New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson laughed at the question. He then answered it just as quickly as he charges into the lane for a slam dunk.

Which NBA player would excel the most in the NFL? Following a few chuckles, Williamson pointed at himself.

“That’s the only answer,” Williamson said. “If my name is not mentioned in that (poll), then that person doesn’t watch football.”

Based on an informal survey, most NBA players follow the NFL closely. It’s a stretch to think an NFL team consisting of all NBA players could compete against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. But a handful of NBA players expressed optimism that an NFL team filled with basketball players could be at least entertaining and competitive.

Most chose Williamson and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for their team, and at various skill positions. Not surprising. Williamson (6-foot-6, 284 pounds) and James (6-foot-9, 260 pounds) have bullied opponents with their brute strength and athleticism. Both Williams and James competed on the gridiron at the prep level, too.

“I stopped playing football when I got to middle school because I fell in love with basketball. So far, it’s working out,” Williamson said with a grin. “I only played football and soccer because my friends played it. But with basketball, I decided to play year-round. I didn’t have the body I had back then. I was a lot skinnier then, believe it or not.”

Below is a sampling from various NBA players on what their All-NFL team with NBA players would look like.

Editor’s note: The following answers have been edited and condensed.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson

I would say me, Jimmy Butler and Jrue Holiday. Jrue would be crazy. He would be like Sean Taylor — a linebacker playing safety. Jimmy Butler would be a cold receiver. You can throw me at receiver or at tight end. I’m a Swiss Army knife. It’s just a matter of where you need me that game. But I would prefer to play at tight end or receiver.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis

Everybody says ’Bron [LeBron James]. He’d be a nice tight end. He could be one of the leaders of the [Green Bay] Packers right now. I know he’s not in the league, but Rajon Rondo would be QB because he’s a really good passer and knows the game. I don’t think anyone in the league could be a running back. That’s tough. But at wide receiver, there are a lot of guys. I could be receiver. I just wouldn’t go across the middle. I would run fly routes and red zone targets. I could only play with the Packers (my favorite team).

Utah Jazz guard/forward Talen Horton-Tucker

LeBron and Zion, probably. They are super athletes. LeBron would probably be a big tight end. Zion would be a defensive end. LeBron would be a big target to throw the ball. Zion would be somebody that would try to blitz you and sack you. There are not too many other guys that come to mind. The guys with speed could be good wide receivers. Ja [Morant] and Russ [Russell Westbrook] are freak athletes.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro

I would play at quarterback. Jimmy [Butler] would be good at wide receiver. Bam [Adebayo] would be good at tight end or defensive end. He could play both sides, if he wanted. We don’t have any offensive linemen on our team. But with us three, we’d run a little read option. I can run and throw. We would play a spread offense at high tempo. With Jimmy, I could just throw it up and he would catch everything.

Tyler Herro is confident he and teammate Jimmy Butler would shine on the football field.

LA Clippers guard Reggie Jackson

LeBron!  He’s 6-foot-9, and 260 [pounds] and coming at you like a Mack truck. Donovan Mitchell would be good because he’s very explosive. A lot of the explosive guards and forwards could definitely play or have a chance. But I don’t want to disrespect the NFL players. LeBron would be a receiver or a tight end. Donovan would be a hell of a receiver. He’s very, very explosive.

Dallas Mavericks forward Markieff Morris

My brother [Marcus Morris Sr.] was a good quarterback in high school. At tight end? For sure, me. On the defensive end, I would say Zion and Steven Adams. At fullback, I would say [Russell] Westbrook. At running back, I would say De’Aaron Fox since he’s quick. At wide receiver, I’m going with LeBron and Kevin [Durant]. At slot, I would go with Ja Morant. It all seems like we can play football. We’re all athletic. I wasn’t super athletic, but I was tall. I had good feet and good hands. Same thing with my brother. He was better than me. He could move. He played running back and quarterback, so he could throw and run.

Markieff Morris (left) and Marcus Morris Sr. both agree on which 1 of them would be the better football player.

LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr.

I think I would be a good quarterback. I used to play in high school, and I was nice. My brother would be a beautiful tight end like Jason Witten. Paul George would be a good receiver because he has good footwork. Kawhi [Leonard] would be a crazy receiver because his hands are so big. Ja Morant would be a crazy slot receiver. LeBron James would be like Calvin Johnson. Eric Bledsoe would be at tailback. He’s pretty quick. I would put Patrick Beverley at safety. He would come down and lock it up. On the O-line, Luka Garza would be my starting guard and Ivica Zubac would be at center. All of these guys have good basketball skills that can transfer into football. There is a direct correlation in both sports with footwork, vision, athleticism and decision-making. PG has some crazy footwork.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV

I would be the guy. I used to average seven touchdowns a game when I was younger. Football was my No. 1 sport. If you need a touchdown, just throw it up to me. Throw it up in the air. Wherever it’s at, I got it. The scouting report on me was, ‘Can we stop Lonnie?’ First play of the game: touchdown. Second play of the game: touchdown. Third play of the game: touchdown. I was that dude. I was a running back, kick returner and punt returner. I did everything. Once I touched that ball, I was too fast and too quick for everyone. I didn’t like getting hit.

LeBron is a super athlete. He could be a wide receiver, tight end, safety, cornerback, it doesn’t matter. The dude could do everything. He could be a Megatron (Calvin Johnson) wide receiver. He’d be too big, too strong and too athletic. What are you going to do with him? It’s almost impossible since cornerbacks are not that tall. Ja Morant would be ridiculous at wide receiver. Russ [Russell Westbrook] would be a running back. He’s Adrian Peterson. Zion would be unstoppable. You could put Zion at almost any position. He’s so strong. He would be a tight end, not a linebacker. He has more of an offensive game. He’s not defensive-oriented.

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk

At running back, Davion Mitchell. He’d be like Christian McCaffrey. I would be a receiver. I would bring everything – speed, ability to catch the ball and athleticism. At tight end, LeBron [James] would bring the same thing. My O-linemen would be Domas [Domantas Sabonis], [Jonas] Valančiūnas and [Nikola] Vucevic. They’re powerful, big and strong. They’d get everybody out of the way. At quarterback, I can’t pick anybody. That’s a hard job to do.

LA Clippers forward Norman Powell

LeBron [James], Russ [Westbrook]. Dennis Smith Jr., Robert Covington, myself, Zion [Williamson], Julius Randle. I’d be at wide receiver. I can jump and have big hands. UCLA’s football team wanted me to play wide receiver for them in college, but that was over with. I just wanted to hoop. I don’t know the position breakdown for everyone else. But we have good build physically and have the right mentality. In football, you have to be strong and fast. All of these guys have that body frame and ability to excel on the football field.

Several players cited Russell Westbrook as someone who would thrive in the NFL.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr.

Russ [Russell Westbrook] has top-end speed and would be really hard to keep up with. Ja [Morant] and De’Aaron [Fox] are the fastest guys in the league. So they’re matchup nightmares through all skills positions. With Zion [Williamson]? Put him on the field in any position, and he’ll figure it out.

Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant

Lu Dort is strong as hell. LeBron [James] can be one. OG Anunoby can be an NFL player. He’s strong as hell, too. Chris Paul could be a quarterback. Dort is a linebacker. LeBron is a wide receiver. OG Anunoby is the free safety. That’s an unstoppable team. They can just go out there and play. Since Anunoby is one of the league leaders in steals, he would be a great free safety. LeBron, with his size and speed, would be a great wide receiver. Chris Paul is a great point guard in the league, so he can be a great quarterback. Dort is strong and can shift side-to-side. He could be a running back or an outside linebacker because he can rush out there. AD [Anthony Davis] might be my tight end. He could run a full-coverage slant route.

