The combination of an escalating salary cap and a number of teams with a ton of money to spend should result in a ton of movement this offseason. However, while a number of players will command big money in free agency there is a smaller group that will likely sign for less than they could get on the open market. Here is a look at the NBA’s best bargain free agents that will be available this offseason.
Bismack Biyombo
Center
No player improved his free agent stock in the playoffs more than Biyombo as he shone for the Toronto Raptors following an injury to Jonas Valanciunas. Biyombo had a tremendous impact on the boards and at the defensive end of the floor as he averaged 6.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game and it didn’t go unnoticed around the NBA. There has been a lot of talk about the number of teams interested in bringing him in if the price is right and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Biyombo signed a reasonable one-year deal with a contender he could help provide a spark off the bench for next season.
Evan Turner
Shooting Guard
The former first-round pick out of Ohio State might never be a quality three-point shooter but he has a lot to bring to the table for a contending team. He could find himself in position to be one of the bargain free agents for a contender. Turner averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in just 28.0 minutes per game for the Celtics last season and that production could earn him a decent deal with a contending team looking for a spark off the bench at the position.
Ty Lawson
Point Guard
It wasn’t long ago that Lawson was expected to be the quality starting point guard that would put the Rockets over the top in the Western Conference. A lot has changed in the last year but if Lawson can prove to a team that he has gotten his life together away from the basketball court, he could get the opportunity to play substantial minutes for a playoff team. The challenge is that this will be tough to prove. Remember that Lawson was a problem child in Denver and the thinking was that Houston would give him a fresh start. That never came to fruition. Will another team be willing to take a chance?
Lawson finished last year with the Indiana Pacers and while he didn’t put up huge numbers, he did prove that he could play for an NBA team without being a distraction. The upside is still there with the talented point guard and that should lead to him being one of the bargain free agents this offseason.
Luol Deng
Small Forward
Deng signed with the Miami Heat for less than expected in the summer of 2014 and then opted in on a player option in the summer of 2015 to play again at less than his market value. Deng could choose a different route this summer but there will be a lineup of contending teams looking to add his services at a discount price. Deng is a talented swingman that can stretch the floor and play at a high level defensively so look for a contender to sign him at a discount price.
Seth Curry
Shooting Guard
Everybody knows that Curry is the younger brother of the current two-time MVP and while he doesn’t come close to having the same elite skill set there is still a good chance he can be a valuable contributor on an NBA team next season. The most intriguing aspect of Seth Curry’s game is his improve three-point shooting, as he hit 45-percent of his 111 attempts for the Sacramento Kings last season.
What many teams are going to examine is the fact that he started nine games last season and with increased minutes, looked like a fairly competent player. He averaged 14.4 points per game in those nine starts while hitting 2.6 threes per game (on 46.9% shooting). The 3.8 assists per game are a little low but it looks like he can fit in as a quality sixth man on a team that is more functional – and well-coached – than the Sacramento Kings. Curry has progressively gotten better with every passing year and the 25-year-old should be one of the bargain free agents this offseason.
