NBA Free Agency 2019: Following the Los Angeles Clippers' reported big moves, which team is the favourite to win the 2020 NBA title?

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The Los Angeles Clippers shook up the NBA landscape after signing free agent Kawhi Leonard to a four-year deal and trading for Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Paul George.

The new star duo immediately puts the Clippers in title contention for next season, alongside the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, while teams like the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz will all be looking to make strong playoff pushes.

With the league wide-open, which team will be the favourite to win the NBA championship in 2020?

Benyam Kidane (BenyamKidane): It's the year of LeBron

Now that the dust has settled, I still like the tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis to bring a championship to the Lakers next season.

Sure, their bench could use some more depth (which they will likely add soon), but signing veterans like Danny Green and Jared Dudley could prove crucial come playoff time, with the Lakers adding more shooting around LeBron.

While the competition is wide-open, the NBA is a 'talent league' and the Lakers have two of the five best players in the league.

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Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13): It’s going to be the most wide-open season we’ve had potentially ever with as many as 8-10 teams that can talk themselves into having a legitimate shot.

That said I think that the Clippers are the favourite to win the title. We obviously know that Kawhi Leonard is special and might be the best player in the entire league.

MORE: Who are the best players in the NBA?

It is hard to overstate how great of a fit that Paul George is next to Kawhi. He just finished in the top three in both MVP and DPOY voting and was second in the league in scoring behind only James Harden.

Those two are probably the best perimeter defensive duo since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Add in Patrick Beverley and that is going to be a nightmare to score on for any of the other 29 teams.

Lou Williams is a great third scorer off the bench. Landry Shamet is the perfect floor spacer. Montrezl Harrell brings yet more toughness and tenacity. Doc Rivers is a championship winning coach.

This team is going to be nasty.

Yash Matange (@yashmatange2694): LA Clippers. 

I might be living in the moment but the franchise has got all major boxes ticked. By signing Kawhi Leonard and trading for Paul George without losing any of their major cogs from last season in Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley, the Clippers are a very realistic title contender in the very open Western Conference.

They have a world-class coach in Doc Rivers, who last year, led a team that had no All-Stars to 48 wins.

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The management since the addition of Jerry West as a consultant has hardly put a foot wrong. More importantly, the franchise's front office seems stable and has not made any knee-jerk deals in recent years that have backfired.  

Gilbert McGregor (@GMcGregor21): After all that's transpired, I think it's safe to say the favourite resides in Los Angeles.

To be a bit more specific, I'm in complete agreement with BK in that I'll give the nod to LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers to win the title this year. 

Last season was a 'down year' for LeBron James – he averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists over 55 games. I look at his lingering injury as a product of eight-straight Finals runs and his body needing a break after he essentially played 10 seasons in eight years. Now, he's rejuvenated, recharged and motivated to put any doubts surrounding his game to rest.

On top of that, LeBron's got AD on his side now, and we cannot underestimate just how much star power that is and just how well they'll fit.

MORE: How Davis fits with LeBron and the Lakers

Similar to the effect LeBron's injury had on our impression of LeBron's first season as a Laker, the noise surrounding Davis's final season with the Pelicans caused some to disregard just how good he is. He only appeared in 56 games (for various reasons) but managed to average 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds and a career-high 3.9 assists.

Whether or not he's the best running mate LeBron has ever had remains to be seen, but it's certainly not far-fetched.

While missing out on Kawhi is tough,  the depth of this roster can be tailored to fit around its two superstars, which could ultimately be for the best.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.

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