Landing Spots for Top NBA Free Agents Still Available

With summer league winding down and Olympic exhibition games warming up, the 2024 NBA offseason is mostly done.

But even in mid-July, the league's 30 teams still have some spending power. And there are still some free agents on the market who are worthy of cap space, a cap exception or a minimum contract.

Here, we've played matchmaker with some of the best still available. We paired each of them with an ideal landing spot based on team need, their skill set and their opportunity to show out this season for a bigger payday next summer.

During Luka Dončić's rookie campaign, Dennis Smith Jr. wasn't a great fit alongside him. It appeared that both would need the ball to be successful, and it made no sense to keep a young player around who might impede Luka's path to high usage.

So, the Mavericks traded him to the New York Knicks, and he has since become a journeyman. While Dončić developed into a perennial MVP candidate, it took a while to realize Smith might be a legitimate defensive specialist.

The Mavericks now might be willing to put those two together again, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

Of course, the dynamic would be different. Kyrie Irving is on the Mavericks, and no one would expect DSJ to be a starter alongside either star. But there were times this season and into the Finals when it looked like Dallas could've used another playmaker to jolt the offense when Luka was off the floor.

Smith might be able to do that, while also giving the second unit a dynamic point-of-attack defender.

Jaden Hardy or Dante Exum might be able to check those boxes as well, but Dallas spending some portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the bi-annual exception on backcourt insurance would make sense.

Isaac Okoro entered restricted free agency likely anticipating a modest raise over the $8.9 million he made on the final year of his rookie deal. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers only have 12 players under contract and are roughly $9.6 million below the luxury tax.

It may be difficult for Okoro to make much more in Cleveland, barring one of the two cap-space teams left (the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs) signing him to an offer sheet. The Cavs may well match something in the $10-15 million annual range, but Utah could still justify making such an offer.

The Jazz don't have many pure wings under contract, and Okoro is only 23 years old. He fits the timeline of Utah's mostly young and developing roster. If he proves to be too good for a team that should be tanking and angling for lottery odds in 2025, a three-and-D wing on a reasonable contract could have trade value in February.

If Cleveland did match whatever offer the Jazz made to Okoro, they wouldn't be in much worse shape. Again, Utah should be in the market for losses in 2024-25. Adding someone like Cooper Flagg to this young core could be a game-changer.

Pushing some other team over the luxury tax would be a nice fringe benefit, too.

It happens quickly to a lot of NBA players. Now it feels like we can add Gordon Hayward to the ring-chasers category.

Hayward earned $33.3 million last season, so a minimum contract would be a dramatic drop for him. That's where various injuries, being 34 years old and totaling zero points in the 2024 playoffs have put him, though.

There's still a contender that has only minimum contracts at its disposal, and it could use another wing/forward (maybe even to start).

The Philadelphia 76ers completely overhauled their supporting cast around Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid this summer and could still use an experienced, low-usage forward in lineups including those two and Paul George.

With his 38.5 three-point percentage over the last five seasons, Hayward could be a dangerous, standstill catch-and-shoot threat working off actions involving the stars. Against the opposition's lower-level perimeter defenders, he might even be able to do some damage as a scorer and creator attacking closeouts.

When the Memphis Grizzlies declined Luke Kennard's $14.8 million team option ahead of free agency, it seemed like he would re-sign with them somewhat quickly.

Nearly three weeks into free agency, Kennard remains unsigned. The Grizzlies have his Bird rights, which allow them to re-sign their own players despite being over the salary cap, which makes them seem like the most obvious landing spot for the sharpshooter.

Even a modest deal for Kennard would likely bump Memphis into the luxury tax, but crossing that line is nearly inevitable for contenders or even fringe contenders. A salary that keeps the team under the first apron feels more likely.

If the Grizzlies can bring Kennard back while accomplishing that, this almost seems like a no-brainer.

Even with Kennard on the 2023-24 roster, Memphis was 29th in three-point percentage. If he isn't back and Jaren Jackson Jr. is once again playing alongside a non-outside-shooting center (like Zach Edey), the mark from out there could get even worse.

Kennard is third all-time in career three-point percentage and has some underrated playmaking chops, too. As the Grizzlies gear up to return to contention with Ja Morant, they could really use his offensive skills.

Tyus Jones made $14 million last season, so signing with the Orlando Magic for the $8 million room mid-level exception would represent a pretty significant pay cut.

But of the teams with any real spending power left, this one makes the most sense for Jones.

Orlando has plenty of developing one-on-one scoring from Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. It has loads of defensive versatility and switchability from Wagner, Banchero, Jonathan Isaac and Jalen Suggs. It might even have enough playmaking from Suggs, Banchero and Wagner to improve upon last season's success.

But a traditional, low-mistake table-setter like Jones would make everyone's life so much easier on offense. Wagner and Banchero being able to create their own shots and convert them is great, but Banchero was dreadfully inefficient last season.

More spoon-fed, wide-open looks both at the three-point line and in the paint, which Jones can provide, would boost the other Magic players' shooting numbers and make Orlando's offense more dangerous overall.