NBA Free Agency 2020: Predictions for Serge Ibaka, Danilo Gallinari, Altro | Bleacher report

This year, the free NBA agency will begin on October 18 following a bumpy season for 2019-20.

Teams may be reluctant to offer profitable contracts due to the potential revenue loss linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the best free agents could settle for less with limited money to get around.

Nonetheless, the contenders will find ways to renew or acquire talent for the thrusts in a title in 2021. The general managers do not have to show off, but they can fill in the gaps with veteran pieces useful to complete the strong rosters.

We will project landing points for important unrestricted free agents such as Serge Ibaka and Danilo Gallinari. Will the Toronto Raptors lose a key player in their rotation? Should an emerging competitor from the Eastern Conference take an active approach to the open market?

F Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors

Eric Gay / Associated Press

In the last season, the Raptors lost forward superstar Kawhi Leonard against the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, but the club hasn’t hit bottom without him. The champions rank second (46-18) in the East as teams prepare to resume the 2019-20 season in the bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Coach Nick Nurse has put together the cumulative talent to keep the Raptors in contention for the playoffs.

Behind emerging All-Star striker Pascal Siakam and guard Kyle Lowry, Toronto has a solid rotation of actors, including Ibaka, who is still effective on both sides of the pitch in her eleventh season.

Depending on the matchup, Ibaka shifts between initial training and a primary role off the bench. He started 27 out of 50 games this season, playing only 5.

Ibaka spoke with Matthew Rodrigo about Behind the podcast of the network in April and revealed that he plans to stay in Toronto.

“This place is beautiful … It is a wonderful city, wonderful people here and then we have one of the best teams”, Ibaka said. “Why leave? “

Ibaka does not have the last word, but the Raptors could bring him back, continue using it at 5 and allow the 35-year-old center Marc Gasol to hit the open market in October.

Prediction: Ibaka signs again with the Raptors.

F Danilo Gallinari, Oklahoma City Thunder

Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press

At 31, Gallinari became one of the best shooters at 4. This season, he shot down 165 three pointers with a percentage of around 41%.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is tied to the Houston Rockets for the fifth (40-24) in the Western Conference, which is a surprise after the front office dumped Paul George and supervises Russell Westbrook in separate deals this season.

In addition to guards Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder, Gallinari provides a front line balance to a solid list. Because of its ability to stretch the floor, it is going to gain wide interest in the open market. John Hollinger of The Athletic estimates that the 6’10 “, 233-pound sharpshooter can cost as much as $ 25 million.

“If the Thunder entertain ideas on how to keep Danilo Gallinari at a price of between 20 and 25 million dollars, a lower tax line makes it much more difficult,” Hollinger wrote. “Not impossible, but more difficult.”

At this stage of his career, Gallinari may want to play for a strong contender. In 12 campaigns, his teams made four trips to the playoffs, all going out in the first round. He missed the 2013 post-season due to a torn ACL.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Miami Heat tried to acquire Gallinari and sign it for an extension before the 2020 commercial deadline, but the three-team deal was not made. Team president Pat Riley may make another attempt in hopes of pairing the Thunder forward with Bam Adebayo in the backcourt.

The Heat would have starred in Jimmy Butler, a budding talent with Adebayo and Gallinari to maintain the impressive three point shooting percentage of the offense (.383).

Prediction: Gallinari signs with the Heat.

G Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks

Brandon Dill / Associated Press

Between injuries and roster rebuilds, Jeff Teague did not go well with his last two teams.

Minnesota coach Timberwolves Ryan Saunders turned to the younger talent as his club sank to the bottom of the rankings. Teague went on the bench as rookie Jarrett Culver took on a bigger role.

The front office swapped the veteran guard at the Atlanta Hawks in January, but Teague did not benefit from a change of scenery. Hawks chief executive Travis Schlenk made a sincere assessment of the guard’s time in Atlanta, according to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner.

“I think Jeff struggled to feel comfortable in the role he was in here,” Schlenk said in May. “Even though he got off the Minnesota bench, he was really getting 30 minutes a night.”

Teague is expected to try to sign with a competitor in the fall. It can fill a void in the defense zone as a distributor and scorer. During a bad 2019-20 campaign, the 32-year-old averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 assists per game.

If Teague leaves money on the table to play for a contender, he would fit in with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have gone in search of a ball manager this season, attempting to lure guard Darren Collison out of retirement.

Lakers’ guard Rajon Rondo has averaged 20.5 career minutes per game for 48 games this season. Even if he recovers from thumb surgery, Los Angeles can try to improve his position with a slightly younger and more efficient marker at 1.

Prediction: Teague signs with the Lakers.