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes

I would have [Nikola] Jokic as my QB. I would have Zion somewhere out there at any position. I’d have Davion [Mitchell] as my running back. I’d have De’Aaron [Fox] out there. I’d have LeBron [James] as my wide receiver. I’d have Julius Randle at tight end. I’d have Isaiah Stewart on the O-line. We’re going to be physical. We have a high IQ QB and a guy who can make plays.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson

At QB, myself. At running back, Tyrese Maxey. I chased him on a fast-break two years ago and thought I had no chance. At wide receiver, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Edwards. They’re fast, big strong and can catch. At tight end, Grant Williams and Zion Williamson. At left tackle, Steven Adams. At right tackle, Jonas Valančiūnas. At center, Xavier Tillman. At guards, Isaiah Stewart and Udonis Haslem. We’ll have a West Coast offense. We’re going to spread it out and sling that thing.

The 2020 offseason is full of unknowns. A few days after the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th championship, we don’t know when next season will begin, how many games it will include, and whether fans will be able to watch in person.

We also don’t know what the salary cap will be or when teams will be allowed to start negotiating with free agents in preparation for what could be a wide-open title chase in 2021. This year’s class of available players is not as deep or talented as that of last year, which included Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Kemba Walker. Five of those six guys changed teams!

This year’s class does include Anthony Davis, who can opt out of the final season of his current contract. Of course, having forced his way to Los Angeles and won a championship with LeBron James, Davis isn’t going anywhere. So he’s not included in the list below, for which there needs to be a certain degree of intrigue regarding the player’s (and/or their team’s) decision this summer.

1. Suns land KD

Chris Haynes joins Inside the NBA to break down the details of how Kevin Durant’s trade to the Suns came together.

In: Darius Bazley, Kevin Durant, T.J. Warren

Out: Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, Dario Saric

Quick take: Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, with Chris Paul setting them up and Deandre Ayton able to take advantage inside? Whoo boy.

SUNS NOTES

  • Durant is the only player averaging at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and one block per game.
  • Durant has a true shooting percentage of 67.3%, the highest mark of his career. It would also be the highest mark in NBA history for a player averaging at least 28 points per game.
  • Durant‘s 57.1% from mid-range would be the best mark on at least 200 mid-range attempts in the 27 years for which we have shot-location data. Warren (27-for-52) is one of the other 11 players who’ve shot better than 50% on at least 50 mid-range attempts. Durant (1.4 mid-range attempts for every 3-point attempt), Warren (1.1) and Deandre Ayton (5.0) are three of the 14 players who’ve taken at least 100 shots from outside the paint with more of those shots coming from mid-range than from 3-point range.
  • Durant leads the league in free-throw percentage at 93.4%. Two seasons ago, the Suns had the second-best team mark in NBA history (83.4%), with Chris Paul leading the league at 93.4%.
  • Bazley has averaged 1.37 blocks + steals per personal foul (48/35). That’s the sixth-highest ratio among 320 players who’ve played at least 500 minutes.


2. Lakers add talent

The Lakers trade Russell Westbrook, Thomas Bryant and several picks to reel in an incoming cache of talent as they refashion their roster for the stretch.

In: Mo Bamba, Malik Beasley, Rui Hachimura, Davon Reed, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt

Out: Patrick Beverley, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones, Kendrick Nunn, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Russell Westbrook

Quick take: The Lakers desperately needed more playable guys around their two stars, and they got that while sacrificing only one of those two first-round picks that everybody had been talking about for the last several months.

LAKERS NOTES

  • Bamba is one of four players who’ve played at least 500 minutes and averaged at least two 3-pointers and two blocks per 36.
  • Beasley has taken only 19% of his shots in the paint. That’s the lowest rate among 102 players with at least 500 field goal attempts.
  • Beasley ranks seventh in total made 3-pointers (169) and fifth with 118 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. The 35.4% he’s shot on catch-and-shoot 3s ranks 102nd among 166 players who’ve attempted at least 100.
  • Beasley has shot 6-for-25 (24.0%) with the score within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. That’s the worst clutch field goal percentage among 82 players with at least 25 attempts.
  • Hachimura has shot 34.0% from 3-point range, down from 44.7% last season. That’s the biggest drop among 188 players with at least 100 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons.
  • Russell has an effective field goal percentage of 56.7%, up from 50.2% last season. That’s the 20th biggest jump among 217 players with at least 200 field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons.
  • Vanderbilt has grabbed 16.4% of available rebounds, a rate that ranks 20th among 290 players who’ve averaged at least 15 minutes per game.
  • Opponents have shot 69.4% at the rim when Vanderbilt has been there to protect it. That’s the fourth-worst rim-protection mark among 52 players who’ve defended at least 200 shots at the rim.


3. Wolves get a steadier hand

Mike Conley Jr. is on the way to Minnesota, where he can provide the Timberwolves veteran leadership as a floor general.

In: Mike Conley Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Out: D’Angelo Russell

Quick take: Russell was flammable, but Conley will give the Wolves more consistency and leadership at point guard.

WOLVES NOTES

  • Conley has recorded assists on 40.3% of his possessions, the third-highest rate among 227 players who’ve averaged at least 20 minutes per game. ranks fourth in the league in assist/turnover ratio at 4.46. He’s recorded assists on 17.2% of his drives, the highest rate among 123 players who’ve averaged at least five drives per game. New teammate Kyle Anderson has the eighth-highest rate (14.9%).
  • Conley’s usage rate (15.9%) is the lowest of his career.


4. Nets hit the reset button

How do Nets move forward after Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving exit?

In: Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson

Out: Kevin Durant, Kessler Edwards, Kyrie Irving, Markieff Morris, TJ Warren

Quick take: It’s pretty amazing that this team was 17-2 in the last 19 games that Durant played, and ultimately was forced to trade its two most talented players. The Nets got decent returns for both Irving and Durant, but while they have a lot of really good players (and a lot of draft capital), they’re now without a true star.

NETS NOTES

  • Bridges leads the league with 58 corner 3-pointers. The 46.4% he’s shot on corner 3s ranks eighth among 44 players with at least 75 attempts. Dinwiddie (43-for-76, 56.6%) has the best mark among that group.
  • Bridges has an effective field goal percentage of 52.9%, down from 60.1% last season. That’s the sixth-biggest drop among 217 players with at least 200 field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons. Finney-Smith has seen the 12th biggest drop (from 59.5% to 54.0%) among that same group.
  • Dinwiddie has shot 40.5% from 3-point range overall, up from 33.9% last season. That’s the fifth-biggest jump among 95 players with at least 200 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons.
  • Finney-Smith has taken 70.0% of his shots from 3-point range, the highest rate of his career and the seventh-highest rate among 228 players with at least 250 field goal attempts.
  • Johnson has shot 43.1% from 3-point range over the last two seasons. That’s the third-best mark among 258 players with at least 200 3-point attempts over the last two seasons. New teammates Seth Curry (42.3%) and Joe Harris (42.1%) have the fourth and sixth-best marks, respectively.
  • The Nets now have nine of the 133 players who’ve shot the league average (36.0%) or better on at least 75 3-point attempts this season. That’s two more than any other team has. The nine are Bridges, Curry, Dinwiddie, Harris, Johnson, Patty Mills, Royce O’Neale, Cam Thomas and Yuta Watanabe.


5. Clippers re-make their bench

Breaking down LA’s newest additions and what to expect from its newly improved depth chart.

In: Eric Gordon, Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee

Out: Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, John Wall

Quick take: Swapping Kennard for Gordon and taking a chance on Hyland seems to indicate that the Clippers were looking for more off the dribble. They currently rank 21st in drives per game.

