Following a two-horse race that culminated in an exciting seven-game series between the league’s
two best teams, the Western Conference will once again try to load up to see who can beat
Golden State. For some teams, that means landing a major piece to contend next season;
for others, it’s all about building toward the future so that they can take the top
spot once the Warriors’ dynasty is over. Here’s what each team in the West needs the most
this offseason, other than for the Warriors to disappear.Mark Cuban wants the Mavs to be
the Celtics so badly. Dallas has walked the line between winning now and building a winner
for later the past few seasons. And why not do both if you think you can? But Cuban should
know by now how tough it is to pull off what Boston has since trading its franchise
cornerstones to Brooklyn. There have been rumors that the Mavericks are willing to
trade the fifth pick their dreadful season wrought them, and there have been rumors
that they’re interested in bringing DeMarcus Cousins to Dallas. And look, I get it—you
want to send Dirk Nowitzki off on a high note. But the Mavericks are already in a hole
because of the team’s attempts to do that very thing. Wes Matthews will make more than
$18 million next season, and Harrison Barnes is going to get nearly $50 million over the
next two years. Dennis Smith Jr. is exciting, and there’s a good chance that he and whomever
the Mavs take at no. 5—be it Mo Bamba, Michael Porter Jr., or someone else—could make for an
exciting tandem for the years to come. There’s no need to throw that away to get a season of
Cousins recovering from an Achilles injury.The Nuggets are on the precipice of becoming a
true contender. On paper, they have the perfect blend of vets, young guys, and a supposed
unicorn (who they may be able to lock up this summer) in a tough Western Conference. But
they still need help on the margins, especially at backup point guard. I would suggest
someone like Jameer Nelson, but they jettisoned him before the season to sign Richard
Jefferson, who played sparingly. Jamal Murray is going to be an All-Star, but he is more
of a combo scoring guard than a true point guard. When he’s on the bench, or when he has
a “I’m a 21-year-old” game, the Nuggets need a pass-first ball handler. Devin Harris
could be that, but the midseason addition is a free agent. The Nuggets don’t have cap
space right now, but could free some of it up if they don’t re-sign free agent Will Barton.