0 of 5
Matteo Marchi/Getty Images
There’s a reason the NBA offseason often fascinates fans just as much as the actual campaign.
Sometimes, one addition can be enough to change a franchise’s fortune. And even though summer speculation typically circles around a small number of teams, there’s more room for surprises than you might think.
Who thought Paul George would re-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder and not even meet with the Los Angeles Lakers last summer? Or that Chris Paul would go to the capped-out Houston Rockets the year prior? Who had the Chicago Bulls getting both Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo in 2016?
The powers that be are subject to change. Travel back even 10 years, and try to convince a hoops head that the Golden State Warriors will arguably become the greatest team in NBA history. You’d get laughed out of the conversation.
Reputations are more fluid than we treat them, especially at a time when major markets aren’t needed to boost player brands to global levels. That gives nontraditional free-agent destinations some level of access to elite talent.
Much to Trae Young’s chagrin, we’re not yet counting clubs like his Atlanta Hawks or the Phoenix Suns who’ve yet to make discernible on-court progress. But we are forming a top five—presented in ascending order of attractiveness—based on performance, potential, financial flexibility and a willingness to spend as big as it takes.
1 of 5
Rocky Widner/Getty Images
The Sacramento Kings have never been a free-agent destination and may not picture themselves as such. If they did, they may have maximized cap space at the trade deadline instead of potentially eating into it with the addition of Harrison Barnes and his $25.1 million player option for 2019-20.
But why can’t Sacramento change its offseason fate? The roster is littered with up-and-comers, the cap space is still significant—north of $20 million even if Barnes opts in—and the Golden 1 Center has won awards for its advanced technology and sleek designs.
Keeping this on the court, though, who wouldn’t want to play in this system?
The league’s second-fastest pace inherently pads stats, the ball doesn’t stick with anyone (no one has a top-40 usage rate) and defenses can’t key on anyone in particular. Buddy Hield demands constant attention as a long-distance net-shredder, Harry Giles III and Marvin Bagley III may one day make an elite frontcourt combo, and De’Aaron Fox is already a floor general at just 21 years old.
“He is a big-time talent,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said, per Noel Harris of the Sacramento Bee. “He has that true point guard court presence. He knows how to get his guys shots and at the same time when to turn it on and go and get his own. For a young guy to have that kind of feel for the game, that is pretty special.”
This roster might be playoff-ready, but it’s also fluid enough for an elite star to come in and take control. It’d take a leap of faith in this ownership group, front office and untapped potential of this nucleus, but there are basketball reasons for at least second-tier stars to consider the Kings.
2 of 5
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
An offseason overhaul could await the Indiana Pacers, as a sizable chunk of their roster is bound for free agency. Assuming they don’t run it back with the same class, they’ll hit the buyers market with an intriguing recruiting pitch.
It starts with the building blocks.
When healthy, Victor Oladipo is on a short list of the Association’s top two-way talents. Myles Turner is turning in a career year on defense while also shooting a personal-best 40.1 percent from distance. Domantas Sabonis is the best player you never talk about; if he played 36 minutes per night, he’d be providing 20.6 points, 13.4 boards and 4.0 dimes per game. With an opportunity, Aaron Holiday might establish himself as the floor general of the future.
Maybe there aren’t many marquee names in the mix, but there’s a wealth of high-level production. This is the sixth-best squad in net efficiency rating and the No. 5 team by winning percentage. Oladipo recently booked his second straight All-Star selection despite a season-ending ruptured quad. Turner has played his way into Defensive Player of the Year consideration. Sabonis should be in the Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year discussions.
None of this likely gets the Circle City into the race for elite free agents. But the Pacers should be a legitimate threat for everyone else. It shouldn’t be overlooked that coveted commodities such as Tyreke Evans (free agency) and Wesley Matthews (buyout market) chose Indiana among a long list of win-now suitors over the past year.
3 of 5
Nick Wass/Associated Press
While free agency has always tempted the Dallas Mavericks, that interest has yet to manifest into a franchise-changing addition. Most of their top targets signed elsewhere, and those who did come weren’t worth the investment (Chandler Parsons, DeAndre Jordan).
