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#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.
Guess the Lakers players!
