Top 10 Free Agents To Watch During NBA Playoffs
NEW ORLEANS- The first round of the NBA Playoffs is really starting to heat up. Every team has hosted at least one home game. The respective coaching staffs have had time to make adjustments to the adjustments. The character, and caliber, of each player is being tested. Some are soon-to-be-free agents.
The New Orleans Pelicans are paying close attention, with scouts homing in on several matchups this postseason. Here's a rundown of 10 prospective targets to keep an eye on this postseason.
Nov 18, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) dribbles against Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams (12) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Rebounding Bigs
Grant Williams (1) had a bounce-back Game 3 in Atlanta but he needs a career rebound in a big way. The former SEC Player of the Year has fallen out of favor in Boston. He is a restricted free agent that the Celtics are unlikely to keep around.
The Pelicans do not need to offer the best money to Williams, just a competitive offer and the best role on a playoff team. His three-point shooting over a larger sample size is encouraging (39.7% over the past three seasons). A respected shot and solid defense would let Williams act as the second unit anchor.
Jerami Grant (2) has yet to prove the gaudy numbers are not just empty calorie stats on some losing teams. Since the start of 2020-21, Grant has averaged 20.7 points and 2.1 threes while shooting 37.2 percent from deep. He is also a great rim-running finisher who can keep up in transition.
However, rebounding and working within team concepts have been an issue. Could a healthy New Orleans paper over those problems would a move for Grant just be a waste of Gayle Benson's green paper?
Harrison Barnes (3) has been on the radar for a while. The ten-year veteran is a championship-caliber, NBA Finals-proven swingman who can play small forward or small-ball power forward. Barnes is an active, versatile defender capable of filling out the lineup as an outside shooter.
Kevin Love (4) went from a buyout market afterthought to starting an NBA Playoff win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Love and EVP David Griffin have some history already. Would Love be willing to continue that relationship in New Orleans?
Mar 28, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans small forward Brandon Ingram (14) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors center Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Spark Plug Shooters
If the Golden State Warriors see the writing is on the wall, as Draymond Gree put in on his podcast, then Donte DiVincenzo (5) would be excellent competition for Jose Alvarado to win the reserve guard minutes.
DiVincenzo, just 26 years old, has averaged 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 43.5% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc this season supporting Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.
Cameron Johnson (6) is starting to expand his game to include a few dribble actions in half-court sets. His stats this season in sporadic minutes (15.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 47.0 FG%, 40.4 3P%) suggest a star could be molded in the right pressure cooker situation.
The former 11th overall pick is starting to realize his defensive potential but his biggest value remains as a catch-and-shoot threat. Connecting on 39.3% of all three-point attempts gets attention. This season alone, his catch-and-shoot effective field-goal percentage of 61.9 will get him paid.
New Orleans could offer Bruce Brown (7) slightly more money and minutes than the Nuggets should he opt out of a player option. Brown has spent the past three seasons in Brooklyn and Denver. The five-year veteran has spent time supporting stars like Nikola Jokic, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant. He probably won't need much more of a raise from his current $6.8 million deal either.
That's not a bad price for consistent 12-point, 4-rebound, 4-assists nights from the backup combo guard, wing defender spot. Josh Hart, for example, would cost twice as much.
Bogdan Bogdanovic(8) quietly puts up 15.1 points a night for the Atlanta Hawks while leaving his doubting opponents quietly cursing. Bogdanovic, who could be confused for a janitor or executive as much as an All-World athlete, dishes out 3.0 assists and has posted a 40% three-point percentage over the past three seasons. He can act as a secondary creator bending the weak side defenses for Point Zion and B.I. minutes.
Austin Reaves (9) is more than Hollywood's latest one-hit wonder. The undrafted sensation averaged 18.0 points, 5.7 assists, 5.7 free throws, and 1.6 threes while shooting 44.0% from beyond the arc over the past two months. Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers owe their season to the development of Reaves. How much will Reaves feel owed this offseason?
Feb 13, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after a basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Hart (10) being reunited with the New Orleans crowds would be a celebration. However, drawn-out negotiations just to wind up with a non-guaranteed deal from New Orleans a few years ago might have left a sour taste. Hart is hitting three-pointers and filling up stat sheets all while keeping Donovan Mitchell from having a revenge game in Madison Square Garden.
Hart will not keep hitting 51% from three-point range. The Pelicans might want a more consistent shooter but transition buckets are just as helpful to winning the math problems and demoralizing the opposition.
Hart's transition rate (32.9%) in Portland led the NBA. In 25 games with the Knicks, Hart is sitting at 30.9% (2nd). He can lead the charge and has the championship resume going back to Villanova. That's a great character add to the locker room and very useful as Willie Green rebuilds the rotations.
