NBA: 4 non-contenders in the most enviable positions

New York Knicks

Putting aside the advantage of being in a big market, the New York Knicks have all their own draft picks, plus other teams’.  While Julius Randle may never again reach the All-NBA heights he did last year, as long as he’s a fringe All-Star and their battalion of young wings continues to improve, this team will get marginally better, year-over-year.

Adding team options to the free agent signings of this summer make Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Evan Fournier’s contracts more palatable in potential trades.

None of these factors by themselves ensures future playoff success, but the combination makes them more likely than not.

Charlotte Hornets

Sans exceptional draft capital, having a budding superstar is critical to being “in the most enviable positions” and the Hornets definitely have that in LaMelo Ball, with awesome role players in Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward, although none really bring it defensively. They will have some salary cap space this summer, since Bridges’ cap hold is only $7.5 million.

Do the Hornets have a path to being contenders in the next three to five years? Yes. Is it more likely than not they get there? No. But they will be a playoff team with major upside? “Hum Diddly Dee!”