5 Minimum-Contract NBA Free Agents Every Team Could Still Use After LeBron James Signing

As the dust settles on the first wave of NBA free agency, the next crop of players to be signed are usually minimum players with an upside that a team can bring in to develop or fill a specific need. 

There are still some big free-agent dominoes to fall following LeBron James's decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers. The Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren's are in a restricted free-agent standoff. Peyton Watson and the Denver Nuggets are trying to work through their situation.

In the meantime, teams are trying to add pieces around the margins, like the Los Angeles Lakers signing Matisse Thybulle. 

For the teams not in the running for any of the big names still available, there are a few minimum free agents that are worth a look. Most of them are on the younger side, but, given time, they could be valuable role players and fill needs, even as a stopgap in some instances. And, of course, some of the older players can come in immediately to provide a boost of some kind.

Gary Payton II, 33 years old, 10-year pro

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Gary Payton II has always been a key role player for the Warriors during his two different stints with Golden State, including the championship season in 2022. 

Payton's numbers will never jump off the page, but his play certainly does. Last season, he averaged a career-high 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds, including 1.4 offensive rebounds. Crashing the offensive glass is a big part of his game. Payton's value is a pure hustle guy, winning extra possessions, cutting off the ball and working as a screener. 

Players like Payton can provide a massive punch of energy off the bench. There are several teams that could use a player of this caliber off the bench, who, with their hustle, can turn a game.

Aaron Holiday, 29 years old, 8-year pro

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The third of the Holiday brothers in the NBA has been more of a journeyman. Unlike his brothers, Aaron Holiday just has not found his home yet, after spending the last two seasons in Houston, mainly as a third point guard. With the return of Fred VanVleet, he is once again looking for a new home.

Holiday is undersized, and that has held him back, but he has a lot of qualities that make him a good candidate for a team searching for a little more ball handling with some shooting. He is a career 38.4 percent three-point shooter. Last season, in limited minutes, he averaged 5.5 points and shot 39.4 percent from three. Parse that out to per 36, and he's averaging 14.8 points a night. Of course, his assist to turnover ratio of 2.8 to 1.8 is not great, and that is what makes him more of a backup. 

Despite the rough assist-to-turnover ratio, Holiday's ability to shoot and bring the ball up the court makes him a viable candidate for a team in need of a backup point guard—or a third guard to help in a pinch.

Ochai Agbaji, 26 years old, four-year pro

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Ochai Agbaji was the last lottery pick in the 2022 draft, going to Cleveland before he was part of the package that was sent to Utah for Donovan Mitchell. He really has not found his home just yet in the NBA, having played for the Jazz, Raptors and just 20 games with the Nets this past season. 

There have been flashes in Agbaji's game that show there is something there. He has the size to be a strong wing defender, but the problem has been getting his three-point shot to be consistent. His best season as a pro was just two years ago in Toronto. He averaged 10.4 points while shooting 39.9 percent from three on four attempts a game. 

Agbaji was the odd man out in Toronto, and he found himself traded to Brooklyn this past season. In the last 20 games, he averaged 6.7 points and shot 34.9 percent from deep in just 16.7 minutes per night. 

Spread that out to 36 minutes, and he's averaging 14.8 points and averaging 5.1 rebounds. If he can sustain that level of play, Agbaji could be a really sneaky pickup on a minimum deal.

Amir Coffey, 29 years old, seven-year pro

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Watching Amir Coffey play for the Clippers, it always felt like he was just on the edge of putting it all together. Spoiler: he has not done it yet, but in the right situation, he might just be able to bring it together.

Coffey left the Clippers last offseason, signing with the Bucks, and then he was traded to Phoenix. He had a down season but found his groove after the trade. He went from shooting 28 percent from three in Milwaukee to 41.7 percent in Phoenix. 

What Coffey showed in Phoenix was more aligned with what many saw in his Clipper days. He is a career 38.2 percent three-point shooter. Shooting is always valuable in the league, and bringing in a skilled shooter like Coffey on a minimum deal will be something a smart team will do before the offseason is over. 

Jalen Pickett, 26 years old, three-year pro

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It can be tough for a young player to crack the rotation of championship contenders, and Jalen Pickett is one of those players.

The second pick in the second round of the 2023 draft is now on the open market and is looking to find his landing spot in the league. But there should be significant interest for a player like Pickett.

He is a career 38.7 percent three-point shooter. He is a little undersized at 6'2" to be a shooting guard, but last season he shot 41 percent on catch-and-shoot. On top of the shooting, in limited minutes, he averaged 2.3 assists against 0.7 turnovers.

Pickett's per 36 numbers have him as an 11.6 points and 5.1 assists-per-night type of player. 

Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on X, @MoDakhil_NBA.