Each NBA team's big question heading into 2019

LeBron James taking his talents west to the Los Angeles Lakers sent the Cleveland Cavaliers into an unofficial tank and a rebuild that isn't going to be finished in one or two years. The combination of Kevin Love suffering a foot injury along with his contract may make him untradeable in early 2019, but the Cavs could possibly move Tristan Thompson, the big man who was enjoying an All-Star season before a foot sprain sidelined him through the conclusion of 2018. Could Cleveland convince James and the Lakers to accept Thompson for some valuable assets? 

As Adam Maynes of Valley of the Suns pointed out in early December, Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson can't shoot the basketball, and his offensive inconsistencies are worrisome at this point. In the middle of the month, ESPN.com NBA insiders suggested the Suns could ship Jackson to the Philadelphia 76ers in a transaction that would send Markelle Fultz to Phoenix. A change of scenery wouldn't immediately mend Fultz's injured shoulder, but it couldn't hurt. 

The New York Knicks will enter 2019 near or at the bottom of the overall NBA standings. Playing unicorn Kristaps Porzingis, who is working to return from the torn ACL he suffered last February, before next fall seems silly regardless of his wishes. Risking the draft pick and Porzingis' health for a handful of appearances during a lost campaign isn't worth it. The Knicks need to be smart and realize it's already time to start planning for what could be an eventful summer. 

For a piece published on Dec. 12, Shaun Powell of NBA.com asked if the duo of Gar Forman and John Paxson is the best possible leadership for the organization. Per Christopher Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, former Chicago star Derrick Rose bashed the franchise's front office in early December, and the Bulls drafting well isn't preventing the team from once again flirting with winning fewer than 30 games. A coaching change may not be enough for the Bulls to return to winning ways. 

Nobody is asking Atlanta Hawks rookie Trae Young to morph into Stephen Curry overnight. As Brad Botkin of CBS Sports explained in December, Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk believes the 20-year-old is "further ahead that I thought he'd be at this point." Young shooting 25 percent from three-point range and under 39 percent from the field won't cut it even if he is averaging over seven assists per contest. 

Not a week passes by without a new trade rumor regarding Washington Wizards guard John Wall emerging. Will the Wizards receive enough in return to sell the 28-year-old before the trade deadline? Is Bradley Beal and not Wall the player who will be traded in January? The Wizards need to press the reset button, and such a transaction is inevitable. It's a matter of when, not if, the fire sale is coming.

Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic is enjoying a career season, meaning coach  Steve Clifford  has been able to execute the game plan and bring rookie big man Mo Bamba along slowly. The 20-year-old is advertised to be a cornerstone for what will ideally become a playoff roster, and there is no better teaching tool than in-game experience. Shouldn't Bamba be averaging over 17 minutes per game by springtime? 

As Rob Mahoney of SI.com recently wrote, speculation about the New Orleans Pelicans trading superstar Anthony Davis has been coming for years. LeBron James is essentially publicly courting Davis, and the Pelicans are bound to be in a state of limbo until the 25-year-old is either dealt or he remains with the organization past the trade deadline. The Pelicans aren't close to winning a title with A.D., who could opt out of his contract in 2020. Trading a potential MVP isn't easy for an organization. Losing him for nothing is worse. 

Entering the 2018-19 season, the knock on Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins was that he scored empty points and needed to take the next step toward reaching what was hoped to be a high ceiling. The Timberwolves would happily accept that version of the 23-year-old instead of the guy who didn't register a 30-point night until Dec. 23. Wiggins is shooting 40 percent from the field, roughly four points lower than his career average, and he is on pace to tally a career-low PPG average. 

It was nice to hope that Dirk Nowitzki would be able to help the Dallas Mavericks compete for a playoff spot once he was able to make a full return following the ankle surgery and subsequent setback that sidelined him through the start of December. The veteran has looked more like an old player than the player of old in a handful of appearances, and it won't take long for some to speculate the Mavs would be better off with the 40-year-old serving as a locker-room leader who doesn't actually take the court. Dallas was seemingly ahead of schedule before Nowitzki played on Dec. 13. The Mavs lost five straight games beginning that evening.  

The Utah Jazz trading for three-point specialist Kyle Korver in late November was smart, but the 37-year-old isn't enough. Opposing defenses know Utah's offense begins and ends with Donovan Mitchell, who is a budding superstar but who also can only do so much by himself. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor linked Jabari Parker with the Jazz in December. 

Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert was a revelation for the club over his first 14 appearances until he suffered a gruesome and severe foot injury in the middle of November. The Nets remain in the playoff hunt as of the end of 2018, and there has been speculation LeVert could return before the end of the season. Is that really for the best? LeVert is only 24 years old, and the Nets aren't winning the title in June with or without him. 

A long and painful rebuild is coming to South Beach sooner rather than later, but the Miami Heat could make a splash in the postseason if those on the roster were able to remain healthy. That won't happen at the start of 2019, though, as the Heat announced on Dec. 19 that Goran Dragic, second on the team in PPG, will be out until at least the All-Star break after requiring surgery on his right knee.  

Much like with the Utah Jazz, the Charlotte Hornets could use another scorer to play alongside a star. Guard Kemba Walker looks better than ever, to the point that he could be an All-Star Game starter. As of late December, no Charlotte player other than Walker was averaging over 15.5 PPG. Keeping Walker is a must for Charlotte, but he'll continue to be on teams that lose in the playoffs without another piece who can consistently get buckets. 

On Dec. 5, Detroit Pistons backup guard Ish Smith strained his groin during the first half of what became a loss. Following that contest, Detroit went 3-7 and fell back to .500. As Dana Gauruder of the Detroit Free Press wrote on Dec. 26, Smith may not return until the second half of January. That's concerning, considering the Pistons are a handful of poor outings away from dropping below eighth place in the conference standings. 

