What was once expected to be a weak free agent class, this summer should provide an interesting state of affairs for teams throughout the National Basketball Association. The list of unrestricted free agents, primarily due to those who opted out of their contracts, as well as restricted free agents, is plentiful.
At the beginning of the 2013-2014 NBA season many analysts and fans were not looking ahead to free agency the following summer. The class at season's end was expected to be weak and the parity of teams throughout the league didn't seem so bad. But after some organizations underwent turmoil and losing seasons (see: New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers), the circumstances have changed.
Players such as Carmelo Anthony (following a season with a losing record with the New York Knicks) as well as the Miami Heat's big three (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh) all decided to opt out of the final year of their respective contracts. Now, Anthony wants to join a team that can contend for a championship and James wants a maximum salary. These two will be worth in excess of $20 million per year. Although these superstars are available to meet with other teams, they're certainly not the only valuables out there.
A number of teams are just one or two solid players away from contention, so superstars are not the sole topic of discussion. And although some players are restricted free agents, it gives other teams the ability to make an offer them. By doing so, they essentially create a bidding war between themselves and the incumbent team that has leverage to obtain that specific player. Some of these players are worth a little bit of extra money if a general manager believes their presence on the court will significantly increase a team's chances of winning.
So who else is available?
Well, according to ESPN's Amin Elhassan's "2014 Free Agent Big Board 4.0," there are at least 20 other formidable players that can boost many rosters in the league. His two highest ranked (after Melo, LeBron, Wade, Bosh, and Nowitzki) are center Greg Monroe and point guard Eric Bledsoe. Both are restricted free agents but other teams can very well make a push and offer them money their current team doesn't want to match. Monroe can attract up to $14.5 million per year over four years and Bledsoe $11.5 million over four years. If a team offers, say, Monroe a four -year deal worth $60 million, the Pistons could either match it or let him walk. The Pistons and Suns might not be willing to match such offers as they have salary cap issues or want to focus on retaining other players.
Chandler Parsons, the star small forward for the Houston Rockets is also a restricted free agent and worth $10 million per year, but it's likely the Rockets will do everything they can to retain him after his breakout season. Same goes for Utah's Gordon Hayward. But we saw what happened with the Milwaukee Bucks nearly snatching Jeff Teague from the Hawks last year with a $32 million offer sheet and the Portland Trail Blazers almost getting Roy Hibbert from the Pacers in 2012 with a $58 million offer. Free agency only began at midnight, so much more work has yet to be done.
Notable unrestricted free agents include point guard Kyle Lowry, who will likely receive attention, center Pau Gasol, small forward Luol Deng, shooting guard Lance Stephenson, point guard Shaun Livingston, and small forward Paul Pierce - all of whom can step in and contribute right away.
You can check out the top NBA free agents on the ESPN website.