Philadelphia 76ers
Needs: Homerun in free agency
Picks: 16, 41
The 76ers have put themselves in position to be a major player this offseason. They have an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid and a young electrifying guard in Tyrese Maxey (restricted free agent) as cornerstones, and only Paul Reed, Ricky Council and possibly Jeff Dowtin on the roster with them. Philly is also equipped with an arsenal of salary cap space to fill all of those empty roster spots. They are expected to target Paul George to come on board as Embiid’s co-star, and if they strike out on that front, could look to make a run at LeBron James. If they can make a splashy signing like one of those, they instantly could find themselves as one of the favorites in the East. If they can’t, they will have to choose between making smaller signings to attempt to build a contender right away or look to sign short term deals in an effort to have cap space next off-season as well. If Philly is going to be a true contender, Embiid will need to play at an MVP level and on a consistent basis (39 games played last season). Let’s assume Philly signs a star forward (George or James), and puts them with Maxey and Embiid, who could they target in the draft and with smaller free agent deals? They would likely want players that are more ball movers that can shoot the ball off the catch. I could see them targeting somebody like Cam Payne, Josh Richardson, or look for somebody that can lead their second unit such as Alec Burks. Until we know who they can grab in free agency, it’s hard to forecast the 76ers’ future. In the draft they have the 16th pick, and could target USC’s Isaiah Collier, Cal’s Jaylon Tyson, of Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr.
Toronto Raptors
Needs: Talent
Picks: 19, 31
It seems weird to say about a team put together by Masai Ujiri, but I don’t like this roster as there is nothing they do especially well. Scottie Barnes can do a lot of things well, but he needs quality pieces around him. Immanuel Quickley looked good after coming over in trade, but needs to be resigned while RJ Barrett scored and rebounded well after arriving in Toronto and improving his efficiency. With those three, they have some pieces to build around, so it’s not as if the cupboard is completely bare. They should likely look at resigning Gary Trent Jr. as he still has the potential to be a quality player and can play off of Barnes. Bruce Brown doesn’t appear to be in their plans, but I still think they will look to pick up the team option and then explore trade opportunities for him. Ultimately, Toronto is in a position this offseason where the primary objective should be to add as much talent as possible. The best thing about having Scottie Barnes as their best player is that he is versatile enough that you can place a lot of different pieces or types of lineups around him, so the Raptors should look to capitalize on that and grab up as much talent as possible. After moving on from Pascal Siakam, this is a team in the earliest stages of a full rebuild. In the draft, they have the 19th pick, and some of the top players expected to be available there are Rob Dillingham of Kentucky,, Nikola Topic of Serbia, Canadian Zach Edey of Purdue, and Terrence Shannon from Illinois.
New York Knicks
Needs: Pass first initiator
Picks: 24, 25, 38
New York was the second seed in the East last season and Jalen Brunson has blossomed into an absolute stud for them. After taking the Pacers to seven games in the second round, it will be interesting to see how aggressive New York is this offseason when it comes to adding talent. It will also be interesting to see if they can hold on to the talent they have entering the free agent market. Precious Achiuwa is a restricted free agent, Alec Burks is a free agent that has a lot of talent, and most importantly for the Knicks, Isaiah Hartenstein will be an in-demand free agent. The other thing to consider for them is what to do with Julius Randle. He is a really good player, but he sometimes seems out of place on the team and can be a bit of a ball stopper on offense. The Knicks could get a decent haul in exchange for him from the right team. They could look to make another deal with Toronto to swap Randle for a package centered around Bruce Brown, or New York, who is always looking to make a big splash and bring in a big name, could also call Golden State and offer to take Chris Paul in exchange for him. Regardless of whether it is in a trade, through the draft (they have back-to-back picks at 24 and 25), or in free agency (using the mid-level exception), the Knicks could look to add a pass first player to play alongside Brunson. They were 29th in assists last season and when they struggled it was often because their offense couldn’t generate good offensive looks beyond Brunson doing it all himself. Monte Morris could be an ideal fit as he could backup Brunson and even play alongside him in bursts to help the Knicks create easier looks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them look to trade both of their picks to move up for a higher pick in the draft, but in a draft where the difference in value between late lotto picks and second rounders is miniscule, I think it would be a mistake. They could take a good long look at players such as Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, Purdue’s Zach Edey, the G-League’s Tyler Smith, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves, and Creighton’s Trey Alexander should they decide to stay put at 24 and 25.
Boston Celtics
Needs: Continuity
Picks: 30, 54
The Celtics won the Finals and don’t expect much roster turnover this offseason. As a second apron team, there are very few ways for them to enhance the talent on the roster, so it’s imperative they hold on to the talent they have in house. They will absolutely bring Sam Hauser back as they have a team option, and will likely want to bring Xavier Tillman back as a free agent if possible. It will be interesting to see if Al Horford opts to retire after this season or returns to finish out his contract as well. Either way, Boston will likely want to ensure their frontcourt has some added depth this offseason, especially with Kristap Porzingis’ injury history. Creighton’s [Player:Baylor Scheierman], Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, or the G-League’s Tyler Smith could hear themselves called as the #30 pick. Ultimately, this looks to be a quiet offseason for Boston, although it is likely they will be able to add a free agent or two on minimum deals as players look to put themselves in position to win a ring.
Brooklyn Nets
Needs: Talent
Picks: None
The Nets are a team that’s in a bad, bad place right now, but have a path back to being in playoff contention if they are patient. They are currently looking to build their team around Mikal Bridges, but there’s little talent around him on the roster. Cam Thomas can fill it up on offense, but provides little else beyond his scoring. Cam Johnson can shoot, but he is also limited in his overall value to lineups. Meanwhile, their highest paid player is Ben Simmons, who has barely played for them and when he has played, had little impact for somebody with his pedigree as a former #1 overall pick. Nic Claxton has really developed over the last couple of seasons, but he is a free agent, so Brooklyn could either lose him, or will have to sign him to a lucrative contract if he does opt to return. Resigning him would likely be their preference, but Brooklyn is basically waiting at this point for Simmons’ contract to expire after next season so they can go all in on acquiring a star player to pair with Bridges and build the team around. The Nets will have to really sell their status as a major market team in New York and hope that and a huge contract can draw players in. There is a very real chance that the roster can be Bridges, Johnson, Trendon Watford (restricted free agent) and Claxton next offseason, so the Nets will likely look to take on minimal long term money this offseason and hope that next offseason is the key to vaulting back into being a playoff team. They also have no draft picks, so the team will see only minimal turnover this summer.
