When I look at the landscape of the NBA, I’m excited to see the variety of teams breaking through. It’s always nice when teams get it going and play winning basketball. However, the cost of a new team ascending means others must fall and rebuild. The reasons a team starts this process can vary with their circumstances. Injuries, player movement, age, and drama are among the many situations that can signal the beginning of the end.
It’s not unusual for a team to have a mediocre season only to bounce back the next one. Some teams never bounce back, and others don’t get the chance to. Sometimes it’s only a matter of time before things get blown up and they start a rebuild. This is usually the time when teams start trading core players and making way for new talent. Here are two teams from each conference that should start their rebuilding process.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks wouldn’t be in this predicament if it wasn’t for their run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. A team that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2016, was ready to make moves heading into the 2021-22 season.
They found a new star in Trae Young and were looking to start building around him. A surprise run to the ECF changed everything and forced the Hawks to bring back the core of that team. The Hawks even gave out a $125 million contract to John Collins hoping he would turn into their second star. That didn’t happen, his production declined drastically, and they traded him two years later.
Atlanta doesn’t struggle to score the ball; their problem is they can’t stop anyone. They have been one of the worst teams on defense since Young got drafted. Because of the lack of defense and star power they traded for All-Star Dejounte Murray. To say it hasn’t worked out is putting it nicely. They finished 9th last season, and are 12th in the East as of the writing of this article.
The team has few players who can consistently contribute on the defensive side of the court. Young is no help on defense, but he can get hot fast and hasn’t entered his prime. They can still build around him and have the assets to make moves to bring help.
If they have seen enough and think he is too much of a liability the time is now. The Hawks don’t have to part ways with both guys, but they have to choose one. Whether its Young or Murray they need to start working to get the right pieces around their guy.
Chicago Bulls
I recently wrote about the Bulls needing to part ways with Zach Lavine, but they shouldn’t stop there. The entire roster should be up for grabs. I’m not in any way trying to say they have bad players. They have a deep collection of talent that could be great elsewhere, some of those guys could be the missing piece in a championship team. It just hasn’t worked in Chicago and it’s unlikely this group has enough to even compete at the top of the East.
One of the biggest issues facing the Bulls is their aging stars. The team’s core players, such as Zach LaVine(28), Nikola Vucevic(33) and DeMar DeRozan (34), have all hit their primes. Even though they are very talented, the Bulls have only been in the playoffs once in the 6 years Lavine has been there.
To make matters worse it’s not looking good this year as they sit in 10th place in the East. It’s time for the Bulls to trade these players and start a rebuild around younger talent.
In addition to their aging roster, the Bulls have also struggled with injuries in recent years. Lavine has had a hard time staying healthy, which has limited his ability to contribute. The Bulls were at their best when Lonzo Ball was healthy and facilitating at a high level. That was 2 years ago before he tore his left meniscus, and there is no telling when he will be back or how effective he will be.
Besides their stars, players like Alex Caruso, Coby White, and Patrick Williams are among their most valuable pieces. By trading away these pieces for draft assets to a team in a position to win now, they can begin the process of building for the future.
Golden State Warriors
One of the most dominant runs in the NBA seems to be reaching its end. After winning an NBA title two seasons ago, this team is staring at a rebuild. They won with a few things going right for them at the right time. Young players got hot when the bright lights were on.
Klay Thompson gave us the closest thing he had to his old self. And a vintage Stephen Curry showed us why they have been a force to be reckoned with.
Things change quick in the NBA and the Warriors are no longer that team. Andrew Wiggin’s play has fallen off a cliff, playing the worst basketball of his career. The Draymond Green and Jordan Poole incident is still haunting the team. Poole got traded for Chris Paul and Green is on a rampage. Klay is a shell of his former self, failing to make his case in a contract year.
With the decline in everyone’s play Paul’s acquisition looks even worse with the 38-year-old’s best days behind him. Steph Curry is still the best shooter on the planet, but he will turn 36 in March. The splash bros are not splashing and the big three is a solo act.
Rebuilding isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. It’s time for the Warriors to start making the tough decisions that will help them in the years to come. Surely, they would like to keep their big three together, but the upside isn’t great.
Klay wants to get paid long-term, and the pressure is getting to Draymond. Realistically it might be close to impossible to keep and pay all three. Without question, they need to trade Wiggins and Paul. Most importantly the Warriors need to make a decision on Klay and Draymond.
Los Angeles Lakers
After multiple mid-season acquisitions last year, the Lakers made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals. Anthony Davis was healthy and played some of his best basketball as a Laker. Lebron James slowed down but still lead the team.
Austin Reaves took D’Angelo Russell’s spot as the third-best player for the Lakers. The rest of the roster hounded smaller players on defense and knocked down shots when left open. The Lakers found a winning formula and decided to do it again.
They brought the core of the team back with a few additions. The result has been underwhelming as they sit at 10th in the West. Inconsistency, injuries, and offensive troubles are at the heart of their problems. Sure, they won the inaugural in-season tournament, but the Lakers want to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. With the way things are going, it’s hard to imagine them getting to the NBA Finals.
Regardless of what happens this season Lebron’s time in LA is close to being over. He has a player option and has stated he wants to play with his son Bronny who is draft-eligible this summer. While there is a chance the Lakers somehow get Bronny, Lebron only has a couple of seasons left.
The Lakers have a roster that is currently built around him. Therefore they will have to make a lot of decisions if they want to be competitive with Anthony Davis.
AD signed an extension that will get him paid around $62 million per year until 2028. With his injury history, and inability to lead a team into the postseason there is a chance the Lakers trade the big man and start a rebuild. If there is one team thinking about the future and “blowing it up” it must be the Lakers.
