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The NBA Free Agency 2020 has seen some shock moves among the biggest teams of the league. While deals involving superstars have not occurred yet, many solid bench players have made impactful moves for the upcoming NBA season.
In this article, we will rank the five best bench units in the NBA after several moves have been completed.
Top 5 benches in the NBA right now
A solid bench could be the difference between a good team and a contender in the NBA. As we saw last year, the LA Lakers were not driven just by their two superstars. Tremendous bench level from Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard was key to their success.
Rondo and Howard are reportedly leaving LA for Atlanta and Philadelphia, respectively. Meanwhile, the LA Lakers already snatched last season's Sixth Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell, from the LA Clippers and look well-suited to defend their title.
The LA Lakers' bench received another boost with the addition of Dennis Schroder after a trade with the OKC Thunder. Which benches around the NBA could be on the level of the Lakers' role players? Let us take a look.
#5 Milwaukee Bucks
As of now, the Milwaukee Bucks have been very active during NBA Free Agency 2020. The team's front office traded for All-Star guard Jrue Holiday and excellent shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic. However, Bogdanovic's deal with Milwaukee fell apart, and he is reportedly headed to the Atlanta Hawks.
Last season, the bench of the Milwaukee Bucks was eighth in the NBA in scoring (40 points per game), and first in rebounding (20.9 rebounds per game).
The new-look bench for the Bucks' 2020-21 campaign will have guards D.J. Augustin, Bryn Forbes, solid wing player Torrey Craig and forward Bobby Portis, who was a double-digit scorer last year for the New York Knicks in 66 games (61 off the bench).
The Bucks' bench could be a great tool for the team as they are looking to maintain their tag as contenders if Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Wisconsin.
#4 Portland Trail Blazers
The bench of the Portland Trail Blazers was the worst in the NBA in terms of points per game (26.6) last season. Despite that statistic, they were in the middle of the pack when it came to 3P shooting percentage (35.2).
For the 2020-21 NBA season, Portland is preparing well enough to surround Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum with more talent.
The team made a move for Enes Kanter, who has been a premier scorer from the bench throughout his career. Kanter played 23 games for the Blazers in the 2018-19 season, averaging 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Portland also added Robert Covington, a former All-Defensive player in the league and a 36% shooter from 3P, who is likely to come off the bench next year. Forward/center Harry Giles was also added to the mix in the NBA Free Agency 2020.
Guard Gary Trent will be an interesting player to follow during the NBA season as he showed great shooting last year, averaging 4.4 attempts from three per game and shooting 42%.
#3 LA Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers lost Montrezl Harrell, last season's Sixth Man of the Year and a Top-2 player in scoring off the bench, in the NBA Free Agency 2020. He is headed to their rivals, LA Lakers.
The franchise can still count on Lou Williams (unless they pull off a trade involving him). Most importantly, they added championship experience to their squad after signing forward Serge Ibaka on a two-year $19 million deal.
Ibaka is an elite rim protector and was essential for the Toronto Raptors' championship-winning year in 2019 as well as their elite defense in the last two seasons. He averaged 15 points and eight rebounds last year in 55 (27 as a starter) games for the Raptors.
It remains to be seen whether he will start for the Clippers next season, but Ibaka will be a huge presence on both sides of the floor. If Ibaka starts, the bench could be led by Lou Williams, Ivica Zubac, and Luke Kennard, who averaged 15.8 PPG for the Detroit Pistons last year while shooting 40% from 3P.
#2 Miami Heat
The bench of the Miami Heat was solid last year, with two of their most essential players during their deep run in the 2020 NBA Playoffs being bench scorers Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro.
Dragic re-signed with the Heat for the 2020-21 NBA season along with a team option for the following year, and it is an outstanding move for Miami's quest to defend their Eastern Conference title next year.
Dragic averaged 16.2 points and five assists per game last year, while Herro had a solid rookie year, with 13.5 points per game in the regular season.
Miami also signed guard Avery Bradley, who is a solid perimeter defender and a 36% shooter from deep. Bradley is likely to start for the Heat after the departure of Jae Crowder to the Phoenix Suns.
Miami's bench was sixth in points per game last year and Herro's evolution could be big for them. In addition, Maurice Harkless' three-point shooting will be a good fit with the team.
#1 LA Lakers
The 2020 NBA champions LA Lakers had an incredible 2019-20 season, closing it with a great run in the NBA Playoffs and their record-equalling 17th NBA championship.
For the upcoming NBA season, the Lakers will not have key bench players Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard on their squads, but they are well-prepared for the departures of those future Hall-of-Famers.
The Lakers traded for Dennis Schroder, who led the league last season in scoring from the bench with 18.9 PPG for the OKC Thunder. Schroder is a good scorer who can be a playmaker for the reigning NBA champions.
Moreover, the Lakers pulled off one of the biggest signings of the NBA Free Agency 2020, landing Montrezl Harrell, who won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award last year after averaging 18.6 points per game for the LA Clippers.
