The Warriors decidedly have now, but who has next? We took a look at which team’s assets look most likely to ensure future success down the road.
Owning assets sets teams up for a promising future. The teams with the best collections of assets are teeming with young talent, most of them on the back end of a fruitful rebuild. The right combination of young players and future picks could set a team up for years to come even if they aren’t an immediate threat for contention. Having the best asset collection gauges the confidence level that a teams fans have about their team in five seasons more than this current one.
With special apologies to fans of the Bucks, Suns, and Timberwolves, who nearly made it, here are the organizations with the best asset collections in the league.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
Superstars: N/A
All-Stars: Brook Lopez (29)
Young assets: Lonzo Ball (19), Brandon Ingram (20), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (24), Julius Randle (22), Larry Nance Jr (24), Jordan Clarkson (25), Ivica Zubac (20), Kyle Kuzma (22), Tyler Ennis (23), Josh Hart (22)
Future picks: 2018 first to Boston or Philadelphia
A period of prolonged rebuilding is foreign to the Lakers organization. Los Angeles last made the playoffs in the 2012-13 season and have missed the last four postseasons. Prior to their current drought, the Lakers hadn’t missed the playoffs more than two seasons in a row in franchise history. While this rebuild may be new to the organization, it has allowed them to accumulate a number of young players for the next period of successful Lakers basketball.
Los Angeles has quality young talent at every position. Lonzo Ball and Tyler Ennis should ensure quality young point guard play for years. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jordan Clarkson, and Josh Hart will fill out the guard minutes. The Lakers organization sounds confident that forward Brandon Ingram will justify the second overall selection in his second season. Los Angeles has a triumvirate of young talent at power forward with Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr, and Kyle Kuzma all generating buzz. And while Brook Lopez probably isn’t in their long-term plans, Ivica Zubac showed the potential to be their center of the future last season.
There is a lot of team building flexibility that comes with accumulating as much young talent as the Lakers have. They can easily package a couple of players for a more valuable asset in the trade market as opportunity arises. Another form of flexibility they have at this point is with cap space: the Lakers will have roughly $47 million available to them at the beginning of next year’s free agency. That number can swell to $65 million if they can find a way to unload Luol Deng’s deal as well. If the rumors about the Lakers upcoming free agent targets are true then they are certainly in position to chase them. Don’t expect the Lakers to be down for too much longer.
4. Denver Nuggets
Superstars:
All-Stars: Nikola Jokic (22), Paul Millsap (32)
Young assets: Jamal Murray (20), Gary Harris (23), Emmanuel Mudiay (21), Will Barton (26), Mason Plumlee (27), Malik Beasley (20), Juan Hernangomez (22), Trey Lyles (21), Tyler Lydon (21)
Future picks: Own picks
Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly and General Manager Arturas Karnisovas deserve credit for what the organization has done with personnel. Denver is loaded with interesting young players from the top of its roster to the bottom. The young group succeeded ahead of schedule last season, finishing 40-42 in a brutal Western Conference. Denver could now be poised for the first of many coming playoff berths following the addition of veteran Paul Millsap in the offseason.
If the Nuggets reach the playoffs this season, they will do so featuring young players at every position. Budding star Nikola Jokic will start at center, and his backup is Mason Plumlee. Millsap will step into the power forward role, and he will be backed up by Juan Hernangomez, Trey Lyles, Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur and Tyler Lydon. Veteran Wilson Chandler will return to play small forward, and he will be backed up by Hernangomez and Will Barton. Garry Harris, fresh off of a contract extension, will start at shooting guard and his backups will be Barton, Malik Beasley, and Jamal Murray. Murray will also play some point guard, as will Emmanuel Mudiay and Jameer Nelson.
The vast majority of the Nuggets team is 27 or under. Millsap, Arthur, Chandler and Nelson are the only players on the roster expected to receive minutes that don’t qualify as young assets. The Nuggets are teeming with young players on their roster and trades that will help improve the team will come as well. This Nuggets team will continue to grow together for years; the future is bright for the Denver organization.
3. Boston Celtics
Superstars: N/A
All-Stars: Kyrie Irving (25), Gordon Hayward (27), Al Horford (31)
Young assets: Jayson Tatum (19), Jaylen Brown (20), Terry Rozier (23), Marcus Smart (23), Marcus Morris (28), Semi Ojeleye (22), Guerschon Yabusele (21)
Future picks: Lakers 2018 first (picks 1, 6-30) or Kings 2019 first; Clippers, Grizzlies 2019 first
The Celtics will be a major player in the Eastern Conference again this season. The additions of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward will make this the most dangerous Celtics team since Doc Rivers and company contended for championships. Boston will deploy three current or former All-Stars in Irving, Hayward, and Al Horford, with plenty of talent around them. Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier are athletic, defense-first young guards who will have long careers. High lottery selections Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will progress on the wing. Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes will provide steady veteran play. And finally, the Celtics will get to see what they have in Guerschon Yabusele, Semi Ojeleye, and Abdel Nader.
Danny Ainge has successfully rebuilt the Celtics without bottoming out. While the returns from the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade have certainly been a boom for Boston, those Nets picks have only came into play recently. The Celtics were only out of the playoffs for one season, back during the 2013-14 campaign. Ainge has rebuilt Boston mostly from the middle, which makes the results of their rebuild even more impressive as they attempt to reign atop the Eastern Conference.
What is crazy about Boston having the best record in the East last season is that the Celtics did it with only three lottery selections of their own on the roster, none of whom started. Most of their high value assets remain in the future, and the three Nets selections have now been harvested. While it did cost the final Brooklyn pick to acquire Kyrie Irving, Boston still has plenty of future picks to deploy. The present and future of this franchise are in good hands as a result of their rebuild.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
Superstars: N/A
All-Stars: Joel Embiid (23)
Young assets: Ben Simmons (21), Markelle Fultz (19), Dario Saric (23), Robert Covington (26), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (22), Jahlil Okafor (21), Richaun Holmes (23), Furkan Korkmaz (20), Justin Anderson (23), Nik Stauskas (24)
Future picks: 2018 Lakers first (picks 2-5) or 2019 Kings first round, at least three extra second round picks in the next three drafts
The 76ers could realistically make the playoffs this coming season given the state of the Eastern Conference. Ben Simmons will be running the offense for the first time. Philadelphia’s 6-foot-10 floor general will be able to distribute to plus-shooters Markelle Fultz, Jerryd Bayless, J.J. Redick, Nik Stauskas and Furkan Korkmaz, Dario Saric and Robert Covington. If they work the ball into the post, then Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, or Richaun Holmes can hold the 76ers down. Talent is plentiful on this 76ers squad.
There is an obvious reason why NBA executives are finally making anti-tanking measures reality. Sam Hinkie’s idea to take tanking to new extreme-losing for more years intentionally to have more chances at a generational talent-appears to be panning out, even if Hinkie is no longer there to guide the process. There should be many coming playoff berths for the 76ers: others were sure to emulate “The Process” given its success. The NBA had to change the rules because Sam Hinkie may have found a loophole.
Philadelphia has ten players age 23 or younger who already have, or realistically could become starters in the NBA. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz possess the potential to make numerous All-Star appearances. Dario Saric, Furkan Korkmaz and Jahlil Okafor can all create their own looks and create offense when given the opportunity. Robert Covington, Richaun Holmes, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Nik Stauskas and Justin Anderson have very good role player potential. The idea of this group of players growing together through the next few seasons should really excite 76ers fans.
1. Golden State Warriors
Superstars: Kevin Durant (29), Stephen Curry (29)
All-Stars: Draymond Green (27), Klay Thompson (27)
Young assets: Patrick McCaw (21), Damian Jones (22), Jordan Bell (22)
Future picks: 2018 second to Denver, own rest
It’s very easy to see the Warriors remaining title favorites for at least the next few seasons. Durant and Stephen Curry are two of the most talented scorers in basketball history; the prime of both extremely skilled talents should last into their thirties. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have molded their games into becoming some of the most effective role players ever as well. Golden State will likely remain championship favorites as long as their four All-Stars remain together.
And they look likely to stick together for the foreseeable future. Stephen Curry is under contract through the 2021-22 season after inking a five-year, $201 million dollar extension this summer. Draymond Green is a Warrior for at least the next three seasons. And though Klay Thompson can become a free agent following next season, he has already openly stated that he would take a discount to stay after signing his recent shoe deal. Kevin Durant has a two-year deal with a player option for the second year, but will remain likely to stay as long as things continue to go well. The Warriors will become a rare dynasty over the course of the next few seasons.
Next: How every team will crash and burn this season
The Warriors made history after winning 73 games and at that point had one of the best two-season stretches ever. And if any had questions over whether Golden State would become a force for years to come after that season, they didn’t last long. The staying power of the Warriors became evident as soon as Kevin Durant signed his deal to come to the Bay Area, and it was confirmed this past June. If the best asset collections are supposed to guarantee success in the coming seasons, then the Warriors have the best asset collection in the league.