NBA Team Needs & Free Agents (Part 2 - Post #4)

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hacheman@therx.com
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NBA Team Needs and Free Agents


Let's take a look at half the league (alphabetically) and their upcoming free agency situations, as well as what they may be looking for in the NBA Draft – taking place on June 25.


Key: E = Early Termination Option, P = Player Option, T = Team Option

Atlanta Hawks

Restricted: Thomas Gardner, Othello Hunter, Mario West, Solomon Jones, Marvin Williams
Unrestricted: Zaza Pachulia, Mike Bibby, Flip Murray
Team Needs: The Hawks will look to re-sign Mike Bibby, who is looking at a huge pay cut, or getting Andre Miller, who is also an unrestricted free agent and probably a better player. The team appears to be at a crossroads with Josh Smith, and has to decide if they want to build around Smith or Joe Johnson. JJ is an unrestricted FA a year from now. They could lose Zaza Pachulia this summer, so they will be looking for point guards and centers in the draft and via free agency. The jury is still out one whether Marvin Williams is a bust or not, but Smith can always play small forward if necessary.

Boston Celtics

Restricted: Glen Davis, Leon Powe
Unrestricted: Eddie House (P), Stephon Marbury, Mikki Moore
Team Needs: The Celtics are set at almost every position and won't have a great draft pick. As usual, they will look to sign savvy veterans to fill in off the bench and back up the other positions. If Eddie House opts out, a backup SG will probably be priority number one, although Tony Allen will still be around next season.

Charlotte Bobcats

Restricted: Raymond Felton, Cartier Martin, Sean May, Sean Singletary (T)
Unrestricted: Juwan Howard
Team Needs: It will be interesting to see what they do with Raymond Felton, but also clearly need help at power forward. If they don't retain Felton, D.J. Augustin will take over the point next year, so look for them to take a power forward in the draft. Jordan Hill is the best one in the draft after Blake Griffin, but won't likely be available when they pick. DeJuan Blair (Pitt) or James Johnson (Wake Forest) are a couple PF options.

Chicago Bulls

Restricted: Aaron Gray
Unrestricted: Ben Gordon, Lindsey Hunter
Team Needs: Luol Deng should be healthy next year and the arrival of John Salmons could make re-signing Ben Gordon less of a priority. The Bulls are also fairly solid up front with Brad Miller, Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas, so they will likely take the best player available in the draft. There are also rumors that Kirk Hinrich, Deng and Thomas are on the trading block, so changes could be coming for the Bulls.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Zydrunas Ilgauskas (E), Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, Anderson Varejao (P), Lorenzen Wright
Team Needs: The Cavs could really use a defensive stopper at shooting guard as well as a true center to replace Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Big Z may or may not opt out, but he and Ben Wallace are not getting any younger and were clearly outmanned against Dwight Howard. In addition, Anderson Varejao may not be a lock to return, although the lure to play with LeBron could help him decide to stay. The Cavs won't have a great draft pick, but getting a young center or defensive backcourt specialist should be their focus.

Dallas Mavericks

Restricted: Ryan Hollins
Unrestricted: Brandon Bass, Devean George (P), Gerald Green, Jason Kidd, James Singleton
Team Needs: The Mavs are going to be busy this offseason, trying to find the pieces to surround Dirk Nowitzki with in hopes of winning a title before he gets any older. Re-signing Jason Kidd will likely be a priority, while they will likely try to move Josh Howard as well as pursue center Shaquille O'Neal. I don't know about you, but I think it would be pretty funny to see Shaq share a bench and locker room with the guy he once referred to as "Ericka" Dampier. They were unable to decide on a starting shooting guard all year, so that should be a priority.

Denver Nuggets

Restricted: Linas Kleiza, Johan Petro
Unrestricted: Chris Andersen, Anthony Carter, Jason Hart, Steven Hunter (E), Dahntay Jones
Team Needs: It's hard to believe the Nuggets are as good as they are after simply giving away Marcus Camby, but the move seems to have paid off. They could still use a true center, but got by just fine with Nene in the middle this season. Dahntay Jones isn't the most intriguing shooting guard, but he plays good D and knows his role. If he leaves, J.R. Smith could be the starter next season. If a solid center prospect is not available to them in the draft, the Nuggets will probably just take the best player available, regardless of position.

