Entering this offseason, the biggest gripe about the 2022
free-agent class was the lack of star power.
At one point, the class was poised to be loaded, with Kevin
Durant, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal, James Harden,
Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine and Chris Paul potentially
hitting the market. However, these players ultimately came off the
board after signing extensions or new contracts.
Who is poised to become a free agent next offseason? Are there
more stars available in the 2023 class? Here’s a look at the top 40
players who could be available next summer.
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers —
Unrestricted
Even though James will be 38
years old when he hits the open market, he will attract a ton of
interest from teams since he continues to produce at a superstar
level. Last season, James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2
assists, 2.9 threes, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game on
.524/.359/.756 shooting splits. James has said that his ultimate
goal is to play alongside his oldest son, Bronny, in the NBA. Due
to Bronny’s draft eligibility, the earliest that they can team up
is in 2024-25, so don't be surprised when LeBron signs a one-year
deal that allows him to hit the open market shortly after the 2024
NBA Draft.
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks — Player
Option
Middleton has become one of the most reliable, consistent
players in the NBA. The three-time All-Star helped the Milwaukee
Bucks win a championship in 2021, and his absence was felt after he
sprained his MCL during the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Last season,
Middleton averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.5
threes and 1.2 steals, while shooting 44.3% from the field, 37.3%
from three-point range and 89.0% from the free-throw line.
Middleton has a player option worth $40,396,552, and plenty of
teams will be interested in his services if he chooses to opt
out.
James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers — Player
Option
Harden declined his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23
campaign, and then re-signed with the 76ers on a two-year deal with
a player option in the second season. This year, Harden will earn
approximately $32.4 million. Last season, Harden averaged 22.0
points, 10.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 threes and 1.3 steals on
.410/.330/.877 shooting splits.
The 32-year-old struggled during the playoffs, especially in the
second round, where he averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 assists, 6.3
rebounds, 4.8 turnovers and 2.5 threes on .404/.332/.761 shooting
splits. Perhaps Harden will bounce back and benefit from reuniting
with several former Houston Rockets teammates, but he turns 33
years old in August and seems less explosive.
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets —
Unrestricted
It remains to be seen where Irving will be playing this season,
as he’s expected to be traded after exercising his $37 million
player option. Once Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Nets,
Irving’s future was tossed up in the air as well. Irving is one of
the NBA’s most electrifying players, capable of taking over games
and filling the stat sheet. Last season, Irving averaged 27.4
points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 threes and 1.4 steals on
.469/.418/.915 shooting splits.
However, his availability has been an issue, and he played just
29 games last year. After signing a $136.5 million contract with
the Nets in 2019, Irving appeared in just 103 of 216 (47%)
regular-season games. Over the last three seasons, he has missed
games due to his left hamstring, ankle, right shoulder, groin,
right knee, quad, left hip, back and left thigh. Back in January
2021, he also had a two-week unauthorized leave of absence. Over
the past seven years, Kyrie has averaged fewer than 51 games played
per season.
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors — Player
Option
Green's résumé is damn impressive, as he's now a four-time NBA
champion, four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, Defensive
Player of the Year award winner and seven-time All-Defensive Team
selection. Last season, the 32-year-old averaged 7.5 points, 7.3
rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting
52.5% from the field. Green’s stats don’t properly reflect his
impact, as there aren’t many players who can match his defense and
basketball IQ. Next offseason, Green has a player option worth
$27,586,224, but it's tough to imagine him leaving the
Warriors.
Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors —
Unrestricted
When the Warriors traded for Wiggins in 2019, his contract was
widely regarded as one of the worst in the league. However, after
fitting perfectly in Golden State’s system, few players have
improved their stock more than Wiggins in recent years. Last
season, the 27-year-old became a first-time All-Star (doing so as a
starter) and helped the Warriors win a championship. Wiggins
averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 threes and 1.0
steal per contest, while shooting 46.6% from the field and 39.%
from three. During the playoffs, Wiggins contributed 16.5 points,
7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 threes, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal per
game. Now, this coming season, the former No. 1 overall pick enters
the final year of his contract.
RJ Barrett, New York Knicks — Restricted
Barrett has a ton of upside and is coming off of the best season
of his career, where he averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0
assists and 2.0 threes per game. While he needs to become more
efficient — shooting just 40.8% from the field, 34.2% from
three-point range and 71.4% from the free throw line — the
22-year-old isn't going anywhere. He’s a cornerstone for the Knicks
and will likely get a rookie max extension as soon as he’s eligible
in a few months.
Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors —
Restricted
Poole is coming off a breakout season in which he won his first
championship while averaging career-highs in points (18.5), assists
(4.0), rebounds (3.4), threes (2.8), steals (0.8), field-goal
percentage (44.8%), three-point percentage (36.4%) and free-throw
percentage (92.5%). The 23-year-old emerged as a key contributor
for Golden State, and while he'll be a restricted free agent next
offseason, the Warriors will surely prioritize keeping him.
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls —
Unrestricted
Last season, Vucevic averaged 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2
assists, 1.4 threes, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal per contest, while
shooting 47.3% from the field, 31.4% from three-point range and
76.0% from the free-throw line. After having the offense run
through him in Orlando, Vucevic has had to adjust to playing
alongside top scorers in Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. The
31-year-old was mentioned in trade rumors earlier this offseason,
but those rumblings have died down lately. Vucevic will earn
$22,000,000 next season and then become an unrestricted free
agent.
Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs —
Restricted
The Spurs recently traded Dejounte Murray and decided to focus
on their young core going forward. However, since Johnson is only
22 years old, he's on a similar timeline as the rest of San
Antonio's young players. Johnson is a cornerstone piece for the
Spurs, averaging 17.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 threes
and 0.8 steals per game on .466/.398/.756 shooting splits last
season.
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat — Restricted
Herro stepped up last season, averaging career-highs in points
(20.7), rebounds (5.0), assists (4.0), threes (2.7), steals (0.7),
field-goal percentage (44.7%) and three-point percentage (39.9%)
per game. Herro's name has surfaced in the rumor mill because he is
Miami's best trade chip, and Pat Riley is always in aggressive
pursuit of star players (such as Durant and Donovan Mitchell).
However, the 22-year-old continues to make strides toward realizing
his full potential, and he’ll be a restricted free agent next
offseason.
Cam Johnson, Phoenix Suns — Restricted
Johnson's future is currently up in the air, as there have been
rumblings that he could be included in Phoenix's trade offer for
Durant. It remains to be seen if Johnson will remain with the Suns,
but the 26-year-old is coming off of a terrific season where he
solidified himself as one of the best young shooters in the NBA.
Last year, he averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 threes and
0.9 steals per contest, while shooting 46.0% from the field, 42.5%
from three-point range and 86.0% from the free-throw line.
De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks — Restricted
Hunter has looked great over certain stretches, but he has dealt
with numerous injuries that have held him back. Still, the
24-year-old is a talented two-way contributor who averaged 13.4
points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 threes and 0.7 steals per game last
season, while shooting 44.2% from the field, 37.9% from three-point
range and 76.5% from the free-throw line.
Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards — Player
Option
Just before the trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks dealt
Porzingis to the Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and
Davis Bertans. After the trade, Porzingis played 17 games with the
Wizards, averaging 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7
threes, 1.5 blocks and 0.7 steals per contest, while shooting 47.5%
from the field, 36.7% from three and 87.1% from the free-throw
line. Porzingis’ numbers were up across the board in Washington,
but it remains to be seen if he can duplicate that kind of
production over a larger sample size next season. Next summer, the
26-year-old will have a player option worth $36,016,200.
Christian Wood, Dallas Mavericks —
Unrestricted
The Houston Rockets recently traded Wood to the Mavericks in
exchange for Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese
Chriss and the No. 29 pick in this year's draft (which was used to
select TyTy Washington). Last season, Wood averaged 17.9 points,
10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 threes and 1.0 block per game,
while shooting 50.1% from the field, 39.0% from three-point range
and 62.3% from the free-throw line. Wood has proven that he can
post impressive numbers on struggling teams, but now he’ll have a
chance to show that he can be a key contributor for a playoff
team.
Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers —
Unrestricted
The 2021-22 season was an absolute nightmare for the Lakers, who
went 33-49 and finished 11th in the Western Conference. They had
the NBA's 21st-ranked defense and 23rd-ranked offense. Much of the
blame was placed on Russell Westbrook's shoulders after he averaged
18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game,
while shooting 44.4% from the field, 29.8% from three and 66.7%
from the free-throw line. After opting into his $47,063,478 player
option for this season, Westbrook is expected to be traded. We’ll
see if he can resuscitate his value before he hits unrestricted
free agency next offseason.
Kevin Porter Jr., Houston Rockets —
Restricted
Porter has a ton of potential and seems to be a key part of the
Houston Rockets' young core, so it would be a surprise if he isn't
re-signed when he hits restricted free agency next summer. Last
season, the 22-year-old averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4
rebounds, 2.5 threes and 1.1 steals per contest, while shooting
41.5% from the field, 37.5% from three-point range and 64.2% from
the free-throw line.
