Bucks
In
Damian Lillard, Cam Payne (1yr/$2.9m), Robin Lopez (1yr/$3.2m), Malik Beasley (1yr/$2.7m), Andre Jackson Jr (4yr/$7.6m), Chris Livingston (4yr/$7.6m), Jazian Gorman (Exhibit 10), TyTy Washington (2-way), Marques Bolden (Exhibit 10)
Okay, Lillard's new home turns out to be Milwaukee, the offensive attack of this squad should be staggering....defense on the other hand will likely suffer....so....will the improvement outweigh the decline? Payne, Beasley and (the other) Lopez are nice bench-thickeners. Curious to see if they can get anything out of TyTy, a little nugget of youth, if nothing else.
Out
Jevon Carter, Goran Dagic, Joe Ingles, Meyers Leonard, Wesley Matthews, Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen
Losing Holiday is rugged but the replacement should be worth it; Holiday is one of the great lockdown perimeter defenders in the league and while his offense kinda comes and goes, they never really needed him for that, so trading out their best defender for an offensive upgrade is not guaranteed to work (I think it will, though). As for the rest, easy come, easy go.
Re-signed
Khris Middleton (3yr/$93m), Brook Lopez (2 yr/$48m), AJ Green (3yr/$6.3m), Jae Crowder (1yr/$3.2m)
Middleton is the real key of this team: I noticed years ago that Middleton is one that gets going and then gets Giannis--not the other way around. With Dame, Middleton's role may be a bit more manageable, which would seem to be what he needs. We'll see. Bringing back Lopez was a must, his eventual decline could be scary but I think he's got two more years in him. Re-signing Crowder is a bit of a puzzle since he seemed totally out of the rotation last year in the playoffs (which is what they got him for, right?). So now that Coach Bud is gone, Crowder will recover his form....?
Rest of roster
Giannis Antetokounpo, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp
Giannis may well be rejuvenated with Dame coming in, I assume he'll be getting MVP votes. Portis coming off a so-so run with Team USA is probably ready to get back to the NBA. Connaughton is still a contributor, I think Dame will make good use of him. And the buzz is that Beauchamp is ready to make a jump.
Next summer's free agents
Beasley, Crowder, Robin Lopez, Jackson, Washington, Payne, Green (non-guaranteed)
Easy come, easy go.
Vegas over/under: 56.5 (I'll go Over)
Yeah, they might not need to be that good but with a new coach and a new big star in the fold, I think this team will need to bust ass in the regular season and will want to keep pace with the Celtics, so I think the Bucks take the regular season seriously and make a run at the #1 seed. And while I think their perimeter D takes a hit, I can see Dame running this offense to perfection, he's gonna make it easy for Middleton and Connaughton and Portis, so even though they'll be allowing more points, I think they're gonna outscore most everyone they play. This should probably be the #1 offense in the league.
Cavs
In
Craig Porter Jr, Georges Niang (3yr/$25.5m), Ty Jerome (2yr/$4.6m), Max Strus, Emoni Bates (2-way), Damian Jones, Justin Powell (Exhibit 10), Tristan Thompson (1yr/$3.2m), Pete Nance (Exhibit 10), Sharife Cooper (Exhibit 10), Zhaire Smith (Exhibit 10)
Niang, Strus and Jones will thicken that bench, good pick-ups, I like all those dudes and I think they fit nicely here.
Out
Danny Green, Dylan Windler, Mamadi Diakite, Raul Neto, Robin Lopez, Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens
I always liked Osman but he never really did develop here, did he? So not really a big loss (even if he blows up somewhere else).
Re-signed
Isaiah Mobley (2-way), Caris LaVert (2yr/$32m), Evan Mobley (exercised rookie extension)
The Mobley brothers are in, that's nice. LaVert is a nice scorer but I never thought he was the right fit for the Cavs, kinda feel like he might be flipped in a trade by the deadline.
Rest of roster
Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro, Ricky Rubio, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill
Mitchell has made it clear he does not want to re-sign with the Cavs, not necessarily an indication that he'll be traded by the deadline but if this team goes sideways, I guarantee he'll be the first one moved. If not, I can see this team being really good this year and maybe a playoff run inspires to embrace this squad. Garland, Allen and Okoro (and Mobley) are the real core of this team and Mitchell is just the icing. I always loved Rubio, glad to see him back where he was having some success before his last injury.
Next summer's free agents
Okoro, Jones, Isaiah Mobley
Okoro looks like a keeper. Jones and (the other) Mobley are probably inexpensive enough to hold on to.
Vegas over/under: 50.5 (I'm going Under)
I like the Cavs and they won 51 last year but I have them at 50 (a slight Under) but they've got a sword hanging over them and that is Donovan Mitchell. Clearly Mitchell wants to move on but if the Cavs are winning, how do you get rid of him? And if they're losing, how do the Cavs get value? My gut is that Mitchell is a pro, know he's got a good squad and will bring the ball all season, but he's never really had a good playoff run, so the summer may bring a fresh round of angst.
Pacers
In
Bruce Brown (2yr/$45m), Obi Toppin, Ben Sheppard (4yr/$13m), Jarace Walker (4yr/$27.6m), Isaiah Wong (2-way), Oscar Tshiebwe (2-way)
I like Brown, the kind of guy that just adds to any team you add him to, I think he's gonna be pretty great for the Pacers. I like Toppin, too, never really found himself with the Knicks, should get a chance to flourish with the Pacers. Don't know about Sheppard or Walker, but let me give a Kentucky fan plea for Tshiebwe: I'm telling you, man, in NCAA he was one of the best rebounders I've ever seen and I think it will translate to the next level; he probably won't score enough to make him a fan favorite, but I think his downlow big man skills (a la Andre Drummond), will keep him in this league and even make him relatively successful.
