NBA Predictions: Predicting the Starting Lineup for Each Team in 2011-12

Do not fret, fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors or any other team with a superstar on the verge of leaving. This is not the summer this will occur.

This is the summer of rebuilding, so don't expect any big names to show up unless a major trade occurs. Instead, the biggest names we'll see will be David West and Jamal Crawford, as they represent the cream of the crop when it comes to this year's free agency class.

Cellar dwellers will have to wait another year before Dwight Howard and Chris Paul become free agents. For now they'll have to find role players who can help welcome a superstar or build a team.

The starting lineups of the 30 NBA teams this upcoming season won't be subject to too much change either—unless a multi-player trade occurs. We won't expect any changes too dramatic to occur, aside from the occasional swap of players and the usual signings of the middle-tier players who are up for grabs.

This summer won't nearly be as stress-inducing as last season, but the moves that will be made could still greatly affect a franchise in the long run.

It's difficult to predict the starting lineups of each team, especially with free agency about to begin, but we gave it our best shot. This is what we came up with.

Atlanta Hawks

PG: Jeff Teague

SG: Joe Johnson

SF: Josh Smith

PF: Al Horford

C: Jason Collins

With their only draft pick coming late in the second round—and having most of their money tied up in Joe Johnson's lucrative $120 million deal—the Atlanta Hawks will most likely stand pat with what they currently possess.

They will have some important decisions to make about their current starting center, Jason Collins, and their sixth man, Jamal Crawford. Collins will be coveted mainly because he's seven feet tall, but Crawford will receive attention from many teams looking for a pure scorer. Crawford is the Hawks' second-best scorer, and it would be wise of them to keep him.

The Hawks will still have their solid, balanced roster in place, but don't expect much more than a fourth or fifth seed in the playoffs.

Boston Celtics

PG: Rajon Rondo

SG: Ray Allen

SF: Paul Pierce

PF: Kevin Garnett

C: Jermaine O'Neal 

Another season for the Boston Celtics represents nothing more than a ticking clock of the success of this team. They were bested by the Miami Heat in five games in the semifinal—the first time since 2007 they lost a series in fewer than seven games.

Now their main core is one year older, which is detrimental to a team whose youngest player of the "big three" will be 34 at the start of the season.

They have quite a few free agents, but none of them are set to be starters. Their one glaring hole in the starting lineup comes at the center position, with the oft-injured Jermaine O'Neal.

The Celtics will have to re-sign a few key bench players, as well as a legitimate center, if they want to see the same success they have enjoyed over the past four years.

Charlotte Bobcats

PG: D.J. Augustin

SG: Kemba Walker

SF: Boris Diaw

PF: Bismack Biyombo

C: Kwame Brown

It's at this point the Charlotte Bobcats begin to rebuild. They don't have one All-Star on the roster as of now, and they just traded their top offensive producer, Stephen Jackson, for a higher draft pick and Corey Maggette.

With the seventh and ninth picks in the draft, the team that finished 34-48 selected Connecticut's Kemba Walker and Congo's own Bismack Biyombo. Walker was an offensive juggernaut at the college level and led his Huskies to the NCAA championship, averaging 24 points per game.

Biyombo is a defensive-oriented power forward who is extremely limited when it comes to scoring. In 17 minutes per game overseas, he averaged only six points and five rebounds, along with two blocks. He's a stretch to be selected at No. 9, but he adds some defensive intensity to a Bobcats team that has usually been offense-oriented.

Chicago Bulls

PG: Derrick Rose

SG: J.R. Smith

SF: Luol Deng

PF: Carlos Boozer

C: Joakim Noah

After one of their best regular seasons since the Michael Jordan era, the Chicago Bulls' promising run came to a quick stop at the hands of the Miami Heat. The Bulls took Game 1 of the conference finals from Miami but then proceeded to lose the next four games.

MVP Derrick Rose struggled in the fourth quarter of every game, as he had no answer for LeBron James and the Heat's stingy defense.

The lack of offensive help was disturbing as well to a Bulls team that had received steady contribution from Carlos Boozer. He struggled in the postseason and was nonexistent for the most part when the Bulls were looking for an answer outside of Rose and Luol Deng. It raised a few eyebrows, and it exposed the fact that the Bulls needed another scorer.

Expect the Bulls to make a heavy push for J.R. Smith and Jamal Crawford. Smith will come cheaper, so we should see him wearing a Bulls uniform next season to help counter the scoring onslaught of the team's Eastern Conference rivals, the Heat.

Cleveland Cavaliers

PG: Kyrie Irving

SG: Joey Graham

SF: Alonzo Gee

PF: J.J. Hickson

C: Anderson Varejao 

The first pick was an obvious one. The fourth pick? Not so much.

Taken out of Duke University, Kyrie Irving will be the Cleveland Cavaliers' newest point guard. He will be under pressure, as the city expects him to become the next savior after the departure of LeBron James. He only played in 11 games with the Blue Devils, averaging 18 points, four assists and three rebounds per game.

There is no doubt the Cavs will have Irving starting rather than Baron Davis.

The Cavs taking Tristan Thompson was questionable, as he was expected by many analysts to go mid-first round. He averaged 13 points and eight rebounds last season at the University of Texas. Thompson is known mostly for his keen ability to finish around the rim better than most power forwards who came out of the draft.

It's going to be interesting to see where the Cavaliers fit Thompson into the lineup, with J.J. Hickson currently listed at power forward. Unless the Cavs move Hickson to center, Thompson won't start.

Dallas Mavericks

PG: Jason Kidd

SG: Caron Butler

SF: Shawn Marion

PF: Dirk Nowitzki

C: Tyson Chandler

There isn't much to improve on for the Dallas Mavericks, considering they just won their first title in convincing fashion.

The only thing the Mavericks need to do this offseason is to make sure they sign their three top free agents: Caron Butler, J.J. Barea and Tyson Chandler.

Butler averaged 15 points per in the 29 games he did play in last season. He was a key component of the Mavericks offense, as he was one of the few players on the team who based most of his offense on driving.

Brian Cardinal, DeShawn Stevenson and Peja Stojakovic are also free agents who will command less than the three previously listed.

The Mavericks should also start looking to develop point guard Rodrigue Beaubois, who could be the next point guard for the team once Jason Kidd retires within the next few seasons. Beaubois only played in 28 games before suffering a season-ending injury. He was averaging eight points and two assists on the bench.

Denver Nuggets

PG: Andre Miller

SG: Arron Afflalo

SF: Danilo Gallinari

PF: Kenyon Martin

C: Nene Hilario 

The Denver Nuggets will have to either have to wait until the 2012 free agency period or another few years before they can find a player who will have the same impact Carmelo Anthony did from 2003 to 2010.

For now, the Nuggets are a team consisting of nothing but role players for the most part. Nene Hilario emerged as the team leader last season and is now an unrestricted free agent the Nuggets organization cannot afford to lose. He joins Kenyon Martin, Arron Afflalo, J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler as key players that are up for grabs during the summer.

It's unlikely the Nuggets would want to keep Smith around, especially for the price he will command. But the team needs to make sure it signs players like Hilario and Afflalo if it wants to remain a contender in the deep Western Conference.

Detroit Pistons

PG: Brandon Knight

SG: Richard Hamilton

SF: Tayshaun Prince

PF: Jonas Jerebko

C: Greg Monroe

Brandon Knight is the only current NBA player who I can say I've actually seen play before he even moved to the college level. He lived in my hometown, and I witnessed him knock down jump shot after jump shot at the local gym the one time I did see him.

I'll tell that story to my grandchildren.

The University of Kentucky product averaged 17 points, four assists and four rebounds in the one season he played in college. He has been earning praise since he was listed as a No. 1 prospect at the high school level. By selecting Knight, the Pistons are pretty much telling the other 29 teams in the league that restricted free agent Rodney Stuckey is up for grabs.

The Pistons have a lot of young talent to build upon, along with a number of veterans left over from the dynasty of the mid 2000s. Center Greg Monroe, power forward Jonas Jerebko and forward Austin Daye will all be featured during this rebuilding period.

Golden State Warriors

PG: Stephen Curry

SG: Klay Thompson

SF: Andre Iguodala

PF: David Lee

C: Andris Biedrins 

Sorry, Golden State—the chances are high that Monta Ellis has spent his final days in one of those beautiful Warriors uniforms.

Rather than Ellis wearing the "uni," it'll be Andre Iguodala who will usher in a new era of Golden State Warriors' basketball. Iguodala is an athletic freak who can do it all. His wing defense is his specialty, an aspect the Warriors could really use. He'll replace Dorell Wright in the lineup, who was the league's top three-point shooter in his first year with the team.

The Warriors selected Washington State product Klay Thompson with their first-round pick in the 2011 draft, which could be a sign Ellis is on the way out. Thompson averaged 22 points and five rebounds per game and averaged nearly three three-pointers per game in his final season with the the Cougars.

A scorer who can shoot three-pointers? This guy was made for Golden State.

The Warriors don't have many key players to worry about in free agency, aside from Al Thornton, whose defense will be missed if he is let go.

Houston Rockets

PG: Kyle Lowry

SG: Kevin Martin

SF: Chase Budinger

PF: Luis Scola

C: Donatas Motiejunas 

I listed the newly acquired Donatas Motiejunas because I'm not a doctor and can't be too sure of how well Yao Ming has recovered from the devastating foot injuries that have put a damper on his career over the past two seasons.

The Houston Rockets have desperately needed a center since Yao's injuries and have had to look towards the 6'6" Chuck Hayes and 7'0" Brad Miller as their centers. Joining Motiejunas in the middle will be the 7'3" Hasheem Thabeet, 6'10" Jordan Hill and 6'11" Marcus Cousins, as the team attempts to fill the void left behind by the big shoes of its 7'6" Chinese All-Star.

Houston will also have to make a decision on Yao, who is an unrestricted free agent.

Even if Yao doesn't return, the Rockets are still a very dangerous team with plenty of scorers. Kevin Martin is coming off a season where he averaged 24 points, while Luis Scola averaged 18 points on 50 percent shooting.

Indiana Pacers

PG: Darren Collison

SG: Paul George

SF: Danny Granger

PF: Tyler Hansbrough

C: Roy Hibbert 

The Indiana Pacers have five free agents in Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Jeff Foster, Josh McRoberts and Solomon Jones. They should commit this summer to trimming the fat that all five of these players bring to the table and replacing them with players who will actually help them in their quest to become a legitimate Eastern Conference contender.

The team traded away their lone draft pick, Kawhi Leonard, to acquire San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill. Hill will start the season backing up current point guard Darren Collison. The former New Orleans Hornet is now entering his third season and is coming off a successful first season with Indiana, where he averaged 13 points and five assists per game.

The emergence of Tyler Hansbrough was a huge bright spot for the Pacers as well. He averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game off the bench in his second season. Hansbrough should get the start over McRoberts this time around thanks to a strong postseason outing.

Los Angeles Clippers

PG: Mo Williams

SG: Eric Gordon

SF: Al-Farouq Aminu

PF: Blake Griffin

C: DeAndre Jordan

The Los Angeles Clippers only had two second round-picks this season, but it doesn't matter. They already have too much young talent to go around.

If the team elects to re-sign DeAndre Jordan this summer and decides to start Al-Farouq Aminu, then Mo Williams will be the oldest starter on the team at 28 years old.

Who cares if they win? This is going to be the closest thing we get to seeing the And One tour again.

With Chris Kaman suffering from injuries all season long, it might be a smart idea for the Clippers to begin investing in their athletic 22-year-old, Jordan. He's a terrific defender and rebounder but still needs to work on his offensive game, which is limited to nothing more than finishing off alley-oops. He'll head up one of the most athletic frontcourts in the league if given the start.

The Clippers will have more Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin to look forward to as well. Gordon averaged 24 points per game in only his third season, while Griffin won Rookie of the Year, averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds per contest.

Los Angeles Lakers

PG: Derek Fisher

SG: Kobe Bryant

SF: Ron Artest

PF: Pau Gasol

C: Andrew Bynum

The 2010-11 season didn't come to the end the Los Angeles Lakers envisioned. After winning the past two championships, the Lakers struggled in six games against the New Orleans Hornets in the first round. The team was then swept with ease by the eventual NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.

The team didn't pick anyone too significant in the draft and will most likely use the roster it has now as the team it'll play with in the upcoming 2011-12 campaign.

The Lakers also don't have too much to worry about with their free agents, since Shannon Brown is the only big name that would warrant any attention from the organization.

It's going to be an interesting season for the Lakers. They will have to evaluate just how important Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are to this team. The team lost badly to the Mavericks during the postseason because Gasol suffered so greatly. That came as a surprise considering Gasol had played so well through adversity with the Lakers in previous years.

Bynum's worth will also be tested as the team decides if he is important to keep around for another season until he becomes a free agent in 2012.

Memphis Grizzlies

PG: Mike Conley, Jr.

SG: Tony Allen

SF: Rudy Gay

PF: Zach Randolph

C: Marc Gasol

The Memphis Grizzlies don't have too much to worry about over the next two seasons when it comes to free agency, but they do have one huge concern after their postseason success.

Marc Gasol was electric this postseason, leading the Grizzlies to their first semifinal appearance in franchise history. Gasol averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds in his first postseason, as he and Zach Randolph filled the void left by Rudy Gay after he suffered an injury late in the season.

Gasol will be a restricted free agent this summer. There's no doubt he'll garner a lot of interest from a number of teams with money to throw.

The Grizzlies have a bright 2011-12 to look forward to—as long as they keep Gasol around. They'll have Gay back from his injury, and they'll still have the revived Randolph, who was easily the Grizzlies' best player this postseason.

Miami Heat

PG: Mario Chalmers

SG: Dwyane Wade

SF: LeBron James

PF: Chris Bosh

C: Samuel Dalembert 

The 2010-11 season might have ended in disappointment, but the Heat still have plenty of positives to look at.

For one, they still have Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The rest of the NBA doesn't.

This offseason won't involve any more superstar pickups or any trades involving a member of the "big three." Rather than any huge moves, the Heat will make a number of small ones to fill holes that became glaring at the end of the season.

Their point guard struggles will be answered for now by Mario Chalmers, but the team is still in desperate need of a center.

Nene Hilario, Greg Oden and Yao Ming are either too risky or out of their price range, so the Heat should look at Sacramento Kings center Samuel Dalembert as their center for next season. Dalembert is coming off a season with Sacramento where he averaged eight points and eight rebounds per game. He could come to Miami for the possibility of winning a title and its close ties to his native Haiti.

The Heat have a few free agents, with Chalmers being the most important. Miami has already sent him a qualifying offer he will most likely take.

Milwaukee Bucks

PG: Brandon Jennings

SG: Stephen Jackson

SF: Carlos Delfino

PF: Drew Gooden

C: Andrew Bogut

The Milwaukee Bucks lost their top-10 pick in this year's draft by trading for the Charlotte Bobcats' Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston and the Sacramento Kings' Beno Udrih.

Livingston can still be looked at as a reliable option off the bench, and Udrih is a solid point guard as well. But the main piece of the trade was Jackson, who fills the void left at shooting guard, as the Bucks traded John Salmons as a part of the deal. Jackson is coming off a season where he averaged 19 points and five rebounds per game. He is only two years removed from averaging a career high of 21 per.

The Bucks have greatly needed some help on the offensive end, and they address a lot of those problems with a pure scorer like Jackson. He is now in the starting lineup to play alongside other offensive producers Brandon Jennings, Carlos Delfino and Drew Gooden.

Minnesota Timberwolves

PG: Ricky Rubio

SG: Wesley Johnson

SF: Michael Beasley

PF: Kevin Love

C: Darko Milicic

The Minnesota Timberwolves had two draft picks in this year's draft. Surprisingly, the team didn't draft a point guard.

Instead, they made the smart decision with their No. 2 pick, selecting Derrick Williams out of the University of Arizona. Williams is an athletic, young power forward who can be a game-changer once he has some NBA experience under his belt. He averaged 20 points and eight rebounds per game last year, but he now faces a problem being on the Timberwolves roster.

The team already has a capable power forward, as well as a small forward. Williams is going to have to either play as an extremely undersized center or somehow transition his game to small forward.

The Wolves will also usher in the Ricky Rubio era after drafting him in 2009. Rubio only averaged seven points on 31 percent shooting in the Euroleague last year, along with a little under four assists per game. It's going to be an interesting transition from Europe to the NBA for a player who is only going to be 21 years old at the start of the season.

New Jersey Nets

PG: Deron Williams

SG: Anthony Morrow

SF: Travis Outlaw

PF: Kris Humphries

C: Brook Lopez

The New Jersey Nets will probably make a lot of moves this offseason to surround Deron Williams with talent. They might have made their smartest move already by selecting Marshon Brooks late in the first round.

Brooks is a shooting guard out of Providence College and was one of the NCAA's top scorers, averaging 25 points per game and scoring as much as 52 points in one instance. He also hit two three-pointers per game on 34 percent shooting. Brooks could be the steal of the draft and could be starting on the Nets soon if current starter Anthony Morrow doesn't produce.

The Nets have a bright future ahead of them, with Williams about to play his first full season for the team and Kris Humphries possibly being re-signed after a career year where he averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. He adds some toughness to a frontcourt that desperately needs it, as Brook Lopez only averaged six boards per contest.

New Orleans Hornets

PG: Chris Paul

SG: Marco Belinelli

SF: Trevor Ariza

PF: David West

C: Emeka Okafor

This is possibly the most important offseason in franchise history. The New Orleans Hornets need to use this summer to start bringing in pieces to surround Chris Paul, hopefully convincing him to re-sign next summer when he can become a free agent.

Nearly half of the Hornets roster can opt for free agency, with David West already leading the way. He has been the Hornets' No. 2 scorer over the past five years and has played the perfect role of sidekick to Paul. West has been hovering around 20 points per game over the past four seasons. The Hornets will now need to make a decision on whether they should throw down the cash to obtain him or let him walk and start building a new team around Paul.

Marco Belinelli, Aaron Gray, Willie Green and Carl Landry are all key free agents as well. Landry is possibly the team's next power forward—if it can't re-sign West. Belinelli will also be the team's starting shooting guard if it re-signs him.

New York Knicks

PG: Chauncey Billups

SG: Landry Fields

SF: Carmelo Anthony

PF: Amar'e Stoudemire

C: Ronny Turiaf 

I'm not sure why everybody assumes this team is going to acquire Dwight Howard or Chris Paul next season. Does anybody remember that this team was supposed to get LeBron James and Dwyane Wade last summer?

This is the perfect free agency class for the New York Knicks after a roller-coaster ride of a season where they signed Amar'e Stoudemire and traded for Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. This class is going to help the Knicks address their needs at center and, more importantly, on the bench, where they were greatly limited, with Toney Douglas as the sixth man after the team traded away all of its role players for Anthony and Billups.

The Knicks started boosting the bench by drafting Georgia Tech's Iman Shumpert, who was recognized mostly as a defensive stopper at the college level. He also averaged 17 points, six rebounds and four assists per game in his final season with the Yellow Jackets. He'll back up Fields and Anthony as a dual guard/forward.

Oklahoma City Thunder

PG: Russell Westbrook

SG: James Harden

SF: Kevin Durant

PF: Serge Ibaka

C: Kendrick Perkins

There isn't too much for the Oklahoma City Thunder to improve on after advancing to the conference finals for the first time since the Gary Payton era.

The team only has one free agent, Daequan Cook. The team already sent a qualifying offer to Cook and won't be looking too much for any other players to fix flaws, since the Thunder don't have too many.

The only flaw the team possesses is how to share the offensive workload between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. This year's postseason raised a huge red flag on how these two can play together, as both of them want to be the offensive leader.

Durant has been the scoring leader for the team. He also just led the league in scoring for the second consecutive season. During this year's postseason, however, Westbrook was attempting to take the initiative and be the Thunder's No. 1 scorer. It cost the Thunder the chance to make it to their first title game since 1996.

James Harden will also get the deserved start over Thabo Sefolosha since he can play defense as well as score.

Orlando Magic

PG: Jameer Nelson

SG: Gilbert Arenas

SF: Hedo Turkoglu

PF: Brandon Bass

C: Dwight Howard

Another team with a lot to lose next year, the Orlando Magic need to begin proving to Dwight Howard that they are championship ready. They can do this by surrounding him with players who are capable of helping him get to that level.

Or the team could just not shoot 30 three-pointers per game and actually look for him down low, which is actually a lot more cost-effective than going out and looking for more players who can take five three-pointers per game.

The Magic will most likely allow Jason Richardson to walk and could possibly give the start to Gilbert Arenas at shooting guard. Arenas struggled to fit in off the bench last season and accused Stan Van Gundy of being the reason why he wasn't performing up to his regular standards.

The Magic also wasted their two second-round picks by not addressing the issue at center. With no more Marcin Gortat, Howard and second-year big man Daniel Orton will be the only pure centers on the team. Orlando needs to address the issue of backup center this offseason by signing one of the multiple big men available.

Philadelphia 76ers

PG: Jrue Holiday

SG: Monta Ellis

SF: Evan Turner

PF: Elton Brand

C: Nikola Vucevic

The Philadelphia 76ers have quite a few people ready for free agency.

They only need to worry about their restricted free agent, Thaddeus Young, who is coming off another impressive season, where he averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game off the bench. Young is capable of starting on more than half of the teams in the league. But he spends his time in Philadelphia coming off the bench and backing up Elton Brand. He even plays a little center when called upon.

The team will also finally rid themselves of Andre Iguodala this summer by trading him to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Monta Ellis, who will address the void at shooting guard, which is currently occupied by Jodie Meeks. The Sixers need a pure scorer, and they'll get it in Ellis, who is coming off another successful scoring season, where he averaged 24 points per game. He'll greatly help the Sixers' limited offense.

Philadelphia also made the right move in the draft by possibly signing their next starting center to replace restricted free agent Spencer Hawes. The Sixers selected Nikola Vucevic, who impressed the team after averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game in his final season at USC. He stands at 7'0", 260 pounds and will be a solid upgrade from Hawes, who played only 21 minutes per game.

Phoenix Suns

PG: Steve Nash

SG: Mickael Pietrus

SF: Grant Hill

PF: Channing Frye

C: Marcin Gortat

So the Phoenix Suns are going to buy out Vince Carter's contract. Why, so Mickael Pietrus can get the start at shooting guard?

With the Suns allowing Carter to leave, the team suddenly finds itself at a crossroads at the shooting guard position. Phoenix has no answer to Carter leaving, aside from Pietrus, who is hardly a worthy replacement. Perhaps playing with Steve Nash at a higher level will help Pietrus get the shots he needs, but the Suns still need to go out and look for a capable shooting guard, as well as a few other positions.

The Suns also have Marcin Gortat to look forward to after he had a career season in the time he spent with Phoenix last year after being traded from Orlando. Gortat became Nash's newest Amar'e Stoudemire and took advantage of all the new, open opportunities by averaging a career-high 13 points and nine rebounds per game. Gortat helps the Suns out in the middle and on the defensive end, where the team had been greatly limited.

Phoenix doesn't have too many players who are set to be free agents, but there are some important ones: Nash's future successor, Aaron Brooks, as well as the ancient Grant Hill.

Portland Trail Blazers

PG: Raymond Felton

SG: Wesley Matthews

SF: Gerald Wallace

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge

C: Greg Oden

If Brandon Roy miraculously recovers and becomes the player he was only three years ago, the Portland Trail Blazers might just be the newest Western Conference contender.

That could be wishful thinking for now since Roy still looked out of it except for two games in the Blazers' one postseason series.

The team does have a reliable option at the shooting guard position, with third-year guard Wesley Matthews coming into his own after an extremely successful first season with the team. Matthews lived up to the contract Portland gave him after his rookie season in Utah, averaging 16 points per game.

The Blazers also saw LaMarcus Aldridge firmly take control as the team leader on offense and defense after Roy was declared out for the season. He averaged 22 points and nine rebounds per game. Aldridge could help propel this team over the top if he can have another year as solid as last season. Portland is going to need to continue to see him perform this well if it wants to contend in the West.

The team will also hope to see Greg Oden back in playing form. Portland recently sent Oden a qualifying offer worth $8.8 million. The only problem is that Oden could still take until December to start after recovering from an injury that kept him out all of last season.

Sacramento Kings

PG: Jimmer Fredette

SG: Tyreke Evans

SF: John Salmons

PF: DeMarcus Cousins

C: Jason Thompson

Just like that, the Sacramento Kings suddenly find themselves with one of the better starting lineups in the league.

After pulling a few strings during this year's draft, the Kings managed to trade for highly touted point guard Jimmer Fredette as well as former King John Salmons.

Fredette is and will be the largest story for the Kings this offseason. He proved just how impressive of a shooter he was at BYU last year, averaging 29 points per game, as well as three three-pointers per game on nearly 40 percent shooting.

By trading for Fredette, the Kings will most likely move their former starting point guard Tyreke Evans to shooting guard. Evans followed up an impressive rookie campaign with an injury-plagued sophomore year where he only played in 57 games. He still managed to average 18 points, six assists and five rebounds per game. He's a terrific point guard, but he can play just as well at shooting guard thanks to his uncanny ability to score.

