Forgotten FAs

 

There�s been a lot of talk so far about the guys expect to get big GM put on there cause of their massive performances last year, and the guys that are on teams still with various resign or no resign bonus, but there is also the pool of guys who have been waived through the year, and renounced through the offseason, who are already in the pool and not staring you in the face on another team. The guys that are free for all, but can be forgotten until on FA day their name comes up and Oh shit, that guy! This one is for them.

 

Dorian Finney-Smith

Yes that�s right folks, this NBA starter is out there languishing in the pool after being unceremoniously dumped by his former GM. He had his NSL extension declined, which might have made sense if you were then looking to go all in on trading him on his formerly $4mil deal, but then he lasted through and was renounced despite having a locked up 4 year deal starting at $12.4mil. He�s not for the faint hearted, he�s going to cost you, but he�s a good shooter and a defensive stopper and could fit right into one of those teams looking to fill the cap void and then maybe cash in after week 9 trade block.

 

Thomas Bryant, Robin Lopez and Damian Jones

All the talk of FA big men ahs been for the big 4 of McGee, Drummond, Jordan and Harrell, but the three names above might be just as influential in the end, even if not on big GM and big coin. All three are on minimum money, Jones has a two year deal to boot, and at least Bryant is in an NBA redemption year where he might boost back that 2k rating. Lopez isn�t a world beater, but he�s been consistently solid and worth a contract, while Jones like Bryant is still young. If you whiff on the big 4, these guys are more than serviceable.

 

Reggie Bullock, Doug McDermott and Garrett Temple

Remember these guys? You�d be forgiven for having forgotten about them. All three had an NSL gap year last year as no one thought they were worth signing for the cash they landed in last years FA. Bullock was on $9.4mil (now $10.1mil), Doug landed $13.7mil and Temple a much more paltry $4.7mil (now $5.1mil). Bullock still comes in under the Full MLE value and is a 1-4 position guy, who can shoot and has a bit of defence, so maybe this year he�s signed? Doug, he�s still on the pricey end, but could fall into the same like as DFS without the defence. And Temple, he�s no star, but there�s been a handful of teams looking for serviceable PGs and he�s out there. Signed, or 2^nd gap year?

 

Bruce Brown

The man who took a QO last year, handcuffing himself to the NSL Lakers franchise as it made him unable to be traded, and then he goes and signs a new deal for tax payer MLE money for a new team, all but forcing the renounce. It happened a while ago now, so he may have slipped under the radar, but he�s a good young wing with 3&D skillset and can be afforded by�everyone!

 

Danny Green

Green fell into the gap year class originally after he signed a $10mil deal for the NBA 76ers, but eventually wound up in Utah who had a mountain of cap space and he was low risk due to non-guaranteed 2^nd year. His knee blew out which made him a non factor on the trade market and then once he was traded in the NBA, his non-guaranteed $10mil became a $6.9mil guaranteed, and the rest non-guaranteed. Utah waived him, copping a $6.9 cap hold for this year but that means the defensive stalwart who can play from 1-4 is now out on the market at $10mil, returning sometime this year, for a contender near you.

 

Joe Ingles

Smokin� Joe blew his knee out last year and was subsequently traded and then waived, likewise in the NSL, but he is due back sometime this year and he signed on for a 1 year