Ranking the Top 10 NBA Free Agents Remaining on the 2015 Market
The biggest names in NBA free agency have been off the market for a while now, and teams looking for help on the margins are stuck picking through what's left.
Other than Tristan Thompson, the remaining options are in the bargain bin—perhaps because they've aged a bit, lack starter-caliber talent or just don't excite general managers tasked with making a splash this late in the free-agency game.
But that's not to say these players are without value.
If franchises temper expectations a bit or get creative in carving out a role, then any of the following players could be a good fit on the right team.
Based on their past track records, current skills and likely future contributions, we've ranked the top 10 free agents still looking for contracts.
10. JaVale McGee
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Position: Center
Age: 27
Last Team: Philadelphia 76ers
2014-15 Stats: 4.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, 53.2 FG%
The Philadelphia 76ers got JaVale McGee from the Denver Nuggets at the trade deadline last year, suited him up for six games and then bought him out. Apparently, Philly valued cap space (which it promptly spent on nobody this offseason) more than McGee's presence on the roster.
The desperate Dallas Mavericks, having lost out on DeAndre Jordan, are in talks with McGee now, according to Shams Charania of RealGM on Monday.
McGee is a legitimate 7-footer with ridiculous length and top-end athleticism. His best season came in 2010-11 with the Washington Wizards when he averaged 10.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, a reputation for on-court gaffes and some spacey defense means he's the rare athletic center still looking for work.
It also doesn't help that he's played just 28 games in the past two years combined.
Still, McGee can play above the rim, and there's always a chance for a career rebirth in the right environment. If a team looks past the red flags, it'll see a ton of athletic potential.
9. Darrell Arthur
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Position: Forward
Age: 27
Last Team: Denver Nuggets
2014-15 Stats: 6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals
Darrell Arthur may not have the tantalizing athletic ceiling of JaVale McGee, but he makes up for it with proven, viable NBA skills. And as long as he's not expected to start or log significant minutes, the 6'9" Arthur can contribute as a versatile defender who might bring the added bonus of some frontcourt shooting range.
Fox Sports' D.J. Foster likes the potential fit for Arthur on the Los Angeles Clippers, who have interest in signing him, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times. "Darrell Arthur on the minimum would be incredible for LAC," Foster tweeted. "He can legitimately defend three positions, space the floor a bit."
After coming into the league as a bouncier big man, Arthur's profile changed following an Achilles tear in 2011. He has since carved out a niche as a more ground-bound, intelligent team defender. And in 2013-14, he hit a career-high 37.5 percent of his threes—an outlier for a player with a 27.4 percent mark in his career.
Perhaps the right offense (and a training camp spent with a shooting coach) could help him rediscover that accuracy rate.
Arthur is unspectacular, but he's also pretty safe. That's worth a contract somewhere.
8. Norris Cole
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Position: Point Guard
Age: 26
Last Team: New Orleans Pelicans
2014-15 Stats: 7.6 points, 3.4 assists, 2.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals
Teams in need of a point guard off the bench could do worse than one with a pair of championship rings and three straight trips to the NBA Finals to start his career.
Norris Cole spent the latter part of the 2014-15 season with the Pelicans, but his time with the Miami Heat before that makes him more attractive than the other options we've covered so far. Because even if Cole's energy and defensive aggression somehow don't hold up on his next team, at least he can still offer the wisdom gained from deep playoff runs.
In fact, that's probably a good argument for the Pelicans keeping him; they should want a championship-tested player around Anthony Davis at all times.
Cole became a restricted free agent after the Pellies extended him a $3 million qualifying offer, according to Basketball Insiders' Eric Pincus, so there's a good chance he sticks around.
That's probably for the best. New Orleans needs someone it can count on behind the injury-hampered Jrue Holiday (leg fractures), and Cole proved to be a steady contributor after coming over from the Heat last season in February.
