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June 22, 2024, 7:47 pm
If you’re an NBA GM most things revolve around whether you’re buying low and selling high.
And there is no better month for that than the two week happening known as the NBA Draft, followed by the start of NBA free agency.
30 competing agendas all play out in concert, with big tectonic plates shifting over months and years of angling, and about 100 other deals that will go down in some cadence around this time.
Some of the GMs are good and some are quite terrible and that’s before you get to the owners!
Still, for all that variance the basic idea is that you need to get the most value for your salary cap buck.
What these ranks attempt to do is give a cheat sheet for the big event.
On one hand I rank players based on overall rank of the acquisition … independent of how efficiently the player is using salary cap dollars
And then what I think is more valuable is that I rank players by how valuable they are as an asset using a very qualitative estimate of what they will cost and an equally qualitative appraisal of their overall value. I also try to keep into focus how valuable or damaging the asset is to a team’s overall construction. These are what I call our Cash to Value Free Agency Ranks.
SPORTSETHOS PROMO ALERT
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MORE ON HOW THIS WORKS
CASH-TO-VALUE RANKS
The concept is this — you’re looking to get the best players at the cheapest costs. If you do that effectively, you have more money to spend elsewhere.
These ranks lean into that pretty strongly. However, you can’t win in the NBA without getting above average and elite players. The key is spending up to get the right players and for the purpose of these rankings, above average players get plenty of love in their cash-to-value rank, depending on how much they cost of course. As mentioned above the Cash to Value ranks are going to significantly reward players who are both cheap and high-end, most likely giving them the top Cash to Value ranks.
VETERANS VS. UPSIDE
These ranks will give older veterans that can still contribute a bit more value than a pure Cash to Value rank might represent. Teams aren’t lining up to sign them and deals may vary, but in terms of winning it all a quality old vet that’s willing to play at or close to the minimum represents a better play than some younger upside guys.
OVERALL RANK
If you just want to know who the best players are you can sort by the overall rank column. This rank will include some elements of upside, which is unavoidable when assessing overall free agency value. However, short-term production and win-now scenarios are going to show up in the overall ranks. For example, James Harden is not going to do well in the Cash to Value ranks, but in terms of overall rank he’ll have higher marks.
POSITIONAL GROUPINGS AND APPROACH
I did something new two seasons ago and went with four different groupings. Ballhandlers and Small Guards, Wings, (newly/terribly named) Frontcourt Non-Fives and Bigs.
Ballhandlers are legitimate point guards or can play on the ball (excluding point centers and FNFs that run the point).
Wings are either asked to be outstanding shooters or they’re being asked to lock the perimeter down, or both. They’re valued in their ability to switch and otherwise facilitate offense.
A key difference between Wings and FNFs is that you’re not generally seeing Wings play the four slot. This (FNFs) group is often a rangy 6’8″ to 6’10” being asked to defend 2-4 or 3-5 (well or not is another story). They’ve become much more important as teams employ five-out looks, and elite ballhandlers and offensive initiators have grown in size and versatility. With so many different player types landing in this group one commonality is that they’re being asked to play 3-5 in tons of small lineups as the league goes small, but they’re just simply not able to command the paint. As has been the case with the league at large, they’re firing away from deep.
Bigs are the aforementioned muscle you need to control the paint and shooting is a bonus.
SYMBOLS AND ANNOTATIONS
A QUICK WORD ON THIS FREE AGENT CLASS
Isaiah Hartenstein is probably on the Mount Rushmore of these ranks and he might be the most exciting Cash to Value rank because he can impact the game at such a high level and still won’t get paid enough to blink at making the deal. Overall this is a very boring free-agent class and a lot of the would be exciting Cash to Value plays are under team control and unlikely to move. While this makes everything sound less than compelling there are no excuses for NBA GMs to not find affordable smart contracts. In terms of teambuilding this board presents tons of opportunity to fill positions with low dollar guys that can really play so from that perspective maybe this can be a sleeper free agency period and we will look back and see how teams made a difference with some of these guys.
LOOKING BACK AT THE RESULTS
Joe Ingles in 2017, Fred VanVleet in 2018, in 2019 Richaun Holmes was the big win we had seen coming for way too many years. In 2020 Jerami Grant was my top Cash-to-Value rank and predictably blew up. Top ranked wing De’Anthony Melton was awesome all season long and in the postseason. In 2021 years ago it was our second ranked cash-to-value wing Max Strus knocking in big shots all season long for literal pennies and in 2022 he was making big plays alongside other alumni of the 2022 class — top ranked Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent. Back to 2021, we begged everybody to grab Isaiah Hartenstein as the 10th ranked cash-to-value big when he didn’t even get picked up in free agency. We made him our top ranked big in 2022. Now in 2024 he’s about to get big time paid. Also in 2022 we pick-pocketed Malik Monk, correctly hit the gas on Jalen Brunson, and went on a wing bonanza including third ranked wing target Caleb Martin as well as Kyle Anderson and Bruce Brown. Last season was a very boring class but it felt like we had the answers before the test as we correctly ranked Austin Reaves, hit real big on Donte DiVincenzo, saw Coby White coming from a mile away, had Naz Reid and more.
