PLAYOFF-BOUND
Dan Woike looks at how the Western Conference teams stack up (with predicted order of finish):
1. HOUSTON 2018-19: 53-29 (4th; eliminated 4-2 in semifinals by Golden State) HELLO: Russell Westbrook (trade), Tyson Chandler (FA). GOODBYE: Chris Paul (trade).
■ James Harden gets a new backcourt partner in Westbrook, who doesn’t shoot nearly as well as Chris Paul but who is better suited to attack defenses with relentless pace. It’s the latest iteration in Houston’s biannual attempts to surround Harden with the right players, and it just might be their best attempt yet. Although Harden’s style has plenty of detractors, he’s been a regular-season monster, and that could get Houston to the top of a crowded pack of contenders.
2. CLIPPERS 2018-19: 48-34 (8th; eliminated 4-2 in first round by Golden State) HELLO: Kawhi Leonard (FA), Paul George (trade), Maurice Harkless (trade). GOODBYE: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (trade), Danilo Gallinari (trade).
■ The Clippers probably have the most talented roster in the West, but betting on them to win the conference title is a little scary. It’s unclear how much Leonard will play because of his load management and how quickly George recovers from surgeries on both shoulders this offseason. This team, though, has the depth, grit and talent to be favored almost every night.
3. UTAH 2018-19: 50-32 (5th; eliminated 4-1 in first round by Houston) HELLO: Mike Conley (trade), Bojan Bogdanovic (FA). GOODBYE: Derrick Favors (trade), Ricky Rubio (FA).
■ This might be the time for the Jazz to vault from the fringes of contending to the foreground. Trading for Conley gives them a veteran point guard next to rising star Donovan Mitchell. Bogdanovic was one of the best shooters on the free-agent market, and Rudy Gobert is one of the NBA’s best defenders. The bench is probably the biggest question mark.
4. LAKERS 2018-19: 37-45 (10th) HELLO: Anthony Davis (trade), Dwight Howard (FA), Danny Green (FA), DeMarcus Cousins (FA). GOODBYE: Lonzo Ball (trade), Brandon Ingram (trade), Josh Hart (trade).
■ The Lakers have lost out on the Kawhi Leonard chase, and without him they were left to shop at the back end of free agency, like someone late to the super market when a big storm is feared to be coming in. Did they find the right wing shooter? Did they add enough in the backcourt? Who is going to play point guard? LeBron James and Davis might be good enough for those things to not matter so much.
5. DENVER 2018-19: 54-28 (2nd; eliminated 4-3 in semifinals by Portland) HELLO: Jerami Grant (trade), Michael Porter Jr. (injured 2018-19). GOODBYE: Trey Lyles (FA), Isaiah Thomas (FA).
■ The Nuggets are probably one trade from becoming the favorites in the West, and they’ve got the pieces to do it. Can Tim Connelly, the team’s president of basketball operations, bundle some of Denver’s young talent to land an All-Star like Bradley Beal? It’s a move they probably need to make, but if they don’t, they’ll have to settle for being the West’s deepest team.
6. GOLDEN STATE 2018-19: 57-25 (1st; beaten 4-2 in NBA Finals by Toronto) HELLO: D’Angelo Russell (trade), Alec Burks (FA), Willie Cauley-Stein (FA). GOODBYE: Kevin Durant (trade), DeMarcus Cousins (FA), Andre Iguodala (trade).
■ Perhaps no team in the NBA lost more talent this summer than the Warriors, who also will be waiting on Klay Thompson to recover from a knee injury he sustained in the NBA Finals. Instead of losing Durant for nothing in free agency, they managed to land Russell in a swap. The fit isn’t perfect, but there are still pieces around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green that should keep Golden State in contention.
7. PORTLAND 2018-19: 53-29 (3rd; eliminated 4-0 in conference finals by Golden St.) HELLO: Hassan Whiteside (trade), Kent Bazemore (trade), Pau Gasol (FA). GOODBYE: Maurice Harkless (trade), Al-Farouq Aminu (FA), Seth Curry (FA).
■ Portland’s core of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum took their team far, but they’ll enter this season — once again — as a team that will be underrated and overlooked. Portland took a swing this summer by dealing for Whiteside (it’s never a great sign when “enigmatic” is the adjective that proceeds your name), but the Trail Blazers’ ceiling is probably tied to the development of young players Zach Collins, Anfernee Simons and rookie Nassir Little.
8. SAN ANTONIO 2018-19: 48-34 (7th; eliminated 4-3 in first round by Denver) HELLO: Luka Samanic (draft), DeMarre Carroll (trade), Trey Lyles (FA), Dejounte Murray (injured 2018-19). GOODBYE: Davis Bertans (trade).
■ The Spurs are largely the same team as they were last year, with Carroll and Lyles adding frontcourt depth. Thanks to the opportunities created by injuries, the Spurs are flush with young guard talent — Derrick White and Bryn Forbes were up to the challenge last year while Murray was out with a knee injury. With Murray and second-year guard Lonnie Walker IV healthy, the Spurs have plenty of options.