LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love and DeAndre Jordan have all decided where they will resume their NBA careers and while they will each slide in as core players with their respective franchises for the next couple of seasons, there are still some notable free agents that could help a legitimate playoff contender take that next step. Here is a look at the top five NBA free agents still available.
Tristan Thompson
Although he’s restricted, it’s a little bit surprising that the Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t re-signed Thompson as of yet. He was an integral member of the team as they made their run for a championship and many assumed it would be a slam dunk to get him re-signed.
The Cavs are still the odds-on favorite to retain Thompson but one has to wonder if the Cavs really feel it’s necessary to keep Thompson and Love in the fold. Love was maxed out and Thompson will be in that neighborhood too (but less), but the Cavs also have Timofey Mozgov. Is it worth it to invest that much into the power forward position? The likely answer is ‘yes’ but the fact that the Cavs don’t have his signature yet means he’s still available.
Josh Smith
Reggie Jackson provided the type of spark for the Pistons that they could never get from Smith but the veteran big man absolutely thrived after he was traded by Detroit to the Houston Rockets. He earned himself a substantial payday in the process.
Smith averaged 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 three-point shots while averaging just over 25 minutes per game for Rockets after the All-Star break. He was even more important for them in the playoffs when he averaged 13.5 points and 1.6 threes in just over 23 minutes per game. There is an obvious mutual interest between Smith and Houston and considering that the Pistons will still be paying him until 2020, money might not be an issue when it comes to a contending team bringing him in.
Enes Kanter
Like Smith, Kanter was an absolute revelation once he was traded last season as he thrived throughout the second half of the season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kanter received a qualifying offer from the Thunder as a restricted free agent but he hasn’t signed yet and there is a good chance another team will try to get in to the mix to sign him still.
Kanter isn’t an excellent defender but he is one of the better offensive post threats in the league as he proved down the stretch when he averaged 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds over the final 26 games last season. Kanter is still only 23 years old and Oklahoma City is going to do everything in their power to bring him back.
Jordan Hill
The Los Angeles Lakers declined the option to bring back Hill for the 2015-16 NBA season but he is bound to be signed eventually by a team looking for a hard working big man. He can provide valuable minutes in a depth role and thrive in the paint where he has proven he can excel on the boards. Hill is far from a complete player but he’s coming off a year where he averaged career-highs with minutes (26.8), points (12.0), rebounds (7.9), and assists (1.5). That makes him attractive – especially to the teams who missed out on Aldridge and Love.
J.R. Smith
Another Cavs member that is still on the market is Smith, who opted out of his deal. He opted out of his deal that would have paid him $6.9 million and it’s hard to argue with his decision. When you see players like Aron Baynes signing for three years, $20 million and Cory Joseph getting $30 million over four years, you would have to come to the conclusion that Smith – a far more proven commodity than the aforementioned two – gets a bigger contract than them. However, the Cavs are tight on funds, so Smith may have to take his game elsewhere to get a bigger payday.