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7. Dorell Wright
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Position: Small Forward
Age: 29
Last Team: Portland Trail Blazers
2014-15 Stats: 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 38.0 3PT%
Maybe it seems strange to rank a player with a 2014-15 scoring average of 4.6 points per game (tied for the lowest so far) seventh. Maybe Dorell Wright, a 29-year-old veteran with parts of 11 NBA seasons under his belt, isn't someone we should expect much growth from in the future.
Push those concerns aside, and you'll see the reason Wright ranks where he does: The guy can hit a three.
Wright knocked down 38 percent of his treys last year, and he's buried over 600 in his career at a 36.5 percent clip. The other players we've covered so far have question marks across the board, and none feature as clear-cut an NBA skill as Wright has in his long-range stroke.
If I'm a team in search of free-agency value, I'm going with the player I know will give me production (however specific) that I can count on.
6. Andre Miller
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Position: Point Guard
Age: 39
Last Team: Sacramento Kings
2014-15 Stats: 4.4 points, 3.5 assists, 1.9 rebounds, 50.0 FG%
Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling reported that Andre Miller, who'll turn 40 next season, isn't finished just yet. He's apparently talking to teams in search of free-agent help at the point. And one of those teams, unsurprisingly, is coached by longtime Miller favorite George Karl, according to NBA analyst Aaron Bruski.
It's certainly not a point of pride to be pursued by the wayward Sacramento Kings these days, but Miller has game left to give to anyone who lands him. Like Wright, he still possesses reliable NBA skills. The only difference is that Miller brings a broader, arguably more significant set of them.
You can still count on him to run a team in limited minutes.
We're dealing in small samples here, but Miller's presence on the court last year boosted the Kings' offensive efficiency from 102.6 points per 100 possessions to 104.7, according to NBA.com.
He finds open shooters, is still a potent weapon in the post (thanks to unparalleled old-man strength) and knows every veteran trick in the book.
You know what you're getting with Miller. And as long as you don't need him to start or play more than 15 minutes per game, he'll deliver.
5. Jason Terry
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Position: Point Guard
Age: 37
Last Team: Houston Rockets
2014-15 Stats: 7.0 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 rebounds, 39.0 3PT%
Take the long-range reliability of Dorell Wright (then add a couple of percentage points), toss in Norris Cole's big-game experience and sprinkle on a dash of Andre Miller's steady reliability, and you've got Jason Terry: the fifth-best free agent left on the market.
Patrick Beverley's injury meant Terry started 17 playoff games for the Houston Rockets last season. He averaged 28.6 minutes and 9.2 points per postseason contest with a true shooting percentage of 55.3 that ranked fourth on the team behind Clint Capela, James Harden and Trevor Ariza, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Terry proved last year that, even at 37, he wasn't an afterthought. He played a major role on a Western Conference finalist.
After so many years, so many buried threes and a whopping 110 playoff games, Terry still has plenty to offer.
And it sounds like another season with the Rockets is in the cards.
"I love what we accomplished in Houston, and they're going to have a chance," Terry told Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "They're going to come to the table, also, so my options are open."
On Monday evening, Shams Charania of RealGM reported Terry "is progressing with a deal to re-sign" with Houston, so he may not be long for this list after all.
4. Kevin Seraphin
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Position: Power Forward/Center
Age: 25
Last Team: Washington Wizards
2014-15 Stats: 6.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 51.3 FG%
Notice to anyone considering bringing Kevin Seraphin aboard in free agency: He's through coming off the bench.
"I definitely want a chance to be a starter," Seraphin told J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. "I definitely want to be somewhere I have a chance to be a starter."
Seraphin, who made just under $4 million with the Wizards last year, is actually in a good spot to make such demands. He's the youngest free agent we've covered to this point, and he may be the one whose numbers stand out the most if we extrapolate them over a larger role. Give him 30 minutes per game, and we're talking about 13 points and seven rebounds with strong efficiency rates.
