NBA Free Agents 2020: Predictions for Hassan Whiteside, Paul Millsap and More
The NBA is getting closer to restarting a season that was put on hold for months by the coronavirus pandemic. For many players, finishing out the season is also one final audition before hitting free agency, which is going to be exceptionally strange this year because of the difficulty of predicting next year's salary cap and the uncertainty around playing live sports in general.
It's a dilemma that will affect players young and old, backcourt and frontcourt. We'll take a look at a couple of veteran big men who are going to be unrestricted free agents and need to have a strong showing in Orlando, Florida, as well as a younger forward who is missing out on the restart but is going to generate plenty of interest based on his play before the season was postponed.
Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers
Hassan Whiteside has played a big role for the Portland Trail Blazers in his first season with the team, averaging 16.3 points, 14.2 rebounds and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game.
He had to step up because of the absence of Jusuf Nurkic, who had missed the entire season with a broken leg but is with the team in Orlando and is seen as crucial to the team's postseason hopes. Nurkic's return likely nudges Whiteside into more of a complementary or backup role, depending on how quickly the seven-foot Bosnian can get up to speed.
If Whiteside can still have a meaningful impact on games while playing fewer minutes, his offseason could get very interesting. The Trail Blazers (29-37) have struggled this season, but they have plenty of talent and could rebound next year. They might like to keep Whiteside around on a short-term deal in case Nurkic gets hurt again, but Whiteside will have to show he can either play as a backup or work alongside Nurkic.
He may get a chance in Orlando, per NBA.com's Casey Holdahl:
If the 31-year-old center prefers the limelight, there will likely be suitors, though they may not be as good as Portland. Charlotte, Detroit, Washington and Golden State are just a few of the teams who could be in the market for a shot-swatting big man. If the Nurkic-Whiteside experiment works in Orlando, that might be enough to persuade both the Blazers front office and Whiteside that this really is the best fit for him, even if it means accepting less money.
Prediction: Whiteside signs a one-year deal with Portland
Paul Millsap, Denver Nuggets
Paul Millsap is, when healthy, a dependable player who will be hoping to cash in at least one more time after his three-year deal with the Denver Nuggets comes to an end.
The 35-year-old is averaging 12.0 points and 5 9 rebounds per game this season, his lowest totals since the beginning of his career. He's on a steady decline, but its nothing out of the ordinary for a two-way thumper entering his mid-30s.
Of course, that means he's not going to earn anywhere near the $30 million he's making this season, but Orlando provides one more opportunity for him to prove that he can provide valuable minutes.
Millsap could fit on just about any team that isn't already loaded up with big men on the slower side. At this stage of his career, he might want to go chasing a ring, considering he's often found himself in the playoffs but has only made the conference finals twice, in 2007 with Utah and 2015 with Atlanta. As a member of the Nuggets the past three years, he's seen how hard it is to break through in the Western Conference. So maybe he heads East?
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz thinks he could be a potential fit for the Brooklyn Nets:
"Millsap is 35 but is still playing at a high level with the Denver Nuggets this season. The team has been 11.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor, and Millsap is shooting a career-high 44.0 percent from three.
"Still a good defender at his age, Millsap will soon make his 11th career trip to the playoffs in 14 seasons. He's been a well-respected member of every team he's been on and would set a strong leadership tone in Brooklyn."
The fit is there, and the potential to play in an NBA Finals alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would be an incredible opportunity for Millsap. He could well stay with the Nuggets because of comfort and fit, but its fun to imagine Millsap playing mercenary in the twilight of his career and gunning for a championship in New York.
Prediction: Millsap signs with the Nets
Christian Wood, Detroit Pistons
While potential suitors pretty much know what they are going to get out of guys like Millsap and Whiteside, Christian Wood is a different story.
The 24-year-old power forward was undrafted out of UNLV, but he has worked hard over the past few years to put himself in position to score a big payday this offseason.
Wood stepped up his game immensely when the Pistons traded Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his last 10 games before his season was prematurely ended, Wood averaged 24.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Even before Drummond left, Wood was popping up for the occasional double-double. He also showed he has some range, knocking down three-pointers at a 38.6 percent rate over the course of the season.
Wood won't get another chance to showcase his emerging skillset in Orlando, but he made quite the audition in February and March. There will be teams looking to take a chance on him.
Based on a recent Twitter post, Wood seems pretty determined to continue his ascent:
The Pistons will likely fight hard to keep Wood, but the franchise has struggled for years now. Wood might take a hard look at some other teams.
One dark-horse contender for his services could be Golden State. They are in need of frontcourt help, and Wood's ability to score from outside while providing some muscle in the paint could be just what the team needs as it looks to return to glory.
If there is a bidding war for his services, then Wood could be too expensive for the Warriors (they could also look for frontcourt help in the draft). If the price is right, then Golden State could be a good spot for Wood to capitalize on his talent.
Prediction: Wood signs with the Warriors
