogans & Ramon Sessions
Team Needs: PG & PF
Assets: Charlie Bell's contract is movable, and Luke Ridnour's contract is up at the end of this season.
The Bucks are a team that you'd love to use on NBA 2K, but that doesn't translate well to the real world. Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson are being paid like all-around studs when they are pure scorers at best. Andrew Bogut will be making $10 million+ for the next 5 seasons. His contract isn't good by any means, but that's a shame because he is not a bad ball player when healthy.
Now Milwaukee is left with quite a difficult decision this offseason: do they re-sign Charlie Villanueva or Ramon Sessions? It would appear that they can't keep both unless their willing to overpay. Sessions was fantastic when Scott Skiles finally decided to start him over Luke Ridnour who had no reason to be starting (It was secretly the most bone-headed coaching move of the season). He averaged 15 points, 7.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a starter. Villanueva was no slouch this season. He averaged career highs in points (16.2), rebounds (6.7) and free throw attempts, makes and percentage.
All things being equal, there are number of factors to consider when deciding which player to keep. Age: Sessions is younger. Replacement players in the draft: There are many more point guards available that could step in immediately. Replacement players on the roster: Ridnour is available to play point guard which seems to push this in favor of keeping Villanueva. That is until you look at the production of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Mbah a Moute can rebound just as well as (if not better than) Villanueva. He can also score when needed and isn't a bad defender. Not only that but keeping Sessions would still allow the Bucks to draft a point guard and trade Ridnour for another position of need.
No matter which free agent the Bucks decide to keep, there is a high probability that they'll be looking to draft a point guard. Luke Ridnour's contract is up at the end of next season, so they'll need to be thinking about their point guard of the future. This would give them a back-up plan in case Sessions walks. Jonny Flynn and Brandon Jennings should both be available at 11. Their second round pick will most likely be a power forward to fill the roster or a shooting guard in case Redd goes down to another injury.
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