Who are the best NBA free agents available this offseason?

The following players could be unrestricted free agents this summer if they elect to exercise their respective player options.

LeBron James deciding to return to the Lakers next season appears to be more of a formality. However, the type of contract he signs - whether he opts in or opts out and re-signs - will be interesting because it will perhaps shed some light on his retirement plans. If he opts in, it may come with an announcement that his NBA-record 23rd season will be the final one of his legendary career. If he opts out and extends with another one-plus-one deal with a player option for next summer, it'll suggest that the old man feels he has at least another two years in the gas tank.

After his eighth All-NBA selection this past season, James Harden is all but certain to opt out of his $36.3M player option this summer and become an unrestricted free agent. That said, it would be shocking if he did anything other than re-sign with the Clippers on a multi-year deal for something closer to market value for his services ~40-plus million per year. 

This will be a fascinating situation because before the playoffs, it seemed like Julius Randle's $30.9M player option was fair market value for his services. Then, through the first two rounds of the playoffs, when Randle played like a superstar, it seemed like he was all but guaranteed to opt out and become the biggest free agent on the market this summer. Fortunately for the Timberwolves, he came back down to earth in a disappointing conference finals against the Thunder, and now, even if he opts out this summer, it'll probably just be to get a longer-term deal around that $30M range with the T'Wolves.

On paper, one would think that Kyrie Irving should opt into his $44M player option given his age and injury status (currently rehabilitating a torn ACL). However, Irving has unique leverage because he's the only real playmaker on the Mavericks roster, which could be a stealth contender with Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg and a slew of solid forwards and bigs. Expect Irving to opt out and secure a near-maximum contract.

Naz Reid, who has a $15M player option, is in line to get the bag this summer. He'll certainly opt out and become one of the more sought-after free agents on the market. The Timberwolves will do their best to re-sign the former Sixth Man of the Year to a long-term deal, but they probably don't have enough money to go around for Reid, Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, especially if a team with some cap space offers Reid something in the $25M-$30M range. Keep an eye out on younger teams in need of floor-spacing like Detroit and Orlando.

Dorian Finney-Smith has a $15.4M player option this summer, which is right around what his market value should be. DFS fit in nicely with the Lakers last season after being exchanged for D'Angelo Russell partway through the season. Plus, he and Luka Doncic are tight and have chemistry from their years together in Dallas. Look for a multi-year reunion with the Lakers in the $15M-$20M range annually.

John Collins spent the past two seasons in basketball purgatory for the tanking Utah Jazz. He's served his time, rehabbed his image and deserves an opportunity to choose his next team as he enters what should be the prime of his career. Then again, his option is for $26.6M - that's going to be tough to turn down because his market value is probably less than that in the apron era of the current collective bargaining agreement. 

Kelly Oubre Jr.'s career arc is somewhat reminiscent to JR Smith's. He's an uber-talented scorer with the talent to be a stud defender, but was a bit of an immature malcontent early in his career. Like Smith, Oubre has done a nice job rehabilitating his image in recent years and could be entering his version of Cavs-era Smith where he's an important rotation player on a contender. Oubre has an $8.4M player option this summer and could probably get a little more money in free agency, so look for him to opt out and test the market.

The following players could be unrestricted free agents this summer if their respective teams elect to exercise their team options.

Life is good for the former undrafted free agent, Fred VanVleet. He's already made over $165M in career earnings and he's in a position of great leverage with the Houston Rockets as they decide whether to exercise his $44.9M team option. VanVleet is the Rockets' leader and only experienced point guard, so the team is almost certain to exercise the option or work with him on a multi-year extension. 

The Kings would be insane not to exercise their $2.3M team option on fourth-year guard Keon Ellis. While his raw numbers don't jump off the page - 8.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.5 APG - he's shown serious promise as a defensive player and has impressive 49-43-85 shooting splits. Contenders would be wise to pursue him if the Kings decide to tank this upcoming season. 

These players are free to sign any deal with any team, as long as it falls within the parameters of the collective bargaining agreement.

Before the Pacers incredible run to the NBA Finals, Myles Turner seemed like a player who could be on the move this summer in free agency. Now, it's difficult to think of Indiana without Turner and vice versa. Turner is one of the most versatile offensive centers in the NBA and perfect for the Pacers spread out chaotic offense, and still a solid rim protector on defense. Look for the sides to figure out a mutually beneficial offer in the 3-year, $100M range. 

Ty Jerome struggled mightily in the playoffs against the Pacers, but that shouldn't make teams overlook how phenomenal he was for the entire regular season where he averaged 12.5 PPG, 3.4 APG in only 19.9 MPG with 52-44-87 shooting splits. It remains to be seen whether he can maintain that kind of efficiency with more minutes or not, but expect a team like the Orlando Magic to 'eff around and find out' this summer by offering him a bag north of $20M annually. 

