NBA Free Agents 2020: Latest Rumors and Predictions for Top Scorers

While most of the other top NBA free agents have secured new deals, Anthony Davis has taken the patient approach to signing a new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Davis is not expected to change teams, but he has to decide which contract approach is best for his future. 

One of the players traded to the New Orleans Pelicans to acquire Davis is also taking his time before locking in his long-term future.

Brandon Ingram received a qualifying offer from New Orleans, but he has not put pen to paper on anything as a restricted free agent yet. 

Barring a shocking turn of events, Davis and Ingram should be back with their respective teams for the long-term future. The question left with both players is how long their contracts will be.

Latest Rumors, Predictions for NBA's Top Scorers

Anthony Davis

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Davis is "on course" to ink a new deal with the Lakers. 

Davis declined his player option to become an unrestricted free agent, but he did that to come to terms on a new contract with the Lakers. 

Wojnarowski mentioned a few of the possible deals Davis could sign, including a three-year, $106 million deal with a player option attached for the 2022-23 campaign that would align his deal with LeBron James' current contract. 

James and Davis are on course to contend for multiple titles during their partnership in Los Angeles, and the Lakers should be viewed as the favored side in the Western Conference for the 2020-21 season. 

While the Lakers wait on Davis' final decision, they have upgraded the roster around their leading scorer.

Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews, Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell have been brought in to strengthen the team's depth, and in some cases, add more youth to a roster that featured plenty of veteran stars last season. 

With an improved supporting cast in place, Davis should match or improve the 26.1 points per game he totaled during his first season with the Lakers. 

The presence of Schroder and Matthews in the backcourt should force opponents to defend the perimeter more, which would leave Davis open for more one-on-one matchups down low.

The West does have a slew of dominant big men, but Davis proved during the Lakers' title run that he can deal with whoever opposing teams throw at him. 

Since Davis and James have bought into the Lakers' run at another dynasty, it would make sense for the big man to lock into a deal at a similar length as his star teammate. 

James is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022, when he turns 37, and if Davis wants to tie his future to James, he could sign the three-year deal with the player option attached. 

Prediction: Davis signs three-year deal with Lakers. 

Brandon Ingram

Yahoo's Keith Smith reported at the start of free agency that Ingram was offered a qualifying sheet by the Pelicans, which makes him a restricted free agent. 

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported that teams around the NBA expected Ingram to be one of the players to sign a max contract when free agency began.

That could still be what Ingram and the Pelicans are working toward, but for now, other teams can try to match the Pelicans' offer sheet if they so choose. 

Ingram proved in his first season with the Pelicans that he is more than deserving of a max contract. He increased his points per game total by 5.8 and produced the highest three-point percentage of his career. 

Ingram's qualifying offer sits at $9.4 million. He made a base salary of $7.2 million last season, but a max deal would blow both of those numbers away. 

If the Pelicans finalize a long-term max deal with Ingram, the player would be rewarded for his increased totals, and the franchise would have a star player to build around with Zion Williamson. 

A one-two punch of Williamson and Ingram should help New Orleans improve its standing in the Western Conference.

The Pelicans may not be the top side in the conference, but they have a chance to be in the middle of the playoff seeding if Ingram and Williamson continue to progress.

Prediction: Ingram stays in New Orleans on max contract.

Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.

Contract information from Spotrac.