NBA free agent rankings: Pelton's new top 10, plus best fits

As expected, caller contracts person travel astatine a accelerated and furious gait during the opening hours of NBA escaped agency. Just 24 hours aft players could (officially) statesman negotiating contracts with caller teams, 18 of my apical 25 imaginable escaped agents had already recovered landing spots.

Still, determination are players disposable who could marque a quality adjacent play and beyond. My updated database of apical 10 escaped agents falls mostly into 2 buckets: restricted escaped agents who volition person a hard clip landing connection sheets with small headdress abstraction available, positive centers who are inactive deciding connected their adjacent stop.

Beyond that, determination are a fistful of large names available, including aboriginal Hall of Famers Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. Let's instrumentality a look astatine what these players tin bring to their caller teams, which destinations they mightiness acceptable and immoderate undervalued contributors who stay unsigned.

1. Josh Giddey
Chicago Bulls | PG
Restricted escaped agent

After the All-Star interruption (which came 2 weeks aft the Bulls traded Zach LaVine), Giddey was unthinkable statistically, averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists portion shooting 50% from the tract and 46% connected 3s. (Although that level of 3-point shooting astir apt isn't sustainable, Giddey deed a career-high 38% for the regular season, changing however opponents support him.)

Giddey, who turns 23 successful October, has clip to proceed processing his crippled to the constituent wherever helium tin marque a bigger playoff interaction than we saw with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2024 playoffs.

Possible fits: Unless the Brooklyn Nets determine to widen Giddey an connection sheet, we mightiness beryllium looking astatine a stalemate. Giddey's strongest leverage is playing this play for his $11.1 cardinal qualifying offer, but that would mean leaving a batch of guaranteed wealth connected the table. Unlike Patrick Williams' restricted escaped bureau past year, Chicago doesn't look inclined to negociate against itself this time.

2. Quentin Grimes
Philadelphia 76ers | G/F
Restricted escaped agent

Like Giddey, Grimes' show jumped aft the All-Star break, successful this lawsuit due to the fact that of a commercialized to a Sixers squad playing without stars Paul George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey due to the fact that of injuries. Grimes averaged 21.9 points connected beardown ratio (.592 existent shooting percentage) on with 4.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds successful 28 games with Philadelphia.

Possible fits: Although the non-taxpayer midlevel objection is simply a viable connection expanse for Grimes, it's unclear which squad mightiness beryllium consenting to connection it. Most of the teams that person the midlevel disposable don't person a request for Grimes. Chicago would really marque immoderate sense, but the Bulls are engaged dealing with Giddey's restricted escaped agency. Would the Washington Wizards marque an connection to Grimes conscionable to perchance commercialized him down the road?

3. Deandre Ayton
Portland Trail Blazers | C
Unrestricted escaped agent

After agreeing to a buyout with the Blazers connected the eve of escaped agency, Ayton is an absorbing enactment for teams successful request of a starting center. They tin person themselves that Ayton volition person fiscal inducement to play with the benignant of absorption we saw successful 2020-21, erstwhile helium helped the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals.

Since then, Ayton's container people stats person remained comparatively consistent. He has averaged a double-double each play of his NBA career. Yet his ratio has trended successful the incorrect direction, and present that 2 teams person happily moved connected from him, it's a worrisome sign.

Possible fits: The Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers are the 2 teams successful the marketplace for a starting center. Indiana signed Ayton to a max connection expanse arsenic a restricted escaped cause successful the summertime of 2022 and could present get him utilizing the non-taxpayer midlevel objection to regenerate Myles Turner, and the Lakers could connection a starting spot successful a glamour marketplace playing alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

4. Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State Warriors | F
Restricted escaped agent

After starting the playoffs retired of manager Steve Kerr's rotation, Kuminga became a cardinal subordinate with Stephen Curry sidelined against the Timberwolves successful the 2nd round. Kuminga averaged 24.3 points implicit the series' last 4 games, shooting 55% from the field.

At 22, Kuminga should go a much accordant contributor implicit time. But that's much apt with a squad too the Warriors fixed the mode Kuminga's accomplishment acceptable overlaps with those of Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green.

Possible fits: Of the 3 restricted escaped agents astatine the apical of the list, Kuminga seems astir apt to determination via a sign-and-trade woody if Golden State tin find idiosyncratic who does much to assistance it vie for a championship. The Bulls are a logical fit, and the Miami Heat person besides been linked to Kuminga.

5. Chris Paul
San Antonio Spurs | PG
Unrestricted escaped agent

Paul, who turned 40 successful May, was 1 of six NBA players to commencement each 82 games this past season. Although Paul's 8.8 points mean was a vocation low, helium inactive ranked successful the 82nd percentile successful points per nonstop accidental among players who received astatine slightest 1,000 on-ball screens, according to GeniusIQ tracking. A instrumentality to San Antonio doesn't look to beryllium successful the cards aft the Spurs added No. 2 prime Dylan Harper to a ample fig of shot handlers connected their roster.