Jakob Poeltl, San Antonio Spurs —
Unrestricted
The Spurs are reportedly open to trading Jakob Poeltl, which
isn’t a huge surprise since the team seems to be stockpiling young
players and picks after moving Murray. Last season, Poeltl averaged
career-highs in points (13.5), rebounds (9.3), assists (2.8) and
steals (0.7), while also blocking 1.7 shots per game and shooting
61.8% from the field. The Spurs reportedly received many calls
about the 26-year-old prior to February's trade deadline, so there
definitely seems to be interest in the big man.
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers — Unrestricted
Turner seems to pop up in trade rumors every year, but he has
yet to be moved during his NBA career. Once again, there are
rumblings that Turner may get dealt, but it remains to be seen if
any team will meet the Pacers’ asking price. Last season, Turner
averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 threes per
contest, while shooting 50.9% from the field, 33.3% from
three-point range and 75.2% from the free-throw line. The
26-year-old is arguably the best shot-blocker in the NBA, and there
are plenty of teams that could use his services.
Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers —
Unrestricted
After shopping Grant over the last two seasons, the Detroit
Pistons finally found an offer they were willing to accept. The
Trail Blazers gave up the draft rights to Gabriele Procida, a 2025
first-round draft pick, a 2025 second-round draft pick and a 2026
second-round draft pick. Now, Grant joins the new-look Blazers
alongside Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, Gary Payton
II, Jusuf Nurkic, Shaedon Sharpe and Co. The 28-year-old will earn
$20,955,000 this season.
D'Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves —
Unrestricted
The Timberwolves have reportedly been shopping Russell this
offseason, but it remains to be seen if a trade will happen. Last
season, the 26-year-old averaged 18.1 points, 7.1 assists, 3.3
rebounds, 2.7 threes and a steal per game on inefficient
.411/.340/.825 shooting splits. Russell struggled during the
Wolves' first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, with
Jordan McLaughlin closing several playoff games while a healthy
Russell watched from the bench (after averaging 12.0 points and
shooting 33.3% from the field). Russell will earn $31,377,750 this
season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Al Horford, Boston Celtics — Unrestricted
Horford is coming off of a fantastic bounce-back season in which
he became an important two-way contributor for the Celtics. Last
season, he averaged 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3
blocks and 1.3 threes per game, while shooting 46.7% from the
field, 33.6% from three-point range and 84.2% from the free-throw
line. During the playoffs, Horford elevated his game to another
level, averaging 12.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks
and 0.8 steals per contest on super efficient .523/.480/.778
shooting splits. He’ll be 37 years old when he hits the open
market, but he should draw interest from numerous contenders.
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings —
Unrestricted
Last season, Barnes averaged 16.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4
assists and 1.8 threes per game, while shooting 46.9% from the
field, 39.4% from three-point range and 82.6% from the free-throw
line. He'll earn $18,352,273 this season — the final year of his
contract — then he'll become an unrestricted free agent next
summer.
Steven Adams, Memphis Grizzlies —
Unrestricted
In his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Adams averaged
6.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks
per game, while shooting 54.7% from the field. The 28-year-old will
earn $17,926,829 this season, then he’ll become an unrestricted
free agent next summer.
Seth Curry, Brooklyn Nets —
Unrestricted
Curry has become a valuable role player who can help pretty much
any team. In 64 games last season, he averaged 15.0 points, 3.6
assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 threes per contest, while shooting
48.7% from the field, 42.2% from three-point range and 87.2% from
the free-throw line. It remains to be seen if the Nets will trade
Curry, given everything going on in Brooklyn.
Bruce Brown, Denver Nuggets — Player Option
If you want to find a truly "positionless" NBA player, look no
further than Bruce Brown. The 25-year-old shifted fluidly between
roles for the Nets — the textbook glue guy that any playoff
contender would love to have. In 22 games after the All-Star break,
Brown averaged 14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals,
1.1 blocks and 1.1 threes per game on .530/.472/.775 shooting
splits.
During the Nets' first-round series against the Celtics, he
continued to produce, averaging 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8
assists, 1.5 threes, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game on
.568/.429/.800 shooting splits. After proving he can be an
initiator, connective passer, multi-faceted off-ball player and
primary defender, the Denver Nuggets signed Brown to a two-year,
$13 million deal with a player option in the second season.
Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards — Player
Option
While Kuzma didn't get the same attention last season after
leaving the Lakers, he actually took a step forward and produced at
a high level with the Wizards. The 26-year-old averaged 17.1
points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 blocks per
contest on .452/.341/.712 shooting splits. Kuzma has a player
option worth $13,000,000 for next season.
