NBA Rumors: Latest News on 2020 Free Agents Jaylen Brown, Andre Drummond

Even though the 2019-20 NBA regular season hasn't started, free agency never really leaves the minds of basketball fans and media alike.

Next summer, Anthony Davis will headline the class. However, if he declines a player option simply to ink a raise with the Los Angeles Lakers, attention will quickly shift elsewhere. Jaylen Brown and Andre Drummond are two of the biggest names in the next group.

Well, potentially, at least.

The Boston Celtics have a tough decision to make regarding Brown in the immediate future, and the latest reports suggest Drummond might not test the market anyway.

Brown's Extension Dilemma

As a fourth-year player, Brown is eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension. However, he and the Celtics must agree to a new deal before the Oct. 21 deadline.

Right now, Boston likely wouldn't extend a max-contract offer to a player who struggled last season. How much is the team willing to risk, though? If he doesn't ink an updated pact, the 22-year-old would be a restricted free agent next summer.

Frank Urbina of HoopsHype quoted an anonymous league executive who said the Celtics might not want to give their third-best player a max deal, instead taking a wait-and-see approach: 

"Brown may be thinking that he can be the top free agent next summer if he has a big year. ... He's going to have a bigger role than ever before with Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Marcus Morris gone, and next summer's free-agent class is weak."

So, how much does he want?

Brown recently hired agent Jason Glushon to handle the negotiations, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.

If the forward is willing to accept a smaller deal, the Celtics could trade a bit of risk for potential savings. Conversely, he could decline any offer and attempt to prove max value, maybe forcing Boston into that max contract next summer.

As a restricted free agent, Brown has limited leverage. Without an extension, his 2019-20 performance will often be critiqued based on how it affects his possible next contract.

Drummond's Max-Contract Question

Aaron Gash/Associated Press

For good reason, today's NBA places an emphasis on stockpiling perimeter threats. Three points, after all, is greater than two.

Therein lies the problem for Drummond.

While he's a highly productive player, the 26-year-old has a functional shooting range of approximately three feet. Many teams aren't willing to invest a hefty portion of the salary cap in a player who will be seeking max-contract money.

At the same time, it's not like 18.6 points, 16.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game is easy to find. Drummond may end up signing that max deal―perhaps to stick with the Detroit Pistons―but how many realistic suitors will emerge?

"He just won't have a lot of options," an unnamed front-office executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy. "Detroit won't have a lot of options, either. There won't be a lot of free-agent money and most of the teams that have it are rebuilding teams who might not want a big like him anyway."

The UConn product holds a $28.75 million player option for 2020-21, per Basketball Insiders, so he's not certain to opt out. While that might require an unfortunate set of circumstances beyond the continued devaluation of non-shooting centers, it's worth mentioning.

If Drummond and his representation know max-level money is available, chasing the payday is an understandable move. You never know what's going to happen two years from now.

Yet from where, other than Detroit, will that offer arise?

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.