5 Free Agents to Look Out for this Off-Season

The 2019-2020 season is finally complete, almost a year after it began in 2019. The Los Angeles Lakers came out of the NBA Bubble in Orlando as the 2020 NBA Champions. Now that the season is over, the off-season is in full force. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 season will begin later than usual, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suggesting that the season will only begin at the beginning of 2021.

Free agency is set to begin in December 2020. Compared to last year’s stacked NBA Free Agent class, the 2020 class has fewer big names, but it could make for some interesting player moves. Here are five free agents to look out for before the 2021 season begins.

Honorable Mention: Anthony Davis (LA Lakers)

Anthony Davis is the most notable name in this free-agent class. But given that he just arrived in Los Angeles and won a championship his first season, there should be little doubt over where he will go. After winning the NBA Title, Davis suggested that he doesn’t know what is going to happen in the off-season. This was a leverage move from Davis. ‘The Brow’ will most likely take up the player option, or even turn it down in order to get a better long-term contract with the ‘Lake Show’.

#5: DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs)

Life at San Antonio hasn’t worked out well for DeMar DeRozan. The 30-year-old forward was traded to San Antonio along with Jakob Poeltl in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green going to Toronto. The Canadian team clearly won the trade, with Leonard leading them to a franchise 1st NBA Championship. The Spurs on the other hand have found it difficult to accommodate DeRozan into their roster.

A report in March from Chris Haynes said that DeRozan would be declining his current player option to test free agency should he not agree to an extension with the Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs are looking to rebuild after not losing the core of players that won the 2014 NBA Championship. DeRozan doesn’t fit their rebuild plans. Teams like the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and the Atlanta Hawks will have the cap space to sign DeRozan with ease. And given their performances in recent seasons, DeRozan could help elevate any of these franchises for the coming few years and make them contenders to reach the Playoffs.

#4: Paul Millsap (Denver Nuggets)

Paul Millsap is now 35-years old. He is no longer the player he once was. With the Nuggets focusing their future on stars like Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, Jokic seems to be set to lead the frontcourt. Therefore, Jokic needs someone alongside him who can compensate for his weaknesses such as lack of speed. Millsap, at his advanced age, can no longer do that. Add to that his hefty US$30 million-a-year contract and the rise of Jerami Grant in the same power-forward role, the Nuggets will be looking to let Millsap go to build on the younger core.

Millsap can still contribute in the NBA with his veteran experience. A team with young stars will need some veteran experience, and teams will be waiting for Millsap with a veteran-minimum contract in hand.

#3: Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors)

Fred VanVleet proved his value to the Raptors during their 2019 Playoff run that saw them win the NBA Championship. While players like Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, and Kyle Lowry garnered headlines, VanVleet was lurking in the dark and pushing the team ahead with his defensive work. He clearly has the trust of Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse and is very valuable to the franchise. VanVleet had even said that he would want to stay with the Toronto team.

But temptation can make men do crazy things, like go back on their words. With a slightly hollow free-agent class, VanVleet’s value could rise, and teams with greater cap-space could come in and offer him a contract that the Raptors just cannot match. If 2020 has taught the world anything, it is that anything is in the realm of possibility now. VanVleet signing with another team for a lot of money is certainly one of them.

#2: Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)

Brandon Ingram has been on the come-up since being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans by the Lakers. He averaged about 24-4-6 in the regular season and even won the NBA Most Improved Player award. Ingram’s stock has risen greatly in just one season, and the Pelicans will be looking to retain him. Ingram is a restricted free agent, meaning that the Pelicans have the right to match any offer another team makes to him. Given that Ingram is part of a promising core of players in New Orleans alongside Zion Williamson and Lonzo Ball, the Pelicans will be desperate to keep him in their ranks.

However, the team will have to cough up more money should they want to retain him, as his value has increased greatly in one season. Teams like the Knicks with cap space and hunger for a superstar will make retaining Ingram a challenge. They could even financially be frozen out and might have to watch Ingram take to new pastures.

#1: Montrezl Harrell (Los Angeles Clippers)

Montrezl Harrell, much like Ingram, will see his value increase after winning NBA 6th Man of the Year. He may want to test his value in the market, especially given the post-season collapse of the Clippers in the Playoff Western Conference semifinals. The Clippers blew a 3-1 lead and got eliminated by the Denver Nuggets. After being considered favorites to win the NBA Championship, this was a big blow. The series and the NBA Bubble clearly highlighted the chemistry problems. The reports of the bust-up between Harrell and George have put the former’s future in even more doubt.

Harrell would be a strong addition to any team he would join. The Raptors could look to bring in Harrell to replace Serge Ibaka, as the Congolese could leave Canada in the offseason.

This free agency could go in one of two ways; everyone stays put and makes safe moves, or the whole league could be turned upside down.

Who do you think should be a sought-after free agent?