Which players could the NBA playoff contenders lose?

The 2018-19 NBA Playoffs are heating up as the second round is in full force, delivering some exciting basketball.

The action includes some brilliant match-ups including a rematch between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets in the Western Conference as well as a match-up between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics in a contest that could produce the Eastern Conference Champion.

Players On The Move

The roster landscape we are all watching on the floor now won’t be the same for the start of the new NBA season. As one looks around the teams currently alive in the playoffs, many have key stars and contributors who will be on the move during the off-season. Here is a look at what players each of the current playoff teams alive could be losing after the current season.

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Golden State Warriors – Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson & DeMarcus Cousins

The Warriors might have the most to lose this off-season. Those stars are Durant who could be heading to an East Coast team with the New York Knicks rumored to be the front runner and Klay Thompson; the latter could elect to stay in California but join one of two teams in Los Angeles. Along with those the Warriors could lose Cousins who is out with an injury. Other lesser known commodities include Kevin Looney, Jonas Jerekbo, Jordan Bell, Quinn Cook and Andrew Bogut.

Houston Rockets – Iman Shumpert, Austin Rivers & Kenneth Faried

The Rockets should be in solid shape entering the 2019-20 season as their nucleus of Clint Capela, James Harden and Chris Paul are all under contract. While the team has the chance to lose some solid contributors, the departure of Shumpert could give the team some cap space to recruit another star to their roster.

Nuggets building for the future

Denver Nuggets – Paul Millsap, Try Lyles & Isaiah Thomas

When looking at the Nuggets roster, the team is constructed to compete for the years to come with the current roster. While the club has the potential to lose Millsap and Thomas this off-season, the club will free-up nearly $30 million dollars of cap space if Millsap moves on.

Portland Trailblazers – Enes Kanter, Al-Farouq Aminu

Out of the remaining playoff teams, the Trailblazers, are in the best situation as both C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard are under contract as well as Jursif Nurkic. Outside of Kanter and Aminu, veterans Seth Curry, Rodney Hood and Jake Layman are all set to hit the market.

Trouble ahead for Celtics

Boston Celtics – Al Horford & Kyrie Irving

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The Celtics are in the same boat as the Warriors as the nucleus of their team could be on the move during the off-season including both Al Horford and Kyrie Irving. Both players are currently under contract but will have player options that are expected not to be picked up by both players. While Horford could return, rumors have Irving leaving during free agency with both the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets rumored to be on them. Along with those two players Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier are both potential free agents as well.

Milwaukee Bucks – Khris Middleton, Malcom Brogon & Nikola Mirotic

After finishing the 2018-19 NBA season with the best record in the league, the team are in a good position for the remainder of the NBA playoffs. After that, the team have a few big moves to make during the offseason including figuring out a long term deal with Middleton to keep the core of their team together.

76ers with work to do

Philadelphia 76ers – Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris & J.J. Redick

After electing to acquire both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris over the past year, the 76ers elected to go all in this season while putting high expectations on taking home the Eastern Conference Championship as well as the NBA Championship. The team will have heavy lifting to do during the offseason; both Butler and Harris are free agents as well as veteran Redick.

Toronto Raptors – Marc Gasol, Kawhi Leonard & Danny Green

Much like the 76ers, the Raptors went all in during the previous offseason sending Demar Derozan to the San Antonio Spurs for Leonard. The action continued before the trade deadline as the team acquired Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. While the rumors have Leonard heading back West during the offseason a championship run could have him elect to stay longer in Toronto.

Featured Image Credit: Christopher Johnson [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]