A crafty and competitive three-and-D wing, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is almost certainly getting around $15M per year this summer  - maybe even more if he goes to the highest bidder. NAW has been an ironman the past two seasons, missing zero games while playing 24.4 MPG. The Timberwolves will do their best to keep him, but it's a near certainty that at least one of him, Julius Randle and Naz Reid leave Minnesota in free agency this summer. 

Malik Beasley was arguably the best volume three-point shooter in the NBA last season (outside of Stephen Curry), burying 41.6 percent of his threes on 9.3 attempts per game. And even though he struggled a bit in the playoffs versus the Knicks, he's certainly in line to make more than the $6M he made last season. Don't be surprised if the Pistons pay a premium to keep spacing around Cade Cunningham. 

After playing only 13.7 MPG during the regular season, the Rockets unleashed the 31-year-old Steven Adams in the playoffs for a pulverizing 22.1 MPG in mostly two-big lineups where Houston would dominate the boards. It was a reminder that Adams can still play starter-caliber center, or at least be an excellent backup center for a contender. If the Rockets are unable to retain him, look for teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, or Warriors to make a run at the consummate veteran big.

Gary Trent Jr. ended this past season on an absolute heater, scoring 37 and 33 in two of his final three playoff games and making 17 of his 32 three-point attempts. He somehow fell through the cracks of free agency last season, making only the veteran minimum, but his overall performance in the regular season (41.6 percent from three) and aforementioned playoff performance should make him something closer to the mid-level exception.

Dennis Schröder is a polarizing player, but you can't argue with his competitive drive and team success. He'll always leave a little to be desired with his 34.2 percent career three-point efficiency and average play-making ability (4.9 APG for his career), yet he's not afraid of the moment and always willing to dig deep and defend other point guards at a high level. He'd be a great backup point guard for a contender.

The Hawks acquired Caris LeVert as part of the DeAndre Hunter deal this past trade deadline. LeVert, who will be 31 years old next season, is a good sixth man and should remain a solid contributor for the life of this coming contract. One would think the Hawks look to re-sign him unless he receives a ridiculous offer.

You have to feel a little for Guerschon Yabusele - he parlayed a huge 2024 Olympics run for Team France into a second shot at the NBA...then signs with the Sixers. Going into the season, Philly fancied themselves a contender. That notion quickly faded as injuries to Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey tanked the team's chances at even making the Play-In. Yabu played well still (11 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.1 APG with 50-38-73 shooting splits) and should be able to get a look from a contender looking for a rotation forward.

Brook Lopez is pretty long in the tooth, but he's still a capable stretch-five who can play fairly competent defense at the rim. The Bucks appear destined for a rebuild, so look for a young contender looking for some veteran experience and leadership, like the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs, to make him a handsome offer this summer.  

These players are free to sign any deal with any team, but their current team will have the chance to match the deal if they choose to do so.

After being traded for Alex Caruso this past offseason, Josh Giddey took a while to find his footing in Chicago. But he was great the last 25 games of the year where he averaged 20.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG and 8.1 APG with 49-45-80 shooting splits. If he can continue playing at that level, he'll be worth every dollar he gets paid this offseason. The Bulls will almost certainly match any offer he receives, but they'll cross their fingers that it's not too outrageous.

Jonathan Kuminga is a restricted free agent, but it'd be wild if the Golden State matched (with the intention of keeping him). He clearly doesn't fit the Warriors' unique style of play and culture, despite his immense talent. The most likely outcome is that Golden State tells him to go find an offer and then works a sign-and-trade with that team in order to keep the salary slot available. Look for a team like the Nets to make a move.

People forget, but Nico Harrison made two awful trades at the last trade deadline. The less publicized one was trading Quentin Grimes, then a 24-year-old two-guard with potential, for Caleb Martin, a 29-year-old wing whose best years are probably behind him. Grimes went on to average 21.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.5 APG in 28 games for the Sixers; Martin only scored 5.4 PPG in 14 games for the Mavericks. Look for the Sixers to match any offer made to Grimes - they'd be crazy not to do so.

He only played 25 games last season, but they were an impressive 25 games by Cam Thomas. Thomas averaged 24 PPG and 3.8 APG in 31.2 MPG in those games. He's in an interesting situation this offseason as he's best suited as a heat-check sixth man, but he probably fancies himself a lead guard. We'll see how the rest of the NBA views him - it only takes one team to bet on the upside and offer him a huge bag!

The 24-year-old Spanish forward had a nice year last season, averaging 12.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three. The Grizzlies will probably look to match any offer he receives as they've developed Aldama into a solid contributor. Then again, it's unclear what the Grizzlies' plans are this offseason, so we'll see what happens.