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It's Day 10 of the 2019 NBA Free Agency and most of the top tier free agents have already decided where they are going to ply their trade next season. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined forces to move to the Brooklyn Nets next season.
One of the most awaited decisions, that of Kawhi Leonard's free agency, was decided as well when he announced that he will be joining the Los Angeles Clippers for the foreseeable future.
D'Angelo Russell signed with the Golden State Warriors in a sign and trade, whilst DeMarcus Cousins and Danny Green both joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Kemba Walker is now with the Boston Celtics and Jimmy Butler has also joined the Miami Heat in a sign and trade deal.
This free agency has shattered the whole NBA landscape and is still not come to an end with a lot of potentially good role-playing roster additions still available on the free agency market. Here are the top 5 players that are yet to be picked up by any team.
#5 Iman Shumpert (Unrestricted Free Agent):
Iman Shumpert had a really good start to the 2018-19 NBA season with the Sacramento Kings and was averaging a healthy 9.7 points, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals and also made a huge 40.6% of his attempts from beyond the 3 point line.
He was even playing defense a lot better, matching up with players at different positions and was able to take on bigger players, displaying his versatility on the defensive end. He was putting up a great show so that he could become relevant again in a league that needs players who can shoot the 3 well and defend multiple positions.
But it started going from good to bad when he was traded by the Kings to the Houston Rockets, as they were looking to mount a challenge against the Golden State Warriors for the NBA title. He shot under 30% for the Rockets and became an inconsistent player, which kept him out of rotations for a long time.
Still, there are teams that have seen what he is capable of, a player who can defend a variety of spots well enough and can shoot at a good percentage from beyond the arc, a player that will be handy when the time comes in the rotation.
Best fits: Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets
#4 Justin Holiday (Unrestricted Free Agent):
Justin Holiday is a journeyman in the NBA, having played for 6 different franchises in his 8 seasons as an NBA player. Holiday was most recently a part of the Memphis Grizzlies, having been traded by the Chicago Bulls midway through the season.
Holiday had a good year, averaging a solid 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists a game. His defense was better too, as he had 1.5 steals a game. He played all 82 regular-season games and also had a decent shooting year, averaging around 34% from beyond the arc.
Teams need a versatile defender that can shoot the ball and fit seamlessly into the rotation. He has shown flashes of being a good defender last season and will look to continue it into this season as well. He is a good dribbler of the ball who looks to attack defenses head-on and creating space for his teammates.
Teams like the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, etc. have all shown interest and Holiday will be a sought after free agent now that the star players are off the market.
Best fits: Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards
#3 Kenneth Faried (Unrestricted Free Agent):
Kenneth Faried was one of the forgotten players in the NBA until Clint Capela got injured last season. Faried came into the Houston Rockets lineup and was immediately placed in the starting lineup, where he almost made that spot his own until Capela was fully fit.
Faried averaged a superb 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds in the 38 games he played for the Houston Rockets. His energy on the court, both defensively and offensively breathed new life into a struggling Rockets as he was really aggressive on the court.
He even attempted 20 3 pointers last season and made 7 of them too, showing that he could possibly be converted into a floor-spacing big if spent enough time and resources on. Still, for teams that need post players who can play for 20 odd minutes night in and night out and provide good rebounding and adequate scoring, Faried is the player to target.
Best fits: Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers
#2 Jeremy Lin (Unrestricted Free agent):
Jeremy Lin is now an NBA champion after joining the Toronto Raptors last season once he was waived by the Atlanta Hawks. Injuries have curtailed the heights of which he could have reached but he was still able to contribute both for the Hawks and the Raptors.
Lin will be looking to come back strong and injury free this season and will be able to provide great value for a rotational player on a minimum contract. He is a decent shooter, making 34% of his shots from beyond the arc.
He likes probing and prying defenses, making a lot of runs into the defense, clogging the lane and creating space for his shooters.
He was having a good season with the Hawks before he joined the Toronto Raptors, averaging 9.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds for the 2018-19 season.
He will be a great addition for any team looking to make a push for the post-season and requires a good player to plug in their rotation.
Best fits: Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets
#1 Kelly Oubre Jr. (Restricted Free Agent):
Kelly Oubre Jr. is one of the top free agents that is still available on the free-agent market, with no team having offered him a contract yet, excluding the team that he was on last, the Phoenix Suns, who have made a qualifying offer to him. He is a restricted free agent since no contract has been agreed by both teams.
Oubre Jr. is the free agent out there among all others, with the highest skill ceiling. He is an athletic forward, standing tall at 6 foot 7 inches and has a 7 feet 2-inch wingspan, which allows him to defend multiple positions. He has the potential to become a really good 3 and D wing in the modern NBA, as he has the shooting mechanics and the size for it.
Still, his game is yet to translate completely into the NBA. He is still a wild-card shooter from the outside but has improved every year and last season was his best yet, as he averaged 16.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and a block per game in 40 games for the Phoenix Suns.
The Phoenix Suns are considered front runners for the signature of Kelly Oubre Jr. but the Dallas Mavericks are also strong contenders to offer him a contract that the Suns refuse to match.
Best Fits: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks
