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Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

A handful of fortunate NBA franchises will spend the next month not only preparing for the playoffs, but also bracing for lengthy runs.

For the rest of the Association, though, this is probably a time better spent planning for the future.

That's a far more enjoyable task for some than others, depending on the presence of established (or even rising) stars, the ability to acquire them or, ideally, both.

We'll make like the bottom-feeders here and shift our focus to the future by examining the long-term possibilities of the 14 teams we project to land in the lottery. Primarily, we're analyzing on-hand talent, the production and potential of those players, salary-cap situations and draft assets.

These forecasts should tell you whether you should carry raincoats or sunglasses into your favorite team's future.