NBA Swing: Four Teams in Purgatory

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Since Lonzo Ball first left the team with a knee injury in 2022, the Chicago Bulls have quickly moved into NBA purgatory with management and ownership making little to no changes to help improve this team. While there is growing hope Ball will return to the court next season, his contract has taken up a small chunk of the cap the last two seasons he’s missed. Zach Lavine’s contract huge contract is untradeable, and the only way the Bulls can trade him is by attaching a pick and hoping he has a strong start to the 2024-25 season. The team overpaid Nikola Vucevic last season and will likely do the same to retain DeMar DeRozan next season. The team has done very little to address their three-point shooting issue over the last couple of seasons as well. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas has preached continuity and competitiveness, making no trades since the Vucevic trade in 2021. While the future does not look great for Chicago, they do have several bright spots in Coby White and Ayo Dosumnu. The two young players could be key pieces for the next iteration of the Bulls, but with owner Jerry Reinsdorf being criticized for his commitment to the team post-dynasty and management content with the “competitiveness” of the current team, it may be a long time before the Bulls move on from this current iteration of the team.

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are in an awkward spot. The team went from winning a championship two seasons ago to looking like they may miss the playoffs this season. Steph Curry remains one of the best players in the league, but the team around him has declined. Klay Thompson has declined, being moved to the bench for the first time since his rookie year. Andrew Wiggins has had a hard decline since the Warriors’ championship, with many seeing him as a potential trade piece in any future trades. 38-year-old Chris Paul has not been provided what the Warriors hoped he would. And Draymond Green has continued to be one of the most controversial players in the league. Trying to combine the championship core era of the Warriors with the new era of Warriors has failed with the team moving on from players like 2020 #2 overall pick James Wiseman. There is no telling if Klay Thompson will remain with the team next season and what kind of team will be around Steph Curry. There have been some positives for the Warriors, even with the bad season the team has had. Jonathan Kuminga has taken a step as a player after reportedly criticizing head coach Steve Kerr. Rookie Brandon Podziemski has been a steal from the 2023 draft, starting over 25 games so far this season. The clock is ticking for Golden State. Steph Curry has two years left on his contract, with Steve Kerr signing an extension to remain with the team for another two seasons as well. It’s possible the Warriors could quickly escape NBA purgatory, but only if big changes are made this offseason.

Charlotte Hornets

For the Charlotte Hornets, they have been in NBA purgatory for much of the last decade. Since the 2013-14 season, Charlotte has only had three winning seasons and two playoff appearances. Charlotte has made the play-in tournament but has not been able to make it into the playoffs. A small market team that cannot attract big-name free agents, Charlotte has tried their luck through the draft with some, but not a lot of success. Since 2020, Charlotte has drafted an All-Star in LaMelo Ball, a promising rookie in Brandon Miller, and a strong center in Mark Williams. The team has had another disappointing season, sitting at 18-54, 13th in the East. With a change in ownership this season, it is expected that there will be changes to the team this offseason. It is likely that Head Coach Steve Clifford (who had strong support from former majority owner Michael Jordan) will be out after this season as new ownership looks to take the team in a different direction. With the Hornets having another high draft pick in the 2024 draft, the hope is the team can find a promising young rookie to pair alongside Ball, Miller, and Williams. Unfortunately for Charlotte, the team may be stuck in NBA purgatory as they aren’t a free-agent destination by most of the league.

Brooklyn Nets

Of the teams in NBA purgatory right now, the Brooklyn Nets may have the most positive outlook. The trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during the 2022-23 season brought Brooklyn a chest of future assets including four first-round draft picks and Mikal Bridges. The team would finish the 2022-23 season 13-15 and the 2023-24 has not been kind to Brooklyn. The team currently sits at 27-45, with very little chance of making the play-in tournament. The team has struggled on both ends of the court this season. Ben Simmons has missed most of the season due to a back injury while taking up a significant amount of the salary cap not only this season but next season as well. Mikal Bridges has taken a small step back after an explosive start in Brooklyn last season. Head coach Jacque Vaughn would be fired as head coach after being promoted to head coach last season following the firing of Steve Nash. There have been a few bright spots for Brooklyn though. The biggest bright spot has been the emergence of Cam Thomas. After having a few huge games last season, Thomas has become a more consistent player for the Nets, leading the team in scoring after starting over half the team’s games this season. Brooklyn will likely remain in NBA purgatory for the next couple of seasons at a minimum. Ben Simmons’ contract is untradeable at this point, making over $40 million next season. They do not have a first-round draft pick until 2025 (with that pick coming from Phoenix) and do not have their own first-round pick until 2028. If Phoenix and Dallas drop off over the next few seasons, Brooklyn could quickly find their way out of NBA purgatory with extremely valuable picks to pair with their young stars in Bridges and Thomas.