Ideal Landing Spots for Top 10 NBA Free Agents Still Available
If you're expecting to see NBA stars aplenty here, think again.
The offseason leading up to the 2023-24 campaign has been frenetic and unpredictable, and it's also depleted the free-agency pool significantly. We're digging through scraps here to identify talents left on the market who can still assist one of the Association's 30 squads.
Of course, that doesn't mean the 10 featured players can't actually help.
Some would be more valuable for their veteran mentorship than their on-court contributions. Some are specialists whose passing prowess or reliable sniping could elevate a bench unit. Some have just been overlooked because injuries have curtailed their momentum from previous campaigns.
No matter the reason for their inclusion, each has a team that feels like the right fit at this stage of their careers—though it's worth noting some of the pairings would require corresponding roster-trimming to make the union feasible.
Will Barton
1 of 10
Breaking news: Scoring is harder for off-ball players when they're no longer functioning alongside the magical passing of Nikola Jokić.
Will Barton struggled to find a rhythm with both the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors following a strong season with the Denver Nuggets in 2021-22, but he should have a bit more left in the tank.
The 32-year-old is still an explosive transition threat and savvy cutter, albeit inconsistent, forcing fans to endure a roller-coaster ride when he's on the floor.
The market for Barton's talents has been nonexistent, but the Nuggets could be tempted into a reunion if they're concerned about the wing rotation following Bruce Brown's offseason departure to the Indiana Pacers. Christian Braun has breakout potential, but the non-Justin Holiday options off the bench dry up quickly if he struggles.
Excitement might outweigh skepticism in the Mile High City at the thought of Jokić reconnecting with Barton on those transition feeds.
Ideal landing spot: Denver Nuggets
Bismack Biyombo
2 of 10
Bismack Biyombo returning to the Phoenix Suns might have been a nonstarter earlier in the offseason, but the calculus has shifted following Deandre Ayton's departure in the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade.
Jusuf Nurkić, who joined the Suns in the three-team swap, is a strong fit alongside Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, but health hasn't exactly been his calling card in the NBA.
Having a trusted backup at center is now vitally important, and Phoenix is heading into the season with Drew Eubanks, Bol Bol, Chimezie Metu and Udoka Azubuike populating its depth chart.
For all his limitations, Biyombo is at least a sturdy rebounder who doesn't overextend himself on offense and consistently plays high-quality defense. In fact, he posted the best defensive box plus/minus of his career with Phoenix in 2022-23 and then got even better over eight playoff games.
The Suns could do far worse than bringing back a low-upside big man who already understands the team philosophy.
Ideal landing spot: Phoenix Suns
Hamidou Diallo
3 of 10
Hamidou Diallo has struggled to develop a working jumper (mid-range accuracy in the second half of last season notwithstanding), but he found more success in 2022-23 once the Detroit Pistons started experimenting with him in undersized lineups.
The 25-year-old spent 11 percent of his minutes at the 4—he'd been no higher than 3 percent in any prior season—and helped the team improve by 10.9 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
Most of that improvement came on the defensive end, where his hops and quickness allowed him to wreak havoc against players with far bigger measurements than his 6'5", 202-pound frame.
That hasn't breathed new life into Diallo's free-agency hopes and dreams, but it does offer him a path forward once one of the NBA's 30 organizations decides it wants more depth in a small-ball frontcourt.
The Sacramento Kings don't exactly have a dearth of big men, but Domantas Sabonis, Alex Len, JaVale McGee, and Trey Lyles are all true bigs.
Adding a smaller option to the rotation would be an intriguing change of pace, especially because Diallo's athleticism would help him fit within Sacramento's frequent transition run-outs alongside the lightning-fast De'Aaron Fox.
Ideal landing spot: Sacramento Kings
JaMychal Green
4 of 10
Even if JaMychal Green couldn't consistently crack the postseason rotation, he showed signs of life throughout the second half of his year with the Golden State Warriors.
From the beginning of February through the end of the regular season, he averaged 6.7 points and 3.0 rebounds while knocking down 57.8 percent of his shots from the field, 46.3 percent of his triples and 77.4 percent of his free-throw attempts.
Those percentages aren't sustainable for a big man with a career 47.7/36.8/78.4 slash line, but they make it relatively baffling that he hasn't found a new home.
Green, 33, might not be a game-changer for the Los Angeles Clippers, but he could still add to their title dreams with his floor-spacing jumper and rebounding ability at the 4.
Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington and Kenyon Martin Jr. are set to do most of the heavy lifting at the position, but it's not like the Clippers have been the picture of health in recent years while leaning heavily on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Nicolas Batum.
Green isn't an immediate necessity, but he should at least be on the radar.
Ideal landing spot: Los Angeles Clippers
Javonte Green
5 of 10
Before Javonte Green underwent an arthroscopic debridement to fix a bone bruise in his right knee, he seemed on the cusp of solidifying himself as a solid rotation player for the Chicago Bulls.
His three-point shot was starting to come together, connecting at a career-best 37.1 percent clip, and he was figuring out how to parlay his elite athleticism into production.
But Green finished his 2022-23 campaign with just 32 games under his belt, destroying any and all momentum he'd built up. Whereas he once seemed like a lock to sign a sizable contract as an all-around role player, he's now failed to find a job, perhaps due to concerns over the knee surgery sapping his explosive athleticism.
The New York Knicks, though, could still make it happen.
So long as the 30-year-old recovers fully and then remains healthy, he could contribute as a three-and-D wing filling one more need by experimenting as a small-ball 4.
The upside of the entrenched options in Madison Square Garden is starting to wear thin, and Green is the rare high-upside flier still available at this stage of the offseason.
Ideal landing spot: New York Knicks
Blake Griffin
6 of 10
If Blake Griffin chooses to continue his NBA career rather than hanging up the sneakers, the 34-year-old would be hard-pressed to find a better landing spot than a return to the Boston Celtics.
The once-gravity-defying power forward may now be more useful as a locker room presence and veteran mentor than an on-court force of nature, but that's even more important given the current state of the C's.
The organization has suffered plenty of premature playoff losses with the current core, and that amped the pressure up for 2023-24 even before Jrue Holiday was brought aboard to push the ceiling that much higher in Beantown.
"I'm not blowing smoke; it was as good as it gets," president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn about Griffin (h/t Luke Scotchie of Boston.com) while also allowing for the possibility of retirement. "He was unbelievable when he played and even better when he didn't. ... If he decides to keep playing, he wants to come back out East, he knows we're a phone call away."
Ideal landing spot: Boston Celtics
Austin Rivers
7 of 10
Austin Rivers has certainly made his share of headlines on a wide variety of basketball-related topics this offseason, but none have helped him secure a new job.
In July, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reported that the Celtics had "shown interest" in the veteran guard, and Rivers himself claimed to have been intrigued by such a move.
Of course, on that same late-September episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast (h/t Joe Rogers of Zone Coverage), Rivers revealed that he was counting on returning to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he also expressed interest in joining the Miami Heat (h/t Cory Nelson of Inside the Heat).
"I would do anything to play for the Miami Heat, seriously," the 31-year-old said. "Like, that's like No. 1 choice for me would be to play for [Erik Spoelstra] and play with guys like Jimmy [Butler]. Like f--king dogs, man. Like dogs, bro. Go out there. Play through illness, play through injury, play through soreness. Defend."
Rivers is certainly a tenacious defender whose on-court mentality would fit in South Beach, and such a union seems more likely after Miami failed to land Damian Lillard on the trade market.
Ideal landing spot: Miami Heat
Terrence Ross
8 of 10
Remember the springloaded hops Terrence Ross displayed early in his NBA career? Well, those are no longer the primary selling point, which could be why he's still seeking out employment.
But even if he is more limited on the hardwood these days, he can still shoot the rock.
The 32-year-old rebounded from a disastrous performance in 2021-22 by shooting 36.8 percent from downtown on 4.1 attempts per game in 2022-23, and that's much more in line with his career averages (36.2 percent on 5.0 attempts per contest). Even if it falls short of the 40 percent threshold, that type of marksmanship should always have a place in the modern Association.
Ross isn't likely to land with another true contender after joining the Phoenix Suns on the buyout market and struggling. But hopping aboard a team on the rise that could use veteran leadership and shooting improvements seems like his best non-overseas route.
Though plenty of other options exist given the appeal of his primary strength, it's hard to squelch the excitement of picturing him spotting up and awaiting pinpoint feeds from a distributor as talented as LaMelo Ball.
Ideal landing spot: Charlotte Hornets
Ish Smith
9 of 10
Houston Rockets. Memphis Grizzlies. Golden State Warriors. Orlando Magic. Milwaukee Bucks. Phoenix Suns. Oklahoma City Thunder. Philadelphia 76ers. New Orleans Pelicans. Detroit Pistons. Washington Wizards. Charlotte Hornets. Denver Nuggets.
Ish Smith has spent 13 years in the NBA and played for a record-setting 13 organizations, finally getting over the championship hump with last year's Nuggets.
Even if the 35-year-old doesn't join a 14th squad, he still has value as a veteran point guard who can serve as a steady table-setter in limited minutes.
The Wake Forest product earned more run with the Nuggets during the stretch run of the regular season before falling out of the rotation entirely during the playoffs, but that doesn't mean he couldn't provide a bit more depth at a crucial position to any number of teams.
The Milwaukee Bucks, for example, could use another reliable presence behind newcomers Damian Lillard and Cameron Payne.
If we're looking to get to a 14th unique squad, though, look no further than the San Antonio Spurs, who are set to rocket up the standings behind rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama and could use mentorship for a point guard rotation comprised of Tre Jones, Devonte' Graham and Blake Wesley.
Ideal landing spot: San Antonio Spurs
T.J. Warren
10 of 10
T.J. Warren is a born scorer, but that ability hasn't translated beyond the arc and has had a tougher time manifesting in more limited minutes.
The forward was filled with promise prior to the stress fractures in his feet that basically erased his prime, and he's been unable to find much of a rhythm since returning with the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns.
That said, the 30-year-old can still make tough shots within the half-court set and hold his own as a secondary distributor and defender who uses active hands to overcome his quickness shortcomings. That profile usually garners some interest since the NBA is a shot-maker's league.
Warren did meet with the Boston Celtics this offseason, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, but nothing came to fruition. Perhaps it should.
Boston has no shortage of scoring options in the starting lineup, but a second string comprised of Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Oshae Brissett and Luke Kornet/Wenyen Gabriel/Lamar Stevens isn't exactly inspiring.
Ideal landing spot: Boston Celtics
All stats, unless otherwise indicated, courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference.
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