The Whiteboard: 5 biggest questions for the NBA offseason

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With the Lakers closing out the Heat, another NBA offseason has finally arrived — nearly 12 months after the last one ended. The conclusion of a historic season brings with it a historic collection of questions and unknowns. Here are the five biggest:

5. Where does Chris Paul land?

A year ago, it looked like Chris Paul would only be playing in Oklahoma City for a few months, auditioning for a mid-season trade to a playoff team as the Thunder kept rebuilding. And then, in part because of a remarkable resurgence by Paul, it turned out the Thunder were a playoff team. Paul is still 35 and carries an onerous contract but what he did with Oklahoma City, particularly in scaffolding development for some of their young players, has elevated his trade value.

As soon as the Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs there were rumors about their interest in Paul. There has also been buzz about the Knicks and, one would presume, that’s just the tip of a modest-sized iceberg. Paul to the Knicks is a public relations armpit fart but putting him on a team like the Bucks or 76ers could be a huge deal.

4. Who fills the remaining coaching vacancies?

As of this writing, the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers still have open head coaching positions. The Thunder and Pelicans are probably fringe playoff contenders next year and it would take something borderline miraculous for the Pacers to leap into championship contention. But the Clippers and Rockets, barring significant personnel changes, would both be on the shortlist of possible contenders for next season, regardless of who they hire.

There are a lot of interesting names still available for all five of those positions and the direction each franchise goes could say a lot about their internal timelines for development, the future of their rosters and the styles they want to play. One would assume these coaching hires will be made before free agency and they could indicate that some unexpected players are available for trade.

3. Who ends up on the trade market?

With the salary cap likely tightening a lot of potential free agents are going to be picking up their player options, cutting into the talent on the market. Andre Drummond already picked up his option with Cleveland and it seems likely that players like DeMar DeRozan, Mike Conley Jr., Gordon Hayward and Kelly Olynyk will as well. All that means a weakened free-agent class but the chaos of the last few months could create a wide-open trade market.

Victor Oladipo and Bradley Beal have implied they want to stay where they are. Something serious would have to happen for the Bucks to really consider trading Giannis. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell seem to have patched up whatever friction they may have carried into the bubble. Doc Rivers has been talking a lot about getting the most out of the Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid combination and the Rockets splitting up James Harden and Russell Westbrook still feels mostly like fantasy. But Chris Paul is going to be out there, and Buddy Hield probably will be as well. If even one or two of those players above imply they want out or if someone starts throwing around godfather offers, the offseason could get exciting in a hurry.

2. What are the Warriors able to create?

The 2019-20 Warriors basically took a mulligan on last season, decimated by injuries and running out a roster of G Leaguers and fringe rotation players. But with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson back next year, they could leap right back to the top of the Western Conference. And, of course, they have the trade chips of Andrew Wiggins and the No. 2 pick. They’d probably have to add some future picks to pry away someone like Victor Oladipo or Bradley Beal, let alone the Giannis pipe dream. But their institutional memory and returning talent make them a huge wildcard in the West. That they’re also holding the pieces to facilitate a dramatic roster transformation just makes them more of a mystery.

1. When does the NBA offseason actually end?

The offseason, officially, started late Sunday night with the Lakers finishing off the Heat in Game 6. When it will end, no one really knows right now. Adam Silver has implied that January is the likely window for starting the 2020-21 season. But even with that vague idea, we have no idea what it might look like — in a bubble or traveling between home arenas? An 82-game season rolling through the summer or another shortened campaign? This offseason has the potential to be just as historic as the 2019-20 season, not just for how it might reshape individual teams but for how it might actually reshape the league itself.

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