NBA Free Agency 2020: Rumors and Predictions for Gordon Hayward and More
It's finally here.
It's four months later than its normal spot on the league calendar, but NBA free agency will finally get one step closer to kicking off Friday at 6 p.m. ET, when teams can legally contact players and agents. Players aren't actually free to begin signing with new teams until Sunday at 12:01 p.m. ET
Of course, if you believe there have been no such negotiations this week leading up to Friday's free-for-all, you are a pure-hearted optimist.
The 2020-21 salary cap is $109,140,000, the same as it was last season. So while we're in a period of financial uncertainty, at least NBA teams don't have less cap space to work with this season than they did last year—which would have been the case if the cap for the upcoming season was based on projected revenue, as is usually done.
There are plenty of intriguging storylines to follow in free agency this year; Gordon Hayward has finally opted out of his player option with the Boston Celtics to become a free agent, Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley has declined his player option and we even have an NBA investigation of the reported Sacramento Kings Milwaukee Bucks Bogdan Bogdanovic sign-and-trade. Exciting!
Let's take a closer look at three active rumors heading into NBA free agency.
Champion Avery Bradley Opts Out, Drawing Interest from Bucks and Warriors
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He came, he saw, he technically won championship...and now he's leaving.
Avery Bradley, who won his first NBA championship last season with the Los Angeles Lakers in his first season with them, has opted out of his $5 million player option for the 2020-21 season, as The Athletic's Shams Charania reported.
The Lakers could still look to bring Bradley back on a longer contract. However, the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks are just two of the teams hoping to lure the two-time NBA All-Defensive Team member to their squads, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.
Bradley opted not to play in the NBA's bubble this past season, citing family reasons. But he was the team's starting point guard for most of the season prior to that.
The Lakers, especially LeBron James, benefited greatly from Bradley's defensive prowess during his partial season in L.A. But they also were clearly able to win a ring without him and don't need to offer more than they think he's worth. Given that he hasn't played basketball in months, even with the Bucks' and Warriors' interest, it would seem the Lakers hold some leverage.
Trail Blazers Interested in Nuggets Free Agent Paul Millsap
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Denver Nuggets veteran big man Paul Millsap is prepared to "weigh his options" as free agency gets underway, according to the Denver Post's Mike Singer. And the Nuggets have made it clear they'd like him to return.
But now they have some competition, in the form of the Portland Trail Blazers. Per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, the Blazers are still reeling from Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers tearing through their bigs and are interested in Millsap's veteran "leadership, tough defense and shooting."
The 35-year-old power forward played in 51 regular season games (48 starts) with the Nuggets last season, averaging 11.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
But Denver also saw 26-year-old Jerami Grant emerge last season, averaging 12 points per game and shooting 38 percent from three-point range. Given that Grant has declined his player option for 2020, the Nuggets' interest in retaining Millsap could be very real and yet not a priority at the same time.
Knicks 'Aggressively' Pursuing Gordon Hayward
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It's the end of an era...probably.
As The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Thursday, after a lot of public speculation, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has opted out of his $34.2 million deal for the 2020-21 season and will become this offseason's biggest unrestricted free agent on Friday.
Hayward was initially working under a deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday to inform Boston whether or not he was choosing to opt out, but the team agreed to push it back to Thursday. Hence, the nonstop Twitter chatter and churning of the rumor mill for most of this week as it seemed Hayward would, then wouldn't opt in, and would, then wouldn't be traded.
When Hayward signed a four-year max contract with the Celtics in 2017, fans were sure a championship would soon follow. But it's been a roller-coaster ride for both parties, with Hayward suffering a foot and ankle injury in his first game with the team that would force him to miss the rest of that season.
This past season, Hayward broke a bone in his hand in November. Then, in first-round bubble play against the Philadelphia 76ers, he suffered a right ankle sprain and wouldn't return until the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat.
According to the New York Times' Marc Stein, the New York Knicks are being "aggressive" in their pursuit of Hayward, and surely hope to win him over with their expansive cap space. Stein also notes the Indiana Pacers pursued Hayward via trade.
The Celtics could still attempt to re-sign Hayward, but they're not able to compete financially with some of his other suitors. And after all the tumult of the last three years, both parties may just be ready for a fresh start.
