The Last Dance Is Over, And The NBA Is Up For Grabs, by Chuck Strom

The Golden State Warriors went down kicking and screaming in the 2019 NBA Finals, but ultimately the devastating injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson were too much for them to overcome against the relatively healthy Toronto Raptors. It was amazing that the Dubs pushed the series to six games, with a seventh only avoided when Steph missed an open three with seconds left. As Warriors announcer Bob Fitzgerald noted, that was a shot you’d gladly take in that situation–Steph has made hundreds of them like it over the course of his career.

Not only are the Toronto Raptors the new champions, but the dramatic fall of the Warriors from grace has made clear that the top of the NBA mountain is definitively unoccupied for 2019/20, and teams throughout the league are making moves to contend for dominance, a process facilitated by a large free-agent class and the apparently contagious mood of current NBA stars to seek out greener pastures. As of this writing, the Los Angeles Lakers gave away what there was of their farm to acquire Anthony Davis from New Orleans, with more personnel moves certainly to come, and there are few if any teams in the league that now can truly predict their starting rosters come October. Here is a partial list of stars currently between teams:

Kawhi Leonard
Kyrie Irving
Kemba Walker
Kevin Durant
Klay Thompson
Jimmy Butler
DeMarcus Cousins
Al Horford

For our Portland readers, the question is what their Trail Blazers are likely to do in this situation. With the removal, at least for next year, of the main obstacle in their path to the NBA Finals, the pressure is on their front office to make some kind of move to improve the roster and take advantage of what could be a narrow window of opportunity. So far their only transaction has been a trade of Evan Turner to the Atlanta Hawks for Kent Bazemore, a pair of guards on expiring contracts, neither of whom seem likely to move the needle much in their respective destinations. The consensus is that even with Jusuf Nurkic returning to health sometime in the coming season and the favorable reviews on their draft picks, the Blazers need to make at least one significant upgrade if they hope to contend seriously for the top spot in the Western Conference. Current rumors suggest a trade for Kevin Love, who actually went to high school in Lake Oswego. While the Blazers could use Love’s scoring, screens, and rebounding, he could be somewhat redundant with Nurkic on the same court, but given the uncertain timetable on the latter’s return, that might well be a risk worth taking. One point is certain – they need to do something. Dame and CJ aren’t going to be around indefinitely, and this is as good a time to say this as ever: the future is now, guys.

What then of the Warriors, all set to move into the Chase Center on the San Francisco side of the Bay? They will likely open their shiny new arena with an on-court product for most if not all of the season that will be Steph, Draymond, and a collection of veterans barely short of retirement and G-league call-ups. All those well-heeled Silicon Valley luxury suite occupants may be in for some ugly basketball for a while, but it appears that the Warriors front office is taking this into account in their plans, fully prepared to sign KD and Klay to long-term contracts regardless of their current health, accept a fallow year for next season, and resurge with a vengeance with their full contingent back in the fall of 2020. This plan, while logical, carries risks, most notably the possibility that either KD or Klay could fail to cooperate and decide to take their talents to the greener pastures of their choice. Even if they do re-sign, a return to glory is far from certain, especially with the unfavorable history of NBA players recovering from Achilles tears, not to mention that a year can bring dramatic declines in the ability of professional athletes even without catastrophic injuries. The Dubs could conceivably run out the same crew in 2020 that they started with in 2018, but whether they would dominate the Western Conference as before is very much open to question. More than has ever been the case since the Warriors began their ascent to prominence in 2013, Bob Myers, Joe Lacob and Steve Kerr have serious contemplation to do in regard to the future of the franchise. It would be a shame if the Dubs returned permanently to the wilderness from whence they came not so long ago.

Then, there are the Sacramento Kings, so long an afterthought in the NBA but now with actual reason for hope in the future for the first time since the Rick Adelman Kings were robbed by the referees in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Their young core of D’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and a recovered Marvin Bagley should be ready to resume their track meets, and the Kings have a ton of cap space available to pursue additional help in the above-mentioned free-agent market. While Sac-Town isn’t considered a glamour NBA destination, the competitive future of the franchise could be tempting for a star or two looking to thrive on the court and get in on the ground floor of a potential dynasty. It seems likely that the Kings will make a useful acquisition or two, and even if none are among the top stars, such could be enough for them to make noise in the Western Conference next season. This would be a welcome development for northern Californians looking for solace during the Warriors’ troubles, and it would certainly make the Golden One Arena an even more attractive entertainment venue than it has already been up to now. Sacramento fans have suffered long enough; it’s time to let some good times roll.

All told, there is good reason to be encouraged about the future of the NBA even if Steph and Company won’t be its most prominent faces for a time. The pot is being stirred as we speak, and we can look forward to some delectable dishes to enjoy come October.

– Chuck Strom