As the NBA summer of 2022 draws to a close, there are still some impact players available who might make a difference for teams and should be considered as free agents for franchises to sign.
Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, who have all recently been the subject of trade speculations, are just some of the major names who should be considered for runs in some of the biggest teams in the league.
The top free agents have all found new teams, but a few reliable role players, and perhaps even one or two starters, are still available.
The next 10 should pique organizations' interest as they search for candidates to fill any remaining openings on their rosters.
10 Best NBA free agents still on the market
Listed below are the 10 best NBA free agents still on the market, in no particular order:
10. Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala's durability has been a problem, and he may retire before the 2022–2023 season. But among the remaining free agents, the 38-year-old is possibly your best choice for a seasoned locker room presence.
Iguodala is fifth among active players in career postseason minutes, in addition to his four championships and an MVP award from the Finals. He appeared to be a player-coach by the end of the Golden State Warriors' most recent championship run.
Iguodala is a dynamic defender and playmaker in addition to having leadership, mentoring, and basketball intelligence to contribute.
In 2021–22, despite playing just 603 minutes, he averaged a career-high 6.9 assists per 75 possessions. And when he was on the floor, the already outstanding Warriors' net rating was noticeably higher.
9. Dwight Howard
In December, Dwight Howard will turn 37. He is nearing the end of his successful NBA career, much like Andre Iguodala.
Despite no longer being the same player who won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year honours and was selected for eight All-NBA teams, Howard is still a reliable defensive anchor who can boost the potential of most second units.
With a true shooting percentage of 65.3 over the last three seasons, Howard has averaged 14.2 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per 75 possessions. His embracing of rim running and becoming an offensive garbage man has prolonged his Hall of Fame career after years of attempting to be a post player.
At this point in his career, Howard has some obvious flaws. He commits far too many turnovers; throughout the aforementioned three-year period, he ranks 11th in turnover percentage. Spacing is limited by his inability to shoot jump shots. And unlike in the past, he no longer defends in space.
Whoever signs him, though, won't be searching for a starter or a DPOY contender. As a reserve centre, he can still grab rebounds, block the path for opposing slashers, and play 15 to 20 minutes every game.
8. LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge, who has already come out of one retirement, begins the potential farewell tour. Aldridge stated in September 2021 that he had been given the all-clear to play again after a cardiac issue appeared to have ended his career in April 2021.
Later, he continued to play only 22.3 minutes per game for the Brooklyn Nets, who were somewhat better with him on the floor, averaging 12.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. Aldridge, though, appeared in just 47 games throughout the regular season. Regardless of which team signs him, they should generally expect a similar workload.
Aldridge can provide any second unit that needs a little spacing a boost if that is possible. He has never been a great three-point shooter, but he is among the greatest mid-range shooters ever. Furthermore, his defenders will pursue him to the three-point line.
7. Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin's early-career athleticism has been limited by injuries, but he is still adaptable enough to make a difference off a team's bench.
With the Brooklyn Nets last season, he averaged 4.0 assists per 75 possessions, which wasn't far off his career average of 4.8. Though his three-point shooting percentage plummeted, he still managed to shoot over 34% from beyond the arc in three of his previous five seasons.
Although those aren't the statistics of an exceptional spacer, if he can once more reach the mid-30s level, that will be plenty to have defences pay attention to him from beyond the arc. These obvious qualities and a hint of multipositional defence might at the very least elevate him to the league's top eighth or ninth players.
6. Jeremy Lamb
Jeremy Lamb's performance in 2021–2022 saw a lot of declines, but the player, who is just turning 30 and fits the increasing positionless basketball trend, has quietly been one of the game's more reliable wings over the past five years.
Lamb's box plus/minus ranking since the 2017–18 season's beginning is almost among the top 100. with 18.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.9 threes for every 75 possessions on average. He has made a solid 35.5% of his three-point attempts throughout the same time period.
Lamb (6'5" with a 6'11" wingspan) is a player worth considering for any team trying to implement a switch-heavy defensive strategy similar to the one that helped the Boston Celtics reach the Finals.
5. DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins suffered greatly from age, injuries, and the game's shift away from conventional big men, but he was a game-changer for the Denver Nuggets last season.
Denver averaged plus-9.7 points per 100 possessions with Nikola Jokic on the floor and minus-12.5 when he was off before Cousins' debut with the squad. A 22.2-point swing is really large.
The Nuggets were plus-6.9 with Jokic during that time period and minus-2.2 over that same period without him. That figure was reduced from 22.2 to 9.1 in large part as a result of Cousins' robust and well-rounded interior game. In the games he played, they had a 22-9 record.
Cousins can help a club get closer to the playoffs if he is prepared to accept a comparable position elsewhere (and successful turns off the bench for both Milwaukee and Denver demonstrate he is).
4. Hassan Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside seems to accept a reserve position in 2021–2022, much like Cousins. His career should be extended as a result. Whiteside, the Utah Jazz's stand-in for Rudy Gobert, averaged a staggering 17.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per 75 possessions.
He had a 66.2 true shooting percentage and was among the top 60 in box plus/minus. Additionally, he had a comparable stabilizing impact to what Kirk Cousins provided to Denver.
When Gobert left the court, Utah's net rating fell precipitously for years. The Jazz were plus-8.4 from 2015–16 to 2020–21 when Gobert played and minus-1.4 when he didn't.
They were able to maintain a positive point total without Gobert on the court last season, in large part due to Whiteside. The 33-year-old Whiteside should be taken into consideration by teams in need of rim protection, rebounding, rim running, or a change-of-pace centre off the bench.
3. Dennis Schroder
Since placing second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting for the 2019–20 season, Dennis Schroder's statistics have been declining steadily. Because of this, some people would think that his shooting statistics from that season—in particular, his 38.5 three-point percentage—were odd.
However, he still has an above-average ability to get to the paint and a quick first step. He should still be able to score a lot against second units.
Schroder has a career average of 19.6 points on 16.8 shots for every 75 possessions. He has access to those buckets on each of the three levels. In twos made from 10 feet and further during his nine seasons, he ranks 33rd in the NBA.
Although Schroder is not a pass-first guard, the pressure he applies to the paint provides him plenty of opportunities to assist on kickouts or drop-offs. His average of 6.5 assists per 75 possessions throughout the course of his career ranks top-70 in the league.
2. Montrezl Harrell
The debate around Montrezl Harrell has become out of control over time. The 6'7" big man has some defensive weaknesses, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that he's one of the best reserve scorers in the league.
The career average for the 2019–20 Sixth Man of the Year is 21.6 points per 75 possessions. This performance is ranked 86th all-time, and if you rank those 86 players by field goal percentage, Harrell comfortably takes the top spot (62.0), nearly four points ahead of Shaquille O'Neal in second.
Harrell plays with a tenacity on offence that allows him to get to the rim on rolls and cuts about as successfully as anyone, despite having a height disadvantage in the majority of matchups. When he gets to the bucket, he has excellent touch.
Harrell won't offer much rim protection, but in the right situation, he can unquestionably improve a squad. His teams average plus-3.2 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court compared to plus-1.8 when he's not for his whole career.
1. Collin Sexton
The outlier among the free agents this year was Collin Sexton. It could make sense for him to play this season on the qualifying offer he signed prior to free agency before re-entering the market in 2023, especially in light of the three-year, around $40 million offer he reportedly received from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He was only able to play in 11 games in 2021–22 due to a knee injury, so if he can replicate or improve on that performance, he will probably receive a bigger offer the following summer. Sexton averaged 24.3 points per game and made 37.1% of his threes throughout that season.
He appeared to have the ability to be a game-changing scorer who could at the very least check in hot off the bench. His potential is even greater if he demonstrates a greater capacity and willingness to stand up for and create for others.
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