5 NBA teams stuck between excellence and mediocrity

PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 14: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers react to a jump ball call by the referee in the fourth quarter at Moda Center on January 14, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Sacramento Kings leaps to defend the shot of RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks during the first half of an NBA Basketball game at Golden 1 Center on January 22, 2021 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement; NBA Teams. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

It’s the middle ground where you don’t often want to be as an NBA franchise. If you’re not actively competing for a deep playoff position, or conversely, for a high lottery pick, what are you actually trying to achieve?

Some NBA owners and front offices are comfortable with competing for a playoff spot and earning a little extra revenue in spite of a first-round playoff exit. For fans, though, where does the hope derive from?

5 NBA teams that are too good to blow things up, but too bad to win an NBA championship this season

If suitable success isn’t present nor imminent, they at least want a model of how success will be achieved and a timeline of when to expect it. For the bottom NBA teams, that usually corresponds with the addition of a high draft pick who the future can be built around.

But then there are others in the dark realms of the NBA stratosphere, stuck trying to compete without ever making too much noise. Simultaneously, their endeavors to be successful often prevent them from having access to top-end talent.

Through just over a month of the NBA regular season, it’s already becoming apparent who those franchises are. Here are five NBA teams teetering on the edge, most requiring a major trade in order to either become legitimate contenders or to completely blow up the roster and start again.