All the previous years’ ranks for your perusal.
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017BALLHANDLERS AND SMALL GUARD
There isn’t a lot of uncertainty at the top of the board especially now that we know Malik Monk is returning to Sacramento on a very good deal for the team. Tyrese Maxey is playing at a star level and Immanuel Quickley is presumably getting paid big to stay in Toronto. The market then turns pretty weird pretty quickly with a hodgepodge of lower end starter/bigger minute bench guys and/or bigger name guys like James Harden who are at a crossroads or have some other big question mark surrounding them.
OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS 1 1 Tyrese Maxey $$$$$ 23 4 yrs RFA Legitimate high-end talent is going to get paid and be worth it 2 2 Malik Monk $$$ 26 7 yrs UFA His section of the floor isn't the issue right now for Sacramento. They need a big man that can shoot and block shots and last we all checked they grow on trees. This is great money for Sacramento and good money for Monk. 3 3 Immanuel Quickley $$$$- 25 4 yrs RFA It's possible some of the most recent action with IQ really shot his market into the stratosphere. Aside from the trade he really popped in Toronto after showing solid promise in New York. If he can continue to improve his offensive game he has a shot at being a top tier pick and roll guy and that's very lofty company. He has a ton of questions to answer but that type of upside demands a high ranking even if the cost is appropriately high. 4 7 D'Angelo Russell $$$$- 28 9 yrs UFA 1 This is peak D'Angelo Russell and it's actually great to see because for so long he was extraordinarily overrated and he can now be appreciated for his most discerning high-end offensive play and then of course he has cleaned up the defense a little bit but it's still a limitation. He's going to get paid a lot and hopefully it's low enough to where a re-rank of this would be more in line with his overall value. 5 9 James Harden $$$+ 34 15 yrs UFA st don't think he can get shots off at any real volume as a number one guy or even as a number two guy with the efficiency necessary to justify the usage. The name being bigger than the game was a thing for him many moons ago and he is very likely to be paid big time. 6 5 Tyus Jones $$+ 28 9 yrs UFA It's going to be a very easy decision for a GM to throw a non-trash deal at Tyus Jones. The basketball world will immediately call him an underrated player and proclaim it a smart deal. And that's because it partly is. But unless the market completely dries up it might represent low margins and a better use of money elsewhere since it won't be low money 7 8 De'Anthony Melton $+ 26 6 yrs UFA If the back injury didn't seem really bad last season I'd be much more aggressive here because he is entering his prime and theoretically working on offense to round out the offering. It's unclear how many months of development have been chopped off waiting for this thing to heal and what it will due to his athleticism going forward. At the same time NBA decision-makers have seen enough high leverage highlights to know he's not just a guy if healthy so the price will be higher. 8 6 Isaiah Joe $ 24 4 yrs UFA 2 He's going to stay under team control but if for some reason that wasn't going to happen this is how he would be ranked. He has potential to become one of the league's better shooters and as his game rounds out its way too early to rule out starter potential. 9 4 Jose Alvarado $$ 26 3 yrs RFA 2 Likely under team control the money at this stage of his career is in a great range and this is where he would rank. He has some injury risk but entering his prime ages at this cost you're crazy if you don't want him on your squad. 10 10 Markelle Fultz $$+ 26 7 yrs UFA It would be great to see him play on a team with great spacing and the need for an athletic connector. The name value and generalized consensus that he has rebooted his career probably makes the market more aggressive than it should be here and along with the limitations that were on display in the playoffs, in addition to the injury risk, likely make this an even money contract at best. 11 12 Monte Morris $+ 28 7 yrs UFA I could see him being closer to a minimum guy but even if he gets the bump for a job well done in the Association this is a low risk deal. I think he might've gotten scared this past season but even if he is a clone of himself the dude just plays a solid point. 12 11 Duane Washington $ 24 2 yrs RFA 4 I've just got a hunch. 