Coming off his first NBA title, Davis will reportedly opt out of the last year of his contract and re-sign with the Lakers. We still need to keep him on this list because he’s technically going to be a free agent, but there’s essentially no chance he joins another team this offseason.
Ingram has blossomed into an All-Star during his first year in New Orleans, and will likely command a max contract. He appears to be a big part of the Pelicans‘ bright future, and they’ll likely match any offer for the former No. 2 overall pick — if it even gets that far before New Orleans offers him a deal.
VanVleet skyrocketed up free-agent boards with a fantastic regular season, and he only improved his stock in the playoffs. With Davis likely to resign in L.A. and Ingram probably staying with the Pelicans, VanVleet is probably the best true free agent available.
Hayward has put together a bounce-back season, upping his potential value this offseason, but missed out on fully showcasing his skill in the postseason due to an ankle injury. It’s hard to imagine he’ll be confident enough to opt out of his $32 million option for 2020-21, but this is a particularly weak class so a team could come to the table with a huge offer for multiple years. Most likely he ends up back in Boston for another season.
A potential 2020 free agent with a hefty player option, it’s hard to imagine DeRozan opting out to test the free agent waters given the financial climate of the league. Despite his unwillingness to shoot 3-pointers, DeRozan is still a prolific scorer, which will always draw interest.
After a solid regular season with the Nuggets, Grant had terrific moments on both ends during Denver’s improbable playoff run, and now seems like a lock to opt out of his $9.1 million player option and test the free-agent waters. A versatile defensive wing shooting 40 percent from 3-point range is a hot commodity, so he should get plenty of suitors.
Gallinari has put together another excellent season, helping lead to the surprising Thunder success this season. Despite another subpar postseason, he’s likely played himself into a nice contract, and will be highly sought-after this offseason.
A combo guard with a pure stroke, Bogdanovic did not sign an extension with the Kings and thus becomes a restricted free agent. There is plenty of interest in Bogi around the league, so the Kings might have to match a hefty sum if they want to keep him.
Harris has developed into one of the league’s top sharpshooters, a skill that always draws interest. With a depleted Nets roster in the bubble, he also proved that he can take on added playmaking duties when necessary. Harris will command plenty of suitors in a down free agent market, so we’ll see how much the Nets are willing to spend to keep him alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant next season.
Fournier has a $17 million player option, but in a weak class he could decide to opt out and secure a longer-term deal for himself. He posted a career-high scoring average this season while hitting 40 percent of his 3-pointers, so he’ll have plenty of interest if he chooses to become a free agent.
Harrell has been one of the best values in the NBA for the past few seasons, and put up career-highs in both scoring and rebounding on his way to Sixth Man of the Year honors. He never quite got his footing in the bubble and had a poor postseason showing, so it will be interesting to see what kind of offers he gets.
After a strong regular season off the Heat bench, Dragic’s stock went through the roof after being inserted into the starting lineup for Miami’s Finals run. The 34-year-old likely won’t get a long-term deal, but he could get some lucrative offers coming off his postseason performance.
One of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA, Bertans has significantly upped his value this season by hitting nearly four 3s per game at a 42 percent clip. The 6-10 assassin has nearly doubled his scoring average from last season, and is in line for a nice contract this offseason.
Morris got to showcase his scoring ability early in the season with the Knicks, and then fit in nicely as a role player with the Clippers. A versatile forward who can knock down 3-pointers, Morris will be an attractive option for a lot of teams.
Ibaka put up a career-high in points and made 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers in his contract season with the Raptors, and seemed like he didn’t miss a shot in the playoffs. His range and shot-blocking ability make him a unique piece for any team.
Plagued by injury the past two seasons, Porter will almost assuredly pick up his player option for 2020-21. If he’s just completely done with the situation in Chicago he would fit in on plenty of teams, but won’t get near the annual value of his current deal.
Wood was a revelation toward the end of the season in Detroit, and pretty much the only positive thing the franchise had going. The 6-10 big man averaged 22.3 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 41 percent from the 3-point line in his last 15 games, which should be enough for Detroit, or someone else, to invest in the 25-year-old’s upside.
Drummond once again put up monster numbers, but we got a sense of his open-market value when he was traded to the Cavaliers for next to nothing. So it’s no surprise that he’s ‘definitely’ decided to opt into his $25.4 million option for next season.
A rugged, versatile defender, Crowder’s value skyrockets when he’s making 3-pointers consistently, which he certainly did in Miami. He’s an excellent veteran role player who will likely draw plenty of interest.
Hardaway’s contract was once viewed as a bit of an albatross, but he lived up to it this season in Dallas as their third scorer. It wouldn’t be crazy for him to opt out of his $17.7 million contract to search for a long-term deal this offseason, but it might not come from the Mavs since they want to keep cap space for next year.
After drawing severe criticism from fans and pundits for much of the season, Caldwell-Pope was essential to the Lakers’ championship run in the bubble. He’s expected to opt out of his $8.5 million player option, and could be just the type of player who gets a strong offer from a team with money to spend. The Lakers, however, will likely have to do what they can to keep him given their limited financial flexibility.
The definition of solid on both ends of the floor, Favors can fit into pretty much any frontcourt, whether as a starter or a reserve. He might not fit the Pelicans’ timeline moving forward, but would be an excellent piece for a contender at the right price.
Millsap was steady during another injury-plagued season, shooting a career-high 43.5 percent from the 3-point line. That didn’t translate to the postseason, however, when he failed to make a significant offensive impact. Teams will certainly be interested, Denver included, but he won’t get near the $30 million he’s making this season a 35-year-old with an injury history.
Clarkson showed his ability as one of the best bench scorers in the league, and fit in nicely with the Jazz after coming over from Cleveland. Teams are always in search of instant offense from their reserves, so Clarkson will have some options this offseason.
Who would have thought this time last year that we’d be talking about Rondo as a coveted free agent? His regular season was up and down, but he produced on the biggest stage once again and the Lakers wouldn’t have won the title without him. It’s hard to imagine him leaving LeBron and L.A., but there will be plenty of teams willing to bring him in as a veteran backup and mentor to young teammates.
After a so-so regular season, Saric stepped up in the Suns‘ entertaining 8-0 bubble run, averaging nearly 15 points and eight rebounds per game on 52 percent 3-point shooting. The stretch-four could draw plenty of interest, but the Suns might match any offer after what they saw in the bubble.
Whiteside put up historic numbers this season for the Blazers, but will they translate into dollars? Long viewed as an “empty stats” type of player, Whiteside might have trouble finding a suitor willing to fork over a large contract given the decreasing relevance of traditional big men in the modern game. His underwhelming performance off the bench in the playoffs didn’t help his case.
Gasol’s numbers fell off a cliff in an injury-plagued 2019-20 season, and things didn’t get a whole lot better in the playoffs. His basketball IQ and defensive prowess will find him a home somewhere, but you have to wonder how much the 35-year-old has left in the tank at this point.
After looking like his career was on the downturn, Thompson’s productive season has him back on the free-agent radar for this offseason. He’s a perfect rotation big to add to a contending team given his championship experience, and he even knocked down a handful of 3-pointers this season.
Questions abound about the health of Cousins, who has suffered three major injuries over the past two years, but some team will likely take a chance on the big man given his incredible skill set. He might not ever be the player he once was, but Cousins could still be a good asset if his body holds up.