The team will also need to make it an issue to re-sign restricted free agent Marcus Thornton. The now third-year guard took care of the offensive duties for the Kings last season by averaging 21 points per game, proving just how legitimate of a pure scorer he is.

San Antonio Spurs

PG: Tony Parker

SG: Manu Ginobili

SF: Richard Jefferson

PF: Tim Duncan

C: Tiago Splitter 

Somehow, the San Antonio Spurs got the steal of the draft again.

The team traded point guard George Hill for small forward and rebounding specialist Kawhi Leonard out of San Diego State. Leonard's draft value increased every time his name was brought up as scouts began realizing just how prolific of a rebounder he was. With hands the size of an average offensive lineman, Leonard averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game and could greatly help this aging, veteran team.

The Spurs also prepared themselves for the loss of Tony Parker by obtaining point guard Cory Joseph late in the first round. Joseph averaged 10 points, four rebounds and three assists per game in his final season at the University of Texas. He also hit 41 percent of his shots and will be called upon a number of times this season as the Spurs look to transition from their veterans to this crop of rookies, who will lead them once their core eventually retires.

It should also be time for the Spurs to start allowing Tiago Splitter to get some starts in. The team currently goes with Antonio McDyess and DeJuan Blair to take up the majority of the time at center, but Splitter deserves playing time as a way to usher in the new era of San Antonio Spurs basketball.

Toronto Raptors

PG: Jose Calderon

SG: DeMar DeRozan

SF: Linas Kleiza

PF: Jonas Valanciunas

C: Andrea Bargnani 

I had no idea they started allowing Euroleague teams into the NBA. DeMar DeRozan must feel the same way each team's assigned white player feels.

Despite having a roster consisted mostly of overseas products, the Toronto Raptors are actually set to become a legitimate team in the Eastern Conference within the next few years. Their latest draft pick was Jonas Valanciunas out of Lithuania, who averaged eight points and five rebounds per game in the limited action he saw last season in the Euro League as an 18-year-old. He'll bring some rebounding capabilities to a team that desperately needs a big man who can rebound.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Raptors basketball to watch now would be DeRozan, who is coming off a career season where he averaged 17 points and four rebounds per game. DeRozan gives the team a capable slasher who can score from just about anywhere within the perimeter.

The Raptors needed a player of his caliber to help ease the scoring workload of Andrea Bargnani. They should continue to work the ball through him rather than Bargnani, who will spend the majority of his time on the perimeter.

Utah Jazz

PG: Devin Harris

SG: Gordon Hayward

SF: Paul Millsap

PF: Al Jefferson

C: Enes Kanter

There might be such a thing as too many power forwards and centers. The Utah Jazz have so many quality forwards there isn't nearly enough room in the starting lineup to fit them all.

The Jazz used their No. 3 pick in this year's draft on 6'11" center Enes Kanter out of the University of Kentucky. Kanter hasn't played a game since 2009 but was still highly touted by scouts as the top center in the draft. He could now prove himself as the starting center for a Jazz team that was limited when it came to centers.

With Kanter now in the starting lineup, the team now faces a problem with free agent Andrei Kirilenko. The team can either re-sign him and have him come off the bench, have him start ahead of Paul Millsap, or allow him to walk. Kirilenko hasn't been performing too admirably as of late and could be heavily pursued by teams looking for a player who can do it all.

After a disappointing season where they lost Deron Williams as well as longtime coach Jerry Sloan, the Jazz are still in perfect position to be a Western Conference contender—if they can get solid production out of their center.

Washington Wizards

PG: John Wall

SG: Nick Young

SF: Jan Vesely

PF: Rashard Lewis

C: JaVale McGee

It might sound strange, but wouldn't a Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers matchup be the most entertaining event to watch in the NBA this season?

By selecting Jan Vesely, the Wizards not only add another high-flyer to catch alley-oops from John Wall, but they also add an athletic, 6'11" small forward. Vesely recently played in the Euroleague, where he averaged nine points and three rebounds. He will now be given significant time with the Wizards since the team was short on capable small forwards.

The Wizards could be a dark horse for the postseason this upcoming season with the amount of young talent they currently possess. With scorers in Nick Young and Jordan Crawford, high-flyers in Vesely and JaVale McGee and their future All-Star point guard in Wall, the Wizards could very easily see a return to the postseason in the very near future.