NBA Free Agents 2020: Montrezl Harrell and Players with Most to Gain in Orlando

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The 2019-20 NBA championship isn't the only thing on the line inside the Orlando-based bubble.

For free-agents-to-be, there are millions of dollars at stake in Florida.

If they rise to the occasion and shine under basketball's brightest lights, their bank account will be thanking them for years to come. Should they stumble, though, their next contracts could be sliced well below expectations, especially with the league facing a financial crunch.

Let's take a closer look at three players who will be closely monitored by free-agency shoppers.

Montrezl Harrell, C, Los Angeles Clippers

Armed with a significant role on one of basketball's top heavyweight contenders, the spotlight is sure to shine on Montrezl Harrell. Whether that's a good or bad thing is to be determined.

In a best-case scenario, the 6'7″ big man is a wrecking ball of hustle, determination and game-changing scoring ability. His combination of quickness, strength and skill proves virtually unstoppable, and he shows how he's been good for 23.3 points per 36 minutes on 60.7 percent shooting since the start of 2017-18.

But there's another universe in which his scoring is too sporadic and his defense is disastrous. If the Clippers run into a team with size—like the Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokic—Harrell's lack of it could stand out as a fatal flaw. And if he struggles to score against postseason defenses, any suitors with visions of him joining their starting five might second-guess his ability to do so.

“Harrell could go from [being] an $18 million guy to a $12 million guy,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

Paul Millsap, PF, Denver Nuggets

There isn't a question over whether a pay cut is coming for Paul Millsap. That's definitely happening. He's a 35-year-old making $30.5 million. No one will value him to that degree moving forward.

Saying that, this playoff run will shape just how severe the financial hit becomes.

If he looks his age—he averaged his fewest points since 2009-10 and fewest minutes since 2007-08—there's a chance he finds only the mid-level exception available to him this offseason. Contenders are already crunched for cash, and as a veteran glue guy, he'll have little (if any) appeal to rebuilders.

But he has a chance to show he's still a two-way difference-maker. If that sounds ambitious, the stat sheet argues that's what he's been doing all season. The Nuggets are a whopping 12.0 points better per 100 possessions with him than without, which is by far the biggest net differential of their rotation players.

If he's on top of his game, opposing clubs could easily see him as their missing piece. Whether it's the Miami Heat loading up for a championship run or the Phoenix Suns trying to finally crack the playoff field, they could throw a not insignificant offer his direction if he hints that he's still worth it.

Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets

A pay raise seems imminent for Joe Harris. The two-year, $16 million deal he's finishing up has ranked favorably among basketball's best bargains, as he has established himself as an elite shooter with the ability to contribute in other areas.

But he now has the ability to seize the spotlight and rocket the value of his next contract. With Brooklyn's roster ripped apart by injuries, illnesses and opt-out decisions, he could easily be looking at a featured offensive role.

That could be great news for his finances. He is best known among casual fans for his three-point cannon. He's not only one of 41 players to hit at least 500 threes since 2016-17, but he also has the best perimeter connection rate among that group (42.7). He's also a skilled scorer around the basket (career 64.2 percent within three feet), a willing defender and a ball-mover.

However, his game isn't guaranteed to scale up to a bigger role. He hasn't needed to generate much of his own offense, as 73.9 percent of his career twos and 96.2 percent of his threes have come off of assists, per Basketball Reference. Tack on the fact he'll also be receiving more defensive attention than usual, and there's a chance his percentages plummet.

Again, he's probably done enough to this point to improve on his current salary, but the size of that increase will be determined in the bubble.

Free Traffic Real Traffic At Your Finger Tips

Get Traffic With Zero Money Down

Join with bonus

Subscribe to Centenunlimited news

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe