25 people around the NBA facing make-or-break seasons

Congratulations, Frank Vogel! You get to coach the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Los Angeles Lakers. We’d recommend renting and not buying over at least the first half of the campaign. James began his tenure with the Lakers possessing a  reputation as a “coach killer,” and he’s done nothing to eliminate that perception during his time in LA-LA land. That was before the three-time champion was approaching his 35th birthday, which comes in December. James knows the clock is ticking to win a fourth title. Patience won’t be a virtue for him, and Vogel had better realize that harsh truth. 

Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has a  player option worth over $34 million for the 2020-21 campaign. Boston can’t bank on him earning that cash with his play. The NBA is a harsh business, and Hayward hasn’t been the same All-Star since he suffered his memorable and horrific leg injury in October 2017. The Celtics should look to include Hayward in a transaction for a superstar if the team can make such a splash ahead of the trade deadline. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted who the team believed was the best player available earlier this year: point guard Darius Garland. Where will that leave Collin Sexton, the guard Cleveland selected eighth overall in 2018? Dan Feldman of NBC Sports (h/t  Yahoo Sports) is only one analyst who believes Garland and Sexton cannot coexist in the same lineup. When the Cavs inevitably choose Garland to be the face of the team’s latest rebuild, Sexton will be the odd man out. A trade seems bound to happen sooner rather than later. 

Perceived former first-round bust Jahlil Okafor has found a home in the New Orleans Pelicans rotation, but the club likely won’t use him more than 15 minutes per night, at most. The Pelicans did not draft Jaxson Hayes to sit him behind Okafor as the season progresses, especially if the team is out of the playoff hunt during the second half of the campaign. Once Zion Williamson is healthy, opportunities for meaningful minutes down low could become scarce, particularly for somebody who is seen as a throwback big who can’t keep up in the modern Association. How much longer will New Orleans wait for Okafor to develop before the team moves on?

If we’re being honest, the Charlotte Hornets probably wish forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist wouldn’t have picked up his player option for the  current campaign. As Jonathan DeLong of At The Hive put it, the second pick of the 2012 NBA Draft is too inept offensively to warrant a spot in the rotation for a team that’s investing in a youth movement and unofficially tanking. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Kidd-Gilchrist can’t salvage his Charlotte tenure. The team is ready to move from the 26-year-old who averages under 9.0 PPG. For Kidd-Gilchrist, this season is about saving his NBA career. 

As Marc Berman of the New York Post  pointed out, the New York Knicks picked up the 2020-21 option for Frank Ntilikina’s contract because doing so increases whatever trade value is attached to the 21-year-old as of the start of his third season. Ntilikina  averages  under 6.0 PPG. His range is disappointing, to be kind. He’s more likely to be buried on the depth chart behind Dennis Smith Jr. and Elfrid Payton than he is to become a cornerstone of a .500 franchise. If Ntilikina can’t make it with a Knicks team that will struggle to flirt with winning 30 games, one has to wonder if he’s not long for the Association, in general. 

Between Christmas in October and whenever the Oklahoma City Thunder decide to cut ties with Billy Donovan, Donovan will be auditioning for his next coaching opportunity. This isn’t an indictment on the coach who, per  Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman , is on an expiring contract. OKC will just need a new face in charge after the team hit the figurative reset button following the departures of Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Turning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into an All-Star may be the only way Donovan remains with the Thunder past April 15, 2020. 

The Indiana Pacers are hoping a culture switch will help forward TJ Warren evolve into a respectable rotational forward for a playoff team. Warren  improved  his three-point shooting to a career-best 42.8 percent (77-180) during his last season with the woeful Phoenix Suns, but his  defense still leaves much to be desired. As Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star  explained, the Pacers are routinely among the Association’s best defensive teams. That made Warren worth a flier, but it could also leave him a trade casualty when Victor Oladipo is healthy if the former Phoenix starter doesn’t bolster the weakest part of his game. 

