As the first round of the NBA playoffs draws to a close, the front offices of the losing franchises are shifting into high gear. Each of these teams lacks a lottery pick, but all have varying degrees of salary cap space with which to work.The team presidents know that the playoff picture rarely remains static from season to season, and that one or two shrewd personnel moves can lift the franchise into the second round or further next season.

A major misstep, however, could wind up excluding the club from next year’s postseason entirely. Here’s a brief survey of four teams that are already in off-season mode. (The rankings are determined by Offensive and Defensive Efficiency, which measure how many points a team scores and allows per 100 possessions.)

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Although the Grizzlies slipped five games from last season’s 50-win total and were swept out of the playoffs in the first round for the second straight year, this is a team with solid fundamentals to build on. Coach Mike Fratello arrived a month into the season and turned a poor start into a fine campaign despite a plague of injuries. Only three members of their deep rotation played 80 games; Pau Gasol, Memphis’s only All-Star caliber player, missed 26.

Team President Jerry West has hinted that the upcoming season will be his last, so he has a lot of work to do. While the Grizzlies sport a wealth of competent perimeter players, their glaring weakness is rebounding, where they finished 30th in the league. They will likely try to engineer a sign-and-trade deal involving Stromile Swift, Gasol’s talented backup,to get a more beefy pivotman who can clean the glass. Another force inside would also help improve the team’s middling offense.

On the perimeter, Memphis will almost certainly decline its option on recalcitrant swingman Bonzi Wells and use some of the money to re-sign promising point guard Earl Watson. To replace Wells, they will probably look to give a bigger role to guard Dahntay Jones, who had 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting as Bonzi’s replacement in Game 4 against Phoenix.

A better run of health will get them back to the playoffs, but without better rebounding, the Grizzlies will continue their pattern of first-round exits.

DENVER NUGGETS

These numbers don’t tell the full story on the Nuggets; they are better than their season totals imply. After coach George Karl took over the struggling team on January 28, the Nuggets went 32-8. During that stretch, they were an offensive juggernaut and played solid defense, but unluckily drew a firstround matchup against San Antonio,the best team in the league when Tim Duncan is healthy.

Denver’s lone weakness is at shooting guard. But the minimal height and skill requirements of the position relative to other spots on the floor make it the most easily filled lineup slot. Denver has two late first-round draft picks, and with some wise scouting, the Nuggets could probably find some solid European players at that juncture.They will also have their full mid-level exception to offer veteran players. Hoops fans in Denver should spend the summer counting down the days until next season begins.

SACRAMENTO KINGS

The Kings’ makeover began in January, when they shipped guard Doug Christie to Orlando, and it shifted into full swing in February,when they traded franchise stalwart Chris Webber to Philadelphia for Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson, and Brian Skinner.

Despite turning over half their rotation, the Kings made the playoffs and boasted one of the best offenses in the league.

Still, team President Geoff Petrie has a lot of work ahead of him to finish the midseason makeover.The Kings are miserable defensively and particularly soft in the middle. They will need to find a shot blocker to keep opponents from driving the lane at will.A physical perimeter defender would be nice too, but they may stay in-house for that by promoting Maurice Evans and his 16 points and 8 rebounds per 48 minutes into the rotation.

The team is also positioned to re-sign sharpshooting forward Peja Stojakovic, who may choose to opt out of his contract. This will secure the offense, but really it’s the defense that should be the priority. With an improvement on that end of the floor, the Kings can expect to play deep into the next postseason; without one, they risk falling out of the playoff picture entirely.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

For a team built around a pair of old players – guard Allen Iverson and forward Chris Webber – the 76ers flash a lot of promise. Center Samuel Dalembert, forward Kyle Korver, and swingman Andre Igoudala are all talented players still on the upward arcs of their careers. Reserve pivotman Marc Jackson is one of the most productive backups in the NBA.

The problem is everyone else.Beyond those six, there isn’t a player on the roster who deserves regular minutes on a playoff team. The Sixers’ first-round pick is property of the Toronto Raptors, so President Billy King will need to shop aggressively among inexpensive free agents,NBDL players,and Europeans to find two or three players who can shoot the rock and one who can back up Iverson at the point.

With the difference between the Atlantic Division title and a place in the lottery being a mere three games in the standings, a successful overhaul of the end of the Sixers’ bench could mean the difference between a division championship and an early summer.