Detroit Pistons

Restricted: Walter Herrmann
Unrestricted: Kwame Brown (P), Allen Iverson, Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace
Team Needs: The real question in Detroit is what don't they need? Rodney Stuckey appears to be a key to the future, although the jury is still out on whether or not he's a true point guard. Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson are solid, young big-man prospects, while Will Bynum showed flashes of greatness at point guard late in the season. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince should also be back, but the bottom line is this team really needs a center since it doesn't look like Sheed, Antonio McDyess or Kwame Brown will be back.
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Golden State Warriors

Restricted: Rob Kurz, C.J. Watson
Unrestricted: Jamal Crawford (E)
Team Needs: Simply put, the Warriors are a mess. The only team with a defensive coordinator now has a new GM, a confusing struggle for power and a ton of young talent that may or may not ever gel together. Anthony Randolph appears to be the power forward of the future, Monta Ellis should have shooting guard covered, Stephen Jackson can play SF or SG and Andris Biedrins is locked in at center. That leaves C.J. Watson as the team's point guard, which may or may not work out. Since they can't draft a coach, I say draft a point guard. There is also a lot of talk about trying to get Chris Bosh from the Raptors, but it just doesn't make sense given that Bosh will be an unrestricted free agent a year from now.

Houston Rockets

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Ron Artest, Brian Cook (P), Dikembe Mutombo, Von Wafer
Team Needs: After losing Yao Ming (again) and Dikembe Mutombo, the Rockets are clearly struggling with Chuck Hayes manning the center position. And given the fact that Yao will suffer a leg injury every single year from here on out, they need a real back up center. And if they don't re-sign Ron Artest, they are probably going to need a small forward as well, although Shane Battier will help fill that hole. They're set at C, PF, PG and SG (with Battier and the hopeful return of Tracy McGrady), so picking up a new small forward appears to be where they're looking.

Indiana Pacers

Restricted: Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts
Unrestricted: Maceo Baston, Marquis Daniels (T), Travis Diener (P), Stephen Graham, Rasho Nesterovic
Team Needs: The Pacers are actually entering next season in pretty good shape. Jarrett Jack and T.J. Ford are a pretty solid point guard tandem, while Troy Murphy and Danny Granger make for a great 1-2 punch at the forward spots. Roy Hibbert appears to be a solid center option for the future, leaving their biggest question mark at shooting guard. Mike Dunleavy has a very long road back from knee surgery, but Brandon Rush should be able to fill in and take over at that spot. The Pacers will simply be looking for the best player available, and I've got them taking a guard, possibly Ty Lawson, Gerald Henderson or Eric Maynor, with their lottery pick.

Los Angeles Clippers

Restricted: Alex Acker (T), Steve Novak
Unrestricted: Ricky Davis (P), Fred Jones, Brian Skinner (P)
Team Needs: The Clippers have a pretty good nucleus, but were awful last year as most of the main cogs were injured. Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby and DeAndre Jordan have the center spot covered, Baron Davis and Eric Gordon are a solid backcourt, while Al Thornton and Zach Randolph have the forward spots in check. The Clippers will likely draft at No. 3, but don't need UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. Therefore, I have them taking PF Jordan Hill out of Arizona instead.

Los Angeles Lakers

Restricted: Shannon Brown
Unrestricted: Trevor Ariza, Kobe Bryant (E), Lamar Odom
Team Needs: Based on Thursday's loss at Houston, the sky is falling in L.A. if you listen to the local media. They will be fine and probably cruise to an easy win over the Rockets in L.A. on Sunday and then move on to face the Nuggets. I'm not sure what changes the Lakers need to make this summer, but their first priority is probably going to be finding a forward to replace Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, if they sign elsewhere. Kobe Bryant's opt-out clause has to be a small concern to L.A., but it's still hard to imagine him playing elsewhere. The Lakers are pretty deep and talented, but look for them to target forward help in the offseason.

Memphis Grizzlies

Restricted: Hakim Warrick
Unrestricted: Chris Mihm, Quinton Ross, Mike Wilks
Team Needs: Point guard? Check. Shooting guard? Check. Small forward? Check. Center? Check. Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol appear to have the Grizzlies setting up for a solid future, with the only question mark being who will play power forward? Darrell Arthur should take a big step this season with a year under his belt, and would benefit greatly if Hakim Warrick is not re-signed. The Grizzlies should have a Top 10 draft pick this year, and will use it on the best player available – possibly Brandon Jennings.

