Sports
NBA Free Agents 2020: Rumors, Predictions for Amir Johnson, Gerald Green, More
Kent Smith/Getty ImagesOriginally, the 2020 NBA free agency period was supposed to begin on July 1.But with the suspension of the regular season and now the restart slated for July 30 at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida, the league’s summer of signings has been pushed back to Oct.…
Kent Smith/Getty Images
Originally, the 2020 NBA free agency period was supposed to begin on July 1.
But with the suspension of the regular season and now the restart slated for July 30 at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida, the league's summer of signings has been pushed back to Oct. 18.
That means free agents to watch like DeMar Derozan (San Antonio Spurs), Danilo Gallinari (Oklahoma City Thunder), Paul Misap (Denver Nuggets) and Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans) will have to wait until six hours before the annual moratorium period in the fall to begin negotiating with teams.
Fortunately, though, there are players that don't have to wait until then.
With the number of players opting out of joining their respective teams for the resumed season in the bubble, teams are able to replace them with available free agents.
That's good news for Amir Johnson.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the veteran center has emerged as “a prime target” in the Brooklyn Nets' search to replace DeAndre Jordan, who decided not to play in Orlando.
With the absence of Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Wilson Chandler, Brooklyn has three roster spots available to sign substitute players like Johnson.
The 14-year big man played for the Philadelphia 76ers last year, but hasn't suited up for anyone in 2019-20.
Through 51 games, he averaged 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Johnson is a reliable defender with an array of intangibles that would benefit any team.
If the Nets are able to sign him, it would be for a rest-of-season deal, which would make him an unrestricted agent for the fall.
Should he play well with Brooklyn, it could be the audition he needs to secure a standard contract in October.
Another free agent that was in high demand was Gerald Green.
Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press
Stein reported that “multiple teams” were interested in the veteran forward before June 30, when the league's transaction window closed.
Green chose not to play in the bubble, however, due to the anticipated birth of his child in August.
He's currently available because he was waived by the Denver Nuggets after being traded by the Houston Rockets in a four-team deal back in February.
Sidelined by a broken left foot since the beginning of this season, Green has recovered during the hiatus and was medically cleared to play.
One of the teams that might have re-signed the athletic swingman was his former squad, the Rockets, but GM Daryl Morey lamented that the move wasn't possible.
“Sadly, we cannot sign Gerald back this year by NBA rule,” he wrote on Reddit.
Last season, the former standout at Houston's Gulf Shores Academy averaged 9.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 35.4 percent from deep.
In the Rockets' high-scoring offense, he was a volume three-point shooter and high-flying rim attacker.
Although, Green won't be joining Houston in Orlando, he can still sign with them again this fall as an unrestricted free agent.
Morey couldn't reunite with Green for the restart, but he was able to bring back Luc Mbah a Moute.
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
Mbah a Moute played for the Rockets in 2017-18, when he averaged 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 61 games.
Known as a defensive specialist, the former 37th overall pick in 2008 is also a reliable from behind the arc, shooting 37.4 percent since the start of 2016-17.
The Cameroonian native, who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers, will be replacing Thabo Sefolosha, who opted out of playing in Orlando due to family reasons.
While it's unclear how the 33-year old wing will be able to help Houston as it tries to contend for a championship, head coach Mike D'Antoni will be on the lookout for where he fits in the rotation.
“He hasn’t played in two years,” D’Antoni told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I don’t know. I have no clue. That’s why the three weeks (of workouts) and the eight games will be highly important to get the rotation down. Whether it’s eight, nine or 10 guys, that’ll be determined. Hopefully we can make a good choice there.
“Luc I do know for sure, he’s great on the bench, he’s great in the locker room. That’s going to be a positive. (How) it works out with playing time I don’t know. We’ll just play it by ear.”
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