Sneaky Free-Agent Pickups for Every NBA Team Right Now
While NBA trade season is upon us, that isn't the only option for upgrading a roster.
The free-agent market hasn't been totally picked apart.
Clubs shouldn't hope to fill more than niche roles this route, but there are a number of available hoopers who could handle that kind of gig. From unemployed veterans still waiting on a phone call to undiscovered G League gems, we've found a free agent to fit each roster. To avoid getting repetitive, we won't use the same player more than once.
Atlanta Hawks: Justise Winslow
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The Trae Young-led Hawks are perpetually in need of more stoppers, and a healthy Justise Winslow is one of the stingier players they'll find.
The No. 10 pick of the 2015 draft never lived up to the initially lofty expectations, but his struggles have been confined to the offensive end and the injury report. On defense, he's a 6'6", 222-pound shapeshifter who won't look out of place defending any of the five positions.
If Atlanta could live with his shaky shooting and seemingly inevitable absences—he last topped 50 games in 2018-19—it could gain a two-way playmaker whose biggest strength aligns with this squad's greatest weakness.
Boston Celtics: Javonte Green
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Boston's top-heavy roster could seemingly use depth at any spot, but this rotation gets thinnest on the wings. The Celtics could try addressing that void with a familiar face.
Javonte Green spent his first season-plus with the Shamrocks, forming a close bond with Jayson Tatum in the process. Green also endeared himself to the fanbase with insatiable energy and occasional aerial antics. He does his best work defensively, but his hustle and hops can give the open-court offense some extra zip.
He had knee surgery in January and couldn't crack the Chicago Bulls' rotation upon his return, so he might have to prove his health before securing his NBA return. If his knee is good to go, though, he could still spark this squad like he has in the past.
Brooklyn Nets: JaMychal Green
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The Nets don't have a 7-footer on the roster, nor seemingly much clarity on the recovery of 6'10" Ben Simmons, so there's some temptation to just send any kind of size in the franchise's direction. However, this center rotation could be tricky to crack, since it has an elite defender in Nic Claxton, a relentless rim-runner in Day'Ron Sharpe and a wild card in Harry Giles III.
Brooklyn would have to find a big who supplies something its current crop doesn't, and JaMychal Green could differentiate himself with his long-distance shooting.
The 33-year-old bounced back from an uncharacteristically erratic 2021-22 season to convert 37.8 percent of his long-range looks for the Golden State Warriors last season. And that was actually the second-worst splash rate of his past five campaigns. If the Nets sought out some stretchiness at the center spot, Green could give them exactly that.
Charlotte Hornets: Darius Bazley
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The Hornets haven't pulled the plug on this season, but this is an organization that clearly should be prioritizing the future. Change is coming to Charlotte sooner than later, and the frontcourt rotation in particular appears influx with free agency awaiting both Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges.
As hard as it is to find a long-term fit in this picked-apart pool of free agents, Darius Bazley offers some (long shot) hope of growing with this core. While the 2019 first-round pick failed to secure a second deal after his rookie contract was up, he's still a 23-year-old with impressive physical tools who looks the part of an all-purpose stopper.
His offensive game looks rough from all angles, but maybe a top-shelf creator like LaMelo Ball could simplify things for Bazley and help bring out his best.
Chicago Bulls: Elfrid Payton
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The Bulls have noticeably lacked connectivity ever since losing Lonzo Ball to a knee injury in Jan. 2022. On a related note, they've also been one of the Association's least productive passing teams, sitting 24th in assist percentage and dead last in assist-to-pass percentage.
While they have a decent number of secondary playmakers, they don't have anyone who would count table-setting as their signature offensive skill. Adding Elfrid Payton would change that. The one-time lottery pick posted a robust 7.7 assists (against just 2.9 turnovers) per 36 minutes across his eight NBA seasons.
His inability to score consistently or efficiently from any level is the reason he's not an NBA roster now, but his blend of distributing and defense could appeal to Chicago given how many score-first contributors it already has.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Glenn Robinson III
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After its offense malfunctioned in the playoffs, the Cavaliers made it an offseason priority to add more shooting. They've somehow slipped from ninth to 20th in true shooting percentage.
Clearly, they need more net-shredders, but a shooting specialist who's a liability on defense wouldn't help much, since the backcourt combo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell is already too generous on that end. In other words, the Cavs could use another three-and-D wing, just like any NBA roster could.
Perhaps that's impossible to do in mid-December free agency, but Glenn Robinson III looms as a semi-intriguing option. He's been without an NBA gig since the 2020-21 season, but he did shoot 37.3 percent from range while playing respectable defense across his seven campaigns in the Association. He's also hitting his three-balls at a 47.4 percent clip through 10 games with the G League's Wisconsin Herd.
Dallas Mavericks: Nerlens Noel
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Yes, we know the history between Nerlens Noel and the Mavericks. No, we aren't kidding that a possible reunion might make some sense.
And by the way, Dallas might know this already, as it was linked to Noel ahead of last season's deadline. While the Mavs have since found an interior anchor in rookie Dereck Lively II, the center spot still underwhelms behind him. In fact, Dallas' efficiency takes a 7.8-point hit per 100 possessions when the freshman leaves the floor.
Admittedly, Noel may not do much to buck that trend, as he's hardly played the past two seasons (42 combined games with three different teams). Still, he's on the right side of 30, so his limited chances aren't necessarily a sign of decline. If he's anything like his old self, he's a bouncy big with some of the quickest hands you'll find at the center spot.
Denver Nuggets: Will Barton
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Will Barton's NBA career changed for the better upon his Feb. 2015 trade to Denver and then changed for the worse with his July 2022 trade out of town. Turns out, suiting up alongside Nikola Jokić has its perks.
Barton looked abysmal last season, which he split between the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. His field-goal shooting tanked to a career-low 37.9 percent and effectively rendered him unplayable.
So, why would the Nuggets consider a reunion? Well, flash back just one season to his final go-round in Denver, and he was a nightly supplier of 14.7 points on 43.8/36.5/80.3 shooting and 3.9 assists against 1.8 turnovers. The Nuggets don't have a ton of experience or shot-creation among their wing reserves, and Barton checks both boxes.
Detroit Pistons: Duane Washington Jr.
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The Pistons are awful at a lot of things—it's hard to lose (at least) 24 consecutive contests if you aren't—but their long-range shooting is especially egregious. No team makes fewer threes than Detroit's 9.7 per night. No team shoots a worse percentage than its 33.2 mark.
The Pistons should be chasing floor-spacers at every opportunity. This is one of them.
Duane Washington Jr. shot 37.1 percent from range the past two seasons, which he spent with the Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns. Now, he's hitting a scorching 41.7 percent of his perimeter looks with the G League's Westchester Knicks.
Golden State Warriors: Romeo Langford
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It's possible Romeo Langford is too unpolished to crack coach Steve Kerr's rotation. It's just hard recommending any of the retread veterans who would make this squad even older and slower.
Golden State would get an athletic jolt and plenty of defense from Langford. Based on the limitations we've seen from this roster, the Dubs could use both.
He struggled to find any kind of offensive consistency over his first four NBA seasons, but he also struggled staying on the floor due to repeat run-ins with the injury bug. His outside shot has never developed, but his defensive versatility, cutting and energy could all give him a non-zero chance of carving out a small role.
Houston Rockets: Rodney McGruder
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Houston's third-ranked defense looks playoff-ready. Its 21st-ranked offense, though, isn't quite ready for launch.
If the Rockets brought Rodney McGruder to Space City, he could help perk up the offense without doing any damage to the defense. He might even make Houston's greatest strength a smidge stronger, as his activity level and awareness often put him in the right place at the right time.
He isn't a volume shooter by any means, but he's a career 36 percent perimeter shooter who canned his long-range looks at a 39-plus percent clip each of the past three seasons.
Indiana Pacers: Stanley Johnson
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The Pacers have played the part of the proverbial unstoppable force this season, as they're leading the league in offensive efficiency. The problem is they've been a very movable object, as only the lowly Washington Wizards have offered less resistance on the defensive end.
Indiana should be scouring the market for the best stoppers it can find, and Stanley Johnson just might top the list. The 6'6", 242-pounder logged nearly 9,000 minutes over the past eight seasons while shooting below 39 percent from the field in all but two of them.