The Los Angeles Lakers were able to acquire Anthony Davis without losing Kyle Kuzma, the 24-year-old forward who is now  signed through 2021. As Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg  pointed out, only Donovan Mitchell has averaged more points than  Kuzma (17.3) among players drafted in 2017. James is chasing rings, not developing future All-Stars, so the pressure is on Kuzma to show he can stay healthy an entire season and take a necessary huge step toward becoming the No. 3 guy for a title-winning side. Kuzma will certainly be a starter in the NBA in October 2020. We just don’t know where yet. 

The Milwaukee Bucks deemed 2016 first-round pick, Thon Maker, a bust and dealt him to the Detroit Pistons in February. As  Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press wrote, Maker is a 22-year-old 7-footer with a history of being pushed around and bullied on the court. He’s also in the last season of his rookie contract. After joining the Pistons, Maker showed he can hit threes and block shots, but he does neither consistently enough to deserve 15 minutes a night for a contender. He’s hoping that adding muscle mass over the summer will eliminate the weaker parts of his game down low. If that’s the case and he can shoot around 37 percent from the perimeter as he did during his first pro season, he can make a case for remaining with the Pistons through the first half of the 2020s. 

We can’t blame you for forgetting about Chicago Bulls guard Denzel Valentine, who hasn’t  played since April 2018 because of a bad ankle. The 25-year-old is entering the last season of his contract , and the Bulls are a guard-heavy team that must use some of those athletes as assets to build around Lauri Markkanen, Tomas Satoransky and Coby White. Even if Valentine’s ankle can withstand playing 30 minutes a night in over 70 appearances, his future is with a different organization. 

“I think I'd be sick to my stomach if I saw someone else coaching this team,” Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters ahead of the season, per  Ryan Miller of KSL.com. One would think he wouldn’t have to worry about that after agreeing to what ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski  reported to be a long-term contract extension. This past offseason, the Jazz added Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic to a lineup that includes Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and breakout candidate Donovan Mitchell. Utah isn't just expected to win over 50 games. This team is meant to finish near or at the top of the standings, even in the loaded Western Conference. Losing in the first round of the playoffs next April won't be acceptable.

The Portland Trail Blazers are in the market for a third superstar to play alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Could Mario Hezonja be included in a trade for such a player? The 24-year-old performed like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate during the preseason when he  averaged 10.8 PPG and 3.6 AST. More importantly, he’s signed  on the cheap, which makes him a movable part of a roster that’s filled with talent at his position. Hezonja has roughly three months to prove his worth as a contributor for a playoff team before Portland explores trade options for a star who has a winning resume; yes, we’re talking about you, Kevin Love. 

Has guard Josh Jackson already worn out his welcome with the Memphis Grizzlies? The 22-year-old flamed out with the terrible Phoenix Suns after only two seasons, and Memphis  relegated him to the G League and then declined  the fourth-year option on his contract. Memphis has promising young talent in Jaren Jackson Jr. and rookie Ja Morant, but this team isn’t winning half of its games. If Jackson can’t make it with the Grizzlies, his career is in serious jeopardy. 

In mid-October, the Golden State Warriors  decided  forward Marquese Chriss was a better investment than Alfonzo McKinnie. The eighth pick of the 2016 NBA Draft fell out of favor with both the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, and he made little impact during a brief stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors begin the season needing size, as Kevon Looney and Willie Cauley-Stein are both banged up. If Chriss doesn’t  shoot better than 33 percent from the field, though, he may not receive more than a cup of coffee with the defending Western Conference champs once other preferred options are healthy and available. 

The eye tests tell us Charlotte Hornets guard Malik Monk is a bust  who lost playing time to Dwayne Bacon and who is a reserve for what will probably be the Association’s worst team. Per  Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer , team general manager Mitch Kupchak recently proclaimed “at some point, you’re no longer a young prospect/developing player” when speaking about the 21-year-old. Monk is a  career 33.5 percent three-point shooter who has converted under 38 percent of his attempts from the field the past two seasons. As of this fall, he’s more part of the team’s problems than a solution.

The Washington Wizards need to tank and  eventually trade Bradley Beal.  That plan does little for head coach Scott Brooks, who is tasked with guiding a developmental league roster into the regular season. Maybe Brooks can save his job if forward Rui Hachimura blossoms into a Rookie of the Year candidate. It’s more likely that Tommy Sheppard, who became the team’s general manager over the summer, will look to hire his chosen candidate after a losing season. 

The Chicago Bulls are starting Tomas Satoransky at “ lead guard ,” and the team has rookie Coby White on the roster. Even if Kris Dunn says and does all the right things coming off the bench, the clock on his tenure with the organization is nearing zero. The Bulls aren’t a complete mess, as Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine, and Otto Porter Jr. could develop into members of a playoff-caliber team. The Bulls have to decide on  Dunn’s future payday soon, and his trade value may be nonexistent before the holidays arrive. He’s playing to impress other clubs during the fall. 

Just when Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert probably believed returning from a  subtalar dislocation  of his right foot would be the biggest challenge of his young career, Brooklyn gave him Kyrie Irving as a teammate. Irving is a one-time champion who forced an exit from the Cleveland Cavaliers and then became a  pariah  during his two-year stay with the Boston Celtics. The 2019-20 campaign is a feeling-out process for the Nets until the team gets Kevin Durant back on the court next October. LeVert needs to play like the No. 3 in a championship big three alongside Irving. 

As Michael Pina of SB Nation wrote, the Boston Celtics extending guard Jaylen Brown was a smart business decision that could set up the team for a future trade for a superstar. Brown’s  perimeter shooting declined (39.5 percent in 2017-18 to 34.4 percent in 2018-19) during Kyrie Irving’s last year with Boston, but he and the rest of the roster deserve fresh starts with Kemba Walker in the lineup. The Celtics paid Brown for what the team believes he will become down the road. He must be closer to that version of a star next summer than what he is today to guarantee a spot with Boston in 2020. 

Multiple ESPN  analysts have voiced concerns over Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. remaining available for an entire season. Porter played in only  three collegiate games, and lingering back issues caused Denver to redshirt him for the entire 2018-19 campaign. Even if the 21-year-old performs as good as advertised, he’s offered no proof that he will be an active member of any roster during win-or-go-home springtime games. Denver possesses a championship-caliber lineup, and the Nuggets may have to make a difficult decision regarding Porter if he finishes another season as a spectator. 

Let’s all agree to be positive about Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz for a moment and not dwell on  the yips or whatever thoracic outlet syndrome is and instead be hopeful about a 21-year-old who is receiving a restart to a promising career. Fultz looked like a pro during Orlando’s preseason, which is more than we can say for the bulk of his time with the 76ers. That was when the games didn’t matter and when he faced little pressure. The good news is the Magic don’t have to make any decision on Fultz’s future over the next 12 months, as he’s signed through 2021. Eventually, though, he has to show his body can survive an entire season and that he can perform under the bright lights when wins and losses count. 

Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers were one  different bounce of the basketball away  from potentially competing in the Eastern Conference Finals last May. The Sixers losing to the eventual NBA champions was no reason to hang heads low this past offseason. Kawhi Leonard isn’t around to bounce them out of the conference bracket of the playoff tournament, though, and Brown  doesn’t have to explain anything to Jimmy Butler anymore. Philadelphia could go in a different direction if Brown doesn’t guide the club at least one round further in the postseason next spring. 

Being part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angels Lakers was the best thing that could have happened to guard Lonzo Ball, as he and LeBron James just weren’t going to click together on the court. Playing in the uptempo New Orleans offense with rookie Zion Williamson, Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick should benefit the 21-year-old with brilliant vision, but Ball has to locate something resembling a professional jumper and  shoot well over 30 percent from beyond the arc. If he doesn’t, New Orleans may decide he isn’t part of the team’s long-term rebuild post-AD. 

We end with the patron saint of make-or-break seasons and of scoring what Kurt Helin of NBC Sports (h/t Yahoo Sports ) brilliantly described as “empty-calorie points.” The Minnesota Timberwolves need forward Andrew Wiggins to figure out life in the NBA and  shoot better than 41.2 percent from the floor, because his inefficiency coupled with his terrible contract makes him untradable as of the start of the campaign. As Andrew Ites of Dunking with Wolves wrote, Wiggins’ preseason performances didn’t spark confidence he’s about to make any reasonable leap toward stardom. Convincing a team that a change of scenery will fix Wiggins could be the only hope Minnesota has of getting reasonable value for him.