NBA free agency is moving fast.
The only real difference maker is Paul George. They’re moving to the East Coast and threatening Philadelphia.. Klay Thompson leaves the Warriors — that still feels weird — and brought shooting and championship experience to Dallas. James Harden stayed in place.meanwhile Oklahoma City acquires Isaiah Hartenstein (And Alex Caruso via trade).
Who’s left? Here are the top 10 free agents still available as of the evening of July 2nd:
(Note: LeBron James isn’t on this list because he’s a free agent in name only and isn’t leaving the Lakers. The only question is whether GM Rob Pelinka will trade for a player good enough to give LeBron a discount or if he’ll have to max it out.)
DeMar DeRozan
The Alex Caruso trade gave DeRozan a winning edge. He wants to win, but there’s no clear path to do so in Chicago (ignoring the fact that hasn’t been the case for several years and just accepting that). DeRozan is a mid-range assassin who averaged 24 points per game last season and was strong when it counted. He’s not a great defender, but he’s an All-Star caliber player and is clearly the best player available right now.
DeRozan and the Miami Heat reportedly have mutual interest, while the Lakers have also been in talks with DeRozan about returning him to his Southern California roots, which may hinge on who can come up with a sign-and-trade that would pay him above the mid-level exception and for the more significant years at age 34. (LeBron James would reportedly take a salary discount to make room for DeRozan to come to Los Angeles.)
Buddy Hield
Every team needs shooters, and Hield is one of the best, averaging 12.1 points per game last season and shooting 38.6% from three-point range. However, his performance in Philadelphia wasn’t what either team expected. Hield is playing for the Bahamas in Olympic qualifiers. Playing without an NBA contract is rare and risky (if injured). He scored 24 points in the opening game.
Hield has been heavily rumored to be in line to join the Warriors in a sign-and-trade deal following the departure of Klay Thompson, and it looks like that’s what’s going to happen, with the Kings also known to be interested.
Tyus Jones
There are plenty of teams in need of a low-turnover floor general (but most are turning to flash players instead), and Jones could help a lot of them. He averaged 12 points and 7.3 assists per game for the low-ranked Wizards last season.
Jones was expecting a starter-level salary, but that appears to be gone now, and the Wizards are exploring sign-and-trade options that could move Jones to a playoff team for a salary above the mid-level exception.
Caleb Martin
Martin should have been named Eastern Conference Finals MVP a little over a year ago (Jimmy Butler won the award). This season, the athletic 3-and-D wing is averaging 10 points per game on 34.9% 3-point shooting while also playing good on-ball defense. There have been reports that the Heat want to keep him, but the Heat only have about $3 million in the second tax apron, not enough to re-sign Martin without other moves (the Heat are considering a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan, which could lead to more moves).
Gary Trent Jr.
For teams looking for a floor spacer, Trent Jr. is also a shooter. He averaged 13.7 points per game and shot 39.3% from three-point range last season for the Raptors. While it’s his defense (or lack thereof) that’s holding the team back, Trent Jr. can help a lot of teams. Trent Jr. may be coming to terms with the reality that he won’t make the $18.6 million he made last season and may not even get the full mid-level exception ($12.8 million).
One challenge for Trent Jr. is that the shooting guard depth in this class was relatively deep, including Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Malik Monk and De’Anthony Melton, but Trent Jr. should now be at the forefront.
Malik Beasley
Another shooter still available (remember that if a team’s shooting shortfall becomes evident in December). He bounced back from a tough season with the Lakers and reminded everyone playing against the Bucks what a good shooter he is, averaging 11.3 points per game on 41.3% 3-pointers. Not a great defender, but offers important skills. All we know is he’s not returning to Milwaukee. The Rockets were initially interested but have been quiet lately. Some team will pick him up as a bargain.
Miles Bridges
In terms of pure talent, he’s ranked too low. He should be #2 or #3 on this list. He averaged 21 points per game last season for Charlotte, is a beast in transition, and is a physical wing who has mastered the 3-point shot (34.9% last season). If you add him to your team, some media and fans will ask you questions about his past domestic violence incident (he was put on probation and suspended by the league, but the charges were dropped in a subsequent incident).
Charlotte made an offer to Bridges, who wanted more compensation, and there were rumors of interest from teams with cap space such as Orlando and Utah. The latest interest is from the Clippers regarding a possible sign-and-trade, and while that story is true, negotiations between the two sides are likely still a long way off.
Isaac Okoro
The backup wing hasn’t developed as much as Cleveland hoped, but he’s a solid rotation player. Okoro can guard multiple positions and has improved offensively, averaging 9.4 points per game and shooting 39.1% from three-point range last season. There are rumors that the Pistons are interested in him.
Saddiq Bey
The wing is a position of need throughout the league, and Bey can play defense there and score a little bit off the bounce. He’s also a strong rebounder. The problem is that he just returned from an ACL injury that caused him to miss the first half of the season and may not be at his full potential throughout the season. Because of his injury, news on Bey has been a little quiet, but he’ll likely be on the roster at some point this season.
Markelle Fultz
The former No. 1 draft pick flew under everyone’s radar, but he averaged 7.8 points per game last season and developed into a solid rotation point guard in Orlando. Things have been relatively quiet for Fultz, but he’ll likely be in the mix if the team needs a reliable backup point guard.
It’s just missing this list: Precious Achiuwa, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dario Saric, Alec Burks and Taurean Prince.
