Who's left in NBA free agency?
Let's take a look at the 10 best players available that teams can still add to boost their rosters, and what the market looks like for each one.
1. J.R. Smith
Cleveland Cavaliers
Guard
Age: 30
Unrestricted
With LeBron James telling the Cavaliers he plans to re-sign with them, that leaves his teammate as the best free agent on the market. Smith's prolific 3-point shooting -- last season he became one of just 32 players in NBA history to make at least 200 3s in a season, per Basketball-Reference.com -- makes him a critical piece to the defending champions.
Market: After the Boston Celtics used up their cap space, none of the teams with money remaining are looking for a veteran like Smith and none seem a likely destination for a player coming off a championship. Smith is almost certainly headed back to Cleveland; the question is whether he can find any leverage to get the type of deal he wants from the Cavaliers.
2. Donatas Motiejunas
Houston Rockets
Center
Age: 25
Restricted
Aside from teammate Terrence Jones, Motiejunas had about the worst contract year imaginable. Back surgery in April 2015 kept him off the court at the start of the season, and a setback sidelined Motiejunas through the trade deadline. The injury caused the Detroit Pistons to void a deal for Motiejunas at the deadline, sending him back to Houston, where he shot a putrid 22.5 percent on 3s the rest of the season.
When healthy, Motiejunas is a capable post scorer who can also stretch the floor, so there's a place for him in a rotation somewhere. He just didn't show that last year, which complicates matters a bit on his end.
Market: Brooklyn could be a possibility for Motiejunas, particularly if the Nets are entertaining the notion of trading Brook Lopez down the line. More likely, we're looking for Motiejunas to try to leverage the threat of taking his qualifying offer ($4.4 million) into a long-term deal with the Rockets.
3. Alan Anderson
Washington Wizards
Guard
Age: 33
Unrestricted
Preseason ankle surgery kept Anderson out of the lineup until after the All-Star break and ultimately limited him to 13 games in his one season in Washington. The Wizards were counting on Anderson to play a key role coming off a good 2014-15 season in which he posted an above-average true shooting percentage for the first time in his career.
Anderson doesn't create much of his own offense, but teams like his ability to defend either wing position.
Market: Few teams are likely to offer Anderson more than the veteran's minimum. Perhaps the Milwaukee Bucks would use some of their remaining cap space to make Anderson their shooter off the bench before officially re-signing Miles Plumlee.
4. Shane Larkin
Brooklyn Nets
Guard
Age: 23
Unrestricted
After playing for three teams in three years, Larkin is still just 23 (he'll turn 24 early in training camp) and has the potential to develop into a capable backup point guard. He made important strides last year, hitting 36 percent of his 3-point attempts and handing out a career-high 7.0 assists per 36 minutes.
Market: It's tough to find one. The Rockets could still be interested in a backup point guard, but most teams appear set at the position.
5. Mario Chalmers
Memphis Grizzlies
Guard
Age: 30
Unrestricted
A healthy Chalmers probably would have been one of the top free-agent point guards after averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 assists per 36 minutes last season, both career highs. Alas, Chalmers' campaign ended prematurely when he ruptured his Achilles in early March, and recovery will likely keep him out for the start of 2016-17.
Market: Chalmers may be better off waiting to see which teams need point guards midseason.
6. Lance Stephenson
Memphis Grizzlies
Guard
Age: 25
Unrestricted
Given how turbulent his NBA career has been, it's hard to believe Stephenson is still just 25. A poor fit with the L.A. Clippers, he played reasonably well with the Grizzlies after a deadline trade, posting a 17.1 PER.
The Stephenson paradox is that he's only effective with the ball in his hands, but he wasn't good enough to justify a ball-dominant role for either team last season. Thus, he's still unsigned.
Market: Potential Stephenson suitors just haven't materialized. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up going to China for a more lucrative payday to try to turn his career around.
7. Ty Lawson
Indiana Pacers
Guard
Age: 28
Unrestricted
A little more than a year ago, the Rockets thought they had added the final piece of the puzzle when they acquired Lawson from the Nuggets for three bit players and a lottery-protected first-round pick. Instead, Lawson's off-court alcohol problems (he was arrested twice for DUI during his final season in Denver and spent part of the summer in rehab) apparently took a toll on his game.
At age 28, he unexpectedly plummeted from quality starter to middling reserve and was waived in March, having previously agreed to make his 2016-17 salary non-guaranteed. Even after playing decently with the Pacers down the stretch and in the playoffs, Lawson won't come close to making back the $13-plus million he gave up to facilitate the trade.
Market: In fact, at this point, Lawson may be lucky just to find a new home. He'd be an interesting fit for the Cavaliers, who have rookie Kay Felder and aging Mo Williams behind Kyrie Irving after the departure of backup Matthew Dellavedova. Neither is as good a playmaker as Lawson.
8. Dorell Wright
Miami Heat
Forward
Age: 30
Unrestricted
Wright spent most of last season in China before returning to the league with the Heat just before the playoffs, where he saw sparing action. In his last full NBA campaign (2014-15), Wright shot 38 percent on 3-pointers for the Portland Trail Blazers, impressive for someone big enough (6-foot-9) to legitimately play both forward spots.
Market: Wright would make sense at the veteran's minimum for contenders in need of additional shooting. Wright's hometown L.A. Clippers would be a logical fit, particularly if Paul Pierce decides to retire. And Wright did once score 15 points against Doc Rivers' Celtics in a playoff game.
9. Thomas Robinson
Brooklyn Nets
Center
Age: 25
Unrestricted
I'm a little surprised Robinson hasn't attracted more attention. He's got lottery pedigree (he was taken a spot ahead of Damian Lillard in 2012), is still just 25 and averaged 14.1 rebounds per 36 minutes last year in Brooklyn. But Robinson has never really developed the perimeter skills necessary to play power forward in the modern NBA, and he's a subpar rim protector as a center. And you have to scroll to the 12th and final page of ESPN's real plus-minus to find Robinson, so maybe it's not so surprising he remains unsigned.
Market: Realistically, Robinson is probably headed overseas.
10. Tyler Hansbrough
Charlotte Hornets
Forward
Age: 30
Unrestricted
Believe it or not, Hansbrough will be 31 in November, and there's an outside chance he's played his last NBA game. A bit figure in Charlotte last year, Hansbrough has been caught in the transformation of the power forward position; he doesn't stretch the floor and no longer guards particularly well on the perimeter. So while Hansbrough's motor still makes him an effective offensive rebounder, that's about all he brings at this point.
Market: There's no obvious fit left at this point.