#2: Milwaukee Bucks
The next team that could contend with the Lakers in the 2020-2021 season is the Milwaukee Bucks. Right now, the Bucks franchise as a whole is in a stage of fight or flight and it is clear that they are going to fight any way they can to persuade Giannis Antetokoumpo to remain on the team rather than trading him.
The Bucks were a part of a blockbuster trade that sent Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and a bounty of picks and pick swaps in return for Jrue Holiday. Along with this, it was announced that they were going to make a trade with the Sacramento Kings to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic that they have later distanced themselves from.
However, with a big three of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, the Bucks on paper are arguably set to be the best defensive team in the entire NBA.
On top of this, they have the back to back MVP and defensive player of the year winner on their team. It is clear that this is a make or break year for the Bucks. If they do not make a deep run in the playoffs or win the championship, it is likely that Holiday and Antetokoumpo will leave for other teams.
This will effectively leave the Bucks franchise in shambles and back to square one with them being a small market team without a star.
One of the scariest things that you can go up against is a franchise playing like it has nothing to lose and this is exactly what we could see from the Bucks in the 2020-2021 season.