Who are the 10 best NBA free agents still available in 2024 offseason?

Who are the 10 best NBA free agents still available in 2024 offseason?

With Lonnie Walker signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Boston Celtics, and with free agency almost being two months old, who are the top free agents available are! Let’s take a look at 10 of the best below!

(Editor’s note: Walker was one of the 10 before he signed with Boston. In fact, he was my top free agent available, though this list is in no particular order.)

Doug McDermott, F

Previous team: Indiana Pacers

McDermott played in 64 combined games with the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers last season. He hasn’t provided much value outside of his deadeye shooting ability, knocking down at least 40 percent of his 3s in seven of his 10 seasons, including at least 42 percent in four of them. He will be entering his age-33 season, where I still think he could add some value to a team’s bench unit.

Oshae Brissett, F

Previous team: Boston Celtics

Brissett is one of my favorite under-the-radar hustle players in the league. Every team should want a player like him at the end of their bench. He’s not going to light up the box score, but he doesn’t need to. In five seasons, he’s posted career averages of 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds–equating to 13.5 points and 8.0 boards per 36 minutes. At the very least, he’s an above-average rebounder and worth taking a flier on.

Talen Horton-Tucker, G

Previous team: Utah Jazz

Horton-Tucker was one of Utah’s primary lead guards toward the end of last season, averaging 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 51 games. His decision-making leaves plenty to be desired at times, but he’s shown flashes as a secondary playmaker and finisher despite being an inefficient shooter. It feels like he’s been in the league 10 years, too, but he’s still only 23-years-old (he doesn’t turn 24 until November). So there still may be some untapped potential there.

Landry Shamet, G

Previous team: Washington Wizards

Shamet is a quality 3-point shooter, despite being a below-average player in almost every other department. He’s played in five different organizations in six seasons, averaging 8.7 points on 38.4 percent shooting from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts.

Cedi Osman, G

Previous team: San Antonio Spurs

Osman has seen his playing time decrease every season since 2018-19, his second season in the NBA. He most recently appeared in just 17.6 minutes per game for a lowly Spurs team, posting 6.8 points and 2.5 rebounds on 47.9 percent shooting and a career-high 38.9 percent from deep. He’s not a great defender, but I still believe he can be an end-of-the-bench sparkplug in the right situation.

Yuta Watanabe, F

Previous team: Memphis Grizzlies

Watanabe is a VSM favorite, so I have to include him on this list. It was a down year for him last year after having a career year with the Brooklyn Nets. For his career, the soon-to-be 30-year-old has averaged 4.2 career points and 2.3 rebounds. Why couldn’t he be a useful end-of-the-bench wing for one of the 30 NBA teams?

Thaddeus Young, F

Previous team: Phoenix Suns

Young is approaching the latter stage of his career, having played 17 NBA seasons. Even though he didn’t get much run with Phoenix last year, I am a believer he has some juice left in the tank as a versatile defender. At minimum, he would be a very quality veteran addition to any team.

Dennis Smith Jr., G

Previous team: Brooklyn Nets

Smith’s biggest issue has been staying on the court; he has not played in 70 percent of his team’s games since his rookie season in 2017-18. He played in 56 contests a year ago, posting 6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals. The hyperathletic point guard is a strong point-of-attack defender, but hasn’t been very efficient from the floor nor has he always been a consistently adequate decision-maker.

Markelle Fultz, G

Previous team: Orlando Magic

The former No. 1 pick has quietly been very good the last two seasons, even though his 2023-24 season was cut short yet again due to injury. Since the start of 2022-23, he’s tallied 11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals. Fultz was the odd man out in Orlando’s point guard room, and I ultimately believe he’s going to have to bet on himself by taking the veteran minimum.

Isaac Okoro, F

Previous team: Cleveland Cavaliers

For what it’s worth, Cleveland, who extended an $11.8 million qualifying offer to Okoro, reportedly offered him a multi-year deal this offseason that he’s had yet to accept. He’s a rotation-level wing who averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds on a career-best 39.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Okoro can also defend while being a capable corner 3-point shooter. He belongs in a rotation.

Honorable Mentions: Robert Covington (cover your eyes, Karl), Jae Crowder, Lamar Stevens, T.J. Warren, Evan Fournier, Wesley Matthews, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris

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