NBA Free Agency 2020: Latest Predictions for Brandon Ingram, More Top Names

A lot of uncertainty surrounds NBA free agency in 2020. Expectations are already hazy with an assortment of restricted and unrestricted free agents, as well as some intriguing player and club options. 

And the situation becomes even cloudier when you pile on the scant clarity offered by a presently undetermined draft date, salary cap and season schedule.

Brandon Ingram and Anthony Davis are the biggest names in consideration, as the former's restricted free agency and the latter's player option present big-budget decisions. But they're far from the only intriguing exercises in resource allocation.

The Western Conference is particularly stricken with free-agent possibilities, especially in Denver and California.

The Nuggets should have two unrestricted power forwards to deal with in Paul Millsap and Jerami Grant, while the Sacramento Kings—like the Los Angeles Lakers with Davis—are trying to lock down Bogdan Bogdanovic as part of their core.

Here are our predictions for some of the most intriguing free-agent conundrums ahead of the 2021 season.

BI: Back in the Bayou

Ingram is 6'7", 22 years old and fresh off a first-time All-Star season in which he is averaging 24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He is a restricted free agent, and the New Orleans Pelicans will match any offer sheet for the upcoming star.

Sure, his shooting percentages aren't mind-boggling: 46.6 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three. But, again, he is tall, young and just spent 56 games looking like one of the best players on the court every game.

As reported by Zach Harper of The Athletic, Ingram is expected to receive "max money in offer sheets" and, as indicated by Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, sources expect the Pelicans to match the highest of those sheets. 

Ingram would be a great fit for a lot of teams, but this offseason will allow the Pelicans the chance to put their money where their beaks are and make up for earlier failures to lock down a contract extension with the young forward. 

Denver's Dilemma: Millsap, Grant or...Porter?

The Nuggets are in a particularly curious situation. Their roster is bookended by young cornerstones in point guard Jamal Murray and center Nikola Jokic, but their power forward spot is likely to undergo a dramatic shift.

Millsap is entering unrestricted free agency after three years of prolific production for Denver. And Grant, who stepped up admirably in 22 starts for the Nuggets this year, is expected to opt out of his $9.1 million player option and test the open market.

That could leave the 21-year-old Michael Porter Jr. as the only true power forward rostered by the Nuggets going into 2021.

Millsap is 35 years old and, with durability concerns and declining athleticism, a poor fit to complement the lumbering Jokic on defense. Barring a massive discount, Denver should let him walk. But Porter is raw and has his own durability concerns, so he can't be counted on as the Nuggets' only 4.

Grant is entering his prime at the age of 26, is absurdly athletic and just shot a career-high 40 percent from deep in 64 games for the Nuggets. Even if he fetches $15-16 million in annual money, as expected by The Athletic's Nick Kosmider, that cost is worth taking on for a Nuggets team that has proved its ability to find budget talent elsewhere.

Bogdanovic and Davis Both Stay Put in California

Davis has a player option on a contract that would fetch him $25.4 million in 2020-21. The Lakers want him back, LeBron James wants him back and, most importantly, he probably wants to come back.

With the fog over 2021's salary cap and the asterisk over an interrupted 2020 season, Davis should want to run it back next season in Tinseltown.

The 27-year-old is unlikely to accept a long-term extension, as he may want to reshape his legacy with the New York Knicks or Chicago Bulls once James retires. But he is likely to work something out for the immediate future, either by accepting his player option or agreeing to a short-term deal.

Elsewhere in California, the Kings are hoping to maintain their own core. Point guard De'Aaron Fox will at least be on board for 2020-21, thanks to a club option on an affordable $5.5 million contract. And that should lend the squad enough flexibility to re-sign their other young backcourt upstart: Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent.

As reported by The Athletic's Jason Jones, re-signing Bogdanovic tops Sacramento's priorities for this offseason. That means the Kings will match any offer sheet for the 27-year-old guard, who will be finishing his third season in the NBA and then trying to increase his average points per game for a fourth consecutive year.