Now, that says something about his offensive limitations, but it says more about his defensive strengths. He can keep in front of guards on the perimeter, bang with bigs near the basket and pester any kind of matchup in between.
Los Angeles Clippers: T.J. Warren
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The Clippers might be rounding into championship form in front of our eyes, yet they still might want to put the finishing touches on their supporting cast. Rebuilding the frontcourt depth they lost in the James Harden deal could be an aim. Adding an offensive threat to the forward rotation could be another.
T.J. Warren potentially helps with both.
It remains to be seen how much is left in his tank after foot injuries effectively cost him two consecutive seasons. He made it back for the 2022-23 campaign, but he wasn't a rotation regular for the Brooklyn Nets or the Phoenix Suns. Still, he's been a walking bucket in the past (19.3 points per game between 2017-18 and 2019-20), and maybe the Clippers could help coax some of that point-production back out of him.
Los Angeles Lakers: Danny Green
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When LeBron James lamented the Lakers' lack of "lasers" last season, it felt like a direct call to action for the front office to find more shooters. L.A. might be even less threatening from long range this time around, as it's sitting just 28th in three-point makes (10.6 per game) and 24th in perimeter accuracy (34.8).
Danny Green could help fill the Lakers' shooting void. He's done that before. The veteran swingman was a rotation regular for the 2019-20 title team, ranking second on that squad with 120 triples.
His defense has eroded with age—he turned 36 in June—but his three-ball is as fiery as ever (43.2 percent in limited action last season). He also has enough veteran know-how to find his fit on the fly.
Memphis Grizzlies: Terence Davis
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If the Grizzlies hope to salvage anything from this season, they're already up against the clock to make a run. They might need to throw caution to the wind here, meaning they could look past Terence Davis' shortcomings and simply hope his tools and talents translate to more substantial contributions than they have in the past.
His highlights are loud, and sometimes his stat lines are, too. He averaged a career-low 13.1 minutes for the Sacramento Kings last season, and he still popped for 20-plus points five different times.
Consistency has been an issue, and he's prone to making mental mistakes on either end. But if he bought into a complementary role and played within himself, he could be an asset.
Miami Heat: John Wall
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Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra might be as close as this league has to a miracle-worker, but even he might be over his skis with this (notably Damian Lillard-less) point guard group. Kyle Lowry rarely looks at the basket, Josh Richardson isn't a natural passer (or a consistent shooter) and Tyler Herro appears to be topping out as a secondary playmaker.
John Wall would hardly be a cure-all solution, but his resume is about as rich as any you'll find on the open market.
Granted, the five-time All-Star's best days are behind him, but he still looks capable of creating for himself and his teammates. Just last season, he averaged 18.4 points and 8.5 assists per 36 minutes. As a change-of-pace point guard, there's still some pep in his step.
Milwaukee Bucks: Austin Rivers
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The Bucks turbo-charged their offense with the offseason addition of Damian Lillard, but they may have torpedoed their defense in the process. After finishing fourth in efficiency on the game's less glamorous end last season, they've since slipped all the way to 20th.
They need better point-of-attack options than Lillard and Malik Beasley, which could steer them toward the pesky Austin Rivers.
He may not be a shutdown stopper, but he'd help cover some of the leaks that have plagued this perimeter group all season. He also offers a pinch more offensive ability than a defensive specialist, as he could add smatterings of shooting and shot-creation to Milwaukee's mix.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaylen Nowell
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The Timberwolves have a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate in backup big man Naz Reid, but their second-team scoring options are somewhat limited beyond him. Shake Milton's shooting rates have flatlined during his first season in the Gopher State, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker continues to struggle with his efficiency.
Maybe that could steer Minnesota back toward Jaylen Nowell, who averaged a career-high 10.8 points for the Wolves last season.
The career 31.6 percent three-point shooter could squeeze the spacing a bit, but Minnesota could counter that by deploying him alongside stretch bigs like Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns. In an otherwise properly spaced attack, Nowell can really pressure opposing defenses with his downhill driving.
New Orleans Pelicans: Davon Reed
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New Orleans has long needed all the shooting it can get alongside Zion Williamson, but that need might be as great as it's ever been. The Pelicans are uncomfortably thin on the high-volume shooters who would give Williamson and Brandon Ingram more room to attack.