13 13 Kris Dunn $+ 30 8 yrs UFA Maybe he gets paid based on some of the consistency he displayed this past season but that's not likely to change any of my rankings. He can give you a solid 20 minutes of defense and there's not much to talk about beyond that. 14 14 Cameron Payne $+ 29 9 yrs UFA A team looking for punch out of the second unit for 16 MPG can get exactly that 15 15 Russell Westbrook $+ 35 16 yrs UFA 1 I wouldn't rule out Russell Westbrook from having some impact moment next season and even if the number to retain his services comes in very cheap it doesn't come without the whole Russell Westbrook experience and that alone necessarily drops him down the ranks. If he goes for the minimum in the right situation he does jump up these ranks some incremental amount for whatever that is worth. 16 16 Reggie Jackson $ 34 13 yrs UFA 1 Barely enough left in the tank to hold up offensively for 16 MPG 17 17 Jordan Goodwin $ 25 3 yrs RFA 4 He was totally gun shy in Memphis and there is not enough margin for him to lack confidence 18 18 Kira Lewis $ 23 4 yrs RFA Hopefully catching lightning in a bottle here 19 19 Delon Wright $ 32 9 yrs UFA Whether it's injury risk and playing time limitations or limitations on the big picture offensive side of things, it's hard to get behind a high ranking for Wright 20 20 Jordan McLaughlin $ 28 5 yrs UFA It would've been nicer to see more impact minutes and less bad minutes because for a second there he looked like a rotation guy with an arrow pointed up. At 28 years old there is at least a modicum of intrigue hanging around there. 21 22 Josh Richardson $+ 30 9 yrs UFA 1 If we knew that Richardson was going to go for the minimum he probably competes in the Markelle Fultz to Kris Dunn range. 22 21 Dennis Smith $ 26 7 yrs UFA Injury risk alone knocks him down the ranks but even when he's rolling it's only for 18 to 24 MPG 23 24 Spencer Dinwiddie $+ 31 10 yrs UFA With potential to be overpaid, but who knows, the style of play he evolved into just isn't going to fit outside of the team that really needs bench scoring. 24 23 Alec Burks $ 32 13 yrs UFA Still good for 18 MPG on the offensive side 25 25 Talen Horton-Tucker $+ 23 5 yrs UFA One would think at 23 years old the potential is still great. I saw some really bad basketball and given his unique profile it was kind of one of those rubbernecking kind of deals – how and why was it allowed to go on. 26 26 Lonzo Ball $ 26 5 yrs UFA 1 Will he ever play again. OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS WINGS
Paul George is the big name this season and DeMar DeRozan has an interesting choice ahead of him whether to prioritize fit and contention but for my money the most interesting Cash to Value play was Kelly Oubre coming off the weirdest minimum contract I can remember for a bit. This grouping is very deep with players that have some form of potential and while the forementioned group deserves whatever they are going to make after that GMs truly can be picky depending on their needs. There will be some teams that make a killing out of the top 20 Cash to Value ranks.
OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS 1 1 Paul George $$$$$ 34 14 yrs UFA 1 Still good enough to take over games and ideally your third best player on a contending team considering questions about killer instinct and durability 2 7 DeMar DeRozan $$$$+ 34 15 yrs UFA Wherever he gets his next deal there's a very good chance people will hate it regardless of the circumstance. If it's for the type of money that he will command in a lot of places it could easily be a suboptimal move but if he considers fit and contention and something closer to 20 million than 30 million it might low key be a solid deal 3 5 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $$$+ 31 11 yrs UFA 1 Not high-end enough to create the hype to make him truly expensive, there will be a premium to pay for KCP but for what he brings it's still going to be an average deal at worst. 4 6 Klay Thompson $$$+ 34 13 yrs UFA Still one of the league's premier shooters with a career 3P% north of 41%. Ability to stretch the floor and provide reliable scoring makes him a valuable asset. The defensive prowess has slightly diminished post-injury, but high basketball IQ and positional versatility ensure he stays effective on both ends. The championship pedigree and clutch performance history makes him a quality addition to any team looking to contend. 5 2 Kelly Oubre $$$ 28 9 yrs UFA I still have to believe that Oubre took a minimum deal with a promise to play because absent things we don't know it was absurd that he could only get the minimum. And playing extremely well against Jalen Brunson in the playoffs and otherwise doing Kelly Oubre things it's clear he's a guy that deserves a middle-of-the-road deal for low end starting level players 6 4 Caleb Martin $$+ 28 5 yrs UFA 1 Martin continues to present injury concerns and it doesn't help that his brother has been in the same boat. The talent is there and the deal is going to be just fine from a team perspective even if the injury issues continue to sap his upside. 7 3 Sam Hauser $$ 26 3 yrs RFA 2 Hauser as a shooter wasn't interesting this season because water is wet and all that. It was his play and every other facet of the game that caught my eye because while yes his teammates cover-up a lot of his deficiencies but in a vacuum his play didn't scream deficiency. There is enough height and size/speed combo to not be an every possession target and as is the extreme case in Boston with other decent or better personnel alongside him he might start to hold his own. It's the type of equation that can really develop quickly and though he staying in Boston I just wanted this rank out here for the sake of what it would look like if Boston punted for whatever reason, which they wouldn't.. 8 10 Buddy Hield $$+ 31 8 yrs UFA Buddy Hield just wasn't a Daryl Morey guy or who knows maybe he wasn't a Nick Nurse guy and there are challenges here that are on his side of the line but also it's just kind of the way it goes for players with multiple limitations. His level of play hasn't gone down so in the right situation there is still value to be had here. If the cost can stay in the $$ range it can be a good deal. 9 9 Bruce Brown $$ 27 6 yrs UFA 2 I'm very curious to see if knee issues were behind the substandard play of Bruce Brown last season. Unless he got paid and something went truly south, we don't typically see a player of his type known for winning basketball falloff like that. 10 8 Haywood Highsmith $+ 27 4 yrs UFA If Highsmith can keep improving as a shooter all of the ingredients for solid role player are there 11 11 Isaac Okoro $$$ 23 4 yrs RFA Just because he hasn't blown folks away with a breakout doesn't mean he can't emerge as one of the next high-end three and D players. If he can continue to make gains offensively a la KCP he could be that kind of piece. Based on his current reputation alone I think the cash is going to be high so it might be a year or two before he clearly outperforms it. 12 13 Gary Trent $$+ 25 6 yrs UFA It kind of feels like the word is out and Trent basically takes too many shots in relation to his contributions elsewhere and though he will still get paid a decent chunk there is a likely a middle-of-the-road deal that shuffles the deck chairs for his new team. 13 12 Derrick Jones $$+ 27 8 yrs UFA Jones had a great season and played just fine in the playoffs for who he is as a player, which at times ranged from doing his job very well to being in over his head in high leverage situations. He's not quite as springy as peak Airplane Mode, and my main concern is substantial injury risk and what the impacts on athleticism might be since it's his main selling point. It's pretty clear he's going to get paid something decent but in the event of an overpay there is some downside potential here. 14 14 Gary Payton $ 31 8 yrs UFA 1 I have no idea if he can handle 10 games let alone 60 games but if he somehow gets healthy and the time off kept his legs young then of course he would be a massive steal. 15 15 Taurean Prince $$ 30 8 yrs UFA Prince probably has at least three seasons being able to give at least 20 solid minutes in almost any situation. He'll probably get paid as such and there are probably better uses of money but the acquiring team won't really lose on this deal. 16 18 Malik Beasley $$ 27 8 yrs UFA A less stable version of Taurean Prince, Beasley might even cost more so I have him ranked a shade lower 17 16 Kessler Edwards $ 23 3 yrs RFA I saw some regression in his game but I also believe the cause of his low minutes was that he lost some organizational support in Sacramento and that might actually reverse course given the poor play of Kevin Huerter and Chris Duarte. Regardless of who ends up making the play here it has much more upside than the rank here entails. If there was a chicken and egg element really obscuring his level of play I would have him ranked a lot higher but there just wasn't a lot of film to evaluate and some of it indeed showed some slowness and hesitancy in his game. If he's simply who he was two seasons ago and I suspect, though I can't really confirm, that he is who he was then I would have him ranked a lot higher. 18 17 Dalano Banton $ 24 3 yrs RFA 2 This guy grabbed the ball and went on a nice heater toward the end of the season and I don't really doubt those aspects of his game that he displayed, I just wonder if he can balance the usage with the other aspects of the game. The price is certainly going to be right because of the team control unless they pay him bigger and the cash to value rank would change accordingly. 