Caris LeVert, Cleveland Cavaliers —
Unrestricted
Last season, LeVert struggled after being traded from the Pacers
to the Cavaliers. In 19 games with Cleveland, he averaged 13.6
points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 threes and 0.8 steals per
contest on inefficient .435/.313/.745 shooting splits. As our
Spencer Davies reported, LeVert told the
organization that he couldn’t get his legs under him after
spraining his foot, and he admitted to bringing some of his bad
habits from Indiana to Cleveland. The hope is that he can have a
strong bounce-back season now that he’ll have a full offseason to
get acclimated with the Cavs.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Denver Nuggets —
Unrestricted
Last season with the Wizards, Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.2
points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 threes, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per
game on .435/.390/.890 shooting splits. However, Washington
ultimately traded him to the Nuggets in a deal that brought back
Monte Morris and Will Barton. Now, KCP will get a chance to play
for a contender again.
Otto Porter Jr., Toronto Raptors — Player
Option
Last offseason, Porter shocked everyone when he decided to join
the Warriors on a veteran-minimum deal despite receiving larger
offers elsewhere. His gamble paid off, as he won a championship.
Recently, he joined the Toronto Raptors on a two-year, $12.4
million contract (with a player option in the second season). Last
season, Porter averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 threes and
1.1 steals in 22.2 minutes per game, while shooting 46.4% from the
field, 37.0% from three and 80.3% from the free-throw
line.
Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks — Unrestricted
Lopez missed most of last season due to a back injury. However,
he returned for the final 13 games of the regular season, averaging
12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 threes and 1.2 blocks in just 22.9
minutes per game during the regular season. During the playoffs, he
struggled to find his shot (hitting just 21.4% of his threes), but
he chipped in 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest.
He’ll be 35 years old when he hits unrestricted free agency next
offseason.
Patrick Beverley, Utah Jazz — Unrestricted
Beverley was excellent with the Timberwolves last season,
shifting their culture and averaging 9.2 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1
rebounds, 1.4 threes and 1.2 steals per game. Despite the important
role he played last season, the Timberwolves ultimately traded him
to the Utah Jazz as part of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster trade. It
remains to be seen if Beverley will be bought out by the Jazz or if
he’ll play out the final year of his contract (which is set to pay
him $13,000,000).
Josh Hart, Portland Trail Blazers — Player
Option
Hart is coming off of a career-year, averaging 14.9 points, 7.2
rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 threes and 1.1 steals per game on
.504/.343/.758 shooting splits. After getting traded to the Trail
Blazers, he made the most of his increased role and played some of
the best basketball of his career. The 27-year-old reportedly has a
mutual option worth $12,960,000 for next season.
Larry Nance Jr., New Orleans Pelicans —
Unrestricted
Nance has been traded twice in the last year, with the Cavaliers
trading him to the Trail Blazers (by request), and then getting
shipped to the Pelicans. Last season, Nance averaged 7.0 points,
5.4 rebounds and a steal per game, while shooting 52.2% from the
field. The 29-year-old is widely regarded as a terrific defender
and glue guy, so he'll have no shortage of suitors once he hits the
open market.
Will Barton, Washington Wizards —
Unrestricted
The Nuggets recently traded Barton to the Wizards in exchange
for Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. Last season, Barton averaged 14.7
points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.2 threes and 0.8 steals per
game on .438/.365/.803 shooting splits. The 31-year-old may get
more field goal attempts in Washington, which could help his stock
as he approaches unrestricted free agency.
Kelly Oubre Jr., Charlotte Hornets —
Unrestricted
Last season, Oubre averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5
threes and a steal per contest, while shooting 44.0% from the
field, 34.5% from three and 66.7% from the free-throw line. Next
offseason, the 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent
(after earning $12,600,000 this season).
T.J. Warren, Brooklyn Nets — Unrestricted
Warren was outstanding in the NBA Bubble at the end of the
2019-20 season, averaging 31.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 threes
per game. With that said, he played just four games during the
2020-21 season and missed the entire 2021-22 campaign. The Nets
decided to take a flier on the 28-year-old,
viewing him as a low-risk, high-reward addition. This season, he'll
have an opportunity to show that he still has plenty left in the
tank.
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat — Unrestricted
After missing most of the 2021-22 season while recovering from
surgery on his ruptured quad, Oladipo returned to Miami's lineup
for the final eight games of the season, averaging 12.4 points, 3.5
assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 threes per game on .479/.417/.737
shooting splits. Oladipo had several impressive outings, including
a 40-point, 10-rebound, 7-assist, 5-three, 2-steal performance in
the regular-season finale against Orlando and an efficient
23-point, 3-assist, 3-steal outing in a playoff win over Atlanta.
The Heat rewarded the 30-year-old with a two-year, $18 million deal
with a player option in the second season.