2020 NBA Free Agents with Most Money on the Line This Postseason

The 2020 NBA free-agent class isn't at the same level as the 2019 and 2021 editions, but a collection of quality starters could still determine their values during this postseason. 

Guys like Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram are safely getting max contracts at this point, which means a bad postseason by either (assuming Ingram's New Orleans Pelicans make it that far) wouldn't affect their value.

Other big names like Andre Drummond and DeMar DeRozan are either out of the playoffs or face long odds to make them, and veterans like Gordon Hayward and Mike Conley will likely pick up their $30 million-plus player options and not enter free agency at all.

That leaves the following five players who have already built up their values in the regular season but could still see a huge rise or a sharp decrease in pay based on their playoff performances.

Joe Harris, G/F, Brooklyn Nets

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Joe Harris may not be the first name that comes to mind when reflecting on the Brooklyn Nets, but he stands as the team's most important free agent this fall.

A remnant of the pre-Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving days, Harris has been a major success story of the Brooklyn rebuild, becoming one of the best outside shooters in the league. A 6'6" wing, he is putting up 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 41.2 percent from deep, and he's just a year removed from leading the NBA with a 47.4 three-point percentage. 

The Nets desperately need floor spacers with Durant, Irving and DeAndre Jordan in the starting lineup, and that's leverage Harris can take into talks, especially with a good playoff showing.

While Brooklyn obviously wants him to excel with Durant and Irving both sidelined until the 2020-21 season, Harris getting hot in the playoffs could actually price him out of town. The Nets already have over $143 million committed to the roster next season even without a new deal for the sharpshooter factored in, and they will see Jarrett Allen become a free agent in 2021.

After he's played on a bargain two-year, $16 million deal, it's time for Harris to cash in.

With no Durant or Irving, the Nets' postseason run should be short but also filled with opportunity for Harris. Coming off a miserable playoff performance last year (8.8 points per game on 19.0 percent from three), this is his chance to earn a truly life-changing contract.

Serge Ibaka, C, Toronto Raptors

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Transitioning from life as a power forward to a full-time center has been great for Serge Ibaka as he brings rim protection and a floor-spacing presence that every team should be seeking.

The 30-year-old big man is averaging a career-high 16.0 points to go along with 8.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game with a 39.8 percent success rate from three. He's been one of the NBA's best defensive centers this season, holding opponents to a lower shooting rate at the rim than players like Joel Embiid, Steven Adams and Myles Turner.

Ibaka is posting the highest defensive rebounding rate of his career (23.3 percent) while enjoying his best shooting mark from deep.

Now 11 years into his NBA career, Ibaka has never played on a losing team, making the playoffs in all but one season. He won a championship ring with the Toronto Raptors last season, excelling as both a starter and a sixth man behind Marc Gasol.

Gasol is now 35 and has fought injuries this season, so Ibaka could be asked to take on more of a role in the postseason. While he's not a dominant scorer, teams with money to spend in free agency should be watching his efficiency, his defense and how well he blends in with other talented bigs.

In 24 postseason games last year, Ibaka's outside shooting plummeted to 23.7 percent. A repeat would likely cost him big in free agency this fall. With Gasol likely eyeing retirement soon, Ibaka needs to continue to prove he can be a reliable presence in the league, either for Toronto or elsewhere.

Danilo Gallinari, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder

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It wasn't long ago that Danilo Gallinari's three-year, $65 million deal looked like one the Los Angeles Clippers might have to give up a draft pick to move. With a strong playoff performance, the 31-year-old forward may now be getting another similar deal.

While injuries have slowed his career, Gallinari has experienced a resurgence the past two years.

This season, he's averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 40.9 percent from deep for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Needed as salary filler in the Paul George trade, Gallinari has thrived as the Thunder's starting power forward and is one of the reasons for their surprising 40-24 record.

As memories of some poor shooting years and durability concerns slip back into some general manager's minds, Gallinari can help put some fear to rest with a productive postseason.

With defenses loading up to stop Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder, Gallinari should be able to feast as a floor spacer. He's nailing 42.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this season, including a 43.3 percent mark off passes from Paul alone.

An underrated passer who can put the ball on the floor and score, Gallinari should be looking to cash in with the Thunder or explore sign-and-trade opportunities if cap space dries up throughout the league.

Fred VanVleet, G, Toronto Raptors

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VanVleet is about to go 4-of-4 in playoff appearances for his career, cutting his teeth behind the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard over the past few years.

In his first season as a full-time starter, VanVleet has shined as both a scorer and playmaker alongside Kyle Lowry, putting up 17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game on 38.8 percent shooting from three.

The Raptors currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and will rely on VanVleet in the postseason like never before. He's shot just 39.3 percent from the field in 37 career playoff games to date.

Teams looking for backcourt help in free agency should be trying to get a read on how well VanVleet performs in a number of roles. His 6'1", 195-pound frame suggests teams should keep him at point guard even though he's excelled playing off the ball this season, as well. He's proved a quality starting guard and still brings the defensive intensity (4.2 pass deflections per game, first in the NBA) for which teams will be looking.

While he's primarily been a facilitator and spot-up shooter in previous postseasons, VanVleet has developed a great hesitation move to get by defenders thinking he's about to pull up from deep. He needs to continue to showcase his expanded offensive game for teams in search of either a starting point guard or a starting 2-guard.

Showing he can be the No. 1 option in some playoff games for the first time could help net a contract worth north of $20 million per year.

Montrezl Harrell, C, Los Angeles Clippers

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Center looks like the deepest position in free agency, and Harrell may be the best of the bunch.

The Los Angeles Clippers are real title contenders, thanks in part to their star-heavy starting lineup with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They're also among the deepest teams in the league, with Harrell playing a major role.

While he doesn't possess the size of an Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside or Serge Ibaka, the 6'7" Harrell has made a huge impact on the Clippers' success over the past two seasons while improving his overall game.

At 26, he is up to a career-high 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game off the L.A. bench, using his athleticism and unstoppable motor to take on bigger opponents on a nightly basis. He gives great defensive effort and is one of the league's best rim protectors despite his stature. Opponents shoot 51.4 percent at the basket against him, tied with Ibaka for the sixth-best mark in the NBA (minimum five attempts per game).

Already with one solid playoff performance under his belt (18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 73.0 percent shooting in six games last year), Harrell should be even better this time around, especially with a new contract on the line.

The Clippers can't afford to lose him since they won't have any significant cap space to sign a replacement if he leaves. A big playoff series (or more) could equal a payday north of $20 million per year as his age fits on both contenders and rebuilding teams alike, all of whom will covet his combination of scoring, defense and work ethic.

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com or Basketball Reference.