Around this time last year, Bruce Brown left the Brooklyn Nets and signed a one-plus-one deal worth $13.2 million with the Denver Nuggets. Then 11 months later, Brown held the Larry O’Brien trophy during a championship parade as his head coach Michael Malone claimed “Brucey B” isn’t going anywhere.
Considering his and his team’s success, Brown was arguably the most important free-agent addition in the entire NBA last summer. When free agency begins Friday, every championship contender will be looking for its own “Brucey B.” Brown himself will re-enter the open market next week after declining his $6.8 million player option and could make a similar impact on another team if the Nuggets are not able to retain him.
Superstars are always in high demand, but Brown is an example of how the right role player can be enough to tip the scales for the right team. Here are five free agents who could help swing the championship next season in the right situation.
Dillon Brooks
Coming off his second All-Defensive team selection, Brooks is a plug-and-play stopper who can help elevate the defense of any contender. His brash trash-talking and careless shot selection ended his tenure in Memphis, but there’s reason to believe his shooting will improve on a contender that casts him in a more limited role. Brooks is 27 and will surely take this move personally. Any team adding him is likely getting a jolt of intensity. If a team can harness that intensity better than Memphis did, it could be adding a defense-changing talent.
Grant Williams
Joe Mazzulla struggled to find a regular role for Williams all season, and last week’s trade for Kristaps Porzingis likely means the end of Williams’ time in Boston. Still, Williams is a versatile defender and streaky three-point shooter who can help unlock smaller, switchable defensive lineups. A team like the Sacramento Kings, who just created $30 million-plus in cap room, could offer Williams enough to drag him away from Boston. Williams would be an immediate defensive boost next to Domantas Sabonis and could even play some small-ball center when Sabonis is off the court.
Caris LeVert
Miscast as a small forward in Cleveland, LeVert would be more helpful as a ball-handler and scorer off the bench for a contender. At 28, LeVert’s overall shooting percentage and box score numbers have slipped since his best years in Brooklyn and Indiana, but he’s a capable three-point shooter (34.4% for his career) and a ready defender who willingly hustles for deflections and loose balls. He’s probably not capable of being the 20-point-per-game sixth man-type he was projected as earlier in his career but, with lower expectations, he can keep the ball moving and swing a game here and there with a timely scoring performance.
Gabe Vincent
The Miami Heat have a lot to sort through and Vincent can’t be blamed if he accepts a sizeable raise elsewhere rather than wait for the Heat to end their pursuit of a superstar. Vincent emerged as a full-time starter last season after replacing Kyle Lowry in the lineup and was one of Miami’s most reliable contributors in their surprising run to the NBA Finals. Vincent is a tough defender and solid ball-handler who has flashes of high-level shot-making, particularly from the mid-range. When his outside shot is falling like it was in the playoffs (37.8% in 27 games) he is an ideal complementary piece for a team looking for defense, hustle and shooting. As a starter, he could leave teams wanting more, but he would thrive as a third guard on a competitive team.
Jalen McDaniels
After getting traded from Charlotte at the deadline, McDaniels never seemed to establish a role in 24 games with the 76ers and fell to the fringe of Philadelphia’s rotation in the playoffs. But he is a versatile, high-energy defender capable of defending guards and forwards. For a team looking for length, switchability and occasional shot-making (34.5% on threes for his career), McDaniels is a worthwhile target – especially for those who miss out on the likes of Draymond Green and Grant Williams. Like Bruce Brown last summer, the 25-year-old McDaniels is a talented player who has yet to find the right fit.
Honorable mentions:
- Josh Okogie (Three-and-D wing who can plug into most lineups, but is a bit undersized to guard up and doesn’t offer much ball-handling)
- Shake Milton (scoring guard who can run the offense in a pinch, but one-dimensional)
- Keita Bates-Diop (6-foot-8 wing with an enticing skillset, but still a bit unproven despite his mini-breakout last season in San Antonio)
- Justice Winslow (versatile defender with some ball-handling chops, but his shaky jump shot and injury history could leave teams wary)
- Yuta Watanabe (led the league in three-point shooting percentage for much of last season and, at 6-foot-9, can play either forward spot)
- Kenyon Martin Jr. (do-it-all wing who could be on the outs in Houston if they don’t pick up his option)
- Jevon Carter (if he declines his player option, would be a good value for teams seeking a backup point guard who can play tough defense and make open shots)
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