Meanwhile, the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving clouds Brooklyn’s future. The Clippers might have an argument to be in our next group below, but they’ve given away their first-round draft picks for the next four years - and did so last year, as well, which turned out to be a lottery pick with intriguing upside ( Jalen Williams) - and are built around a pair of stars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George who are entering their mid-30s and have extensive injury histories. But given the Bucks have traded several future picks and have two co-stars ( Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday) in their early 30s, while the 76ers and Heat are relying on a pair of mid-30s stars in James Harden and Jimmy Butler, respectively, there could be a time limit on their status as true contenders. Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Miami have stars who should allow them to be competitive for a long time ( Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo, respectively). All but the Suns have mortgaged multiple future draft picks in order to win a title in 2023, while one of Phoenix’s most important players next season ( Chris Paul) will turn 38 during the 2023 playoffs. In addition, they all have something else in common: a shelf life. These six teams can realistically dream of an NBA championship in 2022-23. Teams (6): Brooklyn Nets, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks are two teams that have put all their chips in the middle of the table to win now. 18.Īfter analyzing each franchise’s roster, salary-cap projections and draft picks, here’s a breakdown of what “all-in” looks like, with the 30 teams fitting into seven tiers that, as the 2022-23 season approaches, should define success or failure. Here’s an effort to try to quantify what direction all 30 NBA teams are headed in and what goal they are trying to achieve, starting on opening night, Oct. The NBA, as much as any sport, is stratified from a talent standpoint that keeps all but a handful of teams from truly being championship-quality.īut that doesn’t mean teams aren’t all-in on a variety of different goals when each season begins. ![]() ![]() Not every team can - at least realistically - dream of lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of each NBA season. It turns out that, in fact, there can be. So, what does it mean to be “all-in” in today’s NBA? And is there more than one definition? In other words, the Timberwolves have gone all-in. “I came to take this team to the Finals,” Gobert said during his introductory news conference in July.Īs Timberwolves coach Chris Finch added, “It’s the perfect fit at the perfect time.” When the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a blockbuster trade to land Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year wasted no time declaring his intentions for his new franchise. Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system. ![]()
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