B/R NBA Fantasy League: Post-Draft Power Rankings

It should be noted that Jonathan Wasserman’s draft guide was used for the draft analysis.The Hawks traded for the No. 1 pick in the draft and selected Anthony Edwards out of the University of Georgia, adding an explosive 2-guard to pair with Trae Young with the ability to get his own shot to ease the pressure on Young’s shoulders. It is not very clear what the Hawks' plan is, as they made a big move to get the No. 1 pick in this draft but also sent out their first-round pick next season unprotected. Then on draft day, they added RJ Barrett and the 14th pick from Houston for the sixth pick and their 2022 unprotected first-round pick. After trading back eight spots, the Cavs selected Jalen Smith out of Maryland,a shot-blocker on the defensive end and a possible stretch big who can be paired with Collins.The Suns started the season with some early success but eventually fell off. Cole Anthony—an excellent scorer with the ability to create for others from time to time—was their selection with the 10th pick in the draft. With the 22nd pick, the Suns went big again with Jaden McDaniels, a 6’9" power forward who plays like a guard. Their trades and draft selections leave one to wonder who is going to actually play defense on this Suns team. In a series of trades, they unloaded Blake Griffin's contract and added multiple picks in the 2020 draft and beyond, as well as several young players to develop. A lot of their future success will depend on their ability to develop the young talent they are putting together.Snagging the No. 2 pick in the draft by taking Julius Randle’s contract only to flip him for a shorter contract in Rudy Gay and to again flip Gay for Danny Green is a steal. Green is just the right type of three-and-D player the Wolves should be looking to add.With the second overall pick, the Wolves selected LaMelo Ball. Adding another playmaker who can create for teammates should open the door for a high-octane offense, but the big issue this team still needs to address is its lack of defense. Then, things got really wild They traded Zach LaVine, Trevor Ariza (acquired from Portland) and Portland’s 2020 first-round pick to Houston for Al Horford, De’Andre Hunter and the fifth pick in the 2020 draft along with Atlanta’s unprotected 2021 first-round pick. If ever there were a player who fits the Spurs mode perfectly, it is wing Isaac Okoro from Auburn, whom they selected with the 11th pick—a good defender who can guard bigs and smalls with an efficient offensive game. Although they traded out of the 2020 draft, they have a Denver top-25 protected pick plus their own for the 2021 draft as well as Houston’s unprotected 2022 pick. Well, they finally chose to shatter it by trading Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier and the 15th pick in the draft to Denver for Jamal Murray and Will Barton. There will not be any expectations for Wiseman to be the focal point on offense; as long as he can fill the role of a DeAndre Jordan-like center, he could be a great pickup for the Wizards.Injuries derailed the Blazers' season, but they are a playoff team in the West when fully healthy. They’ve continued to add to their draft asset cupboard, picking up the 12th pick in 2020 in addition to all the picks they have coming from the Anthony Davis trade. They also picked up a serviceable backup point guard in Delon Wright and the 18th pick in the draft by flipping Justise Winslow. This is a problem they will have to find a solution to because of the number of wings in the West they’ll have to go through.Using the 15th pick they acquired in the Orlando trade, the Nuggets are adding an elite shooter in Saddiq Bey from Villanova. Just ask Michael Porter Jr. With the 21st pick, they selected Josh Green from Arizona in hopes he can develop into the three-and-D player they’re going to need to be contenders. The Lakers ranked 17th in three-point percentage, so it does not make a lot of sense why they would trade one of their better three-point shooters in Danny Green and a second-round pick to Minnesota for Rudy Gay, the rights to RJ Hampton and a trade exception that is less than a million dollars. If he can fit in with less ball-handling responsibility, this is a nice pickup for the Clippers offensively, but they will miss Beverley’s defense.Truthfully, as long as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy, this team is poised to challenge the Lakers in the West and the Bucks for the title and is at minimum a top-three team.There is not much the best team in the NBA needs to add. The Bucks chose to move out of this draft by trading the 19th pick and DJ Wilson to the Knicks for Reggie Bullock and a future second-round pick.