With the NBA season over, it’s already time to turn to the ” free agency “, which will shake up the first days of July. This year, it will begin on the night of Sunday, June 30 to Monday, July 1, at midnight in France (and 6 p.m. in New York).
As always, the signatures will become official once the moratorium period is lifted, one week later, on July 6 at 6 p.m. in France (and noon in New York).
To consult >> The 2024 free agency table
After the Top 10 of the best point guards, guards, wingers and power forwards available on the market this summer, let’s continue and end with the pivots. Without a real star, but with solid elements of a rotation, always very useful under the circle.
1 – Isaiah Hartenstein (26 years old – unprotected – New York Knicks)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists
After a frankly convincing and successful season in New York, on both sides of the court, Isaiah Hartenstein is about to receive the biggest check of his career and he will logically be the most coveted pivot on the market. The Knicks do not intend to let him go, even if it means sacrificing Mitchell Robinson, but the Thunder are lying in wait, not to mention the other teams that may be interested. The competition promises to be tough on the file of this now established starter…
2 – Jonas Valanciunas (32 ans – non protégé – New Orleans Pelicans)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 14.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists
Always productive, available and professional, Jonas Valanciunas is the kind of veteran perfect in a locker room, even if his limitations in defense and his profile as an old-fashioned attacker did not necessarily make him indispensable to the Pelicans, especially in the playoffs. He nevertheless remains a referenced starter in the league, capable of offering interesting sequences, and the team that signs him already knows what to expect in the game with this model of regularity. In any case, the mystery hovers around the Lithuanian, even if the Lakers have an eye on him…
3 – Andre Drummond (30 ans – non protégé – Chicago Bulls)
2023–24 stats (regular season): 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds
A double-double (and sometimes double-double) machine, Andre Drummond seems to no longer have a starting status in the NBA and is arguably the league’s best backup at his position, consistently proving productive and effective when he steps in at five. An experienced player, this former All-Star and Olympic champion will be a delight for a franchise lacking physical density under the boards, despite his shortcomings in defense and game intelligence.
4 – Precious Achiuwa (24 ans – protégé – New York Knicks)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 7.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 5.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks
Another Knicks interior likely to jump ship. Arriving during the season in New York, Precious Achiuwa was able to make himself appreciated by Tom Thibodeau, who never hesitated to call on his soldier when others were on the sidelines. It is unknown whether he will return to Big Applebut with the re-signing of OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein being the franchise’s priority, it may be complicated, financially, to keep the former Raptors player on the roster. A nice headache in perspective, but his future is not completely his own because he is protected.
5 – Moritz Wagner (27 ans – team option – Orlando Magic)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds
Valiant lieutenant of the Magic, Moritz Wagner can find himself on the market this summer if his managers decide to play his team option to let it go. That would be surprising, though, because the German will only make $8 million in 2024–25 and a replacement at that price is particularly profitable these days. Then, as his brother Franz is also in Orlando, it is hard to imagine Moritz leaving, which would mark the end of the Wagner Bros.
6 – Jalen Smith (24 years old – unprotected – Indiana Pacers)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 9.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds
7 – Drew Eubanks (27 ans – non protégé – Phoenix Suns)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 5.7 points and 1.3 rebounds
8 – Goga Bitadze (24 years old – unprotected – Orlando Magic)
2023–24 stats (regular season): 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 0.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists
9 – Mason Plumlee (34 years old – unprotected – Los Angeles Clippers)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 5.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds
10 – Kevin Love (35 years old – unprotected – Miami Heat)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 8.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs) : 1.8 points and 2.8 rebounds
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2024-06-29 11:30:03
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