NBA Free Agents 2020: Rumors, Predictions for Potential Offseason Targets

Though there's no telling when NBA free agency will occur due to the league's coronavirus-induced hiatus, it's still fun and distracting to speculate what might happen whenever silly season does commence.

This upcoming round of free agency is widely expected to feature less (and much less exciting) player movement than previous summers, but that doesn't mean it won't be meaningful. Ostensibly marginal transactions frequently make the difference between a middling playoff team and one able to contend, and hopefully 2020's version sees something similar.

Obviously, the last few weeks haven't been the most fruitful time for free-agent rumors, but we've scoured the internet for actionable intel nonetheless. 

DeRozan Could Stay South, Move East

As it looks more and more likely that the San Antonio Spurs will miss the playoffs for the first time since Bill Clinton was president, one of the team's stars may be looking for a change, and there may be a ready-made fit. Per Jabari Young of CNBC and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat showed interest in four-time All-Star and impending free agent DeMar DeRozan before the trade deadline, and they could prove interested once again when the time comes.

As many a Heat fan will surely cry out after reading the above paragraph, DeRozan doesn't seem to be a great fit in Miami. He is famously averse to shooting three-pointers, and the Heat already start two poor shooters in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. In addition, Miami is known for star-hunting, and despite his pedigree, DeRozan pales in comparison to the potential players available in the 2021 offseason, so why the Heat would sign him for a presumably healthy sum is anyone's guess.

On the other hand, count owner Pat Riley out at your own peril. The man signed LeBron James and Chris Bosh in one summer, regularly finds unknown college players who turn out to be NBA contributors and is a truly legendary negotiator. If he thinks signing DeRozan is a good idea, who are we to question him?

Ingram, New Orleans to Stay Partners

Brandon Ingram is likely to remain a New Orleans Pelican.

Despite being a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com stated that multiple sources expect the Pelicans to match any offer for the newly minted All-Star.

This makes sense for a whole host of reasons on both sides. First, as just mentioned, Ingram made his first All-Star team this year and has emerged as a genuine star. It would be silly for New Orleans not to pay him a max contract. Secondly, however, is that because Zion Williamson has only played 19 career NBA games, the Pelicans have not yet gotten a large sample size of how their two stars fit.

Unsurprisingly, the two Dukies have been outstanding together thus far, recording a 12.4 two-man net rating in 341 minutes, but with a full season under their belts, New Orleans could become a serious threat in the Western Conference.

Tristan Thompson's Future Uncertain

For almost the entire season, Tristan Thompson has been on the brink of finally leaving Cleveland. At first, it was a hot start likely related to his expiring contract. Then, it was frustration with former coach John Beilein. Most recently, he seemed like a goner when the Cavaliers brought in Andre Drummond, demoting the Canadian to a bench role. So, given this interesting 2019-20 campaign, what's in store for the 29-year old now?

Well, per Fedor once again, it may be complicated. He stated that despite Drummond's presence inherently diminishing his role, Thompson has been a complete professional. Fedor wrote:

"What if one of the few teams with cap space makes a pricier-than-expected offer, something well north of the mid-level exception worth around $9 or $10 million annually? Even though Thompson likes Cleveland, discussing how much it would mean to continue climbing the franchise all-time lists, he would have to consider that."

Though Thompson is not a top-tier center, there's a reason LeBron James swore by him in Cleveland. In the right set of circumstances, the big man can change the course of a postseason series.