Miami Heat

Restricted: Joel Anthony, Yakhouba Diawara (P), Jamario Moon, Chris Quinn (P)
Unrestricted: Mark Blount (E), Luther Head, Jamaal Magloire, Jermaine O'Neal (P)
Team Needs: The Heat were basically a one-man team against the Hawks, and could use help in several areas. They desperately need a real NBA center, as Jermaine O'Neal has just one leg, while Jamaal Magloire, Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem were all a stretch in the middle. Haslem is the team's starting power forward, but you have to think Michael Beasley becomes a starter next season, if he can prove that he "gets it." Mario Chalmers had a nice season, but doesn't really look like a true point guard, but small forward looks like the biggest hole for the Heat. They started James Jones there in Game 7 against the Hawks, with Jamario Moon holding it down when healthy. Moon is an adequate role player, but is probably not a guaranteed starter for most teams. Given the Heat's problems everywhere but shooting Guard (Dwyane Wade), they will likely just take the best player available when it's their turn to draft.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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<TABLE width="100%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD class=vaLabel vAlign=top align=middle width=100 rowSpan=5> </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Chris Bosh leaning toward free agency </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Chris Bosh - F/C - TOR - Jun. 4 - 4:51 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Raptors big man Chris Bosh suggested Thursday that he will not sign a contract extension this summer, setting himself up to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
"(When) I signed a three-year (extension in 2006)...I had a goal in mind, and that was to put myself in the best position (in 2010)...I'm thinking I just want to stick to my goal, stick to what I was doing," he said. Bosh has been a target of much criticism for his style of play lately, and a lame-duck season in Toronto should add fuel to the fire.
Source: Toronto Star
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 

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We will make this simple. Every team needs to free up as much money as possible for the Class of '10. About 3-5 teams will succeed. Really a bad year to be a season ticket holder, knowing your team will not improve much because it thinks it has a chance at one of the big FA's. Very dicey indeed.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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NBA Team Needs - Part 2
In case you missed Part 1 of Team Needs and Free Agents, you can check it out here.

Key: E = Early Termination Option, P = Player Option, T = Team Option

Check me out on Twitter at docktora.

Milwaukee Bucks

Restricted: Ersan Ilyasova, Ramon Sessions, Charlie Villanueva
Unrestricted: Malik Allen (P), Keith Bogans, Francisco Elson (P), Damon Jones
Team Needs: It doesn't sound like Sessions or Villanueva are going to be back, so Luke Ridnour should become the team's full-time point guard again, while Joe Alexander should get a lot more time in CV's absence. Michael Redd will return from knee surgery, while Andrew Bogut will return from a stress fracture in his back. The Bucks are covered at most positions, but Redd's health is always a concern and they could use reinforcements everywhere. Expect them to take the best player available in the draft. Guards Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday and Brandon Jennings are all possibilities, along with big men Jordan Hill and DeJuan Blair.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Restricted: Bobby Brown (P)
Unrestricted: Rodney Carney, Jason Collins, Kevin Ollie, Shelden Williams
Team Needs: The Wolves are generally loaded at the wing positions and have a couple of great PFs in Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, but could use a true center and PG, as they don't want the team to be run by Sebastian Telfair forever. They've got the sixth pick in the draft and could use it on Ricky Rubio, Jrue Holiday, James Harden, Stephen Curry or Brandon Jennings, among others. With Randy Foye at shooting guard, it doesn't make sense for them to pass on the best point guard on the board at No. 6.

New Jersey Nets

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Maurice Ager, Trenton Hassell (ETO), Jarvis Hayes (T)
Team Needs: The Nets aren't set to lose much this summer, but still have a hole at small forward, as Bobby Simmons and Hayes have failed to meet expectations. With Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and Vince Carter, the team is set at point guard, center and shooting guard, while they will continue to throw Ryan Anderson and Yi Jianlian at the wall to see if one of them sticks at power forward. The hole is at small forward, and the possibilities appear to be Earl Clark, DeJuan Blair and Tyreke Evans with the 11th pick.

New Orleans Hornets

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Ryan Bowen, Melvin Ely, Sean Marks
Team Needs: Morris Peterson has been a disaster at shooting guard, while James Posey and Rasual Butler haven't been too much better. It also remains to be seen if Tyson Chandler is traded (again), which could leave a huge hole at center. Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic are entrenched at PG, PF and SF, but they don't pick until 21st in the draft. Terrence Williams looks like a possibility there, but Byron Scott and CP3 have to be worried that owner George Shinn is more interested in finances than winning a ring.

