Handling this aggressively is going to be key and The Blazers need to remain flexible to have the ability to make a lopsided trade. Which stadiums do you think will have garage sale signs on them? Memphis? Houston? Atlanta? Miami? Chicago? Cleveland? If LeBron doesn't bring home a title, who's head is gonna roll?
It totally depends on the owners. Cleveland - don't be silly. Miami - the way they rebuild is by landing epic free agents. Supposedly they're going to make a real pitch to Durant. I doubt they land him, though. Houston - I don't think their owner would go for that. They're like Dallas - perpetual rolling rebuild. Chicago - they SHOULD. But they're stuck with Rose. I would be seriously interested in getting Noah (ideally alongside his Florida buddy Horford), though, and he's pissed at their new coach. Atlanta - totally depends on Horford. But even if they lose him, I doubt they trade Millsap. Memphis - I honestly have no idea. They canned their coach who basically created Grit'n'Grind and everyone's old, and Mike Conley's a UFA. I predict they'll be like us last season: talk about bringing everyone back until Conley leaves and BOOM. If we can't get Horford I would LOVE to get Gasol, but I don't see it as a high probability. I somehow doubt he lights Olshey's fire, and he's past 30 and getting a bit injury prone.
I just read an article that made me happy and sad: happy because apparently DeRozan REALLY wants to be a Laker and sad because it suggested that the Spurs could sign Horford (or even worse, that Houston would make him their #1 target). I see the Spurs signing Mike Conley, myself. Their real problem is the steep decline of Tony Parker and he's such an obvious Spurs type.
I am going with Charlotte. They are in a similar situation as last seasons's Blazers. Four of Charlotte’s starters are UFA, Batum, Jefferson, Lee, & Williams. BU PF Hansbrough is also an UFA. BU PG Jermy Lin will probably opt out for a bigger contract, and become a UFA. I believe BU SG Troy Daniel is also a FA, but not sure of his status.
Personally, I don't think any of those teams are going to willingly give up their best players. Memphis and Atlanta may have no choice in the case of Conley and Horford, respectively, since they are free agents, but I don't see them auctioning off Gasol or Milsap, unless they get fantastic offers. Likewise, I don't see Houston trading away Harden...if you're interested in Ariza or Brewer (is anyone really interested in Brewer?), I'm sure they could be had. I think all of those teams (barring Cleveland, who won't be rebuilding in any way) will do their best to hang on to their best players and rebuild around them, so their role-players will be available for younger talent.
I guess now would be a good time to ask what exactly "rebuild" means. If it just means letting your FAs go, then that's more of an "allow to crumble". I was sort of taking it to mean "would be willing to trade otherwise important players". I don't see the Clippers trading Paul, Jordan or Griffin. I don't see the Hornets trading Kemba Walker. If they were willing to trade MKG I'd be very interested, but I think they feel they've sunk cost into developing him and want to see if his shot can stay fixed. Memphis MIGHT trade Marc Gasol, so that's interesting. Brooklyn MIGHT trade Brook Lopez (although they've said they won't).
The team I think really SHOULD rebuild is New Orleans. If I were them I'd trade Anthony Davis sooner rather than later (for the #1 and Embiid/Okafor/Noel/future picks). If he's healthy he's a perpetual MVP candidate, but then he's also going to want to get the hell out of New Orleans. If he's not healthy, his trade value declines. They've basically got nothing besides him except overrated and overpaid role players.
Most teams, even ones stuck in the treadmill, don't rebuild unless it's out of necessity. Either by a player leaving (LMA) or by playing like garbage (Phoenix). The one team that should have rebuilt awhile ago is New York but I doubt they do it either. Don't think any of the teams on the OP list is going to trade their best players unless they head to the all star break 15th in their conference or something.
Memphis is going to have to give up gasol sooner or later, he's getting older, Injury prone, his body has only so many years left in the NBA, either Memphis gives him up, starts over, and builds a future, or they keep gasol and stay in mediocrity until he retires
No, because Dirk keeps agreeing to sign for under his market value, just like Duncan with San Antonio. Perhaps you meant to say what LA did with Kobe.
Teams very rarely burn it all down to the foundations and start from scratch because there's no real evidence that it works well (if you define "work" as "help speed your way to your next title contending team"). Sometimes you get lucky and land a franchise superstar in the draft; most of the time you don't. While it wasn't intentional tanking (most of the time), the Warriors spent a decade at the bottom of the league (and, thus, the top of the lottery) for half the '90s and half the '00s. They didn't land a franchise superstar in the draft. In fact, their franchise only turned around over the past six years with a #7 pick and a second-rounder...the pick they "tanked" for became Harrison Barnes, who's pretty average. The Cavs spent something like a decade in the lottery before they landed LeBron James. If that ping pong ball had not gone their way, they'd still be languishing at the bottom of the league, most likely. Not that there haven't been successes--the Thunder, of course, were built from getting rid of everyone and finding franchise superstars in the draft. The Timberwolves might build a title contender in similar fashion. But, in general, in my opinion, having a great player already in place to build around means you're closer to title contention then getting rid of that player and then relying on luck and time to find your next great player. It sounds proactive to say, "This isn't working, let's get rid of everyone--including our star--and start over," but I don't think most GMs consider that a smarter strategy, and I don't think that there's clear evidence that it's a smarter strategy.
You're interested but at what cost? They wouldn't trade MKG for crap, The Blazers would have to pony up.
I'd love two year rental of Pau Gasol. He still has game and is guy who I think would accept playing in a place like Portland.
