A lot of the big names have already been signed to a team. So I started to wonder who was still available for teams to potentially add and improve their roster?
Here is the list below of all available Free Agents (Restricted & Unrestricted):
Restricted:
Nerlens Noel (Mavs), Mason Plumlee (Nuggets), JaMychal Green (Grizzlies),** Alex Len (Suns)**, Nikola Mirotic (Bulls),
Unrestricted:
Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol, Rajon Rondo (Bulls waived him...his $13.4m salary was only guaranteed for $3m), Willie Reed, Jordan Hill, Manu Ginobili, Tony Allen, Shabazz Muhammad (whose rights were waived by MIN), Ian Clark, JaVale McGee, Andrew Bogut, Marreese Speights, Donatas Motiejunas, Luc Mbah a Moute, Thomas Robinson, Brandon Jennings, David Lee, Deron Williams, Rodney Stuckey, Anthony Morrow, Lavoy Allen, Ty Lawson, Matt Barnes, Dante Cunningham, Roy Hibbert, K.J. McDaniels, Randy Foye, Festus Ezeli, Gerald Green, James Michael McAdoo, Tiago Splitter, & Jared Sullinger.
I've bolded the players that I personally believe will add a lot of value to the team they join. Please see my reasoning below.
Nerlens Noel
Extremely athletic big. Great at protecting the rim. Great at finishing around the rim (especially catching lobs). Has the ability to be a an elite defensive stopper.
Mason Plumlee
Was involved in that big Nurkic trade last season. Had the opportunity to play alongside Jokic which I believe helped improve his game. Plumlee is one of the unique bigs who fills the stats sheet (even with assists). However, with Denver signing Millsap in the offseason it means less minutes for Plumlee or could also mean no more $ to sign Plumlee.
Alex Len
Please see the same analysis as Nerlens Noel.
Nikola Mirotic
Very young and crafty player. I believe he can be a great off the bench "energy" guy for the team he signs with. He has a very high basketball IQ and we still haven't seen his full potential.
Pau Gasol
Experienced player who's had deep runs into the playoffs. Would be great to see him on a younger team and be one of the veteran leaders. Looking forward to seeing where he will end up.
Tony Allen
Lock down defender. That's pretty much what Tony Allen is. He's a stopper. If Kobe calls you the toughest defender he's ever faced... I don't care how old you are Tony I want you on my team.
Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nba/73211/47/free-agency-overview
Would love to see Noel or Mirotic on my Spurs as I think they could really add a lot to both sides of the equation. Probably won't happen though because the Spurs don't have the cap space and the Mavs and Bulls would match whatever the Spurs could throw out there.
Oh wow are you a Spurs fan? I think Pop would utilize Noel in the perfect way. He really knows how to coach his players and put them all in a good position to succeed.
How do you feel about Aldridge? I heard some rumours that he might be on his way out, but I haven't heard any news as of late.
I feel like the Rudy Gay for Simmons swap might be the only change they do this offseason. Who knows without the Leonard injury this playoffs, they might have been able to beat the Warriors?
Yea Noel could learn a ton from Pop and honestly I think he would be much more of an offensive threat in the Spurs offense.
As for Aldridge, I'm a little tired of him and he's been pretty disappointing with the Spurs so far. I don't think they'll move him prior to the season because his value is at an all-time low right now after the way he's performed in the playoffs. The Spurs are not ones to "blow it up" so I doubt they move Aldridge unless they can get a contributor or two in return.
It was sad to see Simmons go and who knows how he will do in Orlando when he becomes a starter. Part of the reason Simmons was great was the system around him and the guys he was playing with. It's something we see time and time again where players will get moved from the Spurs and then do basically nothing. Just look at Gary Neal, Marco Belinelli, Boris Diaw (traded, but same argument applies), Tiago Splitter (also a trade). The Spurs system is part of what makes those players more than just role players.
Do you really think he'll be an offensive threat? That's a little surprising. I always thought he was much better on defence than offence. He's good at catching lobs around the rim and has a decent touch but he doesn't have much of a jumper.
And I totally agree with your second point. The Spurs system is what makes those players great. Even Cory Joseph when he came to my Raptors I thought would contribute more but as you probably know we've shipped him off to Indiana and have basically promoted Delon Wright to permanent backup PG.
Maybe the term "threat" is a bit of a stretch, but I think he can be a Tiago Splitter type of guy. Doesn't dominate on the offensive end, but can get you a sneaky 12-16 points a game.
And yes Cory Joseph is another great example!
Nice list and analysis!
There are definitely still some guys out there that can help a contender. I'm still interested in Boguts potential. He had a freak injury with the Cavs, but it would be cool if he resigned with them. I love his defensive presence but also he ability to pass out of the post.
Yup that's true. I like Bogut as well but he's been injury prone his entire career. I'm curious to see where he'll end up as well.
Yeah, unfortunately, he kind of is. But I think if you look at him as a backup center, he can be valuable in that role. Maybe like 15 minutes a game, providing some defense, rebounding, and maybe a block or two.
But you're right, at this point in his career, you can't depend on him as a starter or in extended minutes. Man, I felt so bad for him for how his year ended...
Rondo just signed a one year deal with the Pelicans! It'll be interesting to see how he fits in with DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis! This is an odd situation where the big men are better shooters than the point guard lol
So true. He's played with Boogie back when he was on the Kings though so don't forget about that. Maybe Boogie had something to do with convincing Rondo to sign with the Pelicans?
Derrick Rose is still available. What if he ended up on the Clippers - That would be interesting
Yup he is available but I'm not sure if he'll end up with Clippers. They seem like they have 4 guards already with Pat, Lou, Rivers, and Milos. Signing Rose wouldn't make sense at this point.
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Terrific analysis. Couple things. One, I still like David Lee and his endless motor, and I think he could be useful (and is going to land somewhere). Second, I may have missed this, but Gordon Hayward is still not signed by the Celtics. Maybe I'm wrong, but so far at least, the Celts are over the cap and have to move some salary before they can sign him. No?
I agree with you on David Lee. He was key for the warriors back in the 2015 finals. He's a proven veteran that brings some leadership with him. I think the Celtics officially signed Gordan Hayward yesterday. They had to trade Avery Bradley and let go of Kelly Olynk to make some room for his contract. I think they are also working on a trade that may involve Marcus Smart and / or Jae Crowder!
Yup that's correct. Lee is great offensively but he can be a liability defensively in my opinion. He could do well on a team that's already strong defensively... Maybe like the Bucks?
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Hi! I am a robot. I just upvoted you! I found similar content that readers might be interested in:
https://sports.yahoo.com/free-agency-overview-032300087--spt.html
Rondo to Pelicans! Great post by the way.
Check out the news:
https://steemit.com/basketball/@dcboy/report-rajon-rondo-to-pelicans
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Great list bro, some free agents are still up for grabs that can upgrade some of the teams that can get them.