The Sacramento Kings were one of the pleasant surprises of the first one-third of the season, as a side that won 27 games last season notched victories in 18 of its first 34 contests. Sacramento finishing the season with a winning record may not be enough for coach Dave Joerger to keep his job, especially if he and the front office aren't on the same page. In December, comments made by Joerger led to speculation he wished the team had drafted Luka Doncic instead of Marvin Bagley III. 

"Grit and Grind" may get the Memphis Grizzlies into the playoffs. They're not winning a title in the modern NBA, though, and Marc Gasol looking gassed ahead of Christmas made that painfully obvious. Both Gasol and Mike Conley are past 30 years old, and Conley's injury history is well-known to all who follow the Association. Those running the club need to take the first few months of 2019 to determine if merely being competitive is worth remaining on the hamster wheel. 

According to ESPN , the San Antonio Spurs rank first in the NBA in three-point percentage (40 percent) as of Dec. 28, but they are also dead last in threes attempted per game (24.3 3PA). The solution to this seems simple enough. Let Davis Bertans and Marco Belinelli off the leash, San Antonio, and good things will happen. 

The Houston Rockets would probably be the reigning NBA champions had Chris Paul not injured his hamstring during the Western Conference Finals. James Harden won MVP honors for 2017-18, but the Rockets' title hopes could fade if Paul's bad hamstring, which will keep him a spectator through at least the start of 2019, goes out in the spring. Houston winning without Paul in December isn't the same as the club facing top-tier competition for a seven-game series without CP3. 

The Portland Trail Blazers have the talent to complete a journey to the Western Conference Finals and maybe even go further if disaster strikes the Golden State Warriors. It's difficult to take Portland seriously until we actually see the club win a big playoff series. The Trail Blazers have lost 10 straight postseason contests dating back to 2016. Such a dark cloud of losing can hover over and torment a locker room. 

Those weeks in the fall when the Los Angeles Clippers were the best NBA team in their city were fun for fans, but don't get it twisted. For the Clippers, 2019 is all about July and courting a superstar such as Kawhi Leonard, who was linked with the organization in free-agency rumors even before the start of the season. The Clippers landing both Leonard and Kevin Durant would make Los Angeles the center of the basketball universe. Losing out on both, however, would be a massive failure. 

The good news for the Boston Celtics is that Gordon Hayward still has months to get back to 100 percent playing shape and his 2016-17 form before the playoffs begin. What if he doesn't? Kyrie Irving could depart the club via free agency next summer, meaning this may be Boston's only chance to win a title with Irving and Hayward. The version of Hayward who is starting 2019 isn't good enough to get the job done. 

Unofficial Los Angeles Lakers general manager LeBron James clearly wants the organization to trade for Anthony Davis. Check his Instagram activity if you have any doubts about that. Until such a transaction occurs or the trade deadline arrives, the Lakers are going through the motions since just about everybody on the roster who isn't James has to be wondering where he'll be playing home games come Valentine's Day. 

Andre Roberson isn't the first or second name that comes to mind when one thinks of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 27-year-old ruptured his left patellar tendon last January, and he hasn't yet featured for the club this season. Roberson's defensive prowess should make one of the best teams in the Western Conference even better, assuming he won't suffer any additional setbacks. 

One can't discuss the Denver Nuggets without mentioning the injury woes that have plagued the squad. On the court, Isaiah Thomas is a Denver player in name only, as he hasn't yet registered a single in-game minute. Rookie Michael Porter Jr. probably isn't playing this season. Gary Harris is battling a hip problem. Paul Millsap suffered a broken toe in December. Will Barton hasn't played since Oct. 20 because of his groin. Hopefully, Jamal Murray won't be kicked in the shin by anybody during the spring. 

The Philadelphia 76ers trading for Jimmy Butler gave the team a lineup that could hang with anybody in a playoff series. Depth remains a worry, though — and no, we're not just talking about whatever is actually going on with Markelle Fultz. J.R. Smith wants out of Cleveland, and he's the type of shooter the Sixers could use if he's fully dedicated to the cause and can drain over 37 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, as he did last season. He hasn't played since the middle of November, so he's well-rested. 

Several days before Christmas, Tony East of 8 Points 9 Seconds .com asked if guard Tyreke Evans should lose minutes. It's a fair question. After averaging over 19 points per game with the Memphis Grizzlies last season, the 29-year-old is shooting a career-worst 37.5 percent from the field, and he's averaging under 11 points per contest. Evans scoring 19 points in 19 minutes of action vs. the dreadful Atlanta Hawks shouldn't lead anybody to believe he's snapping out of his poor run. 

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton won't be the biggest name to hit the open market next summer, but he is going to get paid by some organization. Giannis Antetokounmpo may win MVP honors this season, and the Bucks are good enough to get to a showdown with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Losing Middleton would be a big blow for a team that appears on the cusp of becoming something truly special. 

Draymond Green is having his worst season as a full-time starter. Klay Thompson is in a shooting slump and making a career-worst 33 percent of his three-point attempts. Nobody believes Kevin Durant is remaining with the Golden State Warriors past June. With all of that said, does anybody want to put any real money on Golden State not repeating as champs once again? Anyone? Didn't think so. 

Perhaps the better question here is: Would the Toronto Raptors winning the Eastern Conference or even the NBA Finals be enough to convince Kawhi Leonard to commit himself to the Canadian side for an additional four seasons? The 27-year-old is from Los Angeles, and he has to realize the Clippers will roll the red carpet out to bring him home. Trading for Leonard was a win-now move. The Raptors keeping him as reigning champions, if that were to happen, could legitimately change the landscape of the NBA.