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How the NBA trade deadline sets up 2020 free agency

The 12 trades that teams made in the 48 hours before the 2020 NBA trade deadline is a preview of what to expect this offseason. With salary-cap space in short supply, the transaction game will have to come more by trades than lucrative free-agent contracts.

After the combined $4 billion spent on more than 150 players last July, teams don't have much cap room to use on a class that projects to be average at best.

Also there are teams such as the New York Knicks, who could have $50 million in cap space in 2020 but likely will choose to bypass free agency and wait until 2021, when we could see another historic free-agent class.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, let's take a look at what we should expect this summer.