NBA free agency is coming up after the NBA draft which always makes the offseason more fun. Which player will decide to sign where and how much of an impact will that have. Although this free agency isn’t going to be as stacked as next year (Kawhi/LeBron/PG13/Giannis/etc.) but they still have some decent players. There are some intriguing players like Fred VanVleet, Montrezl Harrell, Danilo Gallinari, and others.
Let’s get into some possible destinations for these top NBA free agents for this upcoming free agency…
Fred VanVleet, UFA
The Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has been on a rocket upwards trend after the 2019 NBA playoffs. He played really well in the playoffs and didn’t disappoint to play well in the regular season the following year too. He averaged 17.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 6.6 APG as a starter for the Raptors which is actually quite impressive. He shot 41.3% from the field which is subpar but shot 39% from three-point land which is pretty good. Not to mention, he also ranked #4 in steals in the whole league at 1.9 steals per game.
Some think that he might decide to resign with the Raptors and call it a day but some see him also going to a new team and becoming the focal point or the leader. I can see some teams looking to throw a lot of money at him… cue in the Knicks and the Pistons. The Knicks have been needing a player like Fred VanVleet that can score and bring some playmaking to the team. Not to mention, VanVleet also has a championship pedigree to add to a young Knicks team. The Pistons are another team that might throw some money Vanvleet’s way to pair with Derrick Rose.
Possible Destinations: Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons
Montrezl Harrell, UFA
Montrezl Harrell is one of the more interesting free agents this upcoming free agency. He played really well in the regular season but kind of slowed down in the playoffs. He averaged 18.6 PPG and 7.1 RPG on 58% from the field coming off the bench. Those are pretty good numbers for a player starting, but for a bench player… elite.
Harrell provides hustle and a grit to a team wherever he goes. Whether it was when he was with the Rockets or more recently with the Clippers. Harrell plays really well on the inside and can score pretty well on that end. His outside scoring and shooting ability being nonexistent does become a problem though. Nonetheless, he’s a player that brings toughness and scoring ability from the 4/5 position.
I could see him landing with the Phoenix Suns or the Hornets. The Suns are going to be looking to make a push in the playoffs and getting a player with toughness like Harrell will be needed so. Harrell would come in and become the starting 4 immediately and bring a grit to the team that they need for sure. The Hornets can either decide to bring Harrell off the bench or start him instead of PJ Washington. Hornets need scorers in the frontcourt and Harrell would give them that instantly.
Possible Destinations: Phoenix Suns or Charlotte Hornets
Bogdan Bogdanovic, RFA
Bogdan Bogdanovic becomes an interesting player just because he’s a restricted free agent and a lot of teams have interest in him. The 3rd year player averaged an efficient 15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG on 44% from the field and 37.2% from 3 point land. A lot of teams are looking at Bogdan Bogdanovic being that 3-point shooter they can consistently rely on and a pure scorer.
Bogdanovic is still relatively young considering he’s only 27 years old and still has potential to grow into more. I’m not saying Bogdanovic is going to be an All-star or anything but he’s definitely a player that can grow into an 18-20 PPG player for sure.
A lot of championship-contending teams are looking at Bogdanovic to add to their team… most notably the Bucks and the Lakers. The Bucks would be the perfect team for Bogdanovic to pair with Khris Middleton and Giannis. They desperately need 3-point shooters and Bogdan would give them just that. The Lakers would want to add a consistent three-point threat to their team in Bogdan and he’d fit in just right as well. Now with him being a restricted free agent, the Kings could just say no and decide to match any offer given to him. There are some rumors that they might, but if the offer is too good… look for Bogdanovic to be on a new team.
Possible Destinations: Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, and Milwaukee Bucks
Danilo Gallinari, UFA
Gallinari has been sort of a journeyman in the past few years playing for 3 different teams in the past 4 years. Besides all that, Gallinari has been a solid player while doing so. In his past year with the Thunder, he averaged 18.7 PPG and 5.2 RPG on 43.8% from the field and 40.5% from three. He’s one of the better big man that can shoot the ball and definitely going to be wanted by many teams.
He’s pretty excited himself to be a free agent:
Gallinari in his 30s probably would want to go to a championship-contending team. A team like the Houston Rockets or the Dallas Mavericks could be quite interesting for him. The Rockets are always looking to add shooters around James Harden and one way to do so would be to add Gallinari to the team. Mavericks could use Gallinari to pair with Porzingis and Doncic on the team and give themselves another shooter as well.
Possible Destinations: Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets
