The big name free agents like LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love and DeAndre Jordan were bound to steal the spotlight in a summer where things never really appeared settled until ink was put to paper. However, while Aldridge, Love and Jordan all have a chance to be core players for championship contenders, there were also a handful of sleeper free agent additions that could very well make a much bigger impact with their new teams than most experts initially projected.
Here is a look at the four sleeper free agent signings most likely to make a significant impact this season.
Luis Scola, Toronto Raptors
The veteran forward has been considered an underrated player throughout his career and while he is now 35 years old, there is no doubt that he has the potential to make a major impact in Toronto. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have each taken turns as Eastern Conference All-Stars over the last two seasons but while the guard play has been a strong point for the Raptors at least in the regular season, there is no doubt that their big men have struggled.
Jonas Valanciunas still hasn’t reached his full potential and while Patrick Patterson is a quality big man off the bench, Scola could be an upgrade over Amir Johnson as the team’s starting power forward. He could also be the veteran that helps Valanciunas get to that next level. Scola averaged 9.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in just over 20 minutes per game for the Indiana Pacers last season and he is exactly the type of smart, maximum effort player that Toronto has desperately needed next to Valanciunas in the paint.
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Mirza Teletovic, Phoenix Suns
The Suns absolutely love the three-ball and while their obsession with point guards continued with the re-upping of Brandon Knight, they are thrilled about adding Teletovic as a big man that can shoot. The 29-year-old averaged just 8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in just over 22 minutes per game for the Brooklyn Nets last season but he also averaged 1.6 three-point shots per game. He has the opportunity to increase that total under head coach Jeff Hornacek. Teletovic will be put in a ton of catch-and-shoot situations and Phoenix is banking on that he will thrive at the offensive end of the floor.
Ed Davis, Portland Trail Blazers
Portland went from contender to potential playoff pretender when Aldridge, Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews were plucked from their roster. While they struggled to replace them, they did sign a potential sleeper in the 26-year-old Davis. The former first-round pick averaged 8.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in just over 23 minutes per game in 79 appearances for the Los Angeles Lakers last season and there are those that feel the purple-and-gold gave up on him too soon. Davis is a hardworking, big body that still hasn’t reached his potential. He’ll compete with Noah Vonleh for minutes but Davis should be on fantasy radars as he’s going to get ample minutes and should be fairly productive.
Gary Neal, Washington Wizards
Neal has shown flashes of his immense potential throughout his career but he failed to live up to expectations with the Charlotte Hornets last season. Now he finds himself in Washington where he will have the opportunity to prove himself on a team with plenty of talent. Neal’s averages were down across the board last season but he owns a career 41.8 field goal percentage and 38.1% from three. There is no doubt about his shooting ability. Neal has also become a smart playmaker that understands his own role within a team and he will have the potential to thrive providing some secondary scoring behind John Wall and Bradley Beal on a Wizards’ team that is absolutely desperate for help backing up the guards.
