With the NBA season over, it's already time to turn to free agency, which will shake up the first days of July. This year, it will begin on the night of Sunday June 30 to Monday July 1, at midnight in France (and 6 p.m. in New York).
As always, the signatures will become official once the moratorium period is lifted, a week later, on July 6 at 6 p.m. in France (and noon in New York).
After the Top 10 of the best playmakers available on the market this summer, we move on to the backs where we find several experienced players, who have won titles in recent seasons.
1 – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (31 years old – player option – Denver Nuggets)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 10.1 points, 2.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs): 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists
A double NBA champion (2020 and 2023), who defends hard and shoots at 40% 3-point success, is necessarily a good lead for any team. This is the resume of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who the Nuggets hope to keep, whatever it takes. But the finances of the 2023 champions are in the red and if the full-back does not activate his last year of contract, there will undoubtedly be numerous candidates. The Sixers and Magic have already shown interest in “KCP”.
2 – Klay Thompson (34 years old – unprotected – Golden State Warriors)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Even if he did not have a good season, probably one of his least successful ones, notably losing his place in the major five, Klay Thompson remains a solid outside shooter, and a useful defender, even if his injuries have necessarily slowed down. Not to mention a four-time NBA champion. Clearly, his profile is almost unique on the market this summer and, if he is in good shape and above all with the right mentality, signing him can really help an ambitious team. Negotiations with the Warriors would be frozen and the player open to the idea of looking elsewhere. All that remains is to find a satisfactory contract and a good project.
3 – Bruce Brown (27 years old – team option – Toronto Raptors)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Bruce Brown is heading towards a situation that may seem paradoxical: he will undoubtedly stay in Toronto to better be transferred there. Indeed, he has a $23 million option, which should be activated by the Raptors, who will then want to use the former Denver player as a bargaining chip. Hit in the knee when he arrived in Canada, he said he was frustrated and did not have the impact that we saw during the 2023 playoffs with the Nuggets.
4 – Malik Beasley (27 years old – unprotected – Milwaukee Bucks)
2023–24 stats (regular season): 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs): 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds
After playing a season with the minimum salary, Malik Beasley hopes to earn more with his new contract. Which will prevent the Bucks from matching his claims to keep him. But several teams (Magic, Rockets, Warriors) are interested in his services, and his 3-point skills especially, which are always useful in today's basketball. Even if in defense, he is still limited.
5 – Gary Trent Jr. (25 years old – unprotected – Toronto Raptors)
2023–24 stats (regular season): 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals
He lost his starting place at the start of the season, but Gary Trent Jr. finished the 2023/24 financial year in the major five. After finishing with an average of 13.7 points at 39% success at 3-points, the former Portlander remains a very good scorer and a reliable long-range shooter, who can suit teams lacking offensive punch, particularly at 3 -pts or off the bench. Afterwards, he probably hopes to find a team where he will start, despite his big limitations in defense.
6 – De’Anthony Melton (26 years old – unprotected – Philadelphia Sixers)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs): seven minutes played, no points scored
7 – Isaiah Joe (24 years old – team option – Oklahoma City Thunder)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds,
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs): 6.4 points, 2.2 rebounds
8 – Eric Gordon (35 years old – player option – Phoenix Suns)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 11 points, 2 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1 steal
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs): 8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals
9 – Josh Richardson (30 years old – player option – Miami Heat)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists
10 – Alec Burks (32 years old – unprotected – New York)
Stats 2023–24 (regular season): 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Stats 2023–24 (playoffs): 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1 assist
Mentions : Lonnie Walker (Brooklyn), Luke Kennard (Memphis), Aaron Wiggins (Oklahoma City), Talen Horton-Tucker (Utah), Gary Harris (Orlando), Josh Okogie (Phoenix), Evan Fournier (Detroit)…
Player option : possibility for a player to activate (or not) the last year of his contract, in order to end his lease or become a free agent one year in advance.
Team option : possibility for a team to activate (or not) the last year of the contract of one of its players, so that he ends his lease or becomes a free agent one year in advance.
