Brandon Ingram and the best free NBA agents to watch in the bubble

When the NBA resumes on July 30, there will be millions of dollars in the queue for 2020 free agents intending to go to court.

More than 150 players participating in the NBA restart are on track to reach the free agency in October, and a misstep could prove costly for a player looking for a new deal. Last month, Washington Wizards striker Davis Bertan gave up playing in the bubble so he could maximize his earning potential and avoid the risk of injury.

And it’s not just the players who hit the free agency this fall who are worried. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in June that several 2017 draft class stars who will be eligible for extension this fall, such as Boston Celtics winger Jayson Tatum and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, spoke to the National Basketball Players Association about possible insurance payments.

But for most players – like New Orleans striker Pelicans Brandon Ingram – participating in Orlando is a risk they are willing to take. Here’s what’s at stake, the decision making process for players and teams and the 10 most interesting free agents to watch in Orlando.

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Brandon Ingram is the face of the looming challenges of free agents

With Anthony Davis likely to remain in Los Angeles, Ingram has an excellent case as the best free agent in the 2020 class, hitting the market as an All-Star under the age of 25. He will likely receive a significant increase in his current $ 7 million salary, but faces the same challenges as any free agent within the bubble, including:

In looking for a potential maximum deal, Ingram also has to deal with his limited status (giving pelicans the ability to match any offer sheet), his injury history and a relatively small stellar game champion. But he told reporters on July 6 that he never considered not showing up in Orlando to protect his body.

“I didn’t see it as if I had a choice to go or not,” said Ingram. “My teammates knew I had no doubts. I just want to play basketball at the end of the day.”

One of the reasons why Ingram was so busy playing dates back to the deep fear of venous thrombosis in his right shoulder that ended his 2018-19 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ingram underwent chest outlet decompression surgery in his right arm that March, interrupting his season after a long period of effective scoring. He was swapped to New Orleans during the summer, but due to his recovery schedule, Ingram was not allowed to contact until September. This prevented the pelicans from looking at it well before the start of the season.

Ingram was heading into her fourth NBA season, which meant she was entitled to an extension of her beginner’s contract, but when the pelicans wanted to see what she looked like in action before coming to terms with a new deal, Ingram found herself a victim. of bad luck.

In the 2017 CBA deal, the league moved the deadline to agree on extensions for beginner offerings from Halloween to the day before the regular season starts. According to the old rules, New Orleans would have had four games to watch Ingram, which in that section had an average of 27.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 blocks, achieving a percentage of goals on the field 53.4% ​​effective.

Ingram told ESPN in December that the message the pelicans received was that they wanted to see how he had recovered before making a new contract offer.

“I couldn’t do anything but respect it,” Ingram said at the time.

Sources inside the pelicans front office claim that they see Ingram as a fundamental block for the future. Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, Pelicans, told reporters on June 30 that he believes Ingram and Lonzo Ball, who are eligible for extension after the season, both want to continue in New Orleans.

“We will continue to work from that point of view because they have been very, very clear in their wishes to continue their career here,” said Griffin.

And even with millions of people at stake, Ingram insists that contractual matters don’t come to mind as the season picks up.

“This is more for after the season,” said Ingram. “This season, I was so focused on being with my teammates and just playing basketball after being off the road last year when I couldn’t finish the season. This year it was for me to go out and show where I belong and excel this new space. I think playing in this could help me. ” – Andrew Lopez

The best free agents to watch on reboot

Despite uncertainty about the league’s finances, some players are still confident of getting maximum contracts in October. Anthony Davis and Donovan Mitchell both meet these criteria. But Ingram leads a group of free agents who face many rebooting questions, which can affect their off-season value in Orlando.

Here’s a look at the 10 most intriguing free agents who are still playing, as well as what to expect in their off-season negotiations based on conversations with league insiders.