Every NBA team has holes that it needs to fill, be it big ones or minor ones. Considering the NBA Draft kicks off the offseason every year, it’s worth just running through each franchise, discussing what I see as each team’s biggest need entering the event and giving some real options for filling that hole with the first set of choices that each team will have.
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Remember, it’s worth noting that not every team considers its biggest roster needs when drafting. Not every team will necessarily try to fill such holes on draft night. Some teams just genuinely take the best player. However, some teams do choose to do so, and it’s worth at least discussing what they need to take a look at fixing heading into the offseason. This looks both at the short-term roster and the long-term prospect depth that each team has within these skill roles.
Atlanta Hawks: Backup point guard
Weirdly, the Hawks are pretty loaded across the board. They’re set at the wing spots. They have great big depth if they keep John Collins around. They have terrific shooting and playmaking with Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter in the backcourt. The one thing that could be missing is backup point guard. Lou Williams is a free agent this summer, and the team has struggled in the past when Trae Young wasn’t on the court. I would not prioritize this at the draft if I was the Hawks and just pick the best player available. But it is certainly the biggest weakness.
Potential Options at No. 20: Sharife Cooper or Miles McBride
Boston Celtics: Shot creation in the backcourt
The Celtics struggled with shot creation off the bench to a substantial extent this year, and they struggled with it in any of the games Kemba Walker missed in order to rest him due to his prior knee surgery. Now, Walker is gone, and they haven’t replaced him in any regard yet. They desperately need to find an answer at the lead guard spot, at the very least someone who can eat up minutes off the bench and make plays as a passer even if Marcus Smart ends up being the starter next to Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and a re-signed Evan Fournier. The team traded its No. 16 pick to get off of Walker’s contract, meaning they’re somewhat unlikely to fill this role in the draft. Rather, they’ll need to figure out it in free agency or in a trade.
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Potential Options at No. 45: Austin Reaves or Jason Preston
Brooklyn Nets: Perimeter Defenders
The Nets have the strongest nucleus of offensive players in the NBA with Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris. While Harris holds his own better than he gets credit for, the team could use another high-level perimeter defender that can actually play aggressive point-of-attack defense and disrupt what opposing teams are doing. As phenomenal as Harden and Irving are, they aren’t accomplishing that. Wing would probably be the most ideal player type, but even a guard would likely work for this group.
Potential Options at No. 27: Miles McBride, Herb Jones, Kessler Edwards, Quentin Grimes
Charlotte Hornets: Center
There is no short or long-term answer at the center position on this roster. Sorry, Nick Richards and Vernon Carey. Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo are free agents this summer. The team also has cap space to use, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team decided to address the need that way. They probably need more than one guy here to be able to eat up minutes at the center position. It wouldn’t be a stunner to see them address the position both in the draft and in free agency — although I don’t think it’s necessarily a guarantee they do so in the draft.
Potential Options at No. 11: Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, Isaiah Jackson, Kai Jones
Chicago Bulls: Versatile defensive wings
The Bulls started to address this concern last year during the draft by selecting Patrick Williams at No. 4 overall. However, with the addition of Nikola Vucevic and the clear goal to try to win games sooner rather than later, the need for more defenders in between he and LaVine (especially with Coby White at the lead guard spot right now) has only become all the more vital. Particularly, guys who are versatile across the perimeter spectrum stand out here as needs. I’d focus on guys at the point-of-attack and those who can actually defend scoring guards at a high level, because most of the plus defenders they have right now project better dealing with bigger players when defending on ball. The Bulls don’t have their first-round pick this year after having moved it in the Vucevic trade midseason.
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Potential Options at No. 38: Herb Jones, Kessler Edwards, Quentin Grimes, David Johnson, Aaron Henry
Cleveland Cavaliers: Versatile, two-way wings
Much like the Bulls above, the Cavs started addressing the defensive side of the floor by taking Isaac Okoro last year in the first round. But the team still needs more help on the defensive end after having finished 25th in the league in defensive rating. However, because they picked Okoro last year and acquired Jarrett Allen this year, the guys they pick can’t just be defenders, but they rather also have to be good offensive players who, hopefully, can shoot the basketball given Okoro’s and Allen’s deficiencies in that regard. They really just need more guys who are good at both offense and defense, not just one side of the floor.
Potential Options at No. 3: Jalen Suggs
Dallas Mavericks: Athletic 3-and-D wings, and a secondary playmaker next to Luka Doncic
The Mavericks weirdly have quite a few needs on this roster next to Luka Doncic — especially given the free agency status of Tim Hardaway Jr. The team needs to improve defensively next year. And if Kristaps Porzingis is going to be on the roster with Doncic, the team desperately needs more athleticism on the perimeter defensively who can scramble and recover around the court and make up for the lack of footspeed of their two stars. Given the offense the Mavericks likely want to run with Doncic at the helm, those guys are at least going to be effective shooters in spot-up situations. Beyond that, they could also use a secondary offensive shot creator who can take some pressure off of Doncic and give the opposing team a different look offensively. The team does not have either draft pick this season, having moved its first rounder in the Kristaps Porzingis deal.
Potential undrafted free agents to target: Marcus Garrett, Chaundee Brown, Matt Coleman
Denver Nuggets: Backcourt playmaking and shot creation with size
Jamal Murray will return from his ACL injury at some point next year. But even after he does, the team has a pretty real need for more consistent shot creation in the backcourt for when he’s off the court. Monte Morris and Facundo Campazzo are creative and smart decision-makers that really fit well within the Nuggets’ scheme. They’re great to have around, though just a tad small. It would help to get someone a bit bigger who can act in a secondary manner when they’re on the court (even in bench settings once Murray gets back). Even Austin Rivers, who isn’t enormous but is a bit bigger than those guys, really helped the team in the playoffs as a late addition. The team had the right idea last draft taking R.J. Hampton, but they had to move him for Aaron Gordon.
Potential Options at No. 26: Joshua Primo, Jared Butler, Cam Thomas, Bones Hyland
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Detroit Pistons: The primary playmaker
The Pistons just need a star to build around going forward. Beyond just continuing to build a positive culture and finding useful players, nothing else really matters for them until they find the guy. Luckily, they got the No. 1 overall pick and are going to get that primary playmaker.
Potential Options at No. 1: Cade Cunningham.
Golden State Warriors: Secondary scoring depth, particularly guys who can pressure the rim
The Warriors struggled immensely when Stephen Curry was off the floor last year, even more than you’d expect for a drop off from a team surrounding a superstar. The Warriors averaged the sixth-fewest drives in the NBA, and were second-to-last in paint touches. They were 20th in free throw rate. All of this says to me that they need someone who can consistently drive and attack the basket, putting pressure on the defense. It’s part of the reason why Jordan Poole was such a breath of fresh air into their offense, and he wasn’t even particularly great at it, just merely good. They could use another high-level scoring option on the perimeter, even with Klay Thompson returning. And they don’t need to use both picks to fill this role.
Potential Options at No. 7 and 14: James Bouknight, Davion Mitchell, Moses Moody, Jaden Springer
Houston Rockets: Primary playmaker, but honestly everything
The Rockets don’t have a guy that is guaranteed to be the next winner in Houston. They have some interesting pieces in Kevin Porter Jr., Jae’Sean Tate, Christian Wood and Kenyon Martin Jr., but I don’t know that they’re necessarily true building blocks. The Rockets just need someone to start their rebuild around following the James Harden deal. It’s pretty basic. They should be taking best players available.
Potential Options at No. 2: Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, Evan Mobley
Indiana Pacers: Shooting and bigger wing defenders
This is a tough one if only because I think there could be some movement with this roster this summer following a disappointing season. It’s also weirdly pretty solid across the board without a true standout weakness if everyone is healthy. I’m actually a believer in the Pacers’ offensive creation as it currently stands. Guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, and T.J. Warren should be able to share the scoring load with Domantas Sabonis if they’re all on the team next year. The defense is fine. T.J. McConnell had a phenomenal year and is terrific at the point of attack, and Brogdon is smart and valuable on that end. Justin Holiday does a fine job, and Myles Turner is one of the best interior defenders in the NBA. But they could use one more guy who is really good on that end of the floor that can handle bigger wings. More than that, though, with Doug McDermott hitting free agency and LeVert likely to take on an even bigger role next year, the team could use one more floor spacer. They also might be able to just go best non-center available.
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Potential Options at No. 13: Franz Wagner, Corey Kispert, Chris Duarte
Los Angeles Clippers: Athletic offensive players who pressure the paint and rim
This is the most jump-shot dependent contender in the NBA. They desperately need a guard or perimeter player who can pressure the rim, something that will likely be exacerbated next year without Kawhi Leonard for a long swath of the season. The team finished 27th in free throw rate, and only Paul George and Ivica Zubac (among non-Kawhi players on the roster) last year took at least two free throws per game. They finished in the bottom third in drives per game. They were 29th in the NBA in shots taken on non-post-ups at the rim in half-court settings last year, per Synergy. They really just need more attack-oriented players. It would help those guys who were unselfish passers, too, as the Clippers offense can still get a touch stagnant at times.
Potential Options at No. 25: Ayo Dosunmu, Austin Reaves, Jared Butler
Los Angeles Lakers: Playmaker who can defend and play next to LeBron in the backcourt
I actually kind of like the Lakers’ wing players. Kyle Kuzma gets better at role player skills every year. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a reasonable starting wing. Alex Caruso is one of the most underrated defenders in the league. Talen Horton-Tucker, if they retain him, has useful skills with his length. But Dennis Schröder didn’t get the job done — especially at his price point — and is a free agent. The Lakers could use someone who can play on both ends and create plays both in transition and in the half court. On top of that, Schröder was exposed defensively come playoff time, so it would help if this secondary playmaker next to LeBron was a bigger defender.
Potential Options at No. 22: Chris Duarte, Ayo Dosunmu, Miles McBride, Jared Butler
Memphis Grizzlies: A true No. 2 wing shot creator next to Morant
I love Dillon Brooks. I love his demeanor, I love his mentality, I love how aggressive and confident he is. But if the Grizzlies could just make him the team’s third-best creator, they’d be so much better off. It would particularly help if this player would have long-term potential to create pull-up 3s as a wing, given that Morant is more comfortable as a driver and Brooks is better in the midrange. The guys that typically have these skills also happen to be guys that go extremely high in the draft. But given the overall uncertainty within this draft class, I do wonder if the Grizzlies can work some of the magic they have over the last few years on draft day and take advantage of whoever happens to fall to them.
Potential Options at No. 17: Jaden Springer, Ziaire Williams
Miami Heat: A steady lead guard playmaker who can shoot and distribute
Kendrick Nunn is a free agent, and looks best positioned as a sixth man given his playoff performances the last two years. Given Tyler Herro’s struggles this year, it seems unclear how reliable he’ll be going forward. Goran Dragic is getting older and could be a free agent this summer depending on what Miami decides to do with his team option. More than anything, Miami needs to figure out another offensive creator who it can be assured will make the right decisions, get teammates involved, and knock down shots given that their two centerpieces, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, are not shooters. The Heat do not have their first-round pick following a convoluted series of trades.
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Potential undrafted free agents to target: Matt Coleman, Marcus Zegarowski, Jose Alvarado
Milwaukee Bucks: Versatile, two-way 3-and-D player
With Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, the Bucks have enough shot creation to get them through games. But they could use one more legitimate two-way player. The loss of Donte DiVincenzo to injury has been acutely felt in this playoffs. Pat Connaughton hit some big shots in the postseason and was valuable, but he was constantly targeted by Phoenix on defense. This player doesn’t have to have much creation upside, he just needs to be able to shoot and hold his own on defense. Those guys are harder to find than you’d think, but they do exist if you’re not worried about them being creators. The Bucks do not have their first-round pick following a pick swap with the Rockets’ second rounder. They do have pick No. 31 because of that swap.
Potential Options at No. 31: Quentin Grimes, Kessler Edwards, David Johnson
Minnesota Timberwolves: Another strong, versatile defender with size
They drafted one of these in Jaden McDaniels last year, and he looks like a steal. But if their core moving forward really is D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s going to take more than just McDaniels to make it work. Josh Okogie and Jarrett Culver are also good on the defensive end, but neither has quite shown enough offensive acumen to keep them on the floor consistently. The Wolves were 28th in defensive rating last year, and will need to keep making strides on that end if this core is ever going to work in the way that this front office wants it to. The team traded its first-round pick back in 2020 in the Andrew Wiggins-Russell deal.
