2020 NBA Free Agents: Latest Rumors and Predictions for Brandon Ingram and More

Not all NBA eyes are locked on the bubble.

With the seeding round entering its final day, 13 teams have officially been sent to the offseason. The wounds might seem too fresh for a few to immediately move into the self-assessments typically slated for the summertime, but sooner than later, all will shift their focus toward any necessary organizational adjustments.

Free agency will play a big part of that. Based on the latest buzz, we're here to predict how the market will handle three players.

Brandon Ingram Staying Put?

The New Orleans Pelicans may not have realized their playoff dreams inside the bubble, but this nevertheless goes down as a transformational season. They not only witnessed the rise of freshman phenom Zion Williamson, but they also saw Brandon Ingram orchestrate a full-fledged All-Star leap.

Since Ingram was a centerpiece of last summer's Anthony Davis deal and hasn't even celebrated his 23rd birthday yet, it's always seemed sensible for the Pels to pony up whatever it takes to keep him in restricted free agency. It sounds like that will be a maximum contract—and New Orleans is prepared to pick up the tab.

"From people I speak to, [Ingram] has been viewed as a maximum-level player," Shams Charania reported for The Athletic on Thursday. "... The Pelicans plan to re-sign Ingram in the summer and have maintained dialogue all season with his agent, Jeff Schwartz."

The only question, it seems, is whether New Orleans will extend a full five-year max offer to Ingram when the market opens, or if it plans to let him find a four-year offer elsewhere and match it. The latter has always seemed a risky proposition, since there's a chance the player may feel slighted. And if the market thinks he's max-worthy, the Pels may want to get ahead of things by controlling the terms themselves.

Prediction: Ingram signs full five-year max with Pelicans.

Kings Keeping Bogdan Bogdanovic?

The line of demarcation in Sacramento's 2019-20 season was drawn once Bogdan Bogdanovic replaced Buddy Hield in the starting lineup.

The Kings were 15-29 before making the swap and 16-12 after it. Their net efficiency rating surged from minus-3.5 (24th overall) to plus-0.6 (15th).

That creates an awkward situation for Hield, who hasn't even started the four-year, $86 million extension he inked in October. More relevant to this conversation, though, is that it almost guarantees Bogdanovic's return in restricted free agency.

"The Kings are likely to match any offer he receives in the offseason," James Ham reported for NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday.

This was to be expected, though the wording feels significant. There's a difference between showering the 27-year-old with cash and matching what another team offers. Maybe it saves Sacramento some money, but it could also create a situation in which the Serb inks an offer sheet with terms that aren't friendly to the team.

Saying that, the potential savings might be worth it. Hield's contract will be bloated if he sticks in a reserve role, the Kings will play the solid-but-unspectacular Harrison Barnes $22.2 million next season and a max extension could be coming to De'Aaron Fox this offseason.

Prediction: Kings match four-year offer to Bogdanovic.

Harry Giles Heading Elsewhere?

Once upon a time, Harry Giles was destined for stardom. He was the highest-rated recruit in his high school class, and as Chad Ford reported for ESPN in 2017, "many NBA scouts said he was the best high school prospect since LeBron James."

Clearly, things have changed since then. More specifically, three knee surgeries in five years happened, altering what had felt like such an impossible (yet realistic) trajectory.

Giles, the 20th pick in 2017, rehabbed all of his would-be rookie season and only averaged 14.1 minutes in his actual first go-round in the Association. The Kings declined his fourth-year option in October, and his stat sheet bore a striking resemblance to his previous campaign, this time featuring 14.7 minutes per night.

It's tough to tell where his story goes from him here—other than away from Sacramento, apparently.

"It's very likely that Giles will be playing elsewhere next season," Ham reported.

The Kings may feel like they're close to making a playoff trip (this season wasn't as encouraging as expected, but making it inside the bubble was at least an accomplishment) and could decide investing more developmental minutes in the 22-year-old won't help that pursuit.

Plus, as Jason Anderson noted for the Sacramento Bee, the collective bargaining agreement limits with the Kings can offer ($3.97 million in the first year with eight percent annual raises), so external suitors may have more money and minutes to offer.

Prediction: Giles signs two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs.