NBA Free Agency 2020: Predictions for Goran Dragic, Fred VanVleet, More

The only thing we know about the 2020 NBA free-agency period is that we don't know anything.

We don't have a start date. We don't know the league's cap situation. All we have is a player list and some vague hope that someday soon we'll be in a world of #WojBombs populating our phones.

Will that stop us from speculating on what's to come? Absolutely not. Here is a look at a couple of names that are going to make the rounds on the open market. 

Goran Dragic

Barring something wildly unforeseen, Goran Dragic is staying with the Heat. His value was apparent throughout the playoffs, with the Slovenian leading Miami in scoring and the team desperately missing his scoring punch when he went down in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

There may be no player in the league who benefited more financially from the bubble. While it's possible some team could lavish the 34-year-old with a big-money, short-term contract, he seems settled and happy in Miami.

"I want to be happy," Dragic told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. "I'm at that stage of my career where it's not only about me. It's about my family, my kids, my wife. I do have to admit, I'm really happy."

Smart money is on Dragic agreeing to pretty sizable one-year deal, in the $15-20 million range. The move's a win-win for both sides.

The veteran guard gets a one-year balloon payment that he wouldn't necessarily receive from a team offering a long-term deal and gets to re-enter free agency when the NBA's financial situation is (hopefully) more settled. The Heat, meanwhile, get to run back last season's Finals team while also preserving their 2021 cap space, which they hope to use on a star to pair with Jimmy Butler.

At age 34, it's unlikely Dragic would get much more than a two- or three-year deal from any other suitor regardless. So, the Heat may be able to give him a one-year bump for 2020-21 before he ultimately settles into something like the mid-level to remain in Miami the following offseason.

Prediction: 1-year, $17.5 million with Heat

Fred VanVleet

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The NBA's uncertain cap situation may be crushing for Fred VanVleet, one of the few free agents who were expected to attract a bidding war this offseason. 

The 26-year-old's best bet at cashing in to the maximum possible value is the Raptors really wanting to keep him. I don't see that happening.

Toronto appears primed for a hard reset, with VanVleet, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka all hitting free agency and Kyle Lowry coming off the books a year later. The Raptors vision themselves as a contender in the 2021 free-agent sweepstakes, and president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri probably wants to keep the books as bare as possible aside from Pascal Siakam's extension.

That leaves VanVleet to fend on the open market, where he's almost certainly going to find tepid waters. No one quite knows what to expect from the 2020-21 season at this point. The only way the league won't see a significant cap hit is an agreement on smoothing, which would potentially lessen the blow on the guard's prospects.

One of the few teams with near-certain cap room available and a glaring hole at point guard is the New York Knicks, who will likely undergo a roster revamping this offseason. They're almost certain to decline team options for Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson and Wayne Ellington, which would free up more than $34 million i in space. Elfrid Payton's $8 million salary also only carries $1 million in guarantees, so the team has a chance to lop off more than $40 million if necessary.

Tom Thibodeau isn't going to walk into his first season in New York with a bare-bones roster, completely depleted of veteran faces. It's just not in his nature. VanVleet is also a player right up Thibs' alley, a hard worker who has grinded his way up from obscurity to become a quality NBA starting point guard.

With plenty of years still remaining in his prime, VanVleet fits into whatever window the Knicks want and would represent a splash for Thibs and Leon Rose heading into next season. 

Prediction: 4 years, $80 million with Knicks