CLIPPERS NOTES

  • Gordon has an effective field goal percentage of 52.8%, down from 58.5% last season. That’s the ninth-biggest drop among 217 players with at least 200 field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons.
  • Gordon has grabbed just 3.3% of available rebounds while he’s been on the floor, the lowest rate among 227 players who’ve averaged at least 20 minutes per game. Jackson had the 11th lowest rate (4.3%).
  • Hyland accounted for 42.3% of the Nuggets’ 3-point attempts while he was on the floor. That’s the highest rate among 320 players who’ve played at least 500 minutes.
  • Hyland has shot 17-for-59 (28.8%) on pull-up 2-pointers, the third-worst mark among 142 players who’ve attempted at least 50.
  • Plumlee has taken 96% of his shots in the paint. That’s the eighth-highest rate among 229 players with at least 250 total field goal attempts. His 67.5% shooting in the paint ranks 11th among 141 players with at least 200 paint attempts.
  • Plumlee leads the league in clutch offensive rebounds, having grabbed 20 offensive boards with the score within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.
  • Plumlee has shot 7-for-23 (30%) on clutch free throws, the worst mark among 36 players who’ve attempted at least 20.

6. Eastern Conference notes

Some other key additions in the Eastern Conference:

Atlanta: Saddiq Bey

Boston: Mike Muscala

Milwaukee: Jae Crowder

New York: Josh Hart

Philadelphia: Jalen McDaniels

Toronto: Jakob Poeltl

Bucks feel Crowder can play pivotal role in getting back to Finals

  • Bey has drawn fouls on 18.2% of his drives, the second-highest rate among 123 players who’ve averaged at least five drives per game.
  • Crowder has taken 69.3% of his shots from 3-point range over the last five seasons. That’s the eighth-highest rate among 240 players with at least 1,500 field goal attempts since the start of the 2018-19 season. New teammates Pat Connaughton (67.5%), Joe Ingles (67.3%) and Wesley Matthews (67.1%) have the 10th, 12th and 13th highest rates, respectively. Crowder’s 35.1% from 3-point range ranks 166th among 246 players with at least 500 3-point attempts over those same five seasons.
  • Hart has grabbed 12.5% of available rebounds. That’s the best rebounding percentage among 157 players 6-foot-6 and shorter who’ve averaged at least 15 minutes per game. He ranks sixth in offensive rebounding percentage and second in defensive rebounding percentage among that group.
  • 29.8% of Hart‘s points have been fast-break points. That’s the second-highest rate among 297 players with at least 200 total points scored. McDaniels has the seventh-highest rate (25.0%)
  • Muscala has averaged just 1.12 seconds per touch, fewest among 354 players with at least 500 total touches.
  • Poeltl has grabbed 17.5% of available rebounds while he’s been on the floor. That’s the 10th-highest rate among 227 players who’ve averaged at least 20 minutes per game.

7. Western Conference Notes

Some other key additions in the Western Conference:

Denver: Thomas Bryant

Golden State: Gary Payton II

Memphis: Luke Kennard

New Orleans: Josh Richardson

Portland: Matisse Thybulle

Anthony Slater: Warriors ‘fixing mistake’ by bringing back Gary Payton II

  • Bryant has shot 73.1% in the paint, the third-best mark among 141 players with at least 200 paint attempts. New teammate Nikola Jokic has the sixth-best mark (69.8%).
  • Opponents have shot 69.9% at the rim when Bryant has been there to protect it. That’s the third-worst rim-protection mark among 52 players who’ve defended at least 200 shots at the rim.
  • Kennard has shot 249-for-555 (44.9%) from 3-point range over the last two seasons, the best mark among 258 players with at least 200 3-point attempts since the start of last season. New teammate Desmond Bane has the second-best mark (43.6%).
  • Payton averaged 5.2 deflections per 36 minutes last season, second most among 375 players who played at least 500 total minutes.
  • Payton shot 168-for-222 (75.7%) in the paint last season. That was the second-best mark among 328 players with at least 100 field goal attempts in the paint.
  • Richardson has shot 35.7% from 3-point range, down from 41.5% last season. That’s the sixth biggest drop among 95 players with at least 200 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons.
  • Thybulle has averaged 4.9 deflections per 36 minutes, fifth most among 320 players who’ve played at least 500 minutes.
  • Thybulle has a usage rate of 9.1%, the third-lowest mark among 320 players who’ve played at least 500 minutes.

