Most NBA rosters have a clear identity and have built a strong roster with direction. They retooled with new players from the draft, signings or trades during the offseason.
However, three teams heading into the new season look like they were assembled without a long-term plan in place. These teams are the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans.
There’s no doubt that these teams have real talent and star power, but the mix of ages, usage and roles make them feel awkward as a unit.
Let’s begin with the Clippers. This is their post-Kawhi Leonard era after they traded him back to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and two future draft picks.
It also came after the league handed them penalties for the cap-circumvention investigation. Even though Ty Lue is still the team’s head coach, its win-now window may have already officially closed.
Ingram and Darius Garland is its newest star duo, with a mix of veterans and young players in the supporting cast.
Dick, Rui Hachimura and Brook Lopez are Los Angeles’ most notable players, but their fit seems odd.
What makes them feel even weirder is that they are currently in a half-rebuild, with leftover stars, incoming youth and a messy draft-pick picture following the NBA’s sanctions.
Next are the Blazers, who have a new ownership and head coach after last year’s postseason appearance.
Their big swing to acquire Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies is a bit surprising due to their already loaded backcourt. They currently have Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. That's too many ball-dominant, high-usage guards for one rotation.
Portland feels like it's trying to develop young talent while also winning with expensive veterans, but the spacing and minute distribution don’t match the ambition.
Lastly, the Pelicans also have a new head coach in Jamahl Mosley. They didn’t make any major moves this offseason, so they basically have the same core.
Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones remain the team’s foundation, but the supporting cast of Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, Benedict Mathurin, Yves Missi and Jeremiah Fears is already overstuffed before camp.
What makes this team more awkward is that it’s stuck on two timelines: its prime core hasn’t been healthy or cohesive enough to contend, and young pieces need minutes the veterans also demand.
It’s neither a finished contender nor a clean youth movement. Either way, they still feel like a team that hasn’t found its true identity as a franchise since the Anthony Davis trade.
All these teams have one thing in common: they have the talent, but don’t have a clear identity. It’s either contend vs. develop, star usage vs. fit and veteran money vs. future flexibility.
Strange rosters don’t automatically equate to failure, but they force coaches to invent roles the front office never fully planned. The upcoming season will show whether these three franchises can be creative enough to turn awkward roster construction into a real identity.
