NBA Free Agents 2020: Predictions, Landing Spots for Top Available Players

NBA free agency waits for no one—not even a newly crowned champion.

While the champagne was still raining over the Los Angeles Lakers' title win on Sunday, star big man Anthony Davis was pressed about his plans for his upcoming $28.8 million player option.

We'll get to the big fella's response in a bit, but the bigger takeaway is the unofficial opening of the market that comes as soon as that final buzzer sounds. All 30 teams are officially in offseason mode, which means myriad eyes are on the leading free-agent hoopers in this class.

We'll breakdown the situations of the top free agents and predict where they'll likely be suiting up next season.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

It's hard to imagine Davis exercising his option, as even in a depressed market, he can probably collect more coin than the player option is worth. It's even harder to fathom him leaving Hollywood behind after he orchestrated his arrival and was instantly rewarded with a starring role on a championship club.

Saying that, the 27-year-old was asked for information about his intentions and responded that, for now, nothing is set in stone.

"I have no idea," Davis told reporters. "I don't know."

When further pressed, he offered little more but did say his first season with the Lakers "has been nothing but joy, nothing but amazement."

Other teams can craft various pitches. The Atlanta Hawks can give him a featured role and an electric copilot in Trae Young, and the Chicago Bulls can supply all the comforts of home.

But who has more to offer than L.A.? Stay put, and he'll continue chasing championships in the Association's most glamorous market alongside four-time champ and recently minted unanimous MVP LeBron James.

The length of Davis' next contract could be undecided, but the location is almost certainly cemented.

Prediction: Davis declines option but signs new deal with Lakers.

Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans

Part of getting Davis to L.A. entailed sending Brandon Ingram, the second overall pick in 2016, to the Big Easy.

While the Pels probably weren't thrilled about having to part with Davis, at least Ingram made for quite the consolation prize. The 23-year-old finally (and fully) tapped into his alluring potential and wound up securing both his first All-Star selection and the 2019-20 Most Improved Player award.

His stat sheet was essentially a never-ending loop of personal bests. Among the highlights were his 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists, along with career-bests in three-point (39.1) and free-throw (85.1) percentages despite more volume in attempts from both areas.

Frankly, Ingram looked like the building block of a forward-focused franchise, and that's apparently how New Orleans plans to treat him.

"He will be a restricted free agent in the offseason and, from people I speak to, has been viewed as a maximum level player," The Athletic's Shams Charania reported. "... This much is certain, according to one source: The Pelicans plan to re-sign Ingram in the summer and have maintained dialogue all season with his agent, Jeff Schwartz."

Restricted free agency can be inherently thorny, as it includes the built-in leverage of allowing a team to force a player to find his own offer sheet than match whatever that contract says he's worth. The Pelicans might want to be more proactive here. That not only allows them to dictate the terms of the new deal, it also sends the message of a clear commitment to winning to 20-year-old centerpiece, Zion Williamson.

Prediction: Pelicans sign Ingram to full max contract.

Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors

The Raptors signed Fred VanVleet as an undrafted free agent in 2016, then watched him blossom into a key contributor on their 2019 championship club and a full-time starter this past season.

In an ideal hoops universe, the next chapters of the 26-year-old's career would continue being scripted north of the border.

"I've been on record about how I feel about this place," VanVleet said on Sportsnet's Tim & Sid last October. "This organization knows how I feel about this place. So in a perfect world, we know what would happen."

Of course, anyone who follows free agency understands the importance of that "in a perfect world" caveat, since the business of basketball can get in the way of storylines fit for Hollywood.

The Raptors surely have interest in keeping VanVleet—one of 14 players to average 17 points, six assists and two three-pointers—but they also have to handle the free agencies of Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol and Chris Boucher. Plus, they must remain as financially flexible as possible to shoot their shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo next offseason.

That means even if VanVleet is priority No. 1 for the Raptors, he's No. 1 with an asterisk. There's a price point Toronto probably won't go past, which our crystal ball sees as his ticket out of town, since several clubs with cap space have uncertainties at point guard, and he's the best possible solution available.

Prediction: VanVleet signs four-year contract with the New York Knicks.