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At the stroke of midnight, NBA Free Agency began in earnest as teams were free to begin negotiating with players. This year’s crop of free agents is a very interesting one, a mix of high-profile superstars who have opted out of their contracts (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh), up-and-comers hitting free agency for the first time (Kyle Lowry, Eric Bledsoe, Chandler Parsons) and seasoned veterans grabbing one last big check before retirement (Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter).
The destinations of all these players have already become a huge source of intrigue, and that's only going to grow over the coming days and weeks. The domino effect of each move will trigger a flurry of others throughout the league; after LeBron and Carmelo decide what they’re doing, all the other teams who miss out will truly kick into gear and begin the process of building their teams for next season.
It’s important to remember we’re dealing with two types of free agent: restricted and unrestricted. An unrestricted free agent can sign with any team he likes, without any limitations. A player is deemed a restricted free agent if his team submits a one-year “qualifying offer” at 125 percent of the player’s previous salary, and the player refuses to accept it. He is then allowed to field offers from other teams, but his original team holds a “right of first refusal,” and can keep their player by choosing to match any contract offered to him.
There is plenty of talent in both the restricted and unrestricted pool of players this summer. Here’s a look at Ranking The Notable Free Agents on the Market Right Now From Best to Most Overrated.
20. Patty Mills
Age: 25
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $1,133,950
2013-14 stats: 81 G, 10.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG
The leading candidate for the Jerome James Award for most bloated post-playoffs contract is Patty Mills, who was huge for the Spurs in their run to the title. After a solid regular season, Mills hit some huge shots for the Spurs in their Game 4 and Game 5 wins over Miami and shot .565 from three point land in the 2014 Finals.
Those standout performances will probably be enough for a desperate team to hand Mills a three year deal, with some reports already linking him with the Knicks.
19. Shaun Livingston
Age: 28
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $1,272,279
2013-14 stats: 76 G, 8.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG
No matter where Shaun Livingston ends up this summer, you don't have a heart if you aren't overjoyed for him. Livingston was an incredible athlete when he entered the league out of high school, but a gruesome knee injury during his third season nearly ended his career. It has been a long road back, but Livingston reinvented himself with the Nets and earned the starting point guard job even after Deron Williams returned from injury.
With Jason Kidd now leaving Brooklyn, though, Livingston may feel inclined to test the market and try to land the biggest deal possible.
18. Paul Pierce
Age: 36
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $15,333,334
2013-14 stats: 75 G, 13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
It remains to be seen how Jason Kidd’s sudden departure will impact Paul Pierce’s future with the Brooklyn Nets, but the former All-Star would not seem to have a ton of choices should he decide to leave New York. Pierce will be playing his 17th NBA season next year, and last season established new career lows in pretty much every offensive category. He’s a complementary piece, one who by his own estimation has only a year or two left.
Might he bookend his career by going back to Boston? Or could he become the key bench player the Clippers (and former coach Doc Rivers) need to get them over the top?
17. Vince Carter
Age: 37
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $3,180,000
2013-14 stats: 81 G, 11.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Could Vince Carter return to Toronto? It’s not totally out of the realm of possibility. He has totally reinvented himself as a reliable scorer off the bench, and he has thrived playing in Rick Carlisle’s system in Dallas. Indeed, there probably isn't much of a compelling reason for Carter to leave Dallas, especially now that they’ve acquired Tyson Chandler and seem committed to making one last title run. It’s also no small feat that Carter has stayed healthy with the Mavericks, missing just seven total games over his three years.
16. Trevor Ariza
Age: 28
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $7,727,280
2013-14 stats: 77 G, 14.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Trevor Ariza will hit free agency with the designation of “everybody’s backup plan.” Teams aren’t thinking about him just yet; they’re too busy entertaining the LeBrons and Carmelos. But soon enough, once the dust has settled and almost every team has missed out on their target, they will all descend on the Wizards’ swing man. Washington may end up making Ariza a nice offer before any of these other teams have a chance, however; with Otto Porter looking like a bust and Martell Webster facing an extended absence due to a back injury, Ariza has become even more valuable to his team.
15. Marcin Gortat
Age: 30
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $7,727,280
2013-14 stats: 81 G, 13.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG
It was a big year for Marcin Gortat, whose trade from Phoenix to Washington just before the season began ended up being one of the most important NBA transactions all season. The big Polish center was huge for Washington, teaming up with Nene to form a beastly frontcourt that helped push the Wizards comfortably into the playoffs. The timing was quite convenient for Gortat as well, who now figures to parlay his status as a productive, reliable center into a nice payday this summer.
It will likely come from the Wizards, who should be anxious to keep their rim protectors together with their young backcourt to make another run at the Eastern Conference Finals.
14. Isaiah Thomas
Age: 25
Type: Restricted
2013-14 salary: $884,293
2013-14 stats: 72 G, 20.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
You'd be either a liar or a member of his family if you said you knew Isaiah Thomas was going to be a premier scorer in the NBA. The diminutive Kings point guard saw his productivity explode last season, and he was one of just five guards to average 20-plus points and six-plus assists per game. The others? Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook. The Kings will need to do what they can to keep Thomas, who will see his value hurt a bit by his restricted status but who will nevertheless command $4-6 million per year.
13. Gordon Hayward
Age: 24
Type: Restricted
2013-14 salary: $3,452,183
2013-14 stats: 77 G, 16.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Gordon Hayward is probably not as valuable as his statistics from this past season indicate. After all, he was playing for a terrible Jazz team that had basically nobody else, meaning that they had to keep feeding him the ball in order to score points. The result was that, while he certainly has developed into a very good player, Hayward may not be worth the amount it would take for Utah to part with him.
His value to the Jazz likely exceeds what a team with cap space and a need for Hayward's skillset would be willing to pay, and any halfway decent offer that a team like Boston might throw at Hayward will simply be matched.
12. Dwyane Wade
Age: 32
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $18,673,000
2013-14 stats: 54 G, 19.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
We grant you that Dwyane Wade is a Hall of Famer, perhaps the best non-Kobe shooting guard since Michael Jordan. But 2014 Dwyane Wade is not that guy. This version is an injury-prone, inconsistent player who is a second option at best. He was incredibly efficient this past season as he shot .545 from the field, but he also played just 54 games and faded badly towards the end of the playoffs. It's likely safe to assume he isn't leaving Miami, and to be honest that is probably the best offer he will get anyway.
Wade can still be a great player who scores in bunches and dominates games, but his inability to do it on a regular basis hurts him when contrasting him with other free agents.
11. Chandler Parsons
Age: 25
Type: Restricted
2013-14 salary: $926,500
2013-14 stats: 74 G, 16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG
It would be in Houston’s best interest to hang on to Chandler Parsons, but if their LeBron/Carmelo aspirations are indeed real, then it might be tough to do that while also keeping both James Harden and Dwight Howard as well. Parsons will command a big payday due to his young age and high productivity; he continued to show improvement last year, increasing his averages across the board while maintaining a strong .472 shooting percentage and earning a reputation as one of the league’s most versatile players.
The Timberwolves are already said to be interested, and others will no doubt follow once the more high-profile players choose their teams.
10. Luol Deng
Age: 29
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $14,275,000
2013-14 stats: 63 G, 16.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
When the Bulls sent Luol Deng to Cleveland last year, it gave Deng a chance to showcase his ability to carry a less-than-talented team into the playoffs. That didn't really work out, as the Bulls ended up flourishing without him while Deng struggled with the listless Cavaliers, putting up some of the worst numbers of his career in shooting percentage (.417) and points per game (14.3). Deng still carries a lot of value on the free agent market, given his two All-Star selections and reputation as one of the best locker room guys in the entire league.
He also can still play, and would fit in perfectly with a contender looking to add one more piece for a title run.
9. Greg Monroe
Age: 24
Type: Restricted
2013-14 salary: $4,086,454
2013-14 stats: 82 G, 15.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Greg Monroe has quietly become one of the most consistent big men in the league, only you'd never know it thanks to a brutal Pistons team that has yet to finish with a win percentage higher than .379 during Monroe's career. He has averaged 15 to 16 points and between 9.3 and 9.7 rebounds per game each of the last three years, and he has missed a total of three games during his entire career.
With a crowded frontcourt (for now) that also includes Josh Smith and Andre Drummond, the Pistons and new GM Stan Van Gundy may be inclined to let Monroe walk if he gets a big offer from another team.
8. Dirk Nowitzki
Age: 36
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $22,721,381
2013-14 stats: 80 G, 21.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG
It's a fun thought experiment to picture Dirk Nowitzki playing anywhere other than Dallas, but it just isn't going to happen. Dirk has said numerous times he'll take a discount to stay, Mark Cuban has vowed to keep him, and the Mavericks' acquisition of Tyson Chandler shows that they're at least attempting to build a contender around their aging star for one last title run. Dirk can still get it done on the court, too; he made his 12th All-Star team and shot nearly 50 percent from the floor, all while playing in 80 games at nearly 33 minutes a night.
7. Pau Gasol
Age: 33
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $19,285,850
2013-14 stats: 60 G, 17.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG
There are rumors that Phil Jackson wants Pau Gasol in New York, and other rumors saying that Pau is open to staying in Los Angeles. Either way, last year made it clear that Gasol is still a very good player who was shackled by Mike D'Antoni's system. He enters free agency on the strength of a season that, statistically, resembled many of his previous All-Star campaigns.
If he can stay on the floor, Gasol would be a great veteran pickup for any contender looking for a perfect complementary player to a high-scoring guard.
6. Eric Bledsoe
Age: 24
Type: Restricted
2013-14 salary: $2,626,473
2013-14 stats: 43 G, 17.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
One half of the league's most dynamic backcourt along with Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe is hitting restricted free agency at a time when his team is very "in." That means that somebody is going to come at the 24-year-old with a massive offer, which the Suns will surely match considering that they just got him last summer. While there have to be concerns about Bledsoe's ability to stay on the floor (he has missed almost a full season's worth of games over four years in the NBA), he also proved last season to be an explosive scorer and a potential future All-Star.
Even the notoriously-cheap Suns will do what they have to in order to keep him around.
5. Kyle Lowry
Age: 28
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $6,210,000
2013-14 stats: 79 G, 17.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG
After years of bouncing around the league, Kyle Lowry finally found a home in Toronto in 2013 and helped get the Raptors back into the playoffs this past season. He averaged career bests across the board, and now hits free agency with a lot of teams in need of a point guard and bearing ample cap space. Rumors have linked Lowry with a sign-and-trade move to Miami, but that would first require the Heat to resolve their Big Three free agency situation first.
A young point guard who can score will always find a home in the NBA, though, so Lowry can afford to sit back, relax, and let the suitors come to him.
4. Lance Stephenson
Age: 23
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $1,005,000
2013-14 stats: 78 G, 13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
There may be no more enigmatic free agent than Lance Stephenson. If you look at his measurables such as age, stats, and improvement, he is really one of the most enticing free agents around. Unfortunately, that's not all you look at when evaluating a target. You also have to consider what goes on between the ears, which in Stephenson's case is vexing at best. His final month-plus of the season likely cost him a huge amount of money; would you want to make a long-term investment in a guy who punched a teammate, played dead on the court, and blew in LeBron's ear all in just a few weeks?
Larry Bird loves Lance, though, and it seems likely that Stephenson's best offer may come from Indiana. They even made a movie for him.
3. Chris Bosh
Age: 30
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $19,067,500
2013-14 stats: 79 G, 16.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Without a doubt, Chris Bosh’s game has changed a lot since he got to Miami. He’s had to be content being the third option on offense, and adapt his game to accommodate the skillsets of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. However, in a way, that has made him more valuable now that he's a free agent. In addition to his post play, he’s become a competent three-point shooter who can stretch the floor on offense, a huge asset in today’s small ball-centric NBA.
Of all the Big Three in Miami, he may be the most likely to skip town if an offer to be a go-to guy somewhere else (maybe back to Toronto?) comes along.
2. Carmelo Anthony
Age: 30
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $22,407,474
2013-14 stats: 77 G, 27.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
There’s a chance that Carmelo Anthony could return to the Knicks, and despite Melo’s impending visits to the Bulls, Mavericks, Rockets, and Lakers, team president Phil Jackson remains optimistic he’s going to be able to keep his star player around. The two have been bonding, you see, and Jackson is also looking to bring in Pau Gasol to take some of the offensive burden off Anthony’s shoulders. Like others on this list, this decision is allegedly not about money (although the fact that Melo gets a five year, $29 million deal to stay with the Knicks or four years and $96 million somewhere else is a big difference.)
If it's really about winning, we’ll see Melo in a new city next season.
1. LeBron James
Age: 29
Type: Unrestricted
2013-14 salary: $19,067,500
2013-14 stats: 77 G, 27.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Obviously, the guy with four MVPs and two rings is going to be the No. 1 free agent target. Having LeBron James on your team instantly makes you a title contender, and elevates the play of even your most mediocre role players. Every single NBA team would gut their roster if they knew they'd be able to sign James, and many teams have already done so even without any sort of assurance they'll land him. LeBron can pick his destination using whatever criteria he sees fit, and it's guaranteed that team will do whatever he asks to build a contender around him.
Our money, though, is on him staying in Miami and trying to get back to the Finals in the increasingly competitive East.