19 20 Saddiq Bey $$ 25 4 yrs RFA In the right spot it's possible he can be a nice 20 to 26 MPG player but the injury complicates things. There have been enough rocksolid ACL recoveries that teams are going to respect the level of play he brings and everybody will know that the market is soft. Somebody will come in with three years and a player option to give a proper ramp for his recovery and try to snag at least one solid season at a very low rate. There are a lot of ways this can play out and I think a lot of them result in him getting paid despite the injury and when I evaluate that number against his overall value I think it's probably going to be a bit of a suboptimal use of money for a higher end bench player 20 19 Nicolas Batum $+ 35 16 yrs UFA I see no reason why he can't contribute 24 MPG in the playoffs for a contending team but his contract won't be nothing and that dropped him down the rankings. That said if he goes for the minimum his cash to value rank would need a revision. 21 21 Lonnie Walker $+ 25 6 yrs UFA Something has really cooled the market for Walker and of course there are obvious limitations to his game but none so glaring that I would avoid signing him. If he finally gets some money commensurate of his potential and play then I'm starting to wonder if the market has been soft for good reason. Though the list of players ahead of him isn't spectacular, it is fairly solid so the lower ranking is a positive indicator of depth at this position. 22 22 Luke Kennard $+ 27 7 yrs UFA 2 Injury concerns aren't ever going away and at the same time his market has already been established higher than the on the ground value proposition given the injury concerns. There are also a bunch of limitations of course. I respect what he can do when healthy but this has overpay potential. 23 23 Eric Gordon $ 35 16 yrs UFA 1 It's pretty impressive that Gordon can still go on the court and get red hot the way he does. He was once profiling as an injury guy and fought back from it. At 35 years old and 16 years in the league he is what he is right now but a team that needs 20 minutes of shooting off the bench could do a whole lot worse here. 24 28 Gary Harris $$+ 29 10 yrs UFA If Gary Harris somehow doesn't get paid then he could climb these cash to value ranks pretty quick. Overall, I like the players above him for their proficiencies and potential but I still like Harris as a contributor for 20 to 25 minutes or even more in a perfect situation where he can just be a fifth or sixth best player. There some injury risk here as well. 25 24 Aaron Wiggins $ 25 3 yrs RFA 2 I don't pretend to understand Sam Presti's thinking with so many assets but I know Wiggins is good enough for them to probably want to keep him under team control and regardless this is where he is ranked. 26 25 Lamar Stevens $ 26 4 yrs UFA Stevens wasn't amazing or anything but he showed some promise when pressed into action. He has some good size and effectiveness on both sides of the ball is a question mark, but he showed enough good things to want to see more. 27 26 Javonte Green $ 30 5 yrs UFA If he is healthy there is enough athleticism to make a small deal a solid deal for most teams. It's the if healthy part doing the heavy lifting here. 28 27 Oshae Brissett $ 26 5 yrs UFA 1 He didn't get to show too much on a championship squad but he still strikes me as a guy with talent that has yet to get the opportunity 29 29 Garrison Mathews $ 27 5 yrs UFA 2 The enforcer gig is going to be hard to keep up as athleticism wanes and it's been a bit since he truly popped in that regard. He should probably go to a contending squad and reel it in a bit with the enforcer stuff and just play the game straight up. 30 30 Keita Bates-Diop $ 28 6 yrs UFA 1 The hope is that Phoenix was such a weird situation that his prior trajectory in San Antonio that built off some of the stuff we saw his rookie season is more of an indicator than what we saw last season. 31 31 Brandon Boston $ 22 3 yrs RFA He's way too young to give up on. Not with that potential. 32 32 Max Christie $ 21 2 yrs RFA Everybody in Los Angeles wanted to see more Max Christie and though the market isn't clamoring for Max Christie he will probably get more attention in the upcoming season 33 33 Svi Mykhailiuk $ 27 6 yrs UFA The prime Svi season incoming 34 34 Damion Lee $ 31 6 yrs UFA 1 Bad timing for a big injury and a prove it season on the way 35 35 Justin Holiday $ 35 11 yrs UFA Probably still capable of checking a few threes and not totally dying on defense 36 36 Doug McDermott $ 32 10 yrs UFA Anything above the minimum is asking for too much at this age and too many deficiencies to justify court time 37 37 Reggie Bullock $ 33 11 yrs UFA Anybody's guess what he can give 38 38 Evan Fournier $ 31 12 yrs UFA 2 All the way cooked 39 39 T.J. Warren $ 30 9 yrs UFA Even more well-done OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS FRONTCOURT NON-FIVES
I start enjoying these ranks when we get to the Obi Toppin, Jalen Smith and Josh Okogie in the Cash to Value rankings. After those guys it gets pretty rough pretty quickly and this player grouping might have the most overpay potential. Whereas the Wings group was very deep this group is practically the inverse.
OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS 1 1 LeBron James $$$$$ 39 21 yrs UFA 1 At 39 years old he still beats each of the players on this list and when we are measuring against the game's greats I find that to be his most compelling argument 2 3 Pascal Siakam $$$$$ 30 8 yrs UFA We are seeing peak Siakam and it's expensive but it fits in Indiana and the back end of the deal won't be a disaster 3 2 Miles Bridges $$$ 26 5 yrs UFA Setting aside the reason his acquisition will be a value, one simply doesn't find players with his talent at the likely price. Questions of morality aren't built into this rank. 4 7 Tobias Harris $$$$+ 31 13 yrs UFA Tobias is the kind of player who's going to get a pretty good deal even as he has taken on the brunt of criticism in Philadelphia. At just 31 years old he has plenty of wear and tear after 13 NBA seasons but there's a decent chance he can still score at a high level for two to three more seasons 5 4 Obi Toppin $$$ 26 4 yrs RFA He looks pretty close to putting together a nice threes and dunks package with improving capabilities elsewhere, enough to fill the gaps and start justifying 25 to 30 good minutes per game. And because the threes and dunks are pretty valuable it's a good recipe for solid value even as his stock is on the rise 6 9 OG Anunoby $$$$- 26 7 yrs UFA 1 Injury history is starting to get concerning from the standpoint that I think he's more of a four and even a small ball five now. I don't think he's switchable on twos or even quick threes and that's always been baked into the value proposition. If he gets into incredible shape in the off-season I could be wrong but I also think it's not likely he meets the value of his next contract even if this happens. 7 5 Jalen Smith $$ 24 4 yrs UFA 1 A great recipe for value is grabbing a player that Rick Carlisle buries. Young with decent experience, can move his feet and hit a jump shot. He's a lock to be worth whatever he commands on the market and has great upside beyond that given the bottom barrel price. 8 6 Josh Okogie $+ 25 6 yrs UFA 1 He's not going to bust down any doors but he has way more offensive game than the vast majority of the public knows and based on physical attributes alone he will be in the NBA for another five to seven seasons at minimum. He has high end role player written all over him at extremely low prices. 9 8 Kyle Anderson $$ 30 10 yrs UFA It might finally be the case that his name is bigger than his game but in certain matchups he still has some defensive juice 10 18 Patrick Williams $$$ 22 4 yrs RFA If the name value here wasn't so great and the cost to acquire him matched both statistical output and overall play he would be a great value at 22 years old and possibly getting through the learning curve in his fifth season. But given his physical attributes, draft position and even some of the constant questions regarding how Chicago operates and teams believing they can be the ones to succeed where Chicago always fails – the price is likely to be higher. 11 10 Simone Fontecchio $$- 28 2 yrs RFA With good strength and underrated versatility the shooter is more playable than people realize 12 11 Jae'Sean Tate $ 28 4 yrs UFA 2 Injuries and falling lower and lower in the pecking order quickly hit the brakes on a promising start to his career. There might be 15 to 22 MPG of solid defensive play provided he can dial it back a notch or two offensively when it's not working, which is more often the case than not 13 12 Jordan Nwora $+ 25 4 yrs UFA If he can add defensively even incrementally for the next two to three seasons the offensive game is there, but can he be good enough offensively to get enough shots on good teams is another question squelching some of the upside 14 13 Chimezie Metu $ 27 6 yrs UFA 2 Really much worse defensively than he should be given his length and athleticism but a capable scorer for a decent team's bench 15 14 Cedi Osman $+ 29 7 yrs UFA Probably gets more money than he deserves after getting so many minutes throughout his long tenure in Cleveland 16 15 Naji Marshall $+ 26 4 yrs UFA Can do a little bit of everything and 26 years old can still slide his feet. If he wasn't so decidedly average at best in those respects he would get a lot more juice in the Cash to Value ranks 17 16 Royce O'Neale $+ 31 7 yrs UFA The name is finally bigger than the game and as you can see Naji Marshall is a better version of him now 18 17 Chuma Okeke $ 25 4 yrs RFA Orlando has always done funky stuff with their rotations and teams could do worse than kicking the tires here and seeing if some of that versatility might fare better in a more stable environment 19 19 Jeff Green $ 37 16 yrs UFA 2 Green can't defend in high leverage situations but he can still get on the floor, shoot the ball and stand in the right places 20 20 Cam Reddish $ 24 5 yrs UFA 1 One of the more fascinating flameout stories of the past five years or so, whether it's injuries or just not getting it done for whatever reason unless the intel is bad this is what flyer signings are made for 21 21 KJ Martin $ 23 4 yrs UFA We've seen a number of teams pass on him now but the Los Angeles and Philadelphia situations were also finicky so maybe this next stop is the one that unlocks him. Still, with limitations due to size and shooting it makes the upside a bit less enticing. 