Top 10 free-agents

As this virus continues to have the entire planet on lock-down, NBA fans like myself can’t help but look to the future and think what is the future of the NBA in the next 6 months? Will we see some sort of regular season or will we go straight to the Playoffs with the current standings? Will we even get a Playoffs or will the whole season be voided entirely? How will COVID-19 affect the upcoming free-agency?

Every year there are always some huge free-agents up for grabs. Last year we had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving just to name a couple, and this year there some great names as well. Here are my top 10 free-agents in 2020.

Danilo Gallinari

Outside shooting is one of the most valued skills that players can have in the modern-day NBA. The pace of the game is so fast, coupled with the fact that per shot, 3 pointers are much more valuable per shot that a mid-range jumper means that if you can shoot from long-range you are very effective.

Danilo Gallinari has become one of the best shooters in the NBA. This season he’s averaged 19.2 points and 5.5 rebounds and is one of four players that has played over 50 games, shot over 40% from 3 and hit over three 3-pointers a game. That level of efficiency with that number of made 3s a game from the PF position will have teams itching to sign him to at least a three-year deal.

Mike Conley

Although Conley had a bad year by his standards (averages of 13.8 points and 4.3 assists), he was playing behind Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic and Rudy Gobert. The season prior with Memphis he averaged 21.1 points and 6.3 assists and I think he can reach those numbers again.

Conley has become a solid leader at the point guard spot and is a very well-rounded player. He easily has another 3 years of solid play left in him because he doesn’t rely on athleticism to be effective. He has an Early-Termination on his contract for next season worth around $34.5 million, so whether he becomes a free-agent is up to him.

Serge Ibaka

Ibaka has shown over his entire career that he is the perfect 3rd of 4th option for a team with title asperations. He is defensive-minded, rebounds well, can score in the post or from outside and has championship pedigree thanks to all the experience he has had with OKC and the Toronto Raptors.

This season he has averaged 16.0 points and 8.3 rebounds on 51.8% from the floor and 39.8% from the 3-point line, where he’s hitting over at least a 3-pointer a game. These are perfect numbers for the modern-day PF so expect him to be high demand when his contract finishes this summer.

Fred VanVleet

At 26 years old, VanVleet has established himself as a solid NBA point guard thanks to his big contribution to Toronto’s title-winning campaign last year and his huge statistical improvement this season. Averages of 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals get you noticed by teams looking to sure-up their point guard position.

VanVleet was only paid $9 million this season, you’d bet on him signing at least a $100 million deal with Toronto thanks to the expiring Marc Gasol contract and the chemistry VanVleet has with Pascal Siakam.

Hassan Whiteside

Despite the fact that the NBA has definitely shifted towards a more perimeter-orientated style of offense there is still a huge demand for big, physical 7-footers to anchor your defense and provide inside scoring.

Whiteside is exactly that and has had another great season, this time with the Portland Trail blazers. This year he’s averaged 16.3 points, 14.2 rebounds and a league-leading 3.1 blocks on 61.8% from the floor. Any team looking for an All-Star caliber center will have Whiteside in their sights.

DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan is tricky. On the surface, his stats scream a max-contract deal. This season he averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists on 52.6% from the floor with the San Antonio Spurs.

However, the fact that he can’t shoot the 3 at the SF/SG position means he doesn’t fit well into a modern NBA offense. He does seem to have settled well in San Antonio which means it’s highly likely that the Spurs will offer him a big deal this summer.

DeMarcus Cousins

I don’t think Cousins will be offered a big contract with a team. Given that he’s recovering from a couple of major injuries teams will be extremely cautious about what he can still physically do. I have faith though. I predict that Cousins has a huge bounce-back season and shows everyone why he was considered by some to be the best center in the game.

In his last season with the Pelicans, he averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks, and that was playing with Anthony Davis. He has the skills to average those numbers again for the next few years if he has fully recovered. Given that he’s had the whole season to recover, the rest of the league should watch-out for Big Boogie next year.

Andre Drummond

Put it simply, Drummond is easily the best rebounder in basketball right now. He’s leading the league in RPG with 15.2 and has 3 of the past 4 rebounding titles. He is so strong that it’s almost impossible to move him from under the basket and he just carves spaces by the rim, allowing to grab anything that comes his way.

He’s also a great defender as shown by his 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks this season coupled with impressive 103 defensive rating despite playing with the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. On offense, he has dramatically improved as well. He averaged 17.7 points on 53.3% from the field and is now shooting around 58% from the foul-line, a huge improvement from the 35.5% he posted a few seasons ago. 

Drummond does have a player option, but I don’t expect him to exercise it. Cleveland just isn’t an attractive place to play unless LeBron is there and he can sign a huge $100 million + deal with someone else.

Brandon Ingram

Revenge is often a very powerful motivator in life, not just in sports. If you feel like someone has done you wrong then getting back at them can bring a level of satisfaction that is often euphoric. This is what Brandon Ingram has done this season. 

Ingram was traded along with several other players by the LA Lakers to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis and although no one would say LA lost out on the trade given their play this season, Ingram’s ascension has put the whole league on notice.

Ingram became a first-time All-Star thanks to him putting up 24.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on 46.6% from the floor, 38.7% from 3 and 85.8% from the free-throw line. He has taken revenge on the team that traded him for a better player, and this offseason he will reap the serious financial rewards.

Anthony Davis

The crown jewel of this year’s offseason class is easily Anthony Davis. The 6’10” power forward is easily the best player at his position and is a game-changer on both offense and defense. He has an incredible touch for a big man, can score in the post, can hit the mid-range and is a demon in transition.

Defensively he has lead the league in BPG 3 times, averages 1.4 steals a night and hauls in 10.4 rebounds as well. My prediction is that he declines his player option with the Lakers and resigns with them for a $200 million + deal. When LeBron retires the Lakers will become his team and there is no better town to be playing basketball in than the sunny streets of Los Angeles.