2014–2015 Record: 50–32 (3rd in conference, lost in playoffs to Cleveland 4–2)
2016–2017 Cap Room: $29 Million

Key Strengths: Defense, 10 deep roster
Key Weaknesses: Aging, inefficient offensive roster

First-Year Strategy: The Bulls are theoretically in the mix again for an Eastern Conference crown, but it seems in real life that the team has hit its ceiling. Of course, in NBA 2K16 this is not necessarily the case so contending for a championship is of the utmost importance in year one.

The biggest decision you will have to make after the first year is on center Joakim Noah, who has been the heart and soul for this team since he was drafted. The problem, of course, is that Noah is on the wrong side of the age curve, and his lack of scoring ability has been exasperated by a bevvy of injuries. Noah is due $13.4 million in 2015–2016, and one would assume he will be looking for a contract in a similar space. Contract negotiations with Noah are further complicated by the fact that, along with Taj Gibson, he’s the only plus frontcourt defender the Bulls have. Consider drafting his replacement, but letting Noah go may instantly close whatever small sliver of a championship window the Bulls might still have left.

Three-Year Strategy: The cap is expected to skyrocket in 2017, and the Bulls currently have only $23 million in salaries committed for that season, not counting any draft picks (they are due a protected first-round pick from Sacramento). If you do re-sign Joakim Noah, try to keep his years limited so you can take advantage of what’s sure to be a slew of players to choose from.

Of course, 2017 also brings with it a new contract for Derrick Rose, another oft-injured former star, as well as Taj Gibson, Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic, who is a restricted free agent. You can turn the entire team over by building around Gibson, Mirotic and Butler, who is signed through 2019, and this might be a worthwhile endeavor. You will obviously need defense and a point guard so look for them first in the draft over the preceding seasons, then perhaps in the 2017 draft.

2014–2015 Record: 53–29 (2nd in conference, lost in NBA Finals to Golden State 4–2)
2016–2017 Cap Room: None

Key Strengths: Elite talent at almost every position
Key Weaknesses: No way to improve team if contributors leave

First-Year Strategy: Cleveland is obviously "All In" and it almost paid off with a championship last year. Before Steve Kerr’s adjustments, the Cavs were very much (somehow) in control of that series. Alas, Kerr did adjust, and the Cavs were swept away in six games. They responded to injuries to two of their key contributors by assembling one of the best on-paper teams in the history of the NBA.

There is one real decision point after year one: Timofey Mozgov. Mozgov is unrestricted after year one. The problem here is that, assuming they keep Anderson Varejao on the roster, Cleveland has well over $100 million in guaranteed contracts on the books for 2016-2017 (and it could be higher if Mo Williams and J.R. Smith opt-in to their deals). That’s a huge tax commitment going forward, but in the effort of bringing a championship to Cleveland, it might have to be done.

Three-Year Strategy: When the cap explodes in 2017, Cleveland will have a small opportunity to pounce on an elite player. Of course, if you sign Mozgov, you’ll have to do some creative accounting to get everyone under the cap (LeBron could once again be a free agent at this point, allowing you to sign someone with that cap space before then re-signing LeBron as the NBA allows you to re-sign your own guys while already over the cap). But either way, this is a championship contender as long as LeBron James maintains his level of play, so go crazy and dream big.

2014–2015 Record: 32–50 (12th in conference, missed playoffs)
2016–2017 Cap Room: $46 Million

Key Strengths: Elite, young, pick and roll combination
Key Weaknesses: Shooting

First-Year Strategy: I don’t know how Stan Van Gundy has done it, but he somehow has 100 players on his cap sheet without going over the cap. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but the Pistons currently have 19 guaranteed salaries on the books for 2015–2016 and are not over the cap. Now, after year one, there are a ton of decisions to be made, starting with Andre Drummond, who you should obviously max out right away.

The other decisions for the Pistons seem just as simple: unless Brandon Jennings is willing to take a pay cut to be a backup, he can be let go. Steve Blake and Anthony Tolliver are roster flotsam that can be relinquished without really hurting your team. Ersan Illyasova is a potentially useful player, so it’s worth keeping him around to help space around Drummond, but the rest of the lineup is more or less set: Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Stanley Johnson and Drummond. Detroit is going to be a great team to start with if you want to take a fringe playoff team to a legit contender.

Three-Year Strategy: As usual, the more decisions a team has to make early, the less they have to make late. Signing Drummond to a long-term deal early makes Caldwell-Pope the only member of your potential core that you really have to decide on. KCP is one of the few shooters on this Detroit team so keep him around unless you find someone better.
 

2014–2015 Record: 38–44 (9th in conference, missed playoffs)
2016–2017 Cap Room: $31 Million

Key Strengths: Wing depth
Key Weaknesses: No proven frontcourt players

First-Year Strategy: Good news, Pacers fans! You managed to finish a couple games out of the playoff race while missing your best player after he suffered a horrific leg injury.

Bad news, Pacers fans! you weren’t bad enough to get a top-three pick, though Myles Turner looks like he might be a player.

Indiana is like a better version of the Knicks. They have a superstar player coming back off of injury, only he’s younger and the injury was a freak occurrence rather than a collection of aching tendons and ligaments. The players around Paul George are better, too, but they’re just good enough to make a little bit of noise without really contending. After year one, decisions will need to be made on Chase Budinger, Ian Mahinmi, Jordan Hill, and Solomon Hill, but all of those guys can be replaced.

Three-Year Strategy: This is where it gets interesting. George Hill is a free agent after the 2016–2017 season, and Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles both have player options they will probably opt-out of in order to try to get some of the big money that will surely be floating around at that point. It also might be worthwhile to trade Monta Ellis around here if you can because you can quickly rebuild around Turner and Paul George. You need to fill in a lot of roster spots (you can have as few as four players under contract at this point, depending on how you structure things), but you will have at least one elite talent to build around, and he will be on a ridiculously team-friendly deal at that point.

2014–2015 Record: 41–41 (6th in conference, lost in first round of playoffs to Chicago, 4–2)
2016–2017 Cap Room: $54 Million

Key Strengths: ARMS
Key Weaknesses: Shooting, shooting, shooting

First-Year Strategy: I am going to complain about the trade of Brandon Knight for Michael Carter-Williams until the end of time. MCW had bright spots near the end of the season with the Bucks, but they were demonstrably worse after the trade than they were before, and trading away a shooter when your team’s primary weakness was already shooting didn’t make much sense to me.

Wingspans play an even bigger part of NBA 2K16 than they did in 2K15, but it doesn’t matter unless you can score from outside, and other than Khris Middleton and Chris Copeland (who will likely share a position as well as the pronunciation of a first name), there just is not a ton of it here. The hope is that Giannis Antetokounmpo can make strides from deep, and Greivis Vasquez can get hot, but in their best defensive lineups, only Middleton can help space the floor. You could really use a point guard who can shoot, someone like…

In terms of expiring deals, O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless and Chris Copeland can probably be safely relinquished, while Greivis Vasquez and Miles Plumlee should be held on to. You have the money to spend, so spend it.

Three-Year Strategy: If I play with the Bucks, MCW is as good as gone before his rookie deal expires after the 2017 season. Nothing against the guy, it’s just a terrible fit for the Bucks. Depending on his progression for the next two years, The Greek Freak might command a rather large contract, but your core of Greg Monroe, Middleton, Jabari Parker and perhaps John Henson is set.

You need shooting, and while Rashad Vaughn is a good potential shooter, you need to to supply your team with more than just Vaughn.

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Marc Price is a life-long basketball nerd and EA SPORTS GameChanger. He co-hosts the Post-Game Podcast with Corey Andress every Wednesday on the Post-Game Podcast Network. You can find more information about the podcast at http://postgamepodcast.wordpress.com/ as well as Twitter.com/postgamepodcast.

Marc can be followed on Twitter at Twitter.com/mrprice33 and his co-host Corey can be followed at Twitter.com/coreysa. You can find more articles like these at medium.com/@mrprice33.