Ben Cooper Articles - Page 3

The Orlando Magic took a jump in the 2023-24 season, as they were the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference at 47-35. The Magic have been busy in NBA free agency to improve their roster and solidify themselves as contenders in the East. Orlando is building around their young star forward, Paolo Banchero. The 21-year-old […]

After losing in the Play-In Tournament, the Sacramento Kings improved their roster this offseason. However, they still need to address a need to become a contender in the West. Sacramento added DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade to create a big three with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings also have an emerging young forward in […]

The Denver Nuggets won the title in 2023 but failed to defend it in the 2024 season. Denver’s free agency is pivotal to improving their roster for a title run in 2025. Nikola Jokic won his third MVP in four years, but the Nuggets weren’t at the same level as a team. Denver lost to […]

The Phoenix Suns have an uphill climb this offseason to improve around their big three. The Suns need to seek upgrades in the second wave of free agency. Phoenix’s star trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal struggled to fit this season. The Suns came into the season among the favorites in the […]

The Charlotte Hornets’ core consists of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams. While the Hornets have some building blocks, they have a lot of work to do. Charlotte took Tidjane Salaun out of France with the sixth overall pick in the NBA Draft. The 18-year-old forward has potential after averaging nine points […]

The Sacramento Kings are in the mix to make a deal after losing in the Play-In Tournament. New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is one trade target that could make sense for the Kings. The Kings have a star duo in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. They also have an emerging forward in Keegan Murray […]

With Bronny James officially being a Los Angeles Lakers draft pick, many eyes will be on him and his father, LeBron James. Ahead of his rookie season, we’ll make our Bronny James predictions with the Lakers. This pick was highly anticipated prior to the draft after Bronny’s freshman year at USC. The 19-year-old averaged 4.8 […]

The Houston Rockets took a jump in the 2023 season, finishing at 41-41. While the Rockets improved, their .500 record wasn’t good enough to earn a spot in the play-in tournament. Houston could be active in the trade market to bolster their roster. The Rockets have a great young nucleus on their roster, surrounded by […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a great 2023-24 campaign, but they have some work to do this offseason. The Timberwolves should be active in the trade market to upgrade their roster after falling short in the playoffs. The Timberwolves made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in […]

The Golden State Warriors had a disappointing end to their 2024 season after being eliminated in the Play-In Tournament. Heading into the offseason, the Dubs need to make some changes to reignite the dynasty around Stephen Curry. Curry is still one of the best players in the league, and maximizing him in his final years […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder had an impressive season as they clinched the number-one seed in the Western Conference. Heading into the offseason, the Thunder will be looking to add the missing pieces to make it to the NBA Finals. The Thunder have a great core in place, as they finished the season with a 57-25 […]

The Indiana Pacers had a rather impressive campaign despite getting swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Having said that, the Pacers still need to improve their roster in order to take the team to the next level. Heading into the offseason, they could be active in the trade market to bolster […]

The Memphis Grizzlies had an injury-riddled season, leading to a disappointing 27-55 season. Ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies are shopping the ninth overall pick to add a win-now player. Memphis had injuries to their whole rotation throughout the season, making it tough to compete. Ja Morant only appeared in nine games due […]

The Phoenix Suns face a difficult offseason due to their salary cap restraints, but despite that, they need to make some roster changes and could do so with a trade. The Suns suffered a first-round exit in the 2024 NBA Playoffs after being swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the 2023 offseason, they acquired star […]

The Washington Wizards are coming off a disappointing season as they finished with the second-worst record in basketball. Following their 15-67 season, the Wizards offseason could make a trade or two this offseason. Washington has already made a big offseason move by hiring interim Brian Keefe as their new head coach. Keefe took over midseason […]

The Atlanta Hawks have had some offseason luck, as they jumped in the lottery to land the top pick. With that happening, the Hawks could be one of the most active teams in free agency. Atlanta had already been in trade rumors with their star guards, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, prior to landing the […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder had an impressive season with their young core. The Thunder enter the offseason with the potential to make a trade to solidify themselves as contenders. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is their superstar, as he finished second for the MVP award this season. He averaged an impressive 30.1 points per game, along with 5.5 […]

The Golden State Warriors have a difficult offseason ahead after being eliminated in the Play-In Tournament. The Warriors’ loss to the Sacramento Kings was disappointing and creates a wild Warriors free agency ahead. Stephen Curry is 36 years old and still playing at a high level. Curry took home the Clutch Player of the Year […]

The Miami Heat’s 2023-24 campaign came to an end when they were eliminated in five games by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Heading into the offseason, Miami will have to consider some trades if they intend on improving their roster, including when it comes to deals involving Tyler […]

The Los Angeles Clippers have a ton of question marks as they head into the offseason. After being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, the Clippers could be active in the trade market with several targets in their sights. Los Angeles was again without one of their stars in the playoffs. Kawhi […]

