Each NBA team should sign these free agents

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All NBA teams have an opportunity to snatch free agents this summer.

Adam Aaronson, Eastside Staff

On July 1, the bonanza known as NBA Free Agency begins, where players with expired contracts are courted by teams to sign for massive sums of money. This year’s class of free agents is headlined by Chris Paul, Gordon Hayward, Kyle Lowry and Blake Griffin, but also has many other players who aren’t quite stars, but can make an immediate impact for their teams. Every team goes into July with a different strategy. Some teams have all of the money they need to spend, some have to save as much money as possible. While some teams will just come into the Free Agency period looking for role players, some go in with a “boom or bust” mentality, only pursuing the best players available. Aside from the aforementioned prizes of the class, here is one player each NBA team should make a run at this summer.

 

Atlanta Hawks: Kelly Olynyk

The Hawks are about to enter a rebuild, so there is no reason why they would feel the need to spend big money in the summer, it would make more sense to just develop the young talent they have on the roster. And their first round pick, John Collins, would benefit from having the floor spaced well to give him opportunities to score inside. Signing Olynyk would do just that.

 

Boston Celtics: Taj Gibson

The Celtics have often been linked to Hayward and Griffin, and those would both be smart signings. If Boston doesn’t get Griffin, their Plan B at Power Forward should be to get Gibson to help repair their major rebounding flaw.

 

Brooklyn Nets- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The Nets have more money to spend than most, and nothing to lose. Expect them to aggressively pursue money young free agents, but signing KCP would be very smart considering how well he would fit next to new Nets’ Point Guard D’Angelo Russell. His very good defense and catch-and-shoot abilities make him the perfect match.

 

Charlotte Hornets- Justin Holiday

Charlotte does not have much money left to spend, so they should look for a cheaper option to help solidify their bench. Holiday would be able to fit well with both of Charlotte’s guards, Kemba Walker and Malik Monk. The only concern is that rumors have swirled that he wants to play with his brother, fellow free agent Jrue Holiday, and Charlotte isn’t a logical landing spot for Jrue.

 

Chicago Bulls- Otto Porter

Dwyane Wade opted into $24M with the Bulls last week, but this came before the Bulls opted to trade Jimmy Butler. Assuming Wade decides he wants out, the Bulls would then be able to bring in Otto Porter of the Washington Wizards. It’s likely that Washington won’t bring him back because of his expected salary. He’d fit well as a member of the young core with Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine and Lauri Markkanen.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers- PJ Tucker

When your objective is to defeat a team like the Golden State Warriors, you need elite defenders all around. If Cleveland can convince Tucker to come on a cheap deal, he would be extremely useful. Just having someone to slow down Kevin Durant and give LeBron James some rest would be worth the money.

 

Dallas Mavericks- Bojan Bogdanovic

Bojan emerged onto the scene for Brooklyn last season before being dealt to Washington and improving even more. He is a solid scorer who would add a nice offensive threat to the Mavericks bench, giving them a spark-plug they need now that Seth Curry will be moving to the starting lineup.

 

Denver Nuggets- Paul Millsap

Millsap, one of the least-discussed big free agents in recent memory, would be a great fit in Denver. They have the money to pay him, they need a Power Forward, and his defensive prowess makes him a great fit with Nikola Jokic. Getting Millsap would be a great addition for the Nuggets, who are primed for a playoff run next season.

 

Detroit Pistons- Langston Galloway

Galloway would be a very cheap combo guard for the Pistons who can fill holes at both guard positions. He has shown flashes of potential throughout his career, but has never gotten a chance to play extended minutes for a long duration of time. The Pistons should give him that shot.

 

Golden State Warriors- Omri Casspi

The defending champion Warriors really can’t get much better than they are already. They have no holes on the roster and seem primed to bring everyone back. If they can add a stretch big like Casspi this summer, it will make their second unit more difficult to handle than it already was.

 

Houston Rockets- George Hill

The Rockets have been linked to many big free agents recently, but the one free agent that they should focus on is George Hill. He had possibly the best year of his career for the Utah Jazz last season, and looks like he is probably on the way out. His selflessness, shooting ability and defensive skill makes him a perfect fit with star James Harden.

 

Indiana Pacers- Tim Hardaway, Jr.

The Pacers are on the verge of trading Paul George and entering a rebuild of their own. So, they should start taking short-term, calculated risks. Signing Hardaway and seeing if he could flourish in a full-time role would be a worthwhile experiment.

 

Los Angeles Clippers- Nick Young

The Clippers’ future is up in the air this summer, as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will test the waters and meet with other teams, while Shooting Guard JJ Redick seems to definitely be on his way out. The most likely scenario to happen would be that Paul stays and Griffin leaves, and if this is the case, the Clippers should begin the pursuit of as many “3 & D” players as they can- guys who are good shooters and defenders. Young, who shocked the basketball universe last season by becoming a good defender, would be a nice gamble. He would shoot well next to Paul and hopefully build off of the surprising defensive performance he had last year.

 

Los Angeles Lakers- Tyreke Evans

The Lakers don’t own their first round pick in the upcoming draft, so they would be wise to bring in some solid players on one-year contracts and attempt to make a run at the postseason. Evans would be a solid option, as he can likely be acquired for a single season, and would serve as the primary ball-handler off the bench.

 

Memphis Grizzlies- Kyle Korver

Seemingly every summer, we look at the Grizzlies roster and notice a glaring hole- they never have enough shooting. They attempted to solve this last year by giving Chandler Parsons big money, but Parsons’ injury history shows why he can’t be your Plan A. Korver would be a knock-down shooter for a team that desperately needs one.

 

Miami Heat- Ersan Ilyasova

The Heat have also been a rumored destination for Hayward, but moreso for Griffin, and if they can’t get Blake, Ilyasova would be a great fit next to Hassan Whiteside. His presence alone guarantees excellent floor spacing, as teams know they must respect his jumpshot. Obviously Blake Griffin is option number one, but Ilyasova would be a fantastic option number two.

 

Milwaukee Bucks- Ben McLemore

The Bucks don’t have many glaring needs to fix, so why not take a shot in the dark add depth on the wing with a former top pick in McLemore? He still has the tools to become a good player in the NBA, and the Bucks should see if he can finally make old expectations reality.

 

Minnesota Timberwolves- Patrick Patterson

The Timberwolves are another team without any gaping holes to fill, but bringing in Patterson would add another good player to their big man rotation. He would fit well with Karl Anthony-Towns as a floor-spacer, and likely won’t command too large of a contract.

 

New Orleans Pelicans- Tony Snell

Now that the Pelicans have the dangerous duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the next step is obvious- get as many shooters as you can surrounding them. Tony Snell will be the best shooter who is affordable for them on the market. Giving Snell the opportunity to shoot some wide open threes thanks to Davis and Cousins will help the Pelicans in their quest get to back the playoffs.

New York Knicks- Derrick Williams

The Knicks aren’t attracting any big-name guys this summer. The entire league understands just how much of a trainwreck the organization is, and it’s only gotten worse with Phil Jackson at the helm. They’re only going to be able to get guys at the bottom of the market, so why not take a flyer on Derrick Williams? He can play both forward positions, defend, and shoot relatively well.

 

Oklahoma City Thunder- Nikola Mirotic

Anyone who watched the Thunder last year can tell that they clearly need shooters to help Russell Westbrook. And with Mirotic likely on his way out of Chicago with the draft selection of Lauri Markkanen, he’s probably the best stretch big that they can get their hands on.

 

Orlando Magic- Dion Waiters

The Magic really have nothing to lose by bringing in a hit-or-miss acquisition like Waiters. If he can play like he did for Miami before getting hurt, it will be a successful move for Orlando.

 

Philadelphia 76ers- JJ Redick

JJ Redick is the absolute perfect fit for the Sixers. He’s one of the best shooters the league has seen in a long time, and he will get endless open looks playing aside the tremendous trio of young guns in Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid. If Philly can get him on a short-term contract, they will be playoff-bound next season.

 

Phoenix Suns- CJ Miles

As the Suns begin to develop their young talent, they should consider bringing Miles in to provide much-needed depth at the wing. He can play either swingman position, and enable them to run a wide variety of lineups with their other versatile players.

 

Portland Trail Blazers- Shelvin Mack

When looking at Portland’s roster, it’s clear that they need to bring in a backup Point Guard to take some of the stress and responsibility off of Damian Lillard. But, they barely have any cash to spend. Enter, Shelvin Mack. He can be signed for relatively cheap, and will be a solid backup behind Lillard.

 

Sacramento Kings– Danilo Gallinari

The Kings have built an impressive young nucleus, but lack any experienced scorers. Signing Gallinari would help make sure that said nucleus doesn’t have too much of an offensive load right away.

 

San Antonio Spurs- JaVale McGee

This would have seemed hilarious a year ago. To suggest that JaVale McGee- one of the goofiest players in the entire NBA- would be a good fit under Gregg Popovich, would once seem ludicrous. But he proved for the Warriors this year that he needs to be taken seriously, as an athletic rim-runner and rebounder. Guess who needs a player exactly like this? The San Antonio Spurs.

 

Toronto Raptors- Joe Ingles

Ingles, one of the most underrated members of this Free Agency class, would be a great fit in Toronto, especially if Kyle Lowry departs, which seems increasingly likely. He adds shooting and playmaking, and can act as a great secondary ball-handler.

 

Utah Jazz- Dewayne Dedmon

If the Jazz feel they’re going to lose Gordon Hayward and/or George Hill, expect them to pursue young talents to replace them. If not, watch for them to go after backup big men, which is what they need the most. If there’s anything certain about the Utah Jazz, it’s that they care about defense more than anything. So a great interior defender Dedmon would be the perfect fit off the bench.

 

Washington Wizards- JaMychal Green

The Wizards lack a true interior presence, as Marcin Gortat is well past the peak of his powers. Bringing in a great defender and shooting threat like Green would make the lives of John Wall and Bradley Beal just a little bit easier.

 

Free Agency is always one of the best times of the year, and this year won’t be any different. While many just listen to see where the big names go, it’s important to know where the role players go as well, because you never know what minor signing may end up winning a team a championship.