NBA Dream Scenarios - Part 1

This past January, about halfway through the 2014 NBA season, I did a 2-part blog on semi-realistic dream scenarios for NBA teams heading into the 2015 season. This took the draft and free agency into account, along with trades. With the next month making up the majority of the offseason, I’m taking another crack at it.

So... below is a Mock Draft/Free Agent Period/Trade Scenarios... Basically, I'll sift through each team below, and dream up what I'd love to see happen this offseason as a fan of each team. I'll try to keep it somewhat realistic and on budget, but remember, it's quite fun to dream. I'll go in alphabetically order, and focus basically on the starters. Today is part 1, so I’ll cover the first half of the league.

Atlanta Hawks

PG - Jeff Teague

SG – Evan Turner

SF – Kyle Korver

PF - Paul Millsap

C - Al Horford

Teague, Korver, Millsap, and Horford are already under contract for next season. Right there we’ll see massive improvement due to Horford’s return from injury. In free agency, adding Evan Turner would give them a versatile player that could add some scoring punch. He was averaging close to 20 points per game last year in Philly before he got traded. Because it didn’t work out in Indiana, they could get him at a great price. The other key to their improvement is the improved depth they could get. At #15 in the draft, they could add a wing player like Rodney Hood or James Young, guys that could help now and star in the future. That pick, along with the addition of Turner, would deepen their bench on the outside. With Horford’s return (along with last year’s first round pick Lucas Nogueira) they will be much deeper inside as well, even if they lose Elton Brand.

Boston Celtics

PG – Marcus Smart

SG – Lance Stephenson

SF - Jeff Green

PF - Jared Sullinger

C – Roy Hibbert

Sullinger and Green are already apart of this team, but everyone else is new. The key to the lineup above is completing a trade with the Pacers. The trade would center on trading Rajon Rondo for Stephenson and Hibbert (other pieces likely involved). Indiana could use a great point guard, and after the issues with Lance (antics) and Roy (poor play) in the playoffs, they would consider this to acquire Rondo. For Boston, this gives them an all-star to fill a void at center, and an up and coming potential star at shooting guard. Drafting Marcus Smart at #6 would fill Rondo’s spot, and this would be a lineup Brad Stephens could work with.

Brooklyn Nets

PG - Deron Williams

SG – Joe Johnson

SF – Paul Pierce

PF - Kevin Garnett

C - Brook Lopez

The Nets don't own a first rounder this summer, nor do they have cap space to bring in any new big time players. In fact, they’ll have a hard time re-signing Pierce and Livingston as is. But I don’t think management have any other options than keeping the core together for one more year and making a run at a championship. If they can stay healthier this season, notably Lopez, they have room to improve.

Charlotte Hornets

PG - Kemba Walker

SG - Gerald Henderson

SF – Luol Deng

PF – Josh McRoberts

C - Al Jefferson

Charlotte will be a deep and dangerous team a year from now. They have two first round picks, and they will have 13-17 million to spend this summer depending on if Josh McRoberts takes his player option or not. They also have a young team that will experience natural growth as they improve. In the above scenario, I have them entering the season with the same starters except for Deng over MKG at small forward. The bench would then have MKG, Zeller, Stauskas (#9 pick), Ennis (#24 pick), and Biyombo. I like their chances to take a big step forward.

Chicago Bulls

PG - Derrick Rose

SG - Jimmy Butler

SF – Carmelo Anthony

PF – Taj Gibson

C - Joakim Noah

This team would be dangerous. Rose, Butler, Noah are locked in. Assuming Rose stays healthy, he’ll already make Chicago a contender. If they amnesty Boozer, they could theoretically make room to sign Carmelo Anthony. That moves Taj Gibson into the starting lineup. Depth could be restored through the draft, as they own two first round picks. So I’m not sure they’ll get Kevin Love, but Carmelo is a great, and potentially better consolation prize.

Cleveland Cavaliers

PG - Kyrie Irving

SG – Kevin Martin

SF - Lebron James

PF – Kevin Love

C – Anderson Varejao

Of all the scenarios, this one is the most unlikely. The first move is a trade with Minnesota to acquire Love. This would take parting with the #1 pick, along with their promising young players (Waiters, Thompson, Bennett, etc.). I discussed that trade a couple weeks ago. In that deal, Kevin Martin would come over as well. And with those pieces in place, maybe they could lure Lebron back to his hometown (assuming Lebron opts out of his Heat contract). So that’s a lot of “what ifs”, but it would give them a terrific big 3 (Irving, James, Love), along with some decent role players (Martin and Varejao). Who knows right?

Dallas Mavericks

PG - Jose Calderon

SG - Monta Ellis

SF – Lance Stephenson

PF - Dirk Nowitzki

C – Spencer Hawes

With Dirk’s years dwindling in number, I think Cuban will try to do anything he can to improve the Mavs in the next year or two. He may wait until 2015, but he could make some sneaky moves now as well. Re-signing Dirk will lock him in again to partner with Calderon and Ellis. Hawes is an underrated center that would be an upgrade for them instantly, and could be signed this summer fairly inexpensively. The key here is sign Stephenson, as he has huge upside and gives them a great defensive player, something they lack on the current roster. This would, at minimum, be a sure playoff team, but the firepower here could take them into the second round, something they couldn’t do in 2014.

Denver Nuggets

PG - Ty Lawson

SG – Gary Harris

SF - Danilo Gallinari

PF – Kenneth Faried

C – Greg Monroe

This team is filled with role players, but they haven't had a star since they traded Carmelo. They should do what Golden State did last year... dump contracts to create room for a free agent, unless they could trade for one. Rudy Gay is a realistic option, but I think Greg Monroe could be one to target, as they need somebody that could create for themselves inside. Gary Harris would be a great choice in the draft, as he could become an excellent shooting guard moving forward. And the team will improve naturally with Gallinari returning from injury. They could and should be much improved in 2015.

Detroit Pistons

PG - Brandon Jennings

SG – Lance Stephenson

SF – Trevor Ariza

PF - Josh Smith

C - Andre Drummond

Two things to note about Detroit this offseason… they don’t have a first round pick and they seem to be willing to part with Greg Monroe (and others) through free agency. So they must rebuild by signing new players. If they let their free agents walk, they may be able to sign both Lance Stephenson and Trevor Ariza (especially if Ariza takes some sort of exception). Both would fill voids on the wing and would give them a defensive intensity they need. Neither are stars, but this would complete a potent and explosive starting five. The tricky part is Stephenson, as he’s a restricted free agent.

Golden State Warriors

No changes needed. This team created their dream scenario last summer by clearing room for Iguodala. And all their starters are signed through at least next year also. As the young guys develop, and if they can stay healthy (Bogut), they will continue to get better over time. The only change to this scenario is if they can get Kevin Love, but I don’t see that happening.

Houston Rockets

PG – Patrick Beverly

SG - James Hardin

SF – Chandler Parsons

PF – Carmelo Anthony

C - Dwight Howard

This is extremely unlikely unless Houston exercises their team option on Parsons and pull off a big trade. First, the team would need to exercise their team option on Parsons, as it’s very cheap. This would save them money vs. giving him a bigger deal. Second, they team would have to unload Asik and Lin to make room to sign Carmelo. Maybe even use them in a sign-and-trade scenario with the Knicks for Anthony. Then, this could theoretically get done as I have it above.

Indiana Pacers

PG – Rajon Rondo

SG - Lance Stephenson

SF - Paul George

PF - David West

C – Marcin Gortat

Indiana, in my opinion, has to shake it up. They need a better point guard, so I think they should try and acquire Rondo or Lowry (sign-and-trade). Earlier with Boston I had them acquiring Rondo for Stephenson and Hibbert. That’s a dream scenario for Boston. For Indiana, a dream scenario would be using Hill instead of Stephenson in that trade, so Lance could stay with the team. The deal would save them money too, and they could sign a veteran like Gortat to round out the starters.

Los Angeles Clippers

No changes needed. This is just like GS... all starters locked in next year also. Doc in his second year will make this lineup deadly.

Los Angeles Lakers

PG - Marcus Smart

SG - Kobe Bryant

SF - Carmelo Anthony

PF - Pau Gasol

C - Spencer Hawes

This is the same lineup I stated in January… As I've said all season, anything can happen this summer with the Lakers, as nearly everybody is a free agent. Kobe is locked in however so we'll put him down at SG. They have talked about adding another star to pair with Kobe, and to "replace him" long-term as the face of the franchise. That would be Carmelo. Gasol will likely return at a reduced rate. Hawes will be an unrestricted free agent coming off a great season with Philly/Cleveland. Smart would be a great leader for this team, and could be drafted at #7. This group would give the city hope now and in the future.

Memphis Grizzlies

PG - Mike Conley

SG – PJ Hairston

SF – Trevor Ariza

PF – Zach Randolph

C - Marc Gasol

Gasol and Conley are locks for the lineup next year, and rumors state that Randolph will re-sign. The key will be improving at the wing positions. At #22 in the draft, they should look to add a scorer like PJ Hairston. This is a guy that just tore up the D-League and could really help stretch the floor for the inside players, and for Conley to penetrate. I also think they should look to dump Tayshaun Prince and replace him in the lineup with Trevor Ariza. This could be as simple as waiving Prince and signing Ariza, or they can work some trades. Ariza is a vet that can help win now and would give them production on both ends of the court. And the team wouldn’t have to break the bank to get him. Any extra money should be used on beefing up the bench.

Part 2 will be tomorrow. Stay tuned...

By: The Sports Guys