Possible fits: Proximity to Paul's offseason location successful Los Angeles mightiness beryllium arsenic important to him arsenic hoops fit. Paul is reportedly considering a instrumentality to the Clippers, who person a information of their non-taxpayer midlevel objection disposable aft signing halfway Brook Lopez, arsenic good arsenic the Suns. Restricted by the 2nd apron, Phoenix could motion Paul lone for the veteran's minimum.

6. Al Horford
Boston Celtics | F/C
Unrestricted escaped agent

Horford, who turned 39 connected June 3, remained a linchpin for the Celtics with his versatility astatine some ends. Horford's playing clip went up past play to 27.7 minutes -- and 31.6 successful the playoffs -- though Boston protected him with copious games off. As the Celtics consolidate heading into adjacent play successful the aftermath of Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury, Horford could look to play for a squad with a amended accidental of contending.

Possible fits: Horford has been linked to 2 West Coast teams that could usage his accomplishment set: the Lakers and Warriors. Horford would let the Lakers to support the five-out spacing they employed successful past season's playoffs without having to sacrifice size and rim protection, portion his shooting would beryllium an perfect acceptable successful the Golden State frontcourt adjacent to Butler and Green.

7. Chris Boucher
Toronto Raptors | F
Unrestricted escaped agent

Boucher softly bounced backmost from a down 2023-24 play to mean double-figure scoring for the 2nd clip successful his vocation portion playing an mean of 17.2 minutes. He changeable 36% connected 3s and 63% connected 2s successful producing elite ratio portion besides proving susceptible of defending connected the helping successful large second-unit lineups.

The lone Raptors subordinate remaining from the 2019 rubric team, Boucher mightiness nary longer person a spot connected a roster that looks afloat with the summation of 26-year-old powerfulness guardant Sandro Mamukelashvili.

Possible fits: Boucher's shooting makes him different logical acceptable for the Warriors, with whom helium started his vocation arsenic an undrafted escaped cause earlier landing successful Toronto. I besides similar Boucher's acceptable with the Philadelphia 76ers, who could usage a shooter with size aft losing Guerschon Yabusele to the New York Knicks.

8. Cam Thomas
Brooklyn Nets | G
Restricted escaped agent

Thomas averaged a career-high 24 points successful 25 games past play for the Nets, missing extended periods due to the fact that of aggregate hamstring strains. That benignant of measurement scoring nary longer has the meaning it erstwhile did, peculiarly erstwhile accompanied with reasonably mean efficiency. Thomas is besides a below-average defender who does small to capable retired the container people too scoring. At the aforesaid time, he's 23 and a much unsafe shooter than his 34.5% vocation 3-point accuracy would indicate.

Possible fits: As compared to different restricted escaped agents, Thomas is successful an adjacent much hard presumption due to the fact that helium plays for the squad champion positioned to marque a sizable connection sheet. Additionally, Thomas' $5.9 cardinal qualifying connection makes the menace of becoming an unrestricted escaped cause adjacent summertime little viable.

9. De'Anthony Melton
Brooklyn Nets | G
Unrestricted escaped agent

After getting a one-year, $12.8 cardinal woody from Golden State a twelvemonth ago, Melton sustained a season-ending partial ACL teardrop six games into the season. Traded to Brooklyn successful the Warriors' woody for Dennis Schroder, Melton is again an unrestricted escaped cause and should beryllium backmost connected the tribunal aboriginal successful the 2025-26 season. When healthy, Melton is an outstanding defender and a 37% vocation 3-point shooter.

Possible fits: Given his accomplishment set, Melton fits conscionable astir anywhere. He has been connected with the Lakers, who could usage each the extent they tin get.

10. Russell Westbrook
Denver Nuggets | G
Unrestricted escaped agent

During his play successful Denver, Westbrook excelled arsenic a starter alongside Nikola Jokic. He averaged 15.3 points, 7.0 assists and 6.1 rebounds successful 36 starts, taking vantage of his cutting and modulation crippled to sprout 50% from the field. As a reserve, Westbrook changeable conscionable 39%. That dropped to 35%, including 7-of-32 (22%) connected 3s, during the Nuggets' hard-fought seven-game playoff bid nonaccomplishment to the eventual champion Thunder.

Possible fits: Westbrook is an unusually tricky acceptable astatine this signifier of his vocation due to the fact that immoderate squad that signs him has to accommodate to Westbrook arsenic overmuch arsenic the different mode around. A instrumentality to Denver doesn't look apt aft the Nuggets added veterans Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. this week.

Other notable names:

Malcolm Brogdon, Washington Wizards
Alec Burks, Miami Heat
Amir Coffey, LA Clippers
Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas Mavericks
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors
Moritz Wagner, Orlando Magic