Duke Basketball Products Among Top NBA Free Agents

Over the weekend, HoopsHype's Frank Urbina ranked every player available in this summer's NBA free agency, which will get into full swing in early July. Five of the top 50 on Urbina's list are Duke basketball names.

First, at No. 2 behind the Philadelphia 76ers' James Harden, is Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.

The combination of Irving and Luka Doncic didn't translate into winning, as the Mavericks went 5-11 with both in the lineup following their trade for the former Duke basketball one-and-done from the Brooklyn Nets in early February.

At least for the moment, the most popular speculation is that the 31-year-old Irving hopes to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers and reunite with LeBron James. Of course, he and James won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

Kyrie Irving in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/xHni8w4DxU
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 4, 2023

Then at No. 16 on Urbina's ranking of free agents is another former one-year Blue Devil in Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. The 24-year-old has a player option in his contract for the 2023-24 season. If he declines it, he will become an unrestricted free agent and one of the best available volume sharpshooters on the market.

Duke basketball alum Mason Plumlee, now an unrestricted free agent, appears at No. 34 on the list. The 33-year-old began his 10th season in the league as a starter for the Charlotte Hornets. But a trade-deadline move shipped him to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he averaged 19.9 minutes per game in a reserve role.

Three spots below Plumlee at No. 37 is San Antonio Spurs guard and former two-year Blue Devil treasure Tre Jones. Now as a restricted free agent with three seasons of NBA experience, including as a full-time starter last season, the Spurs' 23-year-old former second-round draft pick looks to be an integral part of the franchise's rebuild.

That rebuild received a sizeable boost when the Spurs won the lottery three weeks ago, setting them up to draft Victor Wembanyama on June 22. Perhaps Jones' pass-first, mistake-free mentality will pair well with the 7-foot-4 French sensation.

Finally, at No. 41 is Nets guard and unrestricted free agent Seth Curry, who played three Duke basketball seasons in the early 2010s after transferring from Liberty. Although he averaged only 9.2 points last season, a four-year low, the 32-year-old's career 43.5 shooting percentage from deep ranks No. 3 among active players.

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