Things are starting to heat up in the 2K world once again as the league draft was completed on March 13 and the fourth season of the NBA 2K League is just around the corner.
Much like a standard NBA draft, teams selected players over several rounds with the worst-performing teams of 2020 gaining priority for their picks. Some teams chose to stick with the majority of their roster, while others opted for almost complete reshuffles for their squads.
Overall, 63 players were selected to 23 teams during the draft and we can expect to see some new stars this season, as well as established talents attempting to continue their dominance.
Lakers Gaming Rebuilds Squad With Krazy, ReeseDaGod
Lakers Gaming is looking to bounce back in the fourth season of the NBA 2K League after a disastrous 2020 that saw the team finish dead last with a 3-13 record. The team struggled throughout season 3 and it was clear some changes were needed, and that’s exactly what the draft has brought.
With the first overall pick, the Lakers drafted arguably the best choice in Krazy. The Dallas-based player has been touted as one of the brightest prospects joining the league and could very well be a key component as Lakers Gaming aims for a successful season.
The team also picked ReeseDaGod as their second pick of the draft, at seventh overall. He was released by champion Wizards District Gaming after playing just one match in the 2020 season, despite being part of the squad since the inaugural season of the 2K League. However, ReeseDaGod will no doubt provide a wealth of experience for the Lakers.
Another key draft pick for the Lakers comes in the form of Bohio, a player who surprisingly was not retained by Pacers Gaming, despite finishing in the top 10 in assists per game in 2020 and proving to be a reliable player over the season.
Overall, Lakers Gaming looks to be an almost all-new squad, having retained just one player from the 2020 roster. Their rebuild, however, does look very promising as the Lakers picked up some of the best the league draft had to offer, making them a team to watch in 2021.
Wizards District Gaming Retains Championship-Winning Roster
After a solid regular season, Wizards District Gaming excelled in the playoffs, eliminating the record-breaking Raptors Uprising roster and delivering them their first loss of the season, before securing the championship with relative ease.
Going into 2021, the Wizards have decided to largely stick with what worked, but have built on the roster with one key move. With the last pick of the first round, they picked up xoLebron, a promising player out of Rhode Island.
Other than that, the team chose not to retain ReeseDaGod, who had featured just once in 2020, and Brich, who they later picked back up in the draft. Overall, they look to be backing practically the same roster, which can be a risky move – on one hand, they did win it all, but on the other, a lot does change in a year, especially in the 2K world.
Still, it’s hard to fault Wizards District Gaming for sticking to what has worked and they’re definitely worth keeping an eye on based on the 2020 season.
Hornets Venom GT Completes Busiest 2K Transfer Period
Despite a fairly strong 2020 with a playoff loss to one of the best teams in the league, the Hornets have decided to completely shake things up for this year.
With four draft picks and four trades made, Hornets Venom GT has definitely been the busiest team so far this season, picking up a total of seven players, as well as trading some away for picks.
Most notably, their draft and trades include picking up Trap and PeteBeBallin, two of the strongest defensive players last year, as well as promising talents like Crown and Dhuggz. They did, however, lose Type, who was arguably the strongest center in 2020, but their defense still seems well covered.
Overall, with so many different moves over the transfer period, it’s easy to see there’s a clear process at work and this season is somewhat of a project for the Hornets. With a strong backline and a few rising talents to fill the gaps, there’s real potential in this year’s Hornets lineup.
Raptors Uprising GC Builds on Record-Breaking Roster
The Raptors played a historic regular season in 2020, going undefeated on their way to the playoffs with a clean 16-0 scoreline. However, they crumbled when it mattered most, losing to Wizards District Gaming in the semifinals and putting an end to what could’ve been the most dominant season possible.
Regardless, their run was still incredibly impressive and likely won’t be matched for some time. As such, the majority of the squad has been retained by Raptors Uprising GC, with just two changes coming in.
In one of the biggest transfers of the year, the Raptors acquired superstar center Type from Hornets Venom GT in exchange for their own centre, Sick One. Type was the league leader in blocks in 2020, averaging 3.0 a game, and boasted other impressive stats such as 2.7 steals and 12.1 rebounds. Many considered him one of the best centers in the league, if not the best one, making this a massive signing that will no doubt fix some of the Raptors’ defensive vulnerabilities.
They also re-signed TsJosh in the draft, bringing back a player who played for the Raptors in seasons 1 and 2, before being dropped last year and missing out on the league overall. However, the team clearly spotted something new in him and it’ll be interesting to see what he can bring to an already star-studded squad.
Considering their incredibly strong 2020 squad, which has now been bolstered by a superstar and a returning player, Raptors Uprising GC is definitely one of the favorites for this season – especially as they look for playoffs revenge.
