2020 Pre-Free Agency Power Rankings
Nov 16, 2020 17:09:02 GMT -5
Golden State Warriors (Caleb), San Antonio Spurs (Chris), and 6 more like this
Post by The Athletic on Nov 16, 2020 17:09:02 GMT -5
This is the most condensed off-season we've had and things will go quick! Here are how I see things at this very moment!
30. Houston Rockets- This ranking is purely for the roster at this very point in time. The Rockets don't have the best roster but they have a lot of assets in the form of picks. How they draft/handle their picks will be key in how fast this rebuild goes.
29. Utah Jazz- TJ has fully embraced the rebuild and is entering another year. This team still has a ton of young talent that I love. If he can land a large package for Nurk later, and tank properly he should be set up with a plethora of assets headed into next year. As of now this team is a bottom feeder.
28. Philadelphia 76ers- Another team that will glady take the year off with a chance at landing a stud in next year's loaded draft. KAT/Cam are a fun duo but they're going to lead a lot more to be relevant.
27. Memphis Grizzlies- Stoked to have this franchise in the lands of a vet like Royce! That being said there is a lot of work to do. There is some young talent in Zubac, Hayes, and Jones but this team really is going to need proper management to get back into things. Most importantly, he has his first!
26. Phoenix Suns- A lot of young talent on this team, but it needs an active GM to help guide it. Almost all this team's money is wrapped up in Klay, Gary Harris, and Eric Bledsoe. This team needs some sort of direction, but a lot of potential here.
25. Charolette Hornets- Ingram/Collins is as fun a young duo in this league but the depth around the two is lacking. John Wall coming back and being at-least close to his old self would be helpful. Hornets fans hope the GM can hit a home run with the first pick in this years draft.
24. San Antonio Spurs- Spurs looks as if he is entering his first full fledged rebuild in quite some time. I love the Lonzo Ball addition as he's made for this league. Goga is a great long term piece as well. Spurs will hope that Elfrid can have a solid year so that they can flip him for some value, but this will be a rebuilding year out in San Antonio.
23. Sacramento Kings- Again, these power rankings are strictly based off the rosters right now. The Kings lost the most players to free agency by far. Dave has a proven track record of churning out winners, so by the end of FA i expect this ranking will be drastically changed. I liked getting as many assets back as he did for Ben. Now it is time for him to go to work.
22. Washington Wizards- The Wiz arrive in their typical not amazing but not terribly bad spot. Octstuff is a solid owner but right now he has the Wizards in basketball purgatory. Not bad enough to grab a top pick, but not good enough to win anything of significance. That being said there are some really nice pieces in Washington.
21. Chicago Bulls- Again, this ranking is similar to the Sacramento Kings. Chuck's body of work is undeniable and he will not be in the 20's when the season starts. However the roster at this very moment is barren with their best player probably being Serge Ibaka. Chuck does have assets in the form of picks and a ton of cap room so he has a ton of ingredients to cook up a winner for when the season starts in a little over a month.
20. New York Knicks- The Knicks come in here at #20. Ultimately this team just needs an active GM to guide them. This was a team that won it all in the inaugural season but has been kinda just mediocre since. The team has assets, Jrue, TJ, Favors, Middleton, but it's cap strapped and this isn't a team that will win a title. New York Knicks (jsood) time to step up to the plate.
19. Indiana Pacers- The most recent trade with 3 contributors being shipped out for a player who is out for the rest of the season knocked this team down a couple spots. Pacers probably doesn't mind this as he has his first and will try and take a shot at landing one of the generational talents next year. This team is still here strictly because of Zion and Drummond. These dudes will have the Pacers battling every week.
18. Oklahoma City Thunder- The Thunder slide into the 19 spot before free agency. The Thunder had a really good year last year, but lost a couple free agents and have been dead quiet on the trade market. One would assume the Thunder will do what they can to match Bogdan, but that will leave them with very little cap room to work. That being said Sabonis and Kyrie are good starting duo and the assets are there for the Thunder to take a step and compete in the Wild West.
