Five best remaining NBA free agents
Most NBA players sign in the first frantic week of free agency. But there are still useful players who haven't yet found a team. Here are the five best remaining free agents after two weeks of activity.
1. Tyus Jones
Jones was the backup point guard and sixth man for a very good Memphis Grizzlies team from 2021-23, before landing with the Wizards in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics and Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies. The move was made in part because Jones wanted a chance to start, something he did in all 66 games last year.
He set career highs with 12 points and 7.3 assists last season, shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range and turning the ball over just once per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio was easily the best of anyone who played at least 50 games. But the Wizards were one of the worst teams in the NBA, then brought in Malcolm Brogdon from Portland. Jones can help any team in the league, but his old team seems content to tank and use their salary cap space to add other teams' bad contracts to get draft assets.
2. Isaac Okoro
Okoro is a lockdown defender who regularly guarded the other team's best player during the playoffs, players ranging from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Cleveland selected Okoro with the fifth pick in the 2020 draft because of that defense, but his offense was much less developed. While his three-point shooting surpassed 39 percent last season, he still mainly shoots threes or slashes to the hoop.
Cleveland added small forwards Max Strus and Georges Niang last summer. The pair makes a combined $23.7M, making the wing position rather expensive. This summer, Cleveland has a new coach and a new contract for All-Star Donovan Mitchell. While they can match any offer for Okoro, the most likely outcome is a sign-and-trade and a new home for this athletic, effective defensive ace.
3. Gary Trent Jr.
Trent is reportedly not going to return to the Raptors after rejecting a deal worth $15M per year, a pay cut from last season's $18.6M. Now his options are shrinking as teams are running short on salary cap space, including his own, who signed Immanuel Quickley to a big deal to play shooting guard.
Last season, Trent picked up his player option and wanted to work out an extension. But the two sides never found common ground for the shooting guard, whose numbers declined last season. Still, Trent has been good for 2.5-3 three-pointers per game, shooting at 38.6 percent on triples for his career. Someone should be able to use Trent, but it's looking like he'll have to sign a small deal to get his value back up for next summer.
4. Precious Achiuwa
He may not be much of an offensive threat, but Achiuwa is the kind of quick backup big man that can really disrupt an opposing offense. In his fourth season, Achiuwa averaged over 24 minutes per game for the New York Knicks, with 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He's also only 24 years old.
After losing Isaiah Hartenstein, the Knicks likely wouldn't mind getting Achiuwa back, but New York declined his qualifying offer, they no longer have the right to match any salary offer. A team could swoop in and get a bargain.
5. Luke Kennard
Kennard's reputation is much worse than his raw numbers. The 28-year-old is a career 43.9 percent three-point shooter who led the NBA in three-point percentage in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Kennard isn't a good defensive player thanks to a lack of athleticism, but he does give effort, and advanced metrics only have him as a slight negative on that end (-0.5 in Defensive Box Plus/Minus).
Kennard can also actually dribble the ball and initiate offense occasionally, making him more than just a deadly spot-up shooter. At age 28, he's not getting any quicker, but any team in the league that needs spacing can tolerate that if his shot is hitting.
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