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2023 NBA free agency: List of best players still available includes P.J. Washington, Christian Wood – CBS Sports
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Less than 48 hours into the official start of free agency, the big business has been done. There are blockbuster trades coming, but, as far as free agents go, most of our questions were answered relatively quickly.
Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Austin Reaves, Cameron Johnson, Kyle Kuzma, Russell Westbrook and Jerami Grant are all staying put. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are headed to Houston. Bruce Brown is about to be the highest-paid Pacer — that is until Tyrese Haliburton’s max extension kicks in. Donte DiVincenzo is joining his college buddies in New York. Restricted free agents Grant Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Ayo Dosunmu and Paul Reed are also off the market.
Welcome back to the NBA, Dante Exum. Thanks for finally showing up, Vasilije Micic. We’ve heard so much about you.
With so many deals getting done and so few teams entering the season with money to spend, cap space is scarce. As of Sunday afternoon, the San Antonio Spurs have about $25 million, but no other team has anything close to that figure. The Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards all have access to the $12.4 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception, but it’s unclear how many of those teams will actually use it.
There are players who remain on the market, though, and they’re not all minimum-contract guys. Here’s a look at some still-unsigned free agents:
Washington’s usage and scoring went up on a Hornets team that was severely shorthanded for most of the 2022-23 season. The versatile, 6-foot-7 forward can fit virtually anywhere, but he said in April that Charlotte is “exactly where I want to be” and general manager Mitch Kupchak said that the team is focused on making the playoffs next season. If the Hornets are indeed trying to win, then it would be pretty weird to let him go, but his situation is precisely why some players hate restricted free agency. If Washington can’t get an offer sheet from the Spurs, then he has little leverage to get the kind of payday he wants, beyond threatening to sign the $8.5 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer … which is exactly what Miles Bridges has done.
Oubre quietly averaged 20.3 points in his second season in Charlotte, finishing with a career-high 25.7% usage rate and a corresponding dip in efficiency. A 33% career 3-point shooter, he has never been a knockdown guy, but he takes 3s at high volume and has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, so he’d be a nice get for any team that lacks wing depth. A return to the Hornets is within the realm of possibility, but his role would be reduced with Bridges back in the picture and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller in the fold.
Despite being an effective pick-and-roll partner for Luka Doncic, Wood’s season in Dallas did not go nearly as well as he or the team hoped. He averaged 25.9 minutes, mostly off the bench, and his presence was one of many reasons that the Mavs’ defense fell off a cliff. The 27-year-old is extremely talented, but he’s widely expected to move on. Is there a team out there that can integrate him into a decent defense? Would an organization like Miami give him a shot? While there has been little buzz about potential Wood destinations, Yahoo Sports reported that he’s on the Heat’s radar.
More unsigned wings: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Will Barton, Rudy Gay, Danny Green, Javonte Green, Stanley Johnson, Kevin Knox II, Anthony Lamb, Romeo Langford, Terrence Ross, T.J. Warren, Lindy Waters III, Justise Winslow
More unsigned guards: Terence Davis, Hamidou Diallo, Goran Dragic, R.J. Hampton, George Hill, Mike James, Svi Mykhailiuk, Raul Neto, Daishen Nix, Jaylen Nowell, Frank Ntilikina, Kendrick Nunn, Theo Pinson, Austin Rivers, Ish Smith, Edmond Sumner, John Wall
More unsigned bigs: Bismack Biyombo, Wenyen Gabriel, JaMychal Green, Blake Griffin, Derrick Jones Jr., Neemias Queta, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Trendon Watford
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