It's easy to get caught up in the big headlines -- Howard to Houston, Paul staying in LA, and the Nets adding Pierce and Garnett. These are the obvious "winners" of the 5,000 "winners and losers" lists that inevitably pop-up after the dust settles every summer. The sorry "losers" of these lists generally consist of teams that either lost star players, overpaid mediocre ones, or mucked-up their finances with no clear end-game in mind. Declaring who falls into these two categories is a fun exercise for any NBA diehard, but what about teams that didn't make a clear move in one direction or another? Of the "stand-pat" teams are another interesting set of winners and losers -- a group much more difficult to classify within the changing landscape of the league
Of course, making a significant move to improve a team is much easier said than done. There are so many variables that go into every roster decision, whether it's basketball fit, chemistry, salary, or something else. There are also only a small number of impact free-agents each year to choose from, and good players already locked into contracts aren't easy to nab either, especially for a team over the cap. But with that in mind, these are the teams that could still use an upgrade and have the assets to make something happen.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are in a very interesting position. Since being bought by tech entrepreneur Robert Pera and transformed from the inside-out, they have made some tough calls on both players and coaches. Everyone remembers the Rudy Gay trade last season, and this off-season has been similarly perplexing with the release of their battalion commander Lionel Hollins. Though the Gay trade was justifiable in that his performance didn't match his salary going forward, it made them a worse team in the short term -- a team that before the trade was seen as a dark-horse to win the West by many. The Hollins firing only adds to the uncertainty going forward. Even with the main pieces of their core still intact, it's unclear as to what Memphis will be able to accomplish next season. They made the West finals last year with this squad, but their perimeter scoring struggles were painfully apparent when matched up with the veteran Spurs.
If the Grizzlies want to go deep in the playoffs again, adding a perimeter offensive weapon should be the top priority. However, there is one caveat -- Memphis is over the salary cap this season, so they can only afford to offer the Mid-Level Exception, set at $5.15 million next season. Any other free-agent pick-up would need to be through a sign-and-trade. This means that to get any bigger-name free agent, Memphis would have to surrender an asset. The Grizzlies new front office is pretty taut when it comes to giving up valuables, but it seems like an avenue they have to consider for improving the team.
Even if giving up a player or pick was out of the question for Memphis, there were still several cheap options that could've helped them without long-term financial consequence. (Note: The Grizzlies have under $16M in guaranteed salary for the 2015-16 season. Therefore any contract two years or shorter would coincide with their future cap space.) Take a guy like Marco Belinelli, who got $3M a year for two years from the Spurs. Big Balls could've added another dimension of shooting and playmaking to augment the Grizzlies potent inside game. Some similar players making less than $5.15M/year for two years: Dorell Wright, Nick Young, CJ Watson, Mike Dunleavy Jr. The Grizz could've easily snagged one of these guys, but instead they'll be fighting for the scraps that are still on the table. There's still time, but Memphis might have squandered their only option of improving next season without compromising any meaningful players.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls biggest off-season concern was the health of Derrick Rose, but now it's official that he'll suit up for game one of the preseason. With that taken care of, the Bulls now have the rest of the roster to worry about. Management in Chicago is notoriously conservative, which has its benefits, but if the Bulls want to be a serious threat to the Heat, they probably could stand to do more this off-season.
Of course you don't want to change the entire roster before you see Derrick Rose play with them, but the Bulls have some clear flaws that can be addressed. To their credit, the signing of Mike Dunleavy Jr. will surely help with floor-spacing, but the Bulls still have a need for another guy that can score alongside Rose. The Bulls are over the cap and don't have the MLE, so in order to get a player like this they almost certainly need to either make a trade or use their amnesty clause -- in which case Carlos Boozer would be the most likely candidate. Boozer has a fat salary, but he's a good player, so cutting him would likely hurt more than help, especially with almost all the major free-agents off the table. This leaves trading as the most viable option. Some potential targets include the perennially disgruntled Eric Gordon, who'd fill in the two-guard beautifully, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who the Bulls were in discussions to acquire just weeks ago. Though the talks with Portland for Aldridge fell through due to their steep return request, the Bulls should do everything in their effort to pursue a trade for him as the season goes on. He's one of the best power forwards in the game and a 20-9 guy every night. The Bulls know they need to add another star if they want to topple the Heat, and they can't do it by running in place for another year.
Oklahoma City Thunder
It seems like everything has gone wrong for OKC post-Harden trade. The Beard blossomed into a superstar and lured Dwight to play with him in H-Town, Westbrook had a disappointing injury that effectively ruined their title hopes for the year, and Harden replacement Kevin Martin bolted for Minnesota. What looked like a potential dynasty-in-the-making two years ago has been reduced to a shell of itself. Though any team with Durant and Westbrook will be a force no matter who the other three guys are, it seems as if the Thunder are in need of a shot in the arm if they want to contend for years to come. OKC is over the salary cap and can only afford to improve the roster through either the MLE, freeing up cap space with the amnesty clause, or through a trade.
Diagnosing exactly what the Thunder need, however, is a bit tricky. For one, they surely need to replace Kevin Martins production from somewhere. Jeremy Lamb could be the guy, especially after dazzling in a few choice Summer League performances, but leaning on a second-year player who has never seen quality NBA minutes is a risky proposition. The Thunder should look to incorporate Lamb much more next season, but it'd be wise for them to snag a vet that could play the same position. The same cheap options I mentioned in the Memphis segment come to mind, but the Thunder also have more tradeable pieces than the Grizzlies. They could use those prospects to get a solid veteran two-guard, like a Vince Carter-type, that would stabilize the backcourt and add another scoring threat. The Thunder could then use the remaining cash on a veteran big to take some minutes from the terrible-as-ever Kendrick Perkins (that is, if they don't amnesty him). Their new rookie seven-footer Steven Adams looks promising, but rarely do ripe young big men have the wherewithal to anchor a playoff run. The Thunder don't need a face-lift, but some more firepower would do them well in top-heavy NBA next season. If they want another shot at the Finals, now is the time to make a move.
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