#75 Mikal Bridges – SF – Phoenix Suns
2020-21 Stats: 13.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 STL, 0.9 BLK, 54.3 FG%, 42.5 3P%
Coming off a season in which he helped take the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals, Mikal Bridges has turned himself into the ideal “3-and-D” player in today’s NBA. He can defend virtually any position on the court given his length and quickness and Bridges has improved as a playmaker since Chris Paul arrived in town.
Shooting over 40% from deep this past season, Mikal Bridges is heading for a big-time contract extension and could definitely be one of the premier two-way players in the entire league by the end of the 2021-22 season.
#74 Darius Garland – PG – Cleveland Cavaliers
2020-21 Stats: 17.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, 1.2 STL, 45.1 FG%, 39.5 3P%, 84.8 FT%
Many league executives and players around the league have talked a lot about one young guard this offseason and his name is Darius Garland. The Cavaliers’ guard is entering his third season in the NBA and could be primed to have a major breakout season given his shooting and playmaking abilities.
Garland finished the 2020-21 season scoring 20-plus points in 9 of his final 14 games and with a ton of other young, high-level talents in Collin Sexton, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley around him, Darius Garland is set up to take a massive leap this season.
#73 Bogdan Bogdanovic – SG – Atlanta Hawks
2020-21 Stats: 16.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.1 STL, 47.3 FG%, 43.8 3P%
Atlanta made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and they probably would not have made it that far without the scoring output Bogdan Bogdanovic gave them. He averaged career-highs in scoring, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage, making him one of the most lethal perimeter players in the league.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 3 All-Star Caliber Players Could Be Traded During 2021-22 NBA Season
Bogdanovic was injured in the Hawks postseason run, but if he stays healthy, there is no reason why he cannot be the second-best scoring option on this team behind Trae Young.
#72 Dejounte Murray – PG – San Antonio Spurs
2020-21 Stats: 15.7 PPG, 7.1 REB, 5.4 APG, 1.5 STL, 45.3 FG%, 31.7 3P%
With DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay all gone, the Spurs are going to be rebuilding and Dejounte Murray is at the forefront of their rebuild. The 25-year-old point guard emerged as a key two-way factor for San Antonio last season and also proved that he can be a very versatile player on the floor.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 3 All-Star Caliber Players Could Be Traded During 2021-22 NBA Season
Not only can he score, but Murray is a really strong rebounding guard and has the instincts to be a great facilitator in this league for a long-time to come. It really is not crazy to call Dejounte Murray one of the best all-around defenders in this league and if the Spurs do not trade him, he will wind up being one of the faces of this franchise.
#71 Buddy Hield – SG/SF – Sacramento Kings
2020-21 Stats: 16.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 STL, 40.6 FG%, 39.1 3P%
Not known for being much more than a sharpshooter on the wing, Buddy Hield has transcended himself into being a really strong scoring weapon in Sacramento.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 3 All-Star Caliber Players Could Be Traded During 2021-22 NBA Season
There are rumors about his potential departure via trade, but as of right now, Hield is expected to be the second-best scorer on the Kings next to De’Aaron Fox on Opening Night. He is one of the best three-point shooters in the league and is definitely a guy that teams need to know where he is at all times or else he will knock down three after three for his team.
