3 Teams That Need To Make Big Moves This NBA Off-Season
The NBA Off-Season is underway, and with the start of Free Agency in less than a week, there are some teams that are in desperate need of re-tooling. With some high-value free-agents available, as well as some exciting players on the trade block, now is the time for these teams to strike.
Philadelphia 76ers
Last Season Record: 47-35
Notable Expiring Contracts:
Tobias Harris (UFA), Tyrese Maxey (RFA), Kelly Oubre Jr. (UFA)
Cap Space: $74,990,205
Since 2018, the Sixers have 'retooled' around Joel Embiid every season. This has resulted in a whopping total of ZERO Conference Finals appearances. With Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey, Embiid has had his fair share of All-Star quality talent on his teams. Unfortunately for Joel and the Sixers, they've continuously fallen short, due to Kawhi Leonard's miracle shots, injuries, and some poor performances at the biggest stage.
This upcoming season will be telling for Philadelphia and Daryl Morey, as they look to pair Maxey and Embiid with a championship-quality supporting cast. Tobias Harris being a free agent opens up some money for them the question is how they go spending said money. About half of it will probably go to Maxey, but that still leaves Philly with a serious amount of money.
A Tobias Harris 'Sign and Trade' for Paul George has been rumored, but seems highly unrealistic, as it doesn't seem like George would want to leave the Clippers right now. The Sixers' best bet is to fill out the roster with quality role players, and potentially make moves for a star at the trade deadline. Philly has the 16th and 41st picks this year, so potentially pairing a young guy with high upside with a decent contract could be the move.
Either way, the Sixers will be busy this season, trying to finally find the right pieces for Embiid before he decides that he should be looking elsewhere.
Atlanta Hawks
Last Season record: 36-46
Notable expired contracts: Saddiq Bey (RFA)
Cap Space: -$27,271,574
Atlanta hit the absolute jackpot this off-season. Despite finishing with the 10th seed out East and making the play-in tournament, they still won the draft lottery and have the #1 pick. While it’s been heavily suggested that this year's draft class is relatively weak compared to past years, this is still an excellent chance for Atlanta to get out of NBA mediocrity.
Atlanta will have absolutely no money to work with in this year's Free Agency period, so their first priority should be resigning Saddiq Bey, providing he doesn’t get a ridiculously high offer elsewhere. Once Bey is signed and the Draft is concluded, things really get interesting for the Hawks.
Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have been popping up plenty in trade talks the last 3-4 months. After another disappointing season, it seems very likely that one or both will be out of ATL by next season. The Spurs are a team that continues to be mentioned as a Trae Young destination, while Murray has been linked to a multitude of teams, including the Lakers.
Both options seem unlikely, as I’m not sure what the Hawks would really want from San Antonio other than draft capital. This just isn’t going to be enough for a player like Young, and it won’t be enough for Murray if he were going to the Lakers either, especially considering their limited number of tradable picks.
Due to the number of teams that already have a quality, solidified starting PG, it might be tough for Atlanta to find a fair value for either guard. As long as they fully commit one way or another, they should be fine, and that would mean trading Capela and probably Bogdanovic as well. Atlanta fans should be excited if their starting lineup includes Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Deandre Hunter, and the No.1 pick.
Los Angeles Lakers
Last season record: 47-35
Notable expiring contracts: LeBron James (PO), D’Angelo Russell (PO)
Cap Space: -$42,732,952
There are some franchises that could be on this list every single season. The Bulls, Pistons, Hornets, Kings, etc. The Lakers are definitely on that list.
After they won the Championship in 2020, LA has been a seven seed, three out of the last four years, and missed the playoffs in the other. This may just be the final season of LeBron James’ legendary career, and he is not guaranteed to be a Laker this season. So, when it comes to Rob Pelinka’s biggest priority, resigning ‘The King’ is number 1.
Unfortunately for Laker fans, it’s not that simple. LeBron has stated that he would like to play with his son Bronny this season should he get drafted. The question for not just the Lakers, but every team is, should they draft Bronny just for a better chance at signing LeBron? The Lakers have the 17th and 55th pick in this year's NBA Draft, so perhaps we’ll see just how desperate Pelinka is to keep Lebron around.
Aside from the James family, D’Angelo Russell is also a Free Agent, assuming he declines his player option. There are a few teams with interest in Russell, and the Orlando Magic have emerged as a top suitor for the point guard. They have the cap space to comfortably offer him a $25 million per year contract, and it's highly unlikely the Lakers match that.
Like Atlanta, the Lakers have no extra money to work with, so chances are this team looks very similar next season unless they somehow pull off a ‘sign and trade’ for D'Lo.