Three Pending Free Agents Flying Under-The-Radar This Offseason
We are in the midst of the NBA Finals and the NBA Draft is now in less than two weeks, but before we know it, teams will be fighting with one another in free agency!
While this year’s free agent class is weaker than the last few offseasons, there are still quite a few notable names that could be taking their talents elsewhere in the offseason.
Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal and James Harden have all yet to make decisions on their player options, Zach LaVine will be an unrestricted free agent and there is a lot of news surrounding the Phoenix Suns and their restricted free agent in Deandre Ayton.
Every year, free agency directly impacts a team’s chances to win a title and we should expect nothing less this offseason, especially given that there are quite a few current All-Star and some future All-Star talents set to hit the open market.
In the midst of all the talk surrounding the top free agents this year, there are some notable names flying under-the-radar and not getting the attention they should be as upcoming free agents.
They may not be the best players available this offseason, but these three soon-to-be free agents that nobody is talking about could wind up being some of the biggest signings of the 2022 NBA offseason.
Miles Bridges - Charlotte Hornets
Deandre Ayton is the biggest restricted free agent on the market this summer, but coming in right behind him is Miles Bridges.
Drafted 12th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 2018, Bridges has spent the last four seasons in Charlotte, helping them grow into a younger team with a ton of long-term potential.
Bridges declined a four-year, $60 million deal from the Hornets ahead of the 2021-22 season and this decision could pay off for him big time, especially given the season the young forward just had.
Averaging career-highs in points (20.2), rebounds (7.0), assists (3.8), minutes (35.5) and both field goals made (596) and three-pointers made (154), Miles Bridges was one of the breakout stars of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Given the way their roster is built, the Hornets cannot afford to lose Bridges in free agency this offseason. The good news for them is that he is a restricted free agent, giving them the ability to match any offer sheet he may sign, but the bad news is that several teams could very well pursue the athletic, high-flying 24-year-old this offseason.
Why Miles Bridges is not generating more free agent buzz right now may be because of the fact that he is a restricted free agent and many expect the Hornets to come to terms on a new deal with him, but overall, Bridges is very likely a Top-10 player available in free agency.
T.J. Warren - Indiana Pacers
Entering free agency this year, T.J. Warren is definitely the biggest question mark.
After having some breakout, star-like performances in the 2020 NBA Bubble, Warren suffered a foot injury just four games into the 2020-21 season and not only missed basically the entirety of that season, but the entire 2021-22 season as well.
Warren has not played in an NBA game since December 2020, casting doubt on his abilities to still be a high-impact wing like he was trending towards being with the Indiana Pacers.
It is possible that T.J. Warren could receive similar interest and a similar deal to that of Victor Oladipo in Miami this season, as the former All-Star guard took a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Miami Heat to prove himself coming off some major leg injuries.
The market for Warren is very unknown right now, but if he can come back and stay healthy, he could definitely prove his value again and look like a former shade of himself, one that was on the verge of being an All-Star-like talent out on the wing.
From the start of the 2017-18 season to when he injured his foot, T.J. Warren averaged 19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and shot 37.4% from three-point range. The two-way potential and impactful presence is definitely there for Warren, the only question though is if he is healed and can stay healthy over the course of a full season.
A potential low-end free agent that not many teams will look to touch, Warren could immediately find himself getting smaller offers from playoff contending teams in this league once free agency begins.
If he can stay healthy, and it is a big “if” right now, Warren could wind up being one of the highest value acquisitions this offseason.
Marvin Bagley III - Detroit Pistons
Looking to be traded from the Sacramento Kings from the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Marvin Bagley III finally got his wish at the trade deadline when he was shipped to the Detroit Pistons.
After struggling with the Kings, Bagley really looked comfortable on a new roster in Detroit, as he played in 18 games for them and averaged 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and shot 55.5% from the floor.
Maybe Bagley will never live up to the hype of being the second overall pick in 2018, but he has proven in his limited time with the Pistons that he can be an effective offensive talent in the low-post.
Being a restricted free agent, Detroit will own the rights to Bagley and have the ability to match any offer he may receive in free agency. As of right now, it seems like the Pistons are going to be wanting to bring him back, but you never know what kind of money a team will offer the young forward.
Many playoff-caliber teams could use an athletic weapon like Marvin Bagley III, especially if he is willing to come off-the-bench in a “sixth man” type of role.
For his career, Bagley has averaged 13.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and has shot 50.1% from the floor. Proving to be a factor with the Pistons near the end of the year, his value has suddenly increased ahead of this offseason’s free agency period.
Being just 23-years-old, there is still plenty of time for Marvin Bagley III to develop into the type of talent many thought he would be coming out of Duke in 2018. There could be quite a few teams willing to roll the dice on him this summer.
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- Possible Trade Destinations For Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert: All-Star center Rudy Gobert continues to be a key player brought up in trade discussions this offseason, but will the Utah Jazz look to move on from him in attempts to land more overall talent on their roster? CLICK HERE.
