NBA free agency is moving fast.
The only real difference-maker, Paul George, moved to the East Coast and made Philadelphia a threat. Klay Thompson left the Warriors, which still feels strange, but brought him the pitching and championship experience for Dallas. James Harden stayed put while Oklahoma City acquired Isaiah Hartenstein (and Alex Caruso in a trade).
Who’s leaving? Here are the top 10 free agents still available as of the evening of July 2nd.
The Alex Caruso trade sealed DeRozan’s decision – he wants to win but doesn’t see a way to get there in Chicago (ignore the fact that’s been the case for a few years and leave it at that). DeRozan is a mid-level assassin who averaged 24 points per game last season and is a force when it matters. He’s not a great defender, but he’s an All-Star level player and is clearly the best player right now.
There is reportedly mutual interest between DeRozan and the Miami Heat, but the Lakers are also reportedly in talks about sending DeRozan back to his Southern California roots. Ultimately, it may come down to who agrees to a sign-and-trade that would pay a mid-level exception and, more importantly, a higher salary for the 34-year-old. (LeBron James would reportedly take a salary deduction to make room for DeRozan to go to Los Angeles.)
Buddy Hield
Every team could use a sharpshooter, and Hield is the best on the roster. He averaged 12.1 points per game last season and shot 38.6% from three, but his stint in Philadelphia didn’t go as well as either team had hoped, and playing for the Bahamas in Olympic qualifiers is a rare and (in the case of injury) risky move. — and scored 24 points in the opening-day win.
Hield has been linked to a sign-and-trade deal with the Warriors, and with Klay Thompson gone, things seem to be heading in that direction. The Kings are also said to be interested.
Tyus Jones
There are plenty of teams that could use a floor general with fewer turnovers (but too many rely on flash instead). Jones can help a lot of teams, and he averaged 12 points and 7.3 assists per game last season for the underdog Wizards.
Jones was hoping to get as much money as he could as a starter, but that seems to have dried up. The Wizards are considering a sign-and-trade option that could bring Jones to a playoff team for more than just a run-of-the-mill exceptional amount.
Caleb Martin
A little over a year ago, Martin was supposed to be the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals (Jimmy Butler was). This season, the athletic 3&D wing averaged 10 points per game, shot 34.9% from three and was a good defender. There have been reports that the Heat would like to keep him, but they’re only about $3 million under the second tax cap, not enough to re-sign Martin without further action (more could happen, as the Heat are considering a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan).
Gary Trent Jr.
Another sharpshooter for teams looking for a floor spacer – he averaged 13.7 points per game and shot 39.3% from beyond the three-point line last season for the Raptors. While his defense (or lack of it) is what holds the team back, Trent Jr. could help a lot of teams. Trent Jr. may be coming to terms with the reality that he didn’t make $18.6 million last season and may not even receive the full mid-level exception ($12.8 million).
One of the challenges for Trent Jr. is that this class of shooting guards was a relatively strong one, with many of them being Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Malik Monk, De’Anthony Melton, etc., but Trent Jr. should be at the front of the line right now.
Malik Beasley
Another shooter is still available (keep this in mind if you notice your team not having enough shots in December). He bounced back from a tough season with the Lakers and reminded everyone who played against the Bucks what a shooter he is. He shot 41.3% from the 3-point line and scored 11.3 points per game. He’s not a great defender, but he has important skills. The only thing we know is that he won’t be returning to Milwaukee. The Rockets were initially interested, but have been quiet lately. Some teams could be a steal.
Miles Bridges
This is too low in terms of pure talent. He should be 2nd or 3rd on this list. He scored 21 points per game last season for Charlotte, is a physical winger and a beast in transition, and a 3-point shooter (34.9% last season). Taking him would likely result in questions from some media and fans about his past domestic violence incident (he was on probation and suspended by the league, but charges were dropped in a later incident).
Charlotte made an offer to Bridges, wanting more money, and there were also rumors of interest from teams with salary flexibility, such as Orlando and Utah. Recently, the Clippers have been interested in a possible sign-and-trade. These conversations are real, but it seems like both sides still have a long way to go.
Isaac Okoro
The backup winger never quite developed the way Cleveland hoped, but he’s a solid rotation player. Okoro can guard multiple positions and has improved offensively. He averaged 9.4 points per game last season and shot 39.1% from three. There are rumors that the Pistons are interested in him.
Saddiq Bey
The wing position is very much needed in the league and Bey can step in and provide some defense as well as score some points off the jump. He’s strong at the basket too. The problem is that he’s coming back from a torn ACL and missed the first half of the season. He might not always be himself. Injuries have slowed things down a bit on the Bey front, but he’ll be on the team at some point this season.
Markell Fultz
No one paid much attention to the former No. 1 pick, but he developed into a solid rotation point guard in Orlando, averaging 7.8 points per game last season. Fultz has been relatively quiet, but he’ll likely be called upon when the team needs a reliable backup point guard.