Philadelphia 76ers: Post Free Agency NBA Power Rankings

Isaiah Thomas established himself as a bonafide star last season while Jae Crowder and Al Horford were consistently strong contributors for the Celtics. The loss of Avery Bradley will sting but General Manager Danny Ainge made the smart decision to trade him as both he and Thomas’ free agency next summer would have put the Celtics in a difficult situation. Additionally, Marcus Morris’ arrival as a result of the Bradley trade gives the Celtics another versatile forward. While they struck out on Jimmy Butler and Paul George, largely due to Ainge’s reluctance to part with young players or draft picks, the addition of Gordon Hayward will certainly benefit this team. Jaylen Brown showed his ability during the playoffs last year and will make strides in his sophomore season. Their new rookie, third overall pick Jayson Tatum, looks capable of providing a scoring punch off the bench for the Celtics. It’s hard to imagine this team knocking off LeBron and the Cavs, but Ainge has positioned the Celtics to be successful for many years down the line.

The Nuggets developed into playoff contenders last season as second-year center Nikola Jokic experienced a breakout year. Despite Jokic only starting 59 of the team’s 82 games, the Nuggets still nearly squeaked into the playoffs. This offseason, the team went out and signed former Atlanta Hawks big man Paul Millsap, arguably the most underrated star in the league today. Millsap is the perfect frontcourt pairing with Jokic. He brings versatility on both ends of the court with the ability to guard on both the perimeter and in the paint while possessing range out to the 3-point line. At only 22 years old, Jokic looks poised to take another step forward and emerge as a superstar. Additionally, the duo of Jamal Murray and Malik Beasley both flashed signs of star potential last season. Those two along with Gary Harris, Jokic and Millsap will have the Nuggets battling for home court in the Western Conference next season.

With Kyle Lowry entering the offseason as a free agent and the team again falling to the Cavs in the playoffs, some wondered if the Villanova alum would take his talents to the West. Yet when the dust cleared, Lowry re-signed with the Raptors on a three-year, $100 million deal. They also re-signed last year’s midseason addition  — Serge Ibaka — to a four-year, $49.4 million contract. Arguably the team’s best acquisition was carrying out a sign-and-trade for Indiana Pacers swingman C.J. Miles. The sharpshooting lefty was one of my favorite under- the-radar free agents this offseason and will bring much needed 3-point range and defensive ability to Toronto. The Raptors have the talent to make a deep postseason run, but it’s all contingent on Lowry, whose playoff struggles are well documented. If Lowry can carry his regular season success over to the playoffs, this is a team that could make a second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in three years.

A year after struggling with team chemistry and failing to make the playoffs, the Wizards returned to the postseason as the fourth seed in the East, thanks in part to new head coach Scott Brooks. In an epic seven game series against the Boston Celtics, John Wall and company proved that the gap between the two teams is miniscule. If the Cavaliers stand alone in the first tier of the Eastern Conference, then the Celtics, Raptors and Wizards comprise the next tier. Otto Porter Jr. showed the NBA why he was deserving of the third overall pick back in 2013, turning in by far his best year as a pro. Bradley Beal finally put together a fully healthy season, producing All-Star caliber numbers. John Wall did John Wall things, staking his claim as the conference’s top point guard. While the Wizards are seemingly hamstrung financially the next few seasons after signing Porter Jr. to a four-year, $106 million deal, the future remains bright. With an average age of just 24, Wall, Beal and Porter Jr. will have the Wizards near the top of the Eastern Conference for years to come.

While the Cavs and Celtics had been involved in trade rumors surrounding Jimmy Butler, it was ultimately the Minnesota Timberwolves who acquired the All-Star swingman, making them a near lock to return to postseason play for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Butler joins a talented, albeit underwhelming, group of players in Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng in Minnesota. Furthermore, the Timberwolves signed point guard Jeff Teague and Butler’s former teammate Taj Gibson in free agency this offseason. In Butler, the Timberwolves get one of the best two-way players in the league and with Towns developing into one of the league’s best players last season, the duo — along with a strong supporting cast — appears likely to end Minnesota’s long playoff drought.