Davon Reed could help buy the Pels a bit more breathing room.
The 28-year-old owns a career 38.5 percent three-point connection rate across 122 contests. He's also a stingy enough stopper that he can add value even when his outside shots aren't falling.
New York Knicks: Isaiah Roby
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While the Knicks waived Isaiah Roby ahead of the regular season, they clearly have some interest in him. They signed him on the final day of the 2022-23 season to allow him to compete for a spot on this year's club and then gave him an Exhibit 10 contract after cutting him loose.
New York also still has just a single traditional power forward on the roster in Julius Randle. And while that's obviously by design, it's possible the Knicks could seek out more size from their non-center spots.
Roby offers that at 6'8" and 230 pounds, and he plays a bit bigger thanks to his bounce. When he has it rolling, he can shoot from range and finish at the basket while offering a bit of versatility on defense.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Mouhamadou Gueye
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In the span of one season, Oklahoma City has rocketed from 22nd to second in blocks per game. Call it the Chet Holmgren effect.
The thing is, though, this uptick really is solely about Holmgren, whose 2.8 swats are third-most in the Association. No one else on this club averages even a block per game.
If the Thunder found any minutes for Mouhamadou Gueye, though, that might change. The springy 25-year-old ranks fifth among G Leaguers with 3.3 blocks per game, which is nearly identical to the 3.4 per 40 minutes he averaged across three college campaigns.
Orlando Magic: Joe Wieskamp
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The Magic might be starting their climb up the standings, but their ceiling will be capped until they can upgrade their 18th-ranked offense. Their best bet for making that happen is improving their outside attack, as they've been a bottom-five team in three-point makes (10.2 per game, 29th) and accuracy (34.4 percent, 26th).
Enter Joe Wieskamp.
The 24-year-old has twice found his way onto NBA rosters (first with the San Antonio Spurs, then with the Toronto Raptors), but he's so far yet to stick at this level. Still, with his combination of size (6'6", 205 pounds) and shooting (39.7 percent across 28 G League games last season), he might latch onto an NBA roster yet.
Philadelphia 76ers: David Nwaba
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The Sixers have their highest winning percentage in nearly 40 years and this season's best net rating. Unless they broker a consolidation-style swap for a star, any newcomer might have trouble locking down a rotation role.
If Philly poked around for a pickup anyway, it would likely aim for a specialist. A tireless wing defender like David Nwaba could make sense as that might be where this defense is the weakest.
He has six NBA seasons under his belt, but he hasn't held a roster spot since suiting up for the 2021-22 Houston Rockets. As a 30-year-old with offensive limitations and a torn Achilles in his past, his market value can't be much, but a championship-chaser like Philadelphia could potentially see his hustle and defense as valuable traits to have at the back end of the roster.
Phoenix Suns: Goran Dragić
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You may have heard a time or 20 that the Suns have less than elite options when it comes to natural point guards. Adding a 37-year-old Goran Dragić would hardly take that concern off the table.
It could, however, help expand the organization's offensive menu. Given the seemingly nightly challenges of finding consistent offense from players not named Kevin Durant, Devin Booker or (when rarely healthy) Bradley Beal, that might be reason enough to bring Dragić back to where his career started.
He's a defensive sieve who's a more natural scorer than table-setter, but he can still run offense as a regular-season innings-eater. Last season, he averaged 15.1 points and 6.2 assists against 2.6 turnovers per 36 minutes while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from deep. Those numbers could be enough to command a complementary role in this point guard group.
Portland Trail Blazers: Jarrett Culver
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The Damian Lillard-less Trail Blazers should be fully focused on their future. Every move they make must be made with an intent to brighten that outlook.
Doing so while shopping in the NBA's equivalent of the day-old bakery obviously won't be easy, but what would Portland stand to lose by being the next team that attempts to unlock Jarrett Culver's potential? Remember, this league once valued the 6'6" swingman enough to make him the No. 6 pick of the 2019 draft.
Granted, that was four-plus years and three NBA teams ago, but he's only 24, so there might still be some time for him to turn the corner. The odds that he'll pan out aren't great—he's a bad shooter from every level—but Portland should have enough patience to see whether his defense and athleticism can form something more interesting than he's been to this point.
Sacramento Kings: Quinndary Weatherspoon
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At 27 years old, Quinndary Weatherspoon has very little to offer in terms of upside. The Kings should be fine with that, as they're currently on course to book back-to-back playoff trips.
Sacramento has an MVP candidate in De'Aaron Fox, an All-Star in Domantas Sabonis, a rising star in Keegan Murray and a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Malik Monk. The Kings have high-end talent, but they may be in the market for reliable role players.
That's where Weatherspoon could make his mark. He offers some jack-of-all-trades appeal, which won't help his ceiling but does raise his floor high enough to potentially land at least a part-time role on a postseason-caliber club. He also has a history with Kings coach Mike Brown, as both were members of the Golden State Warriors' 2021-22 championship club.
San Antonio Spurs: Jason Preston
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While it's impossible to say when the Spurs will try to accelerate their Victor Wembanyama-fueled rebuild, they'll clearly need more playmakers around to help make that happen. They've gone to a by-committee ball-handling approach with their opening group, and they've gotten little beyond ball control from Tre Jones.
Taking a low-risk flier on Jason Preston wouldn't hurt.
The 33rd pick of the 2021 draft is basically a blank slate, as foot surgery wiped out his would-be rookie season, and the Clippers' win-right-now intentions limited him to just 124 minutes over 14 games in 2022-23. He's not a great athlete, and there are questions about his shooting potential, but he thinks the game at a high level and can consistently create shots for the players around him.
Toronto Raptors: Landers Nolley II
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Should Toronto ever tilt into a Scottie Barnes-centered rebuild, the Raptors will immediately be on the hunt for shooting. Of course, even if they push forward with the OG Anunoby-Pascal Siakam core, they'll still need more spacers around them.
Landers Nolley II could be a sneaky-good option to up their option.
The "sneaky" part stems from the fact he's converting just 27.6 percent of his G League threes so far. The "good" portion is tied to the perimeter form that excited NBA scouts across a college career that included stops in Virginia Tech, Memphis and Cincinnati. In two of his final three college campaigns, the 6'7", 208-pounder shot better than 38 percent from range on six-plus attempts per night.
"He's over 6'6" without shoes and has real length with a 6'11" wingspan. It's hard to find guys who are this big who have this level of shooting success," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie wrote in his 2023 draft guide. "More importantly, Nolley can let it fly. He hit 42.7 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s this past season, which is an awesome number."
Utah Jazz: Ethan Thompson
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Scoring has been a grind in Salt Lake City this season, and the challenge will only increase should trade rumors involving Jordan Clarkson become more than talk. And let's not even dig into potential for a Lauri Markkanen deal, even if others are discussing it already.
Regardless how the Jazz handle the roster, they could clearly use more bucket-getters. Ethan Thompson's G League effort suggests he can be exactly that, as he's supplying the Mexico City Capitanes with 22.4 points per night on 46.3/43.8/75 shooting.
He's largely been an NBA afterthought to this point with serious question marks around his defense and shooting. The former remains a challenge, but the latter is suddenly and significantly trending the right direction. He shot 30.5 percent from range as a G League rookie in 2021-22, then bumped that number to a solid (though unspectacular) 36.4 percent last season. But he's not only up to that 43.8 percent clip, he's also firing up a career-high 6.9 attempts per night.
Washington Wizards: Wenyen Gabriel
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After going three-quarters of the way into a rebuild this summer, you could argue the Wizards are as far as anyone from playing winning basketball. Through that lens, it might make sense for them to chase as much upside as possible.
Wenyen Gabriel, a 26-year-old with parts of four NBA seasons on his resume, can't offer that. What he could do, though, is help instill winning habits into Washington's young players. And that may be even more valuable, since the Wizards' dreadful defense and offensive lowlights could be cracking whatever foundation this front office is attempting to construct.
Gabriel's skill set doesn't stretch far beyond hustle and full-throttle defense, but he never comes up short in either category. The Wizards need a player (or 10) supplying those on a regular basis.
Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com and current through games played on Dec. 18.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on X, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