But that hasn’t changed Dallas’ model for the ideal summer.
“We like stars,” Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “We like stars and lots of them.”
If Dallas has come up short in star pursuits before, why would this summer be any different? Because the high-ceiling combo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis is a recruiting tool the franchise hasn’t had at its disposal since Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash were torching defenders in the early 2000s.
Doncic is already a juggernaut and is en route to becoming the first NBA freshman to average at least 20 points, five assists and five rebounds. Before he tore his ACL in February 2018, Porzingis was doing his own brand of unprecedented work, posting the league’s first-ever stat line featuring 20.0 points, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 triples.
And while it’s true the 7’3″ unicorn has a technically uncertain future with restricted free agency awaiting him, he doesn’t sound like he’s seeking a change of address. He’s talked about being “extremely happy” in Dallas, per Townsend, and how he and Doncic “can be a pretty special duo together,” per Mavs.com’s Dwain Price.
So, the Mavs have multiple stars, gobs of cap space, an elite coach in Rick Carlisle, a willing-to-break-the-bank owner in Mark Cuban and built-in perk of zero state income taxes. That’s an interesting sales pitch to any target.
4 of 5
Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
In one respect, this nomination is a testament to the incredible work of Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson and general manager Sean Marks. When they joined forces in 2016, this franchise was a laughingstock. Three years later, it’s a likely playoff participant with a ton of developing talent.
In another respect, maybe this was inevitable. Once the Nets moved to Brooklyn, they opened a door to some of basketball’s best market advantages. If the Knicks are always connected to elite free agents, why wouldn’t their Big Apple siblings have the same luxury?
“Hopefully, there’s really talk among players in this league, like, ‘Hey, that’s a neat place to go to,” Atkinson said, per Newsday‘s Barbara Barker. “[They think] they have a good culture. They care for their players. It’s a positive culture, a collaborative culture. You really want players to talk about that, to say that’s a place I’d love go to.”
Those conversations are overdue.
The Nets will have substantial cap flexibility this summer, even if they pony up for first-time All-Star D’Angelo Russell, one of this regime’s biggest success stories. If Allen Crabbe magically opts out of his $18.5 million player option (spoiler alert: he won’t), then Brooklyn’s only eight-figure salary would be Spencer Dinwiddie’s new $10.6 million rate.
Depending on how dramatic Brooklyn wants to get, it could aim as high as it pleases. When names like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are bouncing around, you get the idea Biggie’s borough is ready to make noise.
But until an elite goes out of his way to choose the Nets and this regime, it’ll meet the criteria of a low-key destination.
5 of 5
Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
It shouldn’t be possible for the Los Angeles Clippers to wear the low-key label.
Not when they play at the Staples Center in sunny Los Angeles. Not when Doc Rivers mans the coach’s chair and Jerry West helps steer the front office. Not when one of the stars of this free-agent class, Kawhi Leonard, is thought to favor them over anyone, per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
Then again, how could you call this a destination franchise? It has never won an NBA championship or even reached the conference finals. It wasn’t represented at this All-Star Game or the last one. A July 2018 piece in the Los Angeles Times ran through 16 of the city’s most notable free-agent signings; the Clippers were nowhere to be found.
But maybe these Clippers aren’t those Clippers.
“This edition of the Clippers just completed the best five-year run in franchise history, dazzling fans with a vibrant, high-flying brand of basketball,” Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck wrote in November. “Only the Warriors and Spurs won more games from 2012-13 through 2016-17. The Clippers of today compete. They thrive. They spend. They demand your attention and respect.”
The market is a major plus, as are the deep pockets of owner Steve Ballmer. Ditto for a financial picture that can accommodate two max players and somehow still have other intriguing players on board like Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet.
The Clippers are aiming to compete for championships sooner than later, and don’t be surprised if a superstar or two wants to join in that pursuit.
Statistics used courtesy of Basketball Reference, and NBA.com and current heading into games March 10. Salary information via Basketball Insiders.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.
from Top Viral News Blog https://ift.tt/2HfK4Yz
0 Comments