Checking In On Notable Remaining Free Agents

Jun 11, 2023

The last standard restricted free agent on the market this summer, P.J. Washington officially re-signed with the Hornets on Tuesday. With Washington off the board, 47 of our top 50 free agents from the start of the offseason have now signed, including all of the top 24. However, there are still several notable players who continue to seek a new NBA home.

Big man Christian Wood, our No. 25 free agent, is one. We ranked Wood as high as we did due to his scoring and rebounding prowess — he has averaged 18.1 points in just 29.3 minutes per game across the last three seasons, grabbing 8.9 boards per night during that same stretch.

However, it sounds like concerns about Wood’s professionalism and defense have made teams wary about making him any kind of significant offer. A report in July suggested that there may be a disconnect between what Wood thinks his value is and what teams think his value is. If he were willing to accept a minimum-salary deal, he may already be on a roster.

Veteran forward Kelly Oubre came in at No. 27 on our free agent list after putting up a career-high 20.3 points per game in 48 appearances last season. But averaging 20 PPG isn’t the accomplishment it once was. Oubre was just one of 57 players who achieved that feat while appearing in at least 29 games. And of those 57 players, he ranked 53rd in EFG%, so it’s not like he was scoring particularly efficiently.

Oubre still has some value, but after earning at least $12MM in each of the last four seasons, he seems unlikely to approach that mark in 2023/24.

The only other unsigned player on our top-50 list is No. 43 Hamidou Diallo. I’m a fan of Diallo due to his athleticism, rebounding ability, defensive energy, and shot selection (he made 59.3% of his two-point attempts last season). But he has an unorthodox game and may not be a fit for many teams.

Here are some other free agents who didn’t make our top 50 but who will likely receive consideration from NBA teams before the season begins:

Kendrick Nunn played well down the stretch for Washington last season, knocking down 39.2% of his three-pointers in 31 games with the Wizards. Terence Davis and Jaylen Nowell are among the other available ball-handling guards who can score and shoot a little, though Nowell is coming off a down year in which his three-point rate plummeted from 39.4% to 28.9%.

George Hill, Ish Smith, Goran Dragic, and Austin Rivers could hold some appeal for teams looking to fill out their backcourt with a steady veteran. John Wall is also unsigned, though he has a different skill set than those other vets.

Trent Forrest and Theo Maledon are still restricted free agents, but seem likely to end up on two-way deals.

There aren’t many solid two-way wings left on the board. Danny Green once fit that bill, but at 36 years old, he’s no longer in his prime. Terrence Ross is certainly capable of playing a rotation role, but his outside shot comes and goes (he made just 29.2% in 2021/22) and he’s not an elite defender.

A team interested in adding a shooter might take a look at Svi Mykhailiuk (who has made 36.0% of his career three-point attempts), Will Barton (35.5%), Anthony Lamb (35.3%), two-way RFA Matt Ryan (37.1%), or Edmond Sumner (37.7% in his last two healthy seasons).

Veteran forwards T.J. Warren and Rudy Gay can score, but don’t offer a ton of defensive resistance, and Gay’s best years are behind him — the 17-year veteran is 37 and is coming off his worst season as a pro (5.2 PPG on .380/.254/.857 shooting).

A club focused on bolstering its wing defense may like Lamar Stevens or Javonte Green. Although they don’t provide much offensive punch, they can bring energy off the bench.

Former top-10 picks like Kevin Knox, Jarrett Culver, Justise Winslow, and Stanley Johnson haven’t generated much buzz this offseason, but perhaps there are teams that believe they can extract value from those one-time prospects.

There’s no shortage of veteran centers still available on the open market. Bismack Biyombo, Tristan Thompson, Boban Marjanovic, Derrick Favors, Serge Ibaka, and Gorgui Dieng are among the remaining free agents, and JaVale McGee is set to join them when he clears waivers on Thursday.

A team in the market for a less traditional big man might kick the tires on Blake Griffin or JaMychal Green, who had a modest bounce-back year for the Warriors last season after a forgettable 2021/22 campaign in Denver.

Former first-round pick Usman Garuba could hold some intrigue for a club looking for a developmental project rather than a player who could contribute right away. He’s still just 21 years old.