New York Knicks

Restricted: David Lee, Nate Robinson
Unrestricted: Eddy Curry (ETO), Al Harrington (P), Quentin Richardson (ETO), Chris Wilcox
Team Needs: Point guard Chris Duhon's second-half meltdown is hugely concerning to the Knicks and all the talk prior to the draft is that they'll take Stephen Curry and possibly start him at point guard if he's still on the board when they pick at No. 8. If Curry is gone (and he easily could be), point guard still should be the Knicks' priority, although they also have needs at center, as well as power forward if they don't match the huge offers that David Lee expects to see this summer.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Damien Wilkins (ETO), Desmond Mason, Malik Rose, Robert Swift
Team Needs: With Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and whoever the Thunder grabs with the No. 3 pick, the future is extremely bright in the OKC. They need a center and shooting guard (Thabo Sefolosha is better suited as a role player off the bench), which means they can take Hasheem Thabeet if he falls past Memphis (which I don't see happening), or fill the shooting guard need with James Harden, Stephen Curry or Tyreke Evans.

Orlando Magic

Restricted: Marcin Gortat, Jeremy Richardson
Unrestricted: Adonal Foyle, Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Hedo Turkoglu
Team Needs: There's a good chance the Magic will lose Gortat this summer, and they're already undersized up front. They need a big man (other than Tony Battie) to back up Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. Then again, don't expect much from the Magic on draft night, as they don't even have a first-round pick.
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Philadelphia 76ers

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Royal Ivey (P), Donyell Marshall, Andre Miller, Theo Ratliff, Kareem Rush
Team Needs: The Sixers need a shooter, but may have fixed that problem by recently trading rebounder Reggie Evans to the Raptors for Jason Kapono. They are also still trying to figure out if guards Lou Williams and Willie Green are going to fully develop, and could use some back up help for center Samuel Dalembert (who is on the trading block) and oft-injured PF Elton Brand. In addition, there's an excellent chance that point guard Miller is moving on, so the Sixers' needs are many. They should use the No. 17 pick to take the best player available, although it would be tough to pass on Ty Lawson if he's still there.

Phoenix Suns

Restricted: Louis Amundson (T)
Unrestricted: Matt Barnes, Grant Hill, Stromile Swift
Team Needs: If the Suns lose Barnes and Hill they'll have a big hole to fill at small forward. Leandro Barbosa's stock would rise in that scenario, but there's also the issue of whether or not Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal are traded away. The Suns will likely use the 14th pick to take the best player available, although Austin Daye has been linked to them in several mocks.

Portland Trail Blazers

Restricted: Channing Frye
Unrestricted: Raef LaFrentz, Shavlik Randolph, Michael Ruffin
Team Needs: The Blazers are in pretty good shape, although they still lack a dynamic point guard and small forward. They don't pick until No. 24, so guys like PG Eric Maynor or F Chase Budinger will probably be options.

Sacramento Kings

Restricted: Ike Diogu, Rashad McCants
Unrestricted: Calvin Booth, Bobby Jackson, Cedric Simmons
Team Needs: The Kings still want a point guard option in addition to Beno Udrih so new coach Paul Westphal should be looking at Ricky Rubio, Jrue Holiday or Stephen Curry with the No. 4 pick. They should be set at every other position.

San Antonio Spurs

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Michael Finley (P), Drew Gooden, Ime Udoka, Jacque Vaughn
Team Needs: The Spurs need some youth, as they are one of the oldest teams in the league. Point guard is not a problem and Tim Duncan still has a couple more years to go, so a small forward or center is a priority. That said, getting young is not going to be easy without a first-round pick this year.

Toronto Raptors

Restricted: Carlos Delfino, Joey Graham, Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Unrestricted: Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Jake Voskuhl
Team Needs: Andrea Bargnani was a pleasant surprise last season, but the Raps need to plan on losing Chris Bosh a year from now, as well as finding a replacement for SG Anthony Parker in the draft. Guys they'll be looking at with the No. 9 pick probably include James Harden, DeJuan Blair, DeMar DeRozan and Johnny Flynn.

Utah Jazz

Restricted: Paul Millsap, Kyrylo Fesenko (T)
Unrestricted: Morris Almond, Carlos Boozer (P), Jarron Collins, Brevin Knight, Kyle Korver (ETO), Mehmet Okur (ETO), Ronnie Price
Team Needs: Boozer is as good as gone, while Mehmet Okur's future remains up in the air and Andrei Kirilenko is always good for trade bait. They don't need a point guard, but every other position is up for grabs. Gani Lawal, Chase Budinger and Marcus Thornton are all possibilities at No. 20.

Washington Wizards

Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Juan Dixon, Etan Thomas (ETO)
Team Needs: The Wizards are always in need of another center and shooting guard is a huge concern, as usual. The options should be endless at No. 5, but don't be surprised to see them dangle Caron Butler in an effort to get into the Top 3. Tyreke Evans looks like the man if they stay at No. 5.
 

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