30 teams in 30 days: Los Angeles Lakers

Today’s Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Team Roster
NO.	NAME	Pos	Age	Height	Weight	College	2015-2016 Salary
2	Brandon Bass	PF	30	6-8	250	LSU	$3,000,000
28	Tarik Black	C	23	6-9	250	Kansas	$845,059
12	Vander Blue	SG	23	6-4	200	Marquette
3	Anthony Brown	SF	22	6-7	210	Stanford	$700,000
15	Jabari Brown	SG	22	6-4	215	Missouri	$845,059
24	Kobe Bryant	SG	37	6-6	212		$25,000,000
6	Jordan Clarkson	PG	23	6-5	185	Missouri	$845,059
5	Michael Frazier II	SG	21	6-4	200	Florida	$525,093
17	Roy Hibbert	C	28	7-2	270	Georgetown	$15,592,217
10	Jonathan Holmes	F	22	6-9	242	Texas	$525,093
9	Marcelo Huertas	PG	32	6-3	185		$525,093
4	Ryan Kelly	PF	24	6-11	230	Duke	$1,724,250
7	Larry Nance Jr.	PF	22	6-9	230	Wyoming	$1,155,600
30	Julius Randle	PF	20	6-9	250	Kentucky	$3,132,240
1	D’Angelo Russell	PG	19	6-5	195	Ohio State	$5,103,120
50	Robert Sacre	C	26	7-0	270	Gonzaga	$981,348
12	Robert Upshaw	C	21	7-0	250	Washington	$525,093
23	Louis Williams	SG	28	6-1	175		$7,000,000
37	Metta World Peace	SF	35	6-7	260	St. John’s
0	Nick Young	SF	30	6-7	210	USC	$5,219,169

Who’s gone: Wesley Johnson, Jordan Hill, Ed Davis, Jeremy Lin

Who’s new: D’Angelo Russell, Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass, Louis Williams, Larry Nance Jr.

Offseason review: The draft was the thing for the Lakers, and they got the player they wanted in Russell. But when free agency rolled around, Los Angeles missed out on all of the big names, including an attempt to trade for DeMarcus Cousins. Despite that failure, the Lakers had a solid offseason by adding Hibbert as a one-year rental in the middle and Williams as scoring punch off the bench.

Grade: C-

2015-16 season outlook: There will be talent on the floor for Los Angeles next season, but the system isn’t there, and the Western Conference remains daunting. The only real question for the Lakers will be where they end up falling in the lottery, with next year’s draft pick owed to the Philadelphia 76ers with a top-three protection.
Predicition: 14th Western Conference (maybe a bit higher if Kobe will play amazing season once more)

30 teams in 30 days: New York Knicks

Today’s Team: New York Knicks

NO.	NAME	Pos	Age	Height	Weight	College	2015-2016 Salary
4	Arron Afflalo	SG	29	6-5	215	UCLA	$8,000,000
21	Lou Amundson	PF	32	6-9	225	UNLV	$1,635,476
43	Thanasis Antetokounmpo	SF	23	6-7	215		$525,093
7	Carmelo Anthony	SF	31	6-8	240	Syracuse	$22,875,000
5	Darion Atkins	SF	23	6-8	241	Virginia
3	Jose Calderon	PG	34	6-3	200		$7,402,812
11	Cleanthony Early	SF	24	6-8	220	Wichita State	$845,059
2	Langston Galloway	PG	23	6-2	200	Saint Joseph’s	$845,059
13	Jerian Grant	PG	22	6-5	205	Notre Dame	$1,572,360
42	Robin Lopez	C	27	7-0	255	Stanford	$12,650,000
9	Kyle O’Quinn	PF	25	6-10	250	Norfolk State	$3,750,000
6	Kristaps Porzingis	PF	20	7-1	220		$4,131,720
32	Wesley Saunders	SG	22	6-5	215	Harvard
1	Kevin Seraphin	PF	25	6-10	278		$2,814,000
35	DaJuan Summers	SF	27	6-8	240	Georgetown
42	Lance Thomas	SF	27	6-8	225	Duke	$1,636,842
20	Travis Trice	PG	22	6-0	170	Michigan State
18	Sasha Vujacic	SG	31	6-7	193		$947,276
13	Derrick Williams	PF	24	6-8	240	Arizona	$4,000,000

Who’s gone: Quincy Acy, Cole Aldrich, Andrea Bargnani, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Shane Larkin, Jason Smith, Alexey Shved

Who’s new: Arron Afflalo, Jerian Grant, Robin Lopez, Kyle O’Quinn, Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Seraphin, Sasha Vujacic, Derrick Williams
Offseason review: Wait, what is this? The Knicks are acting like an intelligent, calculating organization? Actually? No way. This can’t be. New York gave out reasonable contracts to Lopez and Afflalo. It stole O’Quinn, who will become one of the best bargains of this offseason if and when he starts shooting threes consistently. It took a risk on Porzingis, who has looked good in summer league. And it pulled off a heist with the Hardaway-for-Grant draft-night trade. You go, Phil.

Grade: A-

2014-15 season outlook: The Knicks aren’t going to be good, but they’re building a foundation. Big-name free agents didn’t want to go to New York this offseason because of the lack of role players on the roster. Come 2016, when the Knicks will have max space, that won’t be the case. A win total in the low-to-mid 30s is probably the best case scenario, but that’s a heck of an improvement on 17 victories.
Prediction: 14th Eastern Conference

30 teams in 30 days: Orlando Magic

Today’s Team: Orlando Magic

Team Roster
NO.	NAME	Pos	Age	Height	Weight	College	2015-2016 Salary
15	Keith Appling	PG	23	6-1	185	Michigan State
3	Dewayne Dedmon	C	26	7-0	245	USC	$947,276
21	Nnanna Egwu	C	22	6-11	250	Illinois
7	Melvin Ejim	SF	24	6-6	220	Iowa State	$525,093
10	Evan Fournier	SG	22	6-7	205		$2,288,205
8	Channing Frye	PF	32	6-11	255	Arizona	$8,193,029
00	Aaron Gordon	PF	20	6-9	220	Arizona	$4,171,680
12	Tobias Harris	SF	23	6-9	235	Tennessee	$16,000,000
23	Mario Hezonja	SF	20	6-8	215		$3,741,480
11	Devyn Marble	SF	23	6-6	200	Iowa	$845,059
13	Shabazz Napier	PG	24	6-1	175	Connecticut	$1,294,440
44	Andrew Nicholson	PF	25	6-9	250	St. Bonaventure	$2,380,594
5	Victor Oladipo	SG	23	6-4	210	Indiana	$5,192,520
4	Elfrid Payton	PG	21	6-4	185	Louisiana-Lafayette	$2,505,720
18	Jordan Sibert	SG	23	6-4	187	Dayton
14	Jason Smith	PF	29	7-0	245	Colorado State	$4,300,000
34	Greg Stiemsma	C	30	6-11	260	Wisconsin
9	Nikola Vucevic	C	24	7-0	260	USC	$11,250,000
32	C.J. Watson	PG	31	6-2	175	Tennessee	$5,000,000

Who’s gone: Ben Gordon, Maurice Harkless, Kyle O’Quinn, Luke Ridnour

Who’s new: Coach Scott Skiles, Mario Hezonja, Shabazz Napier, CJ Watson

Offseason review: The biggest acquisition for a young Magic team actually came on the sidelines. Orlando coasted through last season with Jacque Vaughn, who struggled on the bench, at the start and James Borrego for the end. Skiles brings a new, more intense mentality to the Magic. A team with the defenders of this one along with Skiles, one of the NBA’s smarter defensive minds, could end up better than people expect.

Grade: B-

2014-15 season outlook: How much better? Why couldn’t the Magic be a surprise playoff team in the weak East, where it seems like the Nos. 7 through 13 seeds could be separated by only a few games? With the way Aaron Gordon looked in summer league, it feels like Orlando is getting ready to take a next step. The Magic hardly will be dominant — they still have a backward roster that lacks shooting on the wings — €”but 38 to 40 wins would be a major improvement on the past few years and could be good enough to sneak into the postseason.

Prediction: 13th Eastern Conference – highly unlikly to make it to the playoffs.