NBA free agency is changing rapidly.
The only real difference maker, Paul George, moved to the East Coast and made Philadelphia a threat. Klay Thompson leaves the Warriors — it still seems strange — and I brought the experience of shooting and the championship from Dallas. James Harden stayed exactly where he waswhile Oklahoma City Signs Isaiah Hartenstein (and Alex Caruso in an exchange).
Who’s left? Here are the top 10 free agents still available as of the evening of July 2.
(Note: LeBron James is not included in this list because he is a free agent in name only, not leaving the Lakers. The only question is will general manager Rob Pelinka trade for a player good enough for LeBron to accept a discount, or should they max him out?)
DeMar DeRozan
The Alex Caruso trade sealed the deal for DeRozan. He wants to win but he doesn’t see a path to do so in Chicago (ignore the fact that was the case for a few years and let it go). DeRozan is a mid-range assassin who averaged 24 points per game last season and was strong in decisive moments. He’s not a great defender, but he’s an All-Star level player and clearly the best player still available.
There appears to be mutual interest between DeRozan and the Miami Heat, but the Lakers have also had discussions with DeRozan about bringing him back to his Southern California roots. It could come down to who will find a deal to pay more than the mid-level exception and — more importantly for the 34-year-old — years. (LeBron James reportedly would take a pay cut to free up room for DeRozan to come to Los Angeles.)
Buddy Hield
Each team has a sharpshooter and Hield is the best on the board, averaging 12.1 points per game on 38.6 percent from three-point range last season, though his time in Philly didn’t live up to either team’s expectations. Hield is playing for the Bahamas in an Olympic qualifier (it’s rare to do so without an NBA contract and a risk (if he’s injured)) and scored 24 points in their first win.
Hield has been heavily linked to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade deal that reportedly saw Klay Thompson leave, and that’s where things appear to be headed. The Kings are also known to be interested.
Tyus Jones
There are plenty of teams that could use a low-turnover floor general (but too many of them opt for flash instead). Jones could help a lot of teams, averaging 12 points and 7.3 assists per game last season for the Wizards.
Jones was hoping to get starter-level money, but that appears to have dried up. The Wizards are exploring sign-and-trade options that could land Jones on a playoff team for more than a mid-level exception.
Caleb Martin
A little over a year ago, Martin should have won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award (Jimmy Butler did). This season, the athletic 3&D wing is averaging 10 points per game on 34.9 percent from three-point range, and he’s also a solid on-ball defender. Some reports indicate the Heat want to keep him. However, the Heat only have $3 million left under the second tax apron, and that’s not enough to re-sign Martin without more trades (the Heat are considering a DeMar DeRozan trade, so more trades could follow).
Gary Trent Jr.
Another sharpshooter for a team looking for a replacement — he averaged 13.7 points per game last season for the Raptors, shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range. What’s holding teams back is his defense (or lack thereof), but Trent Jr. could help a lot of teams. Trent Jr. may be coming to terms with the fact that he won’t make the $18.6 million he did last season and may not even get the full mid-level exemption ($12.8 million).
Part of the challenge for Trent Jr. is that this was a relatively deep class of shooting guards and a lot of them — Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Malik Monk, De’Anthony Melton, to name a few — but Trent Jr. should be at the front of the line now.
Malik Beasley
Another shooter who is always available (remember that when your team gets to December and it’s clear you don’t have enough shooters). He bounced back from his rough season with the Lakers to remind everyone playing against the Bucks what a shooter he is, shooting 41.3% from three-point range while scoring 11.3 points per game. He’s not a great defender but he brings an important skill set. The one thing we know is that he won’t be going back to Milwaukee. There was some interest from the Rockets early on, but things have been quieter lately. A team is going to get a good deal.
Miles Bridges
That’s too low a ranking in terms of pure talent; he should be second or third on this list – he scored 21 points per game last season in Charlotte, is a physical wing who is a beast in transition, and has developed a 3-point shot (34.9% last season). Bring him in and some media and fans will ask about a domestic violence case in his past (he served probation and was suspended by the league; the charges were dropped in a subsequent case).
Charlotte made an offer to Bridges, who was looking for more money, and there were rumors of interest from salary-cap teams like Orlando and Utah. The latest interest comes from the Clippers for a possible trade, and that rumor is real, though both sides apparently still have a ways to go.
Isaac Okoro
A backup wing who never quite panned out the way Cleveland hoped but is a solid rotation player. Okoro can play multiple positions and his offensive game has improved, averaging 9.4 points per game and shooting 39.1 percent from three-point range last season. The Pistons are reportedly interested.
Sadiq Bey
The wing position is a sought-after position in the league and Bey can step in and provide defense as well as some scoring. He is also strong on the rebound. The problem is that he is coming off an ACL injury and will miss the first half of the season, and he may not be himself for the entire season. With his injury, the news is a little quiet on Bey’s front, but he will eventually make a team at some point this season.
Markell Fultz
While no one was interested in the former first-round pick, he has emerged as a solid point guard in Orlando, averaging 7.8 points per game last season. Things have been relatively quiet with Fultz, but as teams need a reliable backup point guard, he will be called upon.
The only thing missing is this list: Precious Achiuwa, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dario Saric, Alec Burks, Prince Taurus.