The Sacramento Kings enter the offseason after losing to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament. The Kings should be among the teams in the trade market. Sacramento finished as the third seed in the Western Conference in 2023 but failed to make the playoffs this season. With the West only getting more competitive, […]

The Phoenix Suns have a challenging offseason ahead of them following a brutal sweep. Despite having a big three, the Suns were dominated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, and now enter NBA free agency without a ton of flexibility. The Suns are in a challenging position because of the contracts of their […]

The Sacramento Kings were eliminated by the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament. It was a disappointing season following the 2023 season, where they were the third seed in the Western Conference. Heading into the offseason, the Kings’ free agency will be vital to improving their roster. Sacramento’s loss to the Pelicans was especially […]

The Phoenix Suns have fallen down 0-2 in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the series shifts to Phoenix on Friday for Game 3, the Suns will need to make some adjustments. Despite having three stars, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Suns have struggled mightily on offense. Minnesota has held […]

With a Dallas Mavericks first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, many eyes will be on the Mavs. Ahead of the Mavericks-Clippers series, we’ll be making our Mavericks first-round series predictions. Dallas had an underwhelming first half of the season, but after the trade deadline additions, they surged up in the standings. The Mavs acquired […]

With a Sacramento Kings Play-In Game coming up against the New Orleans Pelicans, many eyes will be on the Kings. Ahead of the Kings-Pelicans, we’ll be making our Kings Play-In predictions. The Kings had an outstanding performance in their first Play-In matchup against the Golden State Warriors. They cruised to a 118-94 win, with their […]

The Brooklyn Nets had a disappointing season, finishing in 11th place in the Eastern Conference at 32-50. Heading into the offseason, let’s take a look at some Nets trade targets as they could retool their roster. Brooklyn has some talented players on the roster, and they were only four games back from the play-in tournament. […]

The Detroit Pistons have had an underwhelming season, finishing with the worst record in the NBA at 14-68. Detroit has some talented young players on its roster but has not been able to put it together. This makes the offseason crucial for the Pistons, as they will need to have a successful free agency (aside […]

The Miami Dolphins have a great shot at winning the AFC East in the 2024 season. Miami finished the 2023 season 11-6, narrowly losing the division to the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have won the division over the past four years but could regress heavily. Buffalo has lost multiple stars in the offseason, including Stefon […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are having a breakout season, setting them up to finish with a top seed in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City is in a three-way battle with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets for the number one seed in the West. They are led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has emerged as an […]

It’s officially mock draft season, with the 2024 NFL Draft a month away. The Kansas City Chiefs are heading into the draft after winning back-to-back Super Bowls. They could become the first team in NFL history to three-peat. A great draft is crucial with this opportunity to solidify themselves as one of the best dynasties […]

The Chicago Bears have been one of the most active teams in the offseason, making many big deals. Chicago moved 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a sixth-round pick that can become a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51 percent of the Steelers’ snaps. Chicago also holds the ninth overall pick […]

The Seattle Seahawks inked their star defensive lineman Leonard Williams to a three-year $64.5 million deal. Seattle acquired Williams at the 2023 trade deadline for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. The 29-year-old is an elite defensive lineman, and it was pivotal for the Seahawks to bring him back. Williams thrives as […]

The Green Bay Packers made a big splash in free agency, signing 24-year-old safety Xavier McKinney. McKinney inked a four-year, $68 million deal, solidifying him as a core piece of the Packers’ defense for years to come. The Packers have been aggressive in free agency thus far following a surprising playoff win over the Dallas […]

The Detroit Lions had a great 2023 season, ending their playoff drought and making it to the NFC Championship Game. Detroit had a big lead in the game, but the San Francisco 49ers rallied back to advance to the Super Bowl. Despite the loss in the NFL Title Game, it was still a very successful […]

The Indianapolis Colts have re-signed their star wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on a three-year $71.5 million deal. Re-signing Pittman was pivotal for the Colts, as he has become the team’s top wideout. The 26-year-old hauled in 109 receptions for 1,152 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. At six-foot-four, Pittman is a physical receiver and […]

The Indianapolis Colts have a bright future ahead of them with a well-constructed roster. Indianapolis narrowly missed the playoffs in 2023, with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson only appearing in four games due to a shoulder injury. First-year head coach Shane Steichen did a phenomenal job and will look to build upon it in his second […]

The Green Bay Packers are coming off a promising season, winning a playoff game. Heading into the season, there were low expectations for Green Bay, with Jordan Love taking over as the starting quarterback. Love had a phenomenal season and helped Green Bay upset the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. They fell short […]

The Los Angeles Chargers had a disappointing 2023 campaign and have a full offseason of change ahead. The Chargers started by hiring Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach. Harbaugh is coming off a National Championship victory as a head coach for the Michigan Wolverines. Harbaugh brings valuable experience as a college and professional head […]