Tom Ziller of SB Nation agrees there's value to be had in Seraphin: "I would way rather give Seraphin the mid-level (which is an overpay) than give [Enes] Kanter a near-max deal. Seraphin not as potent of a scorer and his game isn't as pretty, but I'm actually not sure he's a lesser player overall."
Relative youth, size (6'9", 264 lbs), strength and a battle-tested hook shot make Seraphin worth $5-$7 million per season—which is probably (and deservedly) more than any of the preceding free agents will command.
3. J.R. Smith
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Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 29
Last Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
2014-15 Stats: 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 38.3 3PT%
If finances are any kind of indicator, J.R. Smith's value easily trumps that of any other free agent covered so far. He opted out of $6.4 million to test the market, and nobody but Seraphin seems likely to touch that amount on a new deal.
Smith is a wild card, a gunner, defensively indifferent most of the time—we know all that. We also know he's a lights-out shooter with his feet set. As B/R's Greg Swartz writes: "Perhaps Smith's most valuable skill is his catch-and-shoot ability from three. He converted 41.4 percent of such opportunities, good for 13th in the NBA (minimum three attempts per game)."
Just as importantly, Smith can get his own shot when the offense breaks down.
If the Cavaliers hope to ease the burden on LeBron James this season (which they absolutely should), Smith's second-unit scoring could help prop up the reserves when James rests.
Now, if you're a team without an entrenched superstar, a clear hierarchy and a functional culture, Smith probably isn't someone you should be targeting. But for the right franchise—like the Cavs—he's an integral piece of the rotation.
I guess that makes him our No. 3 free agent with...with an asterisk.
2. Josh Smith
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Position: Power Forward
Age: 29
Last Team: Houston Rockets
2014-15 Stats: 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.4 blocks
For years, it was easy to look at Josh Smith's production relative to his contract and determine he was massively overpaid. The Detroit Pistons certainly concluded as much when they waived him last December.
Smith traded some volume for improved efficiency after his post-waiver signing with Houston, but he wasn't a changed player by any stretch; the bad shots were still there, the occasional bouts of over-dribbling—that sort of thing.
The difference was that Smith, on the Rockets, wasn't viewed as any kind of star. Nor was he paid like one.
And as long as we judge him on the basis of what he can do (and not what his previous contract suggested he could), we can see he's an extremely useful stretch 4—one in whom the Los Angeles Clippers have serious interest, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
As a third big man who could even play backup center in a stretched-out lineup, Smith would be a fantastic signing for Los Angeles. And he'd fit into just about anyone else's frontcourt rotation nicely. If all it takes to get him is the league minimum or something close to it, he could be one of the very biggest bargains of the offseason.
Believe it or not, Smith might actually be underrated these days.
1. Tristan Thompson
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Position: Power Forward/Center
Age: 24
Last Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
2014-15 Stats: 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 54.7 FG%
Big surprise, huh?
The youngest player on our list—the guy who started six NBA Finals games last year and averaged 10 points and 13 rebounds in those contests—is the top available free agent.
Of course he is.
Let's think about this another way: Could anybody on this list other than Tristan Thompson turn down a five-year deal worth $80 million, as reported by the Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd, because he presumably thought he could get a little more?
Nope. No way.
Thompson is easily the best player still on the market. Good enough, apparently, to string out this negotiation with the Cavaliers until he gets what he wants.
"I hope so," Cavs general manager David Griffin told Lloyd in reference to signing Thompson. "I don't know about relatively soon, but I hope so. ... I think we'll wind up getting something done."
Let's face it: Everybody else on this list is at the mercy of the market to some extent. As good as the Smiths and Kevin Seraphin are, they clearly lack the leverage to hold out on a near-max deal. Thompson's own negotiating power may not be quite as great as he seems to think it is (he's a restricted free agent, after all), but his performance and the massive offer on the table show he's a cut above everyone else we've touched on to this point.
Tristan Thompson: the last great get of 2015 free agency.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @gt_hughes.
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