Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series on the free-agent class of 2020.
The 2020 free-agent class is definitely uninspiring, but will still shape the NBA over the next few seasons. Unlike big men, where a shift in demand has led to a brutal market, point guards have immense value around the league. Here, the challenge in the 2020 class is a lack of supply.
Since this three-piece series will split the upcoming free-agent class into point guards, wings and big men, there will inevitably be some tough classification decisions. The point guard/wing distinction is the easiest one, as most players are fairly clearly in one camp or the other. Even if there are disagreements, every potential free agent will be considered in one of the three pieces.
There are a lot of ways to think about a free-agent class but one of the most useful is to break it up by expected salary. That leads to natural categories: max players, non-max but above the $9.8…
