Four conference finalists, four roster-building lessons. What could other teams learn from the Knicks, Cavs, Thunder and Spurs?
, four paths. The league has more parity than ever, and it's by design. Commissioner Adam Silver has wanted a more NFL-like model of contenders and fewer of the dynastic mainstay franchises that plant their flags in late spring.
, but they haven't been back to the NBA's version of the Final Four since their 2023 title run. There are plenty of roster-building lessons from the 2026 Thunder, Spurs, Knicks and Cavs. But which franchises would benefit most by taking a page from their blueprints? It will be incredibly difficult for another front office to emulate Sam Presti's calculus, considering the Thunder were built by desperation from the.
The genius of Presti was recognizing what the NBA market called for at the moment and going counter, taking a step back in the wake of the' dynastic run. Meanwhile, other teams were lining up for their moment in the sun, creating leaguewide desperation to pry open a championship window. It wasn't just the Clippers who fueled this current version of the Thunder.
The And when the Thunder were upset in the second round in 2024 after tying for the best record in the Western Conference, Presti kept a cool head. His biggest moves felt like transactions on the margins, such as tradingto a short, cap-consuming deal that aligns with Oklahoma City's books.
Presti will eat from the trough of the Clippers forever, but being able to balance the urgency of the present while not fully sacrificing the future is almost impossible to replicate.to build around, but their first-round collapse this postseason reopened familiar conversations about whether the star wing duo should be broken up. Perhaps Boston should instead emulate a few of the Thunder's most recent additions.
Like Oklahoma City, the Celtics won a championship after finding the right mix of veterans inSpurs general manager Brian Wright has been quietly building a versatile group of players who operate similarly and perhaps have some overlap, but he seemed to eschew conventional thinking in some ways. , felt like too much of one thing, especially when people weren't sure how much Fox contributed to winning and with him being up for a contract extension. Three players, three timelines.
, needed a foundation. What ensued was the Spurs gathering a bunch of switchable, versatile players who still had room to grow without stepping over each other. And Fox has been great as a younger vet on a big-money contract. The Spurs were building even while losing, allowingand Castle, players who can get to the basket on their own, defend their positions and, most importantly, funnel the rock to Wembanyama near the rim.
The Spurs seemed to build this team knowing Oklahoma City would eventually be the obstacle. Yes, lottery luck hit with Wembanyama, but it's what the Spurs' front office did after that that has them two wins from the NBA Finals.was a gamble.
But the Rockets have the makings for what succeeds in the NBA; they just need time and seasoning fromfrom a knee injury and another year of experience is what this group needs, rather than a seismic upheaval in the wake of a first-round upset. , who could turn out to be the final player in piecing together this June puzzle.
But for the first one, go back to 2022, when thewas up for free agency after the front office bungled extension talks. Instead of the splashy move, the Knicks chose to sign Brunson outright instead of trading draft picks for Mitchell. , but through two seasons, the big man has proved to be a perfect fit with the Knicks' starting group.. Nothing materialized, but the Knicks' prudence proved to be the right move.
And through old-fashioned, player-by-player team-building, the Knicks are on the brink of their first Finals appearance since 1999.has shown he's the goods. The Pistons are ahead of schedule in their development, but every move should be made with Cunningham's long-term development in mind, similar to New York and Brunson.
Detroit just needs more shooting to go with the defense and athleticism it already has.with the third pick in 2021, Cleveland jumped at the opportunity to acquire Donovan Mitchell after the All-Star guard requested a trade out of Utah. ,whose relationship with the Clippers had soured around a lack of an extension.
No one was sure the relationship with Mitchell would last this long, and perhaps that stands to be tested this summer, but no doubt it has been successful during the franchise's run to its first conference finals since 2018. Koby Altman keeps tweaking the roster, even with its obvious flaws, but hasn't thrown his hand in to start a rebuild just because a title seems like a mirage. They would not have made it this far without Harden.
His limitations at his age and history affects their ceiling, but he ultimately raised their floor. Minnesota. The Timberwolves seem as if they are always searching for the next splash. Already this spring, they've been mentioned in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes and with.
Like Cleveland, Minnesota won't be a free agent destination, but it doesn't mean Wolves president Tim Connelly is afraid to take big swings. This franchise should be as desperate as any to find a No. 2 star next to'It fails' or 'it blows up': 2 options left for toxic chemical leak in Garden Grove, officials saySoCal to see cool and cloudy Memorial Day holiday, chances of drizzle on Tuesday
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