LeBron James and Kevin Durant are set to break the bank as unrestricted free agents at the end of this season. Beyond those two superstars, there are a handful of talented players that are in position to earn substantial raises. Unfortunately for a couple of those players, their values have hit a wall in these playoffs due to poor play with Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan and Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond the best examples that fit into that category. However, there is a group of players that have improved their values with strong performances down the stretch. Here is a look at the four pending free agents that have elevated their value the most in the playoffs.
J.R. Smith
Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love make up Cleveland’s big three but Smith has carved himself an important role as a strong shooting guard that can provide a spark at the offensive end of the floor. Smith is a bit of a streaky shooter but he has averaged 12.3 points and 3.9 three-point shots per game in this postseason. Smith’s playoff performance has been highlighted by his 23 points performance in a Cavaliers’ route in which they set an all-time record with 25 three-point shots including seven from the veteran guard. Smith will be 31 in September but he is still young enough to be a valuable addition for a contending team this summer. What a lot of contenders are liking is the fact that he’s playing quality defense as well, something that he’s been criticized for at times. He’ll bolster someone’s bench come next season. The question is who will want to pay up for his play.
Luol Deng
Miami Heat
The veteran wing has been a stud for Miami down the final stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs, and his importance will be even more magnified with Hassan Whiteside out because of injury. Deng has raised his scoring average to 15.9 points per game in the playoffs along with 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.4 three-point shots through the Heat’s first 10 postseason games. Just as important has been Deng’s outstanding effort at the defensive end of the floor where he has done an excellent job helping Miami shut down opponents. Deng’s skill set combined with his reputation as a leader in the locker room will lead to him landing a big pay day this summer with a legitimate chance to boost his stock even further over the next couple of weeks.
Hassan Whiteside
Miami Heat
Whiteside suffered a major setback with an injury that could keep him out for the remainder of Miami’s second round series with Toronto, but at this point, he has clearly done enough to boost his stock. Whiteside proved that he can play at a high level in the postseason by averaging 12.0 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game for the Heat and there is no doubt he will be a valuable commodity on the open market. Whiteside is an elite rim protector that can dominate on the glass at both ends of the floor and he has certainly improved his stock by showing up in a major way in these playoffs. He’s come super cheap to the Heat over the last couple of season on “prove it” type of deals. Now he’s going to cash in big time in the neighborhood of $15-20 million per year.
Jeremy Lin
Charlotte Hornets
Unlike Deng, Lin won’t get another opportunity to boost his stock this postseason because Charlotte has already lost. However, there is something to be said about his work down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs. Lin averaged 12.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2.3 rebounds in just 26.3 minutes per game while hitting 43-percent of his field goal attempts for the Hornets in the playoffs. There was a lot of chatter about him garnering praise from around the association. Lin will turn 28 this August, so he is still young enough to make a significant impact for whichever team decides to spend some money on him this offseason. He’s settled into a role as a quality bench scorer who has upside to be a Sixth Man of the Year-type of player. We’ll see if a contender bites.