22 27 Gordon Hayward $+ 34 14 yrs UFA Probably going to command a bigger deal than he deserves, Hayward might just be a basic connector now on offense and defensively he is heading toward unplayable 23 22 Jae Crowder $ 33 12 yrs UFA The speed strength combo just isn't there anymore and outside of specialized situations he's trending toward unplayable 24 23 JT Thor $ 21 3 yrs RFA 2 Both Charlotte bigs have the allure of Charlotte being the limiting factor 25 24 Kai Jones $ 23 3 yrs UFA 2 Both Charlotte bigs have the allure of Charlotte being the limiting factor 26 25 Yuta Watanabe $ 29 6 yrs UFA 1 Not enough development on the offensive side to keep up with the degradation of previously a hair above average play on that side 27 26 Trendon Watford $ 23 3 yrs RFA Really needs to land in a situation where he can be a 18 to 24 MPG offensive spark plug off the bench 28 28 Davis Bertans $ 31 8 yrs UFA 3 We saw some signs of life for the briefest time but it was the most we had seen in a while, so for a team that might be desperate for 12 MPG of shooting off the bench he's worth a look 29 29 P.J. Tucker $ 39 13 yrs UFA 1 Props to him being 39 years old for an this high on the list. Could probably defend for 24 MPG in the playoffs in certain matchups 30 30 Joe Ingles $ 36 10 yrs UFA 2 One of our old Cash to Value favorites just doesn't have anything to give anymore other than locker room vibes 31 31 Lindy Waters $ 26 3 yrs RFA 2 Oklahoma City has had so much talent that their discard pile is worth a much harder look than most squads 32 32 Thanasis Antetokounmpo $ 31 6 yrs UFA Even if the angle is just keeping Giannis and his people happy between that and the NBA body that can impersonate an NBA talent for four to six minutes. And theoretically he can keep the sideline party going. 33 33 Robert Covington $ 33 11 yrs UFA I'm not convinced he can last 10 MPG for longer than 40 games but if he can there might be some value as a break glass in case of emergency guy for a contending team 34 34 Torrey Craig $ 33 7 yrs UFA 1 Might have one more season being somewhat playable for a mid pack team at 12 MPG 35 35 James Johnson $ 37 15 yrs UFA Ranked as enforcer dressed in uniform as a guy that will leave the bench if necessary 36 36 Danilo Gallinari $ 35 14 yrs UFA Might be able to give a very good team spot minutes and otherwise stay out of the way OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS BIGS
Tom Thibodeau being forced to let Isaiah Hartenstein play dribble handoff basketball and get a full slate of minutes was a glorious thing. Hartenstein was able to fend off injuries that played a role in derailing last year’s campaign but really Thibodeau has always been at the center of this, playing him too much when he needed rest last season and not letting him play his game at the same time. Now Hartenstein is as New York/roommates/teammates squad as you’re going to find. He can slide his feet and with his length survive as well as most big men and he also has more strength than most big men. The things he does on offense are limited to varying degrees but the things he focuses on he tends to do well including making high leverage shots on broken plays. It’s not out of the question that he can develop a three point shot. A smart team could’ve locked him up for four seasons at some stupid small amount but even at the money he’s about to make it’s going to be a bargain.
Otherwise there are a handful of recommended bargain bigs and some other interesting names but it also gets light pretty quick as we go down the ranks.
OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS 1 1 Isaiah Hartenstein $$$ 26 6 yrs UFA One of the top big men in the league right now. Probably should have read these ranks a few years ago. 2 2 Jaxson Hayes $$- 24 5 yrs UFA 1 From a cost perspective he has good mobility and strength, bottom barrel upside shooting the ball. A fine way to allocate funds elsewhere. 3 5 Nic Claxton $$$ 25 5 yrs UFA I don't think spending to get him is going to be overly destructive and in a light market it's a little more justifiable but absent amazing need/fit I'd spend money elsewhere 4 3 Moritz Wagner $+ 27 6 yrs UFA 2 A great way to nail down 25 MPG at an extremely low cost 5 6 Jonas Valanciunas $$ 32 12 yrs UFA If you need 20 MPG from a tank that can shoot he could even be a top priority but other than that you're probably wasting your time and energy 6 4 Drew Eubanks $+ 27 6 yrs UFA 1 An early-season injury stopped his early momentum and fit issues on a very odd Phoenix team steamrolled into a mildly disappointing season. This equates to even more value and while I've tapped the brakes a tiny bit I don't see him much differently than last season when I thought he was one of the top bargains to be had. 7 7 Neemias Queta $ 24 3 yrs RFA 2 Queta has enough size and quickness to be worth grabbing for any team and there is enough of a base of talent to keep him within a stones throw of being serviceable immediately. 8 8 Goga Bitadze $+ 24 5 yrs UFA Playing in a massive rotation in Orlando obscured his decent play for at least a third of the season and he's easily good enough to be a top 15 backup center and maybe even a top 20-30 center overall 9 9 Bol Bol $+ 24 5 yrs UFA If you need a big man that can shoot and block shots (hello Sacramento) you almost have to take a flyer on Bol. You'd have to be in the gym with him every day to truly know where he's at, but if you've been backed into the corner of finding unicorn big men that can shoot and block shots (hello Sacramento) you're not going to find this combo at this price ever again making it a must do transaction. 10 10 Tristan Vukcevic $ 21 1 yrs RFA 2 Needs more experience and will have some limitations, but he's got young legs with a good shot and decent physical attributes 11 13 Precious Achiuwa $$ 24 4 yrs RFA He has had enough poppy stat games and NBA experience to command more money than some minimum guys who are similarly effective, but he's not dead in the water for having a future as a low-end starter 12 11 Alex Len $+ 31 11 yrs UFA Len probably wants both money and a somewhat guaranteed role after sitting the bench in Sacramento when he could have easily played decent minutes for a bunch of different NBA squads. At 31 years old most squad should be looking for younger talent, but even good teams could plug him in for 18 to 24 minutes and feel fine about it. 13 12 Richaun Holmes $+ 30 9 yrs UFA 1 Late last season looked as if he had finally turned the corner on fitness and off the court drama. There is a lot of wear on the tires and the name probably keeps him a bit more expensive than some folks near him in these ranks but overall this is a decent shot to see if you can get good backup minutes 14 13 Usman Garuba $ 22 3 yrs UFA Garuba has had some decent NBA minutes for small stretches and at 22 years old that's worth kicking the tires on over a lot of names on this list 14 15 JaVale McGee $ 36 16 yrs UFA If you need a traditional big man for 12 MPG he's still got it 15 16 Luke Kornet $ 28 7 yrs UFA Not enough mobility to truly survive as a backup but better than a lot of NBA backups you will see next season 17 17 Mason Plumlee $+ 34 11 yrs UFA The end is pretty close but maybe you get 16 good MPG 18 18 Boban Marjanovic $ 35 9 yrs UFA Sure he can come in for four minutes and do some Boban things but this is all about locker room vibes 19 26 Andre Drummond $+ 30 12 yrs UFA He would be ranked lower if he didn't have the bankable skills of being very large and singularly focused on rebounding 20 19 Ish Wainright $ 29 3 yrs RFA 4 Has unique size and with some additional development could be a sneaky matchup defensive option 21 20 Jericho Sims $ 25 3 yrs RFA 2 A football player playing basketball but if he can develop before the physical attributes go away the acquiring team could be on to something 22 21 Thaddeus Young $ 35 17 yrs UFA A locker room play that can facilitate offense for eight to 12 MPG for probably no more than 20 games in a season 23 22 Mo Bamba $ 26 6 yrs UFA A lot of teams have given up on him now and the only hope would be that with humility comes growth 24 23 Sandro Mamukelashvili $ 25 3 yrs RFA Probably ends up surprising by getting pressed into action somewhere for 15 MPG and doing a decent enough job with it 25 24 Dario Saric $ 30 7 yrs UFA Somebody you can rely on for 16 MPG in the regular-season but in any matchup based scenario is going to get destroyed defensively 26 25 Xavier Tillman $ 25 4 yrs UFA Had a nice high-profile minute in the Finals but unless we see he has lost 20 pounds he's probably heading the wrong direction in terms of playability 27 27 Damian Jones $ 28 8 yrs UFA Jones peaked in Sacramento and might have been better off choosing to add muscle rather than trying to become lighter and more perimeter oriented. If he can recapture his Sacramento trajectory he would be on to something. 28 28 Bismack Biyombo $ 31 13 yrs UFA Might have eight good defensive minutes in him per game 29 29 Kevin Love $ 35 16 yrs UFA 1 I'm not sure he works as the proverbial locker room vet folks might hand him on name value but he has championship experience and can step in for eight to 12 minutes per game 30 30 Daniel Theis $ 32 7 yrs UFA 31 31 Christian Wood $ 28 8 yrs UFA 1 32 32 Markieff Morris $ 34 13 yrs UFA 33 33 Marcus Morris $ 34 13 yrs UFA 34 34 James Wiseman $ 23 4 yrs RFA 35 35 Udoka Azubuike $ 24 4 yrs UFA 4 36 36 Harry Giles $ 26 4 yrs UFA 4 37 37 Luka Garza $ 25 3 yrs RFA 38 38 Moses Brown $ 24 5 yrs UFA 39 39 Mike Muscala $ 32 11 yrs UFA 40 40 Tristan Thompson $ 33 13 yrs UFA 41 41 Cody Zeller $ 31 11 yrs UFA 42 42 DeAndre Jordan $ 35 16 yrs UFA OVR $/V FIRST LAST COST AGE EXP TYPE COMMENTS
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