The NBA Free Agency Underdogs: Seven Underrated Players to Watch Out For in 2024

June 29, 2024, 08:00 ET

LeBron James and Paul George may dominate the headlines, but here are seven under-the-radar free agents…and the teams that would benefit from signing them.

With the 2024 NBA draft out of the way, the beginning of the NBA free agency is just a few hours away. For weeks, managers and fans have been thinking, planning and imagining what their teams might look like with some of the sport’s biggest stars: Paul George, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan.

But in doing so, it’s often easy to overlook less famous players who could actually provide more value for teams looking to improve their rosters. With that in mind, here we have seven of this offseason’s most underrated free agentswith the teams that could benefit the most from their signings.

Tyus Jones, Wizards scout

Editorial Selections

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The 28-year-old is coming off a year in which he has been, by far, the most impactful guard in Washington’s rotation, with records in scoring, rebounds and assists. But his stat growth wasn’t solely due to him becoming a full-time starter. His efficiency – field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, effective field goal percentage – was also the best of his career.

The Wizards – yes, the 15-67 Wizards – improved 2.7 points on offense per 100 possessions when Jones was on the court. And his decision-making has always been top-notch, as evidenced by his dazzling 7.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, the best among all players who appeared in at least 50 games.

Where would he fit best: Spurs, Magic, Pelicans

The Mavs will try to retain Derrick Jones Jr., who is a free agent this summer. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

Jones, 27, took a risk last summer by opting out of his contract with the Chicago Bulls in hopes of playing for a title contender. He then signed with Dallas, where he accepted a pay cut. The result: He was a versatile and integral player on both ends for the Mavericks, who reached the NBA Finals.

Now he is ready to cash in on the gamble. On defense, Dallas was two points better per 100 possessions with Jones Jr. on the court than without him. And although he is not a great shooter, this season he achieved the best percentage of his career with 34.3% on three-pointers and also found other ways to participate in the attack, such as being a constant lob threat for the star point guard. Luka Doncic.

Where would he fit best: Mavs, Warriors, Jazz

Tobias Harris projects as a productive 15-point-per-game player who can be useful for the right team. David Dow/NBAE/Getty Images

It goes without saying that Harriswho signed to stay in Philadelphia back in 2019 on a near-maximum five-year, $188 million contract, hasn’t lived up to that contract. His scoreless performance in the season-ending Game 6 against the Knicks was emblematic, as many in the city’s fanbase had looked to him as the face of the Sixers’ failures. Still, the soon-to-be 32-year-old projects as a productive 15-point-per-game player who can be useful to the right team.

For starters, he is always available, having played 671 of his team’s 719 games (93%) over the past nine years. Nikola Jokic (675 games) and his free agent colleague Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (673) have participated in more regular season games in that period.

And he remains someone who can score in a variety of ways — especially if his usage rate increases and in a more evenly balanced offense than Philly’s. He’s shot 40% or better from 3-point range in six of the past seven years and, among forwards, ranked 11th in the league in fast-break points in 2023-24 with 207.

Where he would fit best: Pistons, Jazz, Pelicans

Even with the improvements he has shown over the past two seasons as a sniper, the offense of Dunn He will never be able to be at the same level as his defense. Still, his perimeter shooting at an average or higher level in each of the last two seasons — after shooting below 30% for the first six years of his career — has been notable, even if at a relatively low volume and usage rate.

Anyway, Dunn He’s one of the few guards in the league so good defensively that you’ll likely play him, despite his weaknesses on offense. He’s deflected passes at the fourth-highest rate in the NBA on a per-minute basis among players who have logged at least 60 games. Plus, The Jazz were nearly 2.5 points better per 100 possessions on defense when Dunn was on the court than when he was out. With these kinds of defensive results, combined with an average level of shooting and attack, Dunn He will be a beneficial signing for teams that need a stopper at the point of attack.

Where he would fit best: Bucks, Wizards, Jazz

Any team in need of a robust inside presence – particularly in the glass – would be very smart to sign Drummondwho has led the league in offensive rebound percentage in each of the last two seasons among players who have accumulated 60 appearances.

The 2023-24 campaign was the most efficient of Drummond from a perspective of the estimated number of wins a player has contributed to, over five years. The big man, who turns 31 in August, has also been excellent at protecting the rim, holding opposing snipers more than three percentage points below their average around the rim, and has had highly active hands there. end of the playing field. Only Kelly Olynyk y Victor Wembanyama They deflected the most passes per minute among NBA centers.

Where he would fit best: Grizzlies, Wizards, Pelicans

Highgsmith27, hasn’t received as much attention as Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson o Caleb Martin (who could also become a free agent in the coming days), but he could be the next solid development story to come out of Miami over the last few years.

This year, in his first season averaging 20 minutes per game or more, Highsmith ranked third in the NBA in isolation defense (among players who played in 60 or more games), limiting opposing players to 0.70 points per 1-on-1 possession. Only Keegan Murray was better among defensive forwards.

In any case, it is the growth in the attack of Highsmith What’s most intriguing going forward. He’s seen year-over-year increases in both assist average and 3-point accuracy, and he had a very strong finish to the 2023-24 campaign, shooting 53.5% overall and 44.4% from 3-point range after the All-Star break – up from 42.1% overall and 36.7% from 3-point range prior to that.

Where he would fit best: Heat, Warriors, Hawks

Isaac Okoro, Cavaliers forward

Sizestill just 23, has taken a huge step forward this season in the Cavs’ offense, amassing career-highs in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. He’s also shooting a career-high 40 percent from the corner.

These are important improvements, considering that Size He’s already a quality defender. The Cavaliers gave up just 105.6 points per 100 possessions Size on the court – a team-best average – and were a whopping 6.3 points worse per 100 possessions when he wasn’t playing. He’s a restricted free agent, meaning Cleveland will be able to match any free-agent offer he might receive from another team.

Where he would fit best: Lakers, Cavs, Sixers

2024-06-29 12:00:00
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