17. Denver Nuggets- Kevin has been a winner his whole time as a GM. With that being said, this will be his toughest challenge as a GM. His squad is just not the power house it used to be. The addition of Chris Paul should improve his immediate outlook, but he is going to have to add a lot more depth around CP3 and Capela to make things work in Denver. He also doesn't have any cap to work with at all. If Kevin can transform this team into a winner it will be his biggest accomplishment yet. But it is fair to wonder if he truly has that level of skill and talent as a GM. Time will tell.
16. Detroit Pistons- The Pistons are propped up by their big three of Lavine, Kawhi, and Klove. I actually had the Pistons a couple spots higher before they decided to ship off Bojan. With that deal it seems as if Pistons are looking towards some what of a rebuild. At this point this big 3 is not good enough to win more than maybe 1 playoff game, all three do come with some concerns. I wouldn't be surprised if the Pistons mix it up in the off-season.
15. Miami Heat- I think most people sleep on the Heat but Bryan has a really solid squad. The issue for Heat right now is just depth, but the Heat have constructed a talented team with a ton of cap space still available. The path to competing for a title is there for Sanjul if he wants to attack it. I think the key for Bryan will be finding a wing or big of similar value to Graham or Fox so that the roster is a little but more balanced but he has some time. Again, the Heat have 44 million to play with so whether it be taking on larger contracts in trades or cashing a free agent or two out the Heat are just a move or two away from being a legitimate contender in this league.
14. Atlanta Hawks- This is probably the lowest you could be while owning James Harden and Damian Lillard. Trey has matured and grown as a GM but still has work to do, especially with this team. A Harden/Lillard trade probably has to happen in order for the Hawks to fill out a competent roster.
13. Portland Trailblazers- The Blazers had an off year last year with a lot of injuries, but the squad should all be back next year. The Blazers boast a core of Kemba, Beal, Oladipo, Wiggins, and Blake Griffin with 12 mill in cap left. The Blazers have a couple roster spots to fill, but if they can find a couple cheap free agents during free agency they will be right up there with the contenders out West.
12. Cleveland Cavs- I respected the Cavs going all in last year while dealing for Lebron, but it bit them in the butt a little bit as our season was cancelled thanks to COVID. That being said the Cavs look primed to run it back and have a really good season. Lebron James and Nikola Jokic is probably the best duo in the league. JJJ, Sexton, and Holiday are all solid contributors, but the key now is finding depth to fill out the roster. The Cavs have plenty of money to work with so it's up to the GM to make it happen.
11. Orlando Magic- The Magic made in my mind an interesting deal, dealign their first this year, Huerter, and more for an aging and overpaid Derozan. If Perry wants to make a run that's fair, but then it's time for him to get on here and start making magic happen. The team is deep and should be without a doubt a playoff team, but there is work to be done. @perry, the Magic need you.
10. LA Lakers- Griff is entering year 3 and it looks like it could be his best year yet. The Lakers are built around Joel Embiid as a top tier star, and then surround him with a lot of depth. The Lakers success this year really will come down to their young players development. Culver, Colby, PJ, and Brunson will all have to take major leaps. If they do the Lakers can take the jump from very good team to a title team.
9. Toronto Raptors- Perk was set up really nice last year but unfortunately fell victim to the COVID situation. Raps fans hope Perk can add the small depth pieces around this core to take it to that next level. The Raps are a very balanced team with a bunch of very good players who aren't stars. The talent at the top is there Perk just has to bring in another piece or two with very limited financial space.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves- Another team that was bit in the ass by last year's COVID situation. The Timberwolves return an elite core of talent and now most fill out the rest of the roster. AD and Donavon is a top 5 duo in the league, and the depth around them really isn't bad either. The wolves owner has been pretty inactive of late and rumors are
7. Dallas Mavericks- The league's hottest team right now is the Dallas Mavericks. New GM Kyle has come in and completely re-shaped the Mavs from the jump. The only issue right now is the large contracts of DLO and AG which could prevent them from signing their draft picks from the up coming draft. The team is very good as it stands right now, but if Kyle can swing a deal or two this team can be up there with the Celtics, Bucks, and Pelicans as the true title contenders in this league.
6. LA Clippers- Everyone's favorite owner Remy! Remy's roster isn't the sexiest, but it's one of the few teams in the league with star power at the top, but also plenty of depth surrounding those stars as well. Trae and Jimmy should be the leaders for this team this year, with Kyle Lowry and Hassan being in the next year. A big factor of the Clipper's success this year is Hassan Whiteside's landing spot. His game is made for this league, and when he played for the Blazers last year he was phenomenal (in fantasy terms). If he lands in a starting role this Clippers team is just as good as any team in the top 5.
5. Golden State Warriors- After an off year the Warriors are back looking to make a run at the title. The Warriors boast a Steph Curry Paul George duo with depth supporting. Don't sleep.
4. Milwaukee Bucks- You can split these teams any different way, but i'll roll with the Bucks at 4 just because of the uncertainty of #2 and Kristaps' injury. Anytime you have Giannis on your team you ahve a shot on a given week, but the Bucks pair Giannis with pretty damn good depth. The Bucks still have a couple roster spots to fill with minimal money, but I'm still not ruling out the Bucks dealing #2 for an established player. It's tough to go against Giannis but I like the depth of the teams just ahead of Bucks a little more.
3. Brooklyn Nets- The Nets made a huge trade to essentially go all in getting off AG's contract and bringing in reinforcements. The Nets now boast a filthy duo in KD and Luka but back those two up with really unbelievable depth. The only issue I see is this team is up against it financially with literally no more cap room. If someone gets injured or something goes wonky early, the Nets really don't have much flexibility. Still as it stands this team has as good a shot as any to be in the finals.
2. New Orleans Pelicans- In all likelihood the Pelicans would have repeated as back to back champs last year until COVID hit. Now, a year later, under new management the Pelicans are back as one of the favorites to win the title. The key really is going to be management. New GM Johnny hasn't done much other than bringing back Draymond Green. This team is loaded top to bottom, but i'm not sure if this team wins as constructed. Excited to see the direction Pelicans GM (Johnny) takes this franchise
1. Boston Celtics - Had to give the #1 spot to Brandon and his Celtics after the absolute work he's put in this off-season. The Celtics now boast a filthy core of Ben Simmons, Bam, SGA, Brogdon, and Marvin Bagley. If this team stays healthy I really don't see a team that's better top to bottom. If the Celtics can bring back Dunn and Beasley this team gets just that much better. Should be a fun year out in the East.
30. Houston Rockets- This ranking is purely for the roster at this very point in time. The Rockets don't have the best roster but they have a lot of assets in the form of picks. How they draft/handle their picks will be key in how fast this rebuild goes.
29. Utah Jazz- TJ has fully embraced the rebuild and is entering another year. This team still has a ton of young talent that I love. If he can land a large package for Nurk later, and tank properly he should be set up with a plethora of assets headed into next year. As of now this team is a bottom feeder.
28. Philadelphia 76ers- Another team that will glady take the year off with a chance at landing a stud in next year's loaded draft. KAT/Cam are a fun duo but they're going to lead a lot more to be relevant.
27. Memphis Grizzlies- Stoked to have this franchise in the lands of a vet like Royce! That being said there is a lot of work to do. There is some young talent in Zubac, Hayes, and Jones but this team really is going to need proper management to get back into things. Most importantly, he has his first!
26. Phoenix Suns- A lot of young talent on this team, but it needs an active GM to help guide it. Almost all this team's money is wrapped up in Klay, Gary Harris, and Eric Bledsoe. This team needs some sort of direction, but a lot of potential here.
25. Charolette Hornets- Ingram/Collins is as fun a young duo in this league but the depth around the two is lacking. John Wall coming back and being at-least close to his old self would be helpful. Hornets fans hope the GM can hit a home run with the first pick in this years draft.
24. San Antonio Spurs- Spurs looks as if he is entering his first full fledged rebuild in quite some time. I love the Lonzo Ball addition as he's made for this league. Goga is a great long term piece as well. Spurs will hope that Elfrid can have a solid year so that they can flip him for some value, but this will be a rebuilding year out in San Antonio.
23. Sacramento Kings- Again, these power rankings are strictly based off the rosters right now. The Kings lost the most players to free agency by far. Dave has a proven track record of churning out winners, so by the end of FA i expect this ranking will be drastically changed. I liked getting as many assets back as he did for Ben. Now it is time for him to go to work.
22. Washington Wizards- The Wiz arrive in their typical not amazing but not terribly bad spot. Octstuff is a solid owner but right now he has the Wizards in basketball purgatory. Not bad enough to grab a top pick, but not good enough to win anything of significance. That being said there are some really nice pieces in Washington.
21. Chicago Bulls- Again, this ranking is similar to the Sacramento Kings. Chuck's body of work is undeniable and he will not be in the 20's when the season starts. However the roster at this very moment is barren with their best player probably being Serge Ibaka. Chuck does have assets in the form of picks and a ton of cap room so he has a ton of ingredients to cook up a winner for when the season starts in a little over a month.
20. New York Knicks- The Knicks come in here at #20. Ultimately this team just needs an active GM to guide them. This was a team that won it all in the inaugural season but has been kinda just mediocre since. The team has assets, Jrue, TJ, Favors, Middleton, but it's cap strapped and this isn't a team that will win a title. New York Knicks (jsood) time to step up to the plate.
19. Indiana Pacers- The most recent trade with 3 contributors being shipped out for a player who is out for the rest of the season knocked this team down a couple spots. Pacers probably doesn't mind this as he has his first and will try and take a shot at landing one of the generational talents next year. This team is still here strictly because of Zion and Drummond. These dudes will have the Pacers battling every week.
18. Oklahoma City Thunder- The Thunder slide into the 19 spot before free agency. The Thunder had a really good year last year, but lost a couple free agents and have been dead quiet on the trade market. One would assume the Thunder will do what they can to match Bogdan, but that will leave them with very little cap room to work. That being said Sabonis and Kyrie are good starting duo and the assets are there for the Thunder to take a step and compete in the Wild West.
17. Denver Nuggets- Kevin has been a winner his whole time as a GM. With that being said, this will be his toughest challenge as a GM. His squad is just not the power house it used to be. The addition of Chris Paul should improve his immediate outlook, but he is going to have to add a lot more depth around CP3 and Capela to make things work in Denver. He also doesn't have any cap to work with at all. If Kevin can transform this team into a winner it will be his biggest accomplishment yet. But it is fair to wonder if he truly has that level of skill and talent as a GM. Time will tell.
16. Detroit Pistons- The Pistons are propped up by their big three of Lavine, Kawhi, and Klove. I actually had the Pistons a couple spots higher before they decided to ship off Bojan. With that deal it seems as if Pistons are looking towards some what of a rebuild. At this point this big 3 is not good enough to win more than maybe 1 playoff game, all three do come with some concerns. I wouldn't be surprised if the Pistons mix it up in the off-season.
15. Miami Heat- I think most people sleep on the Heat but Bryan has a really solid squad. The issue for Heat right now is just depth, but the Heat have constructed a talented team with a ton of cap space still available. The path to competing for a title is there for Sanjul if he wants to attack it. I think the key for Bryan will be finding a wing or big of similar value to Graham or Fox so that the roster is a little but more balanced but he has some time. Again, the Heat have 44 million to play with so whether it be taking on larger contracts in trades or cashing a free agent or two out the Heat are just a move or two away from being a legitimate contender in this league.
14. Atlanta Hawks- This is probably the lowest you could be while owning James Harden and Damian Lillard. Trey has matured and grown as a GM but still has work to do, especially with this team. A Harden/Lillard trade probably has to happen in order for the Hawks to fill out a competent roster.
13. Portland Trailblazers- The Blazers had an off year last year with a lot of injuries, but the squad should all be back next year. The Blazers boast a core of Kemba, Beal, Oladipo, Wiggins, and Blake Griffin with 12 mill in cap left. The Blazers have a couple roster spots to fill, but if they can find a couple cheap free agents during free agency they will be right up there with the contenders out West.
12. Cleveland Cavs- I respected the Cavs going all in last year while dealing for Lebron, but it bit them in the butt a little bit as our season was cancelled thanks to COVID. That being said the Cavs look primed to run it back and have a really good season. Lebron James and Nikola Jokic is probably the best duo in the league. JJJ, Sexton, and Holiday are all solid contributors, but the key now is finding depth to fill out the roster. The Cavs have plenty of money to work with so it's up to the GM to make it happen.
11. Orlando Magic- The Magic made in my mind an interesting deal, dealign their first this year, Huerter, and more for an aging and overpaid Derozan. If Perry wants to make a run that's fair, but then it's time for him to get on here and start making magic happen. The team is deep and should be without a doubt a playoff team, but there is work to be done. @perry, the Magic need you.
10. LA Lakers- Griff is entering year 3 and it looks like it could be his best year yet. The Lakers are built around Joel Embiid as a top tier star, and then surround him with a lot of depth. The Lakers success this year really will come down to their young players development. Culver, Colby, PJ, and Brunson will all have to take major leaps. If they do the Lakers can take the jump from very good team to a title team.
9. Toronto Raptors- Perk was set up really nice last year but unfortunately fell victim to the COVID situation. Raps fans hope Perk can add the small depth pieces around this core to take it to that next level. The Raps are a very balanced team with a bunch of very good players who aren't stars. The talent at the top is there Perk just has to bring in another piece or two with very limited financial space.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves- Another team that was bit in the ass by last year's COVID situation. The Timberwolves return an elite core of talent and now most fill out the rest of the roster. AD and Donavon is a top 5 duo in the league, and the depth around them really isn't bad either. The wolves owner has been pretty inactive of late and rumors are
7. Dallas Mavericks- The league's hottest team right now is the Dallas Mavericks. New GM Kyle has come in and completely re-shaped the Mavs from the jump. The only issue right now is the large contracts of DLO and AG which could prevent them from signing their draft picks from the up coming draft. The team is very good as it stands right now, but if Kyle can swing a deal or two this team can be up there with the Celtics, Bucks, and Pelicans as the true title contenders in this league.
6. LA Clippers- Everyone's favorite owner Remy! Remy's roster isn't the sexiest, but it's one of the few teams in the league with star power at the top, but also plenty of depth surrounding those stars as well. Trae and Jimmy should be the leaders for this team this year, with Kyle Lowry and Hassan being in the next year. A big factor of the Clipper's success this year is Hassan Whiteside's landing spot. His game is made for this league, and when he played for the Blazers last year he was phenomenal (in fantasy terms). If he lands in a starting role this Clippers team is just as good as any team in the top 5.
5. Golden State Warriors- After an off year the Warriors are back looking to make a run at the title. The Warriors boast a Steph Curry Paul George duo with depth supporting. Don't sleep.
4. Milwaukee Bucks- You can split these teams any different way, but i'll roll with the Bucks at 4 just because of the uncertainty of #2 and Kristaps' injury. Anytime you have Giannis on your team you ahve a shot on a given week, but the Bucks pair Giannis with pretty damn good depth. The Bucks still have a couple roster spots to fill with minimal money, but I'm still not ruling out the Bucks dealing #2 for an established player. It's tough to go against Giannis but I like the depth of the teams just ahead of Bucks a little more.
3. Brooklyn Nets- The Nets made a huge trade to essentially go all in getting off AG's contract and bringing in reinforcements. The Nets now boast a filthy duo in KD and Luka but back those two up with really unbelievable depth. The only issue I see is this team is up against it financially with literally no more cap room. If someone gets injured or something goes wonky early, the Nets really don't have much flexibility. Still as it stands this team has as good a shot as any to be in the finals.
2. New Orleans Pelicans- In all likelihood the Pelicans would have repeated as back to back champs last year until COVID hit. Now, a year later, under new management the Pelicans are back as one of the favorites to win the title. The key really is going to be management. New GM Johnny hasn't done much other than bringing back Draymond Green. This team is loaded top to bottom, but i'm not sure if this team wins as constructed. Excited to see the direction Pelicans GM (Johnny) takes this franchise
1. Boston Celtics - Had to give the #1 spot to Brandon and his Celtics after the absolute work he's put in this off-season. The Celtics now boast a filthy core of Ben Simmons, Bam, SGA, Brogdon, and Marvin Bagley. If this team stays healthy I really don't see a team that's better top to bottom. If the Celtics can bring back Dunn and Beasley this team gets just that much better. Should be a fun year out in the East.
