Impact Moves Contenders Can Still Make in NBA Free Agency

Hollywood has nothing on the NBA's 2019 summer blockbusters.

Free agency has seemingly seen one superstar relocation after the next. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are Brooklyn Nets. Kawhi Leonard is a Los Angeles Clipper. Kemba Walker is a Boston Celtic.

This is the Association's new reality.

Given the cannonballs that have splashed early and often this offseason, one might assume the free-agent market has been picked clean by this point. Shrewd shoppers, though, can still find value if they know where to look.

We'll help by lending a matchmaking hand to join specific contenders with these five still-available impact free agents.

Golden State Warriors: Thabo Sefolosha

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Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala led the wing rotation for the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors. For the 2019-20 iteration, that responsibility will fall on—brace yourselves—Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks and Alfonzo McKinnie, at least until Klay Thompson returns from the torn ACL suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals.

Suffice to say, this position group still needs work.

Since Golden State is shopping on a strict budget, it can't afford to be overly choosy. But if it squints its eyes, it could see 35-year-old Thabo Sefolosha as an undervalued three-and-D option.

The perimeter portion of his game is rock-solid (career 35.2 percent from range) and sometimes much greater than that (four seasons at 38-plus percent). Put him in an offense with gravitational forces like Stephen Curry and D'Angelo Russell, and Sefolosha's percentages could really spike. This past season, he hit 42.9 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes and 44.6 percent of his wide-open triples.

He'll probably make his biggest impact on the opposite end, which works since that's where the new-look Warriors need the most help. In 2018-19, he ranked 31st overall and third among small forwards with a 2.33 defensive real plus-minus, per ESPN.com.

Houston Rockets: Tyson Chandler

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Unless the Houston Rockets can pull off a blockbuster deal for Russell Westbrook, it looks like this group will effectively be running it back next season.

For the most part, that's fine. Houston's 173-73 record over the past three seasons is the NBA's second-best during that stretch, and the team atop that list, the Golden State Warriors, lost Kevin Durant to free agency and Klay Thompson to an ACL tear. The Rockets shouldn't need to do anything to be in contention for the crown.

But they could increase their odds by fortifying the back line behind Clint Capela. They might already have someone in mind for the gig, too.

"Tyson Chandler is likely target for Rockets in their search for backup big," ESPN's Tim MacMahon tweeted. "Chandler, who turns 37 in October, was effective defender and rebounder as reserve for Lakers last year. He has a rep as a great locker room guy and strong relationship with [Chris Paul] from [New Orleans] days."

Chandler may not have as much bounce as he once did, but great size (7'1", 240 lbs) and better instincts don't age. This past season, his 18th in the league, he bettered his career average of 11.9 rebounds per 36 minutes (12.6) and ranked fifth among centers with a 3.64 defensive real plus-minus.

Los Angeles Clippers: Justin Holiday

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For the early portion of his NBA career, Justin Holiday may have been best known as Jrue Holiday's older brother. But his activity, outside shooting and quick-strike scoring have helped the elder Holiday establish himself as a coveted three-and-D wing.

He has started 149 of his 154 games the past two seasons while averaging more than 30 minutes and double-digit points in both. He's more of a good shooter than a great one (career 34.9 percent from distance), but he launches enough that defenses must respect his stroke.

Defensively, the 181-pounder can struggle against bigger forwards, but he wouldn't be getting those assignments with the Kawhi Leonard/Paul George-led Los Angeles Clippers. Instead, Holiday could use his instincts and energy to be an expert roamer. This past season, he tied for 24th with 185 deflections.

His plug-and-play ability should hold major appeal to a Clippers team suddenly locked into a championship pursuit.

If he slots alongside Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell on the reserve unit, L.A. could have the league's highest-scoring bench once again. When Holiday lines up with Leonard and George, he could increase the spacing on offense and either cycle through switches or cause off-ball chaos at the other end.

Los Angeles Lakers: Iman Shumpert

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The Los Angeles Lakers have recovered nicely from being left at the alter by Kawhi Leonard. They have combined steady contributors with a handful of low-risk, high-reward players, and they've finally prioritized shooting.

But they could still use another perimeter stopper. How well does that description fit Iman Shumpert? Well, we'll let LeBron James answer that.

"He probably has the best hands in the NBA along with Kawhi Leonard, as far as defensively," James told reporters in 2015. "He just plays, it's just very, very good basketball. His energy level is at an all-time high, he doesn't go below 100, which is incredible. He brings something fierce, a competitive nature to our team."

Granted, James was speaking about his then-teammate, so the take is a bit biased and hyperbolic. That said, the 29-year-old Shumpert has the length, athleticism and instincts to guard all across the perimeter.

The offensive fit is shakier, and it hinges on his ability to make shots. If he shoots like he did over 42 games with the Sacramento Kings last season (36.6 percent from deep), he'll be an asset. If he struggles like he did in 20 games for the Houston Rockets (29.6 percent), he'll be a liability. Provided he's closer to the former, he'll add value as both a spot-up sniper and part-time shot-creator.

Portland Trail Blazers: David Nwaba

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This past season, the Portland Trail Blazers had the Association's third-best offense. Next season, they could prove even harder to handle.

Swapping Evan Turner for Kent Bazemore upped their outside shooting. Adding Hassan Whiteside gave them an aerial finisher who can increase their vertical spacing. Retaining Rodney Hood ensures this attack has another slippery, off-the-dribble scorer. Unleashing Anfernee Simons might eventually yield the biggest impact of all.

But offense wasn't the issue for this team. The defense slipped from sixth to 16th in efficiency, and further regression could be coming now that Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless have skipped town for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers, respectively.

David Nwaba could help prevent more slippage. He combines brute strength with mobility in a 6'4", 219-pound package of defensive versatility. He has the quickness to keep in front of backcourt speedsters and the toughness to bang with bigs. He can comfortably check four different positions—or even all five against small-ball lineups.

Offensively, he won't provide much beyond downhill attacking, but that can make him a weapon on off-ball cuts (72nd percentile in 2017-18). Anything he gives on that end is merely found money, as Portland's championship chances would continue trending up if it can sniff out a malleable stopper for cheap.

Unless noted otherwise, statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.