Out
Gabe York, George Hill, James Johnson, Osahe Brissett, Chris Duarte
I like Duarte but he was always just a placeholder in Indy.
Re-signed
Tyrese Haliburton (5yr/$205.5m), Kendall Brown (2-way), Exercised rookie extensions on Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson
Haliburton should get some MVP attention (yeah, I said it! Not saying he'll win but he'll get votes), after being (I thought) the MVP of Team USA in the World Cup this summer. I think Haliburton is the next great player in this league and he's gonna step up and be awesome this season.
Rest of roster
Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, Daniel Theis, TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, Jalen Smith, Jordan Nwora, Andrew Nembhard
When packed around Haliburton, Mathurin, Brown and Toppin, this makes a helluva supporting cast. On the other hand, this is a jumble of tradeable pieces, as well. I like Turner and Hield and McConnell and Nesmeth and Smith and even Theis, but I can see every single one of those dudes getting a cold shoulder next summer or trade talks until then. That said, I think Haliburton will keep this team good enough all year long to avoid much of the deleterious talk.
Next summer's free agents
Hield, Toppin, Nesmith, Nwora, McConnell (non-guaranteed)
All of those dudes are playing for the next contracts, maybe in Indy, maybe somewhere else.
Vegas over/under: 38.5 (I'll go Over)
This is an easy one. If Halliburton stays healthy, the Pacers will definitely be above.500. He alone will carry this team to the next level. If he gets hurt, however, this team can be chopped up for parts and converted to a lottery team with a quickness, so this season is all about Haliburton and his health.
Bulls
In
Adama Sanogo (2-way), Jevon Carter (3yr/$19.5m), Julian Phillips (4yr/$8.1m), Torrey Craig (2yr/$5.4m), Onralp Bitim (2-way), Quentin Jackson (Exhibit 10)
Uhhhhhh....I don't know what any of these guys are supposed to do for the Bulls.
Out
Derrick Jones Jr, Javonte Green, Justin Lewis, Patrick Beverley, Marko Simonovic
Meh. I don't know what any of these guys could've done for the Bulls this year.
Re-signed
Andre Drummond (1yr/$3.4m team option), Nikola Vucevic (3yr/$60m), Coby White (3yr/$36m), Ayo Dosunmu (3yr/$21m), Terry Taylor (2yr/$4.2m)
I love Vucevic and Dosunmu and I'm not out on Coby White, but I don't see how they improve this squad.
Rest of roster
Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso, Dalen Terry
DeRozan is trade bait, Williams might be, too. Caruso, too, will be coveted by a lot of teams. Lonzo seems likely to not play at all this year (if ever again).
Next summer's free agents
DeRozan, Williams, Drummond
I assume all three will be gone by year's end.
Vegas over/under: 37.5 (Gotta go Under)
Yeah, this team is built to tread water while trades get sorted out. That said, there is some talent, they won't be a total disaster, but just good enough to make sure they don't get a great draft pick. Not good enough to make the playoffs, not bad enough to be assured of a top 3 pick, this is the worst place to be in all of sports. I assume Coach Donovan will be gone by year's end, too (a mercy killing). I just don't see how this team gets good this year--or gets bad enough to get good next year! Indeed, don't be surprised if the move is to trade DeRozan for long term contract (say, Jeremi Grant of the Blazers) and while that gives them assurance going forward, it doesn't make them a better team in the East. Long year for Bulls fans ahead.
Pistons
In
Asuar Thompson (4yr/$36.2m), Marcus Sasser (4yr/$13.5m), Joe Harris, Monte Morris, Zavier Simpson (Exhibit 10), Jontay Porter (Exhibit 10)
People seem to be digging these Thompson twins, the Pistons have drafted well recently, looks like another young stud to build around. Hey, I always liked Joe Harris (and he makes Bogdanovic an immediate trade chip), if they can get anything out of him, then he could be a nice scorer off the bench. Morris, too, is a reliable vet, not a star but a nice contributor.
Out
RJ Hampton, Cory Joseph, Hamidou Diallo, Rodney McGruder, Eugene Omoruyi
I always liked Diallo, but this Piston rotation is rather crowded with dudes who need to shine out. Hampton, too, just couldn't find space in the crowd.
Re-signed
Isaiah Stewart (4yr/$60m), Jared Rhoden (2-way), Buddy Boeheim (Exhibit 10), Stanley Umude (Exhibit 10), exercised rookie extensions on Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren
I like Stewart, interesting deal, good to lock him up, I'd say. Picking up the extensions on Cunningham, Ivey and Duren are no-brainers.
Rest of roster
Bojan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley, James Wiseman, Alec Burks, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Livers
Hey, man, I'm still in on Wiseman and Bagley, still Livers and not completely out on Hayes (he just needs to be a reliable ball handler off the bench). Bogdanovic and Burks are nice vets that could be audtiioning for the trade deadline.
Next summer's free agents
Harris, Wiseman, Burks, Morris, Hayes, Livers, Bogdanovic non-guaranteed
I'd say the Pistons front office is really rooting for Wiseman and Livers to blow up, to soldify their young core. I'd be kinda shocked if Harris, Morris or Hayes were back next year.
Vegas over/under: 28.5 (I'm going Over)
I think the Pistons can go way Over and still never challenge for the post-season, which is exactly what this team is, I think. They're gonna have ups and downs, they won't compete consistently enough with the good teams to stay in playoff range but they'll have moments where they feast on shit teams. When this rotation really comes into its own, they could be fuckin' amazing. I think they'll make a nice jump this year but next year is the real money melon season.
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