Potential undrafted free agents to target: Marcus Garrett, RaiQuan Gray, Aamir Simms, Eugene Omoruyi
New Orleans Pelicans: Shooting
To make a core with Zion Williamson work, you’re going to have to find guys to space the floor around him. Especially if you’ve made the decision to play him next to Steven Adams at the five. Every player on the court with those two is going to have to shoot. Heck, I think there is a case that every player on the court with a Brandon Ingram-Zion combination is going to have to shoot it if they want to compete for a title. I feel good right now projecting Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a long-term shooter there. Kira Lewis has upside as a shooter. Lonzo Ball is a streaky but reliable shooter, but he’s a free agent and there has been reporting that the Pelicans may let him move on. So please, New Orleans: help out Zion and get him some space to operate.
Potential Options at No. 10: Corey Kispert, Moses Moody, Franz Wagner
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New York Knicks: The long-term answer at point guard, and shooting
The Knicks need more shot creation and shooting. The playoffs were a tough watch, and it’s clear that New York just didn’t have the firepower to keep up with the Hawks offensively. Immanuel Quickley was a clear hit in the late first round last year, but he might profile best as a secondary creator or sixth man. We don’t quite know what his ceiling is yet (and I mean that positively, too, as he’s renowned as a really hard worker). Derrick Rose is a free agent and getting up there in age. So the long-term solution at lead guard would be helpful. Beyond that, though, the Knicks could use more floor-spacers on the wing. There is just too much uncertainty surrounding guys like Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks and their impending free agency, given how essential they were in creating space for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to drive. Luckily, the Knicks have multiple picks to work with here to fill multiple holes.
Potential Options at No. 19 and 21: Chris Duarte, Miles McBride, Sharife Cooper, Trey Murphy
Oklahoma City Thunder: Legitimate size and rim protection inside
Oklahoma City is in a full retooling period. Under Sam Presti, they’re absolutely just going to draft the best players available in order to try to find the next stars to put next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, the interior is a genuine need, even for a team that is very comfortable playing small. They traded Al Horford and Moses Brown to Boston in order to get the No. 16 overall pick (and Kemba Walker). Right now, the only big men on the roster are Isaiah Roby and Aleksej Pokusevski. The Thunder have three first-round picks. I’d bet they use one on a big man.
Potential Option at No. 6: Alperen Sengun
Potential Options at No. 16 and 18: Isaiah Jackson, Kai Jones, Usman Garuba
Orlando Magic: The primary playmaker on this roster, and shooting
I actually like a lot of the young players on the Magic roster, from R.J. Hampton and Jonathan Isaac to Chuma Okeke and Wendell Carter. But I like most of them as secondary starters offensively at least, not necessarily “the man” at the head of the snake. They need to try to find the guy, and bet on offensive upside with one of their two picks. Beyond that, they also need shooters. This front office has consistently devalued shooting to its detriment over the course of its time in Orlando. Time to rectify that as they try to figure out what players on this roster can and can’t be a part of the next winner in Orlando.
Potential options at No. 5 and No. 8: Alperen Sengun, Moses Moody, James Bouknight
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Philadelphia 76ers: Lead guard, but it also depends on what they’re planning to prioritize if they trade Ben Simmons
Look, so many balls are up in the air with this Philadelphia roster, including whether or not the Sixers will even own this pick. GM Daryl Morey has consistently devalued selecting players in the NBA Draft, instead opting to use those picks as trade chips. The biggest ball in the air, though, is Simmons, and what the team chooses to do with him. If they keep him, they absolutely need a lead guard. If they decide to move him, I think they absolutely need to prioritize finding a lead guard who can be a high-level half-court offensive creator. Regardless, they need to find someone on the perimeter who can pressure the defense and make things happen.
Potential Options at No. 28: Jared Butler, Miles McBride, Tre Mann, “Bones” Hyland
Phoenix Suns: Backup center and another creative guard
Unsurprisingly given that the Suns were in the NBA Finals, this team is pretty loaded and complete. They have great perimeter defenders, strong interior defense, great shot creation, terrific floor-spacing, interior scoring, three-level scoring. The thing they need most is an option to play behind Deandre Ayton, as Dario Saric will likely miss most of next year and the team has zero depth behind their former No. 1 overall pick. But beyond that, I would argue that the team could use another creative guard to come off of the bench early in his career, given that Cameron Payne is a free agent this summer and in line for some relatively real money following his breakout season.
Potential Options at No. 29: Day’Ron Sharpe, JT Thor, Miles McBride, Austin Reaves, Bones Hyland, Tre Mann
Portland Trail Blazers: Perimeter defenders with size, and guys who pressure the rim
The Blazers were horrid on defense this year and need some bigger wing defenders who are comfortable playing on the ball. Robert Covington is a terrific team defender, however he isn’t incredible when put on an island. The team will be better this coming season with Jusuf Nurkic returning, but there is still room for improvement. The Blazers were also one of the worst teams in the NBA at getting to the basket. They took a lower percentage of their shots at the rim on non-post-ups in the half court than all but three teams, according to Synergy. They were also last in the NBA in drives per game, and in the bottom-third in free throw rate. The team does not have any draft picks this season.
Potential undrafted free agents: McKinley Wright, David Duke, Marcus Garrett, Justin Champagnie
Sacramento Kings: Literally everything to do with defense
The Kings were one of the worst defensive teams I’ve ever seen on an NBA court in 2021. They were the worst team in the NBA this year on that end of the floor. They were one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the NBA. And they gave up the worst shot quality in the NBA, on top of having putrid transition defense. There really just isn’t really much else to say beyond this. They were abysmal defensively this year, and should prioritize fixing that this offseason, particularly with wings and bigs.
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Potential Options at No. 9: Franz Wagner, Usman Garuba, Moses Moody
San Antonio Spurs: Shooting and frontcourt offense
The Spurs have one of the better young perimeter cores in the NBA in terms of depth, with Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker and Devin Vassell. Gregg Popovich has generally run a scheme that fits the personnel over the last couple of years with DeMar DeRozan and Murray, allowing him to take and make midrange shots. But with DeRozan hitting free agency, the team should adjust again and focus on getting guys who can space the floor in order to run a more modern offense. On top of that, with Rudy Gay hitting free agency, the team desperately needs more offensive production from its frontcourt players. I don’t really see any of the options there right now as providing much offensive value at the four and the five.
Potential Options at No. 12: Alperen Sengun, Jalen Johnson, Franz Wagner, Corey Kispert
Toronto Raptors: The primary option, and center
The Raptors have one of the best supporting casts in the NBA, one that has proven it can win an NBA title. Fred VanVleet is a legit starting guard. Pascal Siakam is a former All-NBA pick who is extremely productive on both ends of the floor. OG Anunoby is profiling as one of the best defenders in the NBA, and he is also developing real offensive skill that could make him one of the most valuable role players in the NBA. Gary Trent Jr. is an elite shooter. Malachi Flynn had a great end-of-season. What they need is the guy. They need the guy, similar to Kawhi Leonard, that slides all of these guys back one spot in the pecking order and allows them to fit into their ideal role. Luckily, they have the No. 4 pick in a draft that I think has four NBA All-Star caliber prospects right now. They also have a real need on the interior at the center spot, as it arguably cost them a spot in the playoffs this year.
Potential Options at No. 4: Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs
Utah Jazz: Perimeter defenders with length and athleticism
The Jazz had the best record in the league for a reason this year: they’re about as complete a team as you’ll find. Having said that, the team’s downfall in the playoffs was its lack of athletic, perimeter defenders with length. Guys like Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Donovan Mitchell are really solid team defenders, but once the drop scheme is broken in ball-screens, they don’t quite have the athleticism and recovery ability to fly around and scramble. They could use a guy or two like that in order to round out their team’s depth on the defensive end of the floor. It also might be worth keeping an eye on lead guard if the team thinks there is a chance Conley might actually depart in free agency.
Potential Options: Herb Jones, JT Thor, Kessler Edwards, Quentin Grimes
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Washington Wizards: Shooting
The Wizards took 3-pointers on fewer possessions than anyone else in the NBA outside of the Spurs last season, and were in the bottom-third in 3-point percentage. With Russell Westbrook around as a centerpiece of the team, the Wizards need to space the floor around him better in order to have a chance to optimize this roster led by he and Bradley Beal — given that the team seems set on continuing with this current roster construction.
Potential Options at No. 15: Corey Kispert, Chris Duarte, Trey Murphy
(Top design: Wes McCabe/The Athletic)
