CHANGE IS NECESSARY
The Lakers: Point Guard
The #1-seeded Suns team defeated the Lakers in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. LeBron played well, but lacked support. Moreover, Anthony Davis’s injury proved too much for the Lakers to overcome. Dennis Schroder was horrible against the Suns. The Lakers definitely need to bolster their point guard position. One possible solution is to trade for an elite point guard, for example, Goran Dragic or Kemba Walker.
The Knicks: Perimeter Defense
The Hawks completely outshot the Knicks in their five game series. The Knicks’s perimeter defense was terrible and allowed the Hawks to hit more corner threes than they did all season. The Knicks really need a good perimeter defender. The Knicks should consider Trevor Ariza or even a rookie.
The Heat: Cap Space
The Heat have a cap situation coming up this off-season. Jimmy Butler, the team’s star player, has stated he would like a max deal, which would require a lot of cap space. Meanwhile, the Heat have to pay the remainder of Victor Oladipo’s contract. AND he is unlikely to return in 2021. Duncan Robinson and Goran Dragic are free agents as well, so they will have to make some choices.
The Blazers: New Coach
After nine seasons, the Blazers and Terry Stotts have mutually separated. Stotts and the Blazers had some success, but never made it to the Finals despite having Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. The Blazers need a coach who can take them all the way. This situation is reminiscent of the 2019 Raptors, who fired long-time coach Dwane Casey, hired Nick Nurse, and proceeded to win a championship. The Blazers’s GM should weigh in on Evan Turner, a former player, who will relate to the players on a personal level.
The Celtics: New Coach
The Celtics are in a unique situation. The Celtics had a mediocre year in 2020-2021, but still made the playoffs as a 7th seed. Now, former Head Coach Brad Stevens is the GM. Therefore, the Celtics need a coach. My choice would be Jason Kidd, another former player. Under Stevens’s watch, Kidd could take the Celts to the next level.
The Mavericks: A True Running Mate For Luka
The Mavs received their second straight early playoff loss. Too early for a talented team! Luka Doncic is arguably the best player in the NBA and he needs some real support. Kristaps Porzingis has proven that he is not the needed game-changing sidekick. My solution: Trade for another superstar. Here’s my proposal – Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr, and picks for Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Crazy, I know, but that move could take the Mavs over the top.
The Wizards: Trade Bradley Beal
The Wizards finally ridded themselves of John Wall’s contract and gained superstar Russell Westbrook in the process. However, the team’s best player, Brad Beal, has always wanted to leave Washington. But the Wiz always manages to bring him back. It may be time to trade Beal before he demands a huge deal. Washington is possibly nearing a rebuild. A solution would be to deal Beal for picks to bolster their team with a new young core.
The Grizzlies: Improve Their Young Core
Ja Morant is a very special player, but he needs some support to take the Grizz to the next round. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke are blue-chip talents who are still raw, but could be develop nicely; however, the Grizz could do with some additions. This year’s draft has elite stock including Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green. Green would be a great add for the team given his ability to shoot from deep and slash into the paint for layups and dunks.