* * *

John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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times. After hitting some big shots in the Raptors’ run to a championship in 2019, VanVleet saw continued improvement as a starter alongside Kyle Lowry. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game, while leading the league in deflections (4.2 per game) for the No. 2-ranked defense.

There are teams — Detroit and New York, in particular — with cap space and a need at point guard. So the Raptors will likely need to cut significantly into their 2021 cap space to keep VanVleet in Toronto. And the 26-year-old is just one of three unrestricted free agents in the Raptors’ core seven.

Number to know: VanVleet passed on 56.7% of his drives, the highest rate among 113 players who averaged at least five drives in 30 games or more.

Related free agents: Marc Gasol (TOR) and Serge Ibaka (TOR) — The Raptors have two reliable centers, but they’re 35 and 30 years old, respectively, and they’re both unrestricted free agents. There have already been more than whispers about Gasol taking his talents back to Spain.

More related free agents: Kris Dunn (CHI) and De’Anthony Melton (MEM) — Dunn (26) and Melton (22), though they’re both restricted free agents, will come a lot cheaper than VanVleet, but they’re both solid back-up point guards who can get at it defensively. In fact, they ranked first and third in deflections per 36 minutes among 300 players who played at least 750 total minutes last season. Offense, alas, is another story.

2. Brandon Ingram (Restricted), New Orleans

There are far fewer questions about Ingram now than there were a year ago. With a move to New Orleans and a much-improved jumper, he won the Kia Most Improved Player award. And with Ingram having just turned 23 years old, it’s seems like a no-brainer that the Pelicans will bring him back, especially because they can match any offer he might get elsewhere.

But it will be interesting to see what the final price tag is. And it’s fair to wonder how well he fits alongside Zion Williamson long-term, in that Ingram will relegate Williamson to the role of bystander on a certain number of possessions when they’re on the floor together. It’s on the Pelicans’ next coach to make it work on both ends of the floor (there were no innocent parties when it came to how poorly New Orleans defended in key games down the stretch this season).

Number to know: Ingram took 35% of his shots from 3-point range, up from 12.9% in 2018-19. That was the fifth-biggest jump among 218 players with at least 250 field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons. His 3-point percentage jumped from 33.0% to 39.1% and the 150 3-pointers he made were more than he made in his first three seasons combined.

Related free agent: Derrick Favors (NOP) — Twenty-year-old Jaxson Hayes is seemingly the Pelicans’ five of the future, but Favors (still just 28) was a solid center, especially defensively, in his first year in New Orleans. Williamson will likely be a part-time center himself going forward, but the Pelicans outscored their opponents by 12.1 points per 100 possessions (allowing just 100.4) in 368 total minutes with Williamson and Favors on the floor together.

3. Danilo Gallinari, Oklahoma City

The departure of coach Billy Donovan was an indication that the Thunder are going to take a step backward this offseason. Trading Chris Paul (who has two years and $86 million left on his deal) would obviously be the bigger step, but letting Gallinari walk will be the simpler one.

Maximizing your offensive potential means having a four who can shoot, and Gallinari is that guy. He’s 32, but he’s one of four players (Joe Harris and Davis Bertans are two of the other three) who have shot 40% or better on at least 300 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons.

Number to know: In the regular season, the Thunder scored 16.6 more points per 100 possessions with Gallinari on the floor (116.9) than they did with him off the floor (100.3). That was the biggest on-off OffRtg differential among 236 players who played at least 1,000 minutes for a single team.

Related free agent: Gordon Hayward (BOS) — With greater uncertainty and far fewer teams with cap space, it seems doubtful that Hayward would pull the same move as Al Horford did last year, opting out of the final year of his deal ($34.2 million) and landing somewhere other than Boston.

Montrezl Harrell put together an impressive 2019-20 campaign off the bench for the Clippers.

4. Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers

If the Clippers had reached The Finals with Harrell playing like a Sixth Man of the Year, this would seemingly be academic. But the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead in the conference semifinals and Harrell had a rough postseason. Over their 13 playoff games the team was 27.2 points per 100 possessions better with Harrell off the floor (+15.6) than it was with him on the floor (-11.6). While Harrell took a step backward, starting center Ivica Zubac (three years younger) improved, and the Clippers also used JaMychal Green (who has a player option on the final year of his deal) as a back-up center. There are other teams out there — Toronto is one — that have bigger questions regarding their frontline than the Clippers do.

Given the circumstances (playing in a bubble after a month-long bereavement absence), one could certainly dismiss Harrell’s postseason performance and focus on a pre-hiatus season in which he was an impact player on both ends of the floor. He ranked third in roll-man efficiency, while also grading out as one of the league’s best rim protectors.

Number to know: Harrell ranked second with 393 total baskets in the restricted area in the regular season.

Related free agents: JaMychal Green (LAC), Marcus Morris (LAC) — Along with Zubac, this group of three gave the Clippers a lot of versatility up front.

Another related free agent: Jakob Poeltl (SAS) — If the Spurs are turning things over to the youth, they’d best keep the 25-year-old Poeltl (a restricted free agent) in house. He ranks as one of the league’s best rim protectors and the Spurs were also much better offensively with his prolific screen setting on the floor last season.

5. Goran Dragic, Miami

After playing just 36 games in 2018-19, Dragic revived his career just in time to earn a new contract. He was a Kia Sixth Man Award candidate in the regular season and then, as a starter, led the Heat in scoring through the first three rounds of the playoffs.

But Dragic suffered another injury in The Finals and will turn 35 next May. The Heat may be looking to preserve their cap space for 2021 and Kendrick Nunn could eventually take the starting job back. So a lucrative, one-year deal seems like a logical solution, though it would be interesting if Dragic is looking for something long-term.

Number to know: Dragic ranked second in the playoffs with 145 total pick-and-roll ball-handler possessions. The 0.84 points per possession he scored as a pick-and-roll ball-handler ranked just 19th among 26 players with at least 35 postseason ball-handler possessions.

Related free agent: Jae Crowder (MIA) — Crowder is the other Heat starter who’s an unrestricted free agent. The trade that brought him to Miami worked out for both the team — playing Crowder at the four allowed Miami to open up its offense — and the player. After shooting 29.3% from 3-point range with Memphis, he shot 44.5% with the Heat and probably earned himself a bigger payday.

6. Bogdan Bogdanovic (Restricted), Sacramento

Bogdanovic is the kind of scorer and playmaker that a team with a 14-year playoff drought should want to keep around. But the 27-year-old plays the same position as the Kings’ highest paid player. Buddy Hield’s four-year, $88 million extension kicks in next season and De’Aaron Fox is eligible to sign his own extension. Committing a ton of money to three backcourt guys might be a tough thing for a team, led by new general manager Monte McNair, that finished in 12th place this season.

Number to know: Bogdanovic shot 49.5% from mid-range, the seventh best mark among 84 players with at least 100 mid-range attempts.

Related free agent: Kent Bazemore (SAC) — Bazemore is a cheaper option, a better defender, and only three years older than Bogdanovic.

7. Christian Wood, Detroit

Wood came into the league in 2015 with the 10-72 Sixers, spent the entire 2017-18 season in the NBA G League, and had never played 200 total minutes for a single NBA team before getting an opportunity with the Pistons this season. But he made the most of that opportunity, finishing fourth in Kia Sixth Man Award voting and eighth in Kia Most Improved Player voting.

Wood can finish at the rim (his 77% in the restricted area ranked second among 102 players with at least 200 restricted area attempts) and shoot from the perimeter (39% on 140 3-point attempts). And though he’s bounced around the league for five years, he’s still just 25 years old.

Number to know: Wood was one of four players to play at least 1,000 minutes, shoot 55% or better, and average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per 36.

Related free agent: Harry Giles (SAC) — A year ago, the Kings declined the fourth-year option on Giles’ rookie contract, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has an injury history and has yet to realize his potential, but Giles is just 22 years old and has shown flashes of being a useful big on both ends of the floor. He could flourish with better health and more experience in the right environment.

8. Davis Bertans, Washington

Bertans is the definition of “instant offense” in that he’s probably going to shoot the instant he touches the ball, even if he’s 30 feet from the basket. Though he came off the bench, Bertans led the league with 7.4 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game. The 43.1% he shot on those catch-and-shoot 3-pointers ranked 11th among 81 players who attempted at least 200. High release. High volume. High efficiency.

With the biggest payday of his career likely in the balance and the Wizards having little chance of making the playoffs, Bertans opted out of the NBA restart. He’s obviously a good fit alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal in Washington, but every team needs shooting.

Number to know: According to Second Spectrum tracking, Bertans led the league with 65 3-pointers in the first six seconds of the shot clock, 11 more than any other player.

Related free agent: Joe Harris (BKN) — Of the three guards who led the Nets in scoring (total points) this season, Harris is obviously the best complement for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But he’s an unrestricted free agent, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert are under contract. Nets general manager Sean Marks has said that re-signing Harris is “priority No. 1,” but the 28-year-old will surely have multiple suitors when free agency opens.

See the best moments from Carmelo Anthony during the season restart in Orlando.

9. Carmelo Anthony, Portland

Anthony had his moments with the Blazers after a full year out of the league. But, even playing alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, he wasn’t very efficient in his role. His true shooting percentage of 52.5% ranked 205th among 248 players with at least 300 field goal attempts in the regular season.

Anthony was also one reason why the Blazers were the league’s worst defensive team (by a wide margin) after Christmas. There’s value in having guys who can get to their shot late in the clock, but it would be interesting to see what kind of role the 36-year-old Anthony would have next season if Trevor Ariza, Zach Collins, Rodney Hood and Gary Trent Jr. are relatively healthy.

Number to know: Anthony took 37% of his shots from mid-range, the second highest rate among 248 players with at least 300 field goal attempts. The 39.9% he shot from mid-range ranked 60th among 84 players with at least 100 mid-range attempts.

Related free agent: Paul Millsap (DEN) — The Nuggets don’t reach the conference finals without Millsap’s performance in Game 5 against the Clippers, and Denver was much, much better defensively with him on the floor in the regular season. But the 35-year-old seemingly showed his age in the bubble, and the Nuggets have both Jerami Grant (who has a $9.3 million player option) and Michael Porter Jr. to play alongside Nikola Jokic on that frontline.

10. Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers

Howard gave the Lakers critical minutes in their conference finals series victory over Denver, but wasn’t much of a factor in their other three series. JaVale McGee can opt into one more year with the Lakers, Markieff Morris is also an unrestricted free agent, and Davis will obviously play some minutes at the five.

It will be fascinating to see if the champs run it back with that same frontline or look to shuffle the deck. Three of their perimeter rotation guys — Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Rajon Rondo — also have player options.

Number to know: Howard ranked fifth in the regular season (12.8%) and second in the playoffs (11.5%) in offensive rebounding percentage among players who averaged at least 15 minutes per game.

Related free agent: Tristan Thompson (CLE) — If the Lakers want to get five years younger (and less foul-prone) with that spot on their roster, here’s another center that LeBron James has won a title with.