As is the case every year, the NBA Playoffs showed us who the haves and have-nots are. The vast majority of playoff teams are asking themselves how they can improve their roster to truly compete for a title. However, the pressure that these teams are facing stands above the rest of the league.
After winning a championship in 2023, the Denver Nuggets face inherently less pressure than every other team on this list. Nonetheless, when you have a player as gifted as Nikola Joki, there will also be some level of stakes. This is especially the case after losing in thefirst-round.
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The Nuggets’ first-round loss to the Timberwolves showed that they significantly lack defense and athleticism.How do you upgrade thisaroundJoki remains the onemillion dollarquestion.
I would consider trading Jamal Murray to ensuresome two-way balance. Aaron Gordon is another option, but he’s vital to their defense and won’t have nearly the same value.
The Nuggets’ notoriously cheap ownership is another hurdle, and reporting from the Denver Post indicates that saving money will be a priority. I hate to break it to Nuggets fans, but it’s really hard to save money and improve. Frankly, you should already know this after your last few offseasons.
Unless the Nuggets pull off some unexpected moves, their title window might be slammed shut, and that’s a tough pill to swallow when you still have Joki playing at an elite level.
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This season was an undeniable success for the Detroit Pistons, who shockingly won 60 games. The honeymoon period is now over, though, it’s time for the Pistons to become a legitimate title contender. Their need for more dependable 3-point shooting and shot creation around Cade Cunningham has been discussed ad nauseam and rightfully so.
The Pistons can trade five first-round picks and have some intriguing young players. This gives them a clear path to landing a star in the trade market. What path they go down is a tricky call; trading for someone like Kawhi Leonard or Kyrie Irving could accelerate to an uncomfortable degree. They would be my top team for Trey Murphy or Michael Porter Jr., but what if these players aren’t available?
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On top of everything else, the Pistons have to work out a fair deal with Jalen Duren. The All-NBA center can sign a five-year, year $287 million deal. Following a subparplayoffs wherehe averaged 10.7 points on 51.4 percent shooting, that’s far too rich.
Still, letting him walk would sting, especially if they don’t pull off a major trade.
With a perfect offseason, the Pistons could level up to true title contention and maybe even become the prohibitive favorite to represent the East. However, there’s also a scenario where they don’t make the needed moves and take a step back in the standings.
The Pistons’ optionality andgeneralyouth give them less pressure than the other teams on this list, butthepressure remainsnonetheless.
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3. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of their most successful run in franchise history. They also have an elite star in Anthony Edwards, who is just entering his true prime. Sounds great, right? Regardless, like so many teams on this list, they face the dilemma ofmaking the leap totrue title contention.
After two conference finals runs in three years, the Wolves are closer than other teams on this list. The playoffs showed that they are significantly below the tier of the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, though.
The Wolves will surely be linked to big names this summer, but they are hampered by their lack of draft capital and high payroll.Plus, with Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert as their primary tradecandidates, it’snot clearwho they could realistically target.
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When it’s all said and done, Minnesota may have to lean into a depth-based trade, recoup some future assets, and embrace a younger timeline around Ant. This could eventually help themmake a leap tocontention, but it might result in a dreaded gap year next season. With the pressure to maximize Ant’s prime, this possibility might not be a popular one for anyone associated with the Wolves.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
In some ways, making the conference finals felt like a breakthrough for the Cleveland Cavaliers after three straight underwhelming playoff experiences. Then, they got swept by the New York Knicks, losing each game by double digits. As such, moves have never been more necessary.
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The Cavs are also asecond tax apronteam, which createsthedifficult (borderline impossible) balanceofcompetingwhilesaving money.Jarrett Allen is the most notable trade candidate, given his $28 million contract and shaky offensive fit alongside Evan Mobley.
Cleveland desperately needs a high-level on-ball stopper. It remains unclear if they can get that for Allenandsave money.The possibility of a reunion with LeBron Jamesis welldiscussed, but he won’t be the final piecetothem reaching their title aspirations.
There’s plenty of pressureforthe Cavs to level up, but it’s difficult to find an easy pathfor themto do so.While Donovan Mitchell is reportedly happy in Cleveland, if the team underwhelms next season, it’s worth wondering how long that will last.
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets accelerated their contention window by trading for Kevin Durant last summer. It wasn’t a bad move by any means, especially given what they gave up.
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After a disappointing first-round exit to the Los Angeles Lakers without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves (for all but two games), and a season that saw them fall from the No. 2 seed to the No. 5 seed, the Rockets are now at a crossroads.
I’ve long advocated for Houston to break up the Alperenengnand Amen Thompson pairing for floor spacing reasons. Ideally, you flip engn given his subpar defense, but it’s unclear what his value is. Regardless, trading one of these two high-upside players in favor of a condensed title window could backfire.
Whether it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (who wouldn’t solve their shooting woes), Kawhi Leonard, or Kyrie Irving, the Rockets have plenty of star trade options. All of which would be doubling down on the Durant timeline, though. Trey Murphy is an ideal option if the Rockets want some younger talent, but why would the New Orleans Pelicans trade for him when they have Derik Queen?
There aresomeclear riskswhen you acceleratea young timeline this much, but it’s likely the best chance Houston has to win a championship. Regardless, their offseason decisions could make or break their chances of competing with this core.
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This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as Fringe NBA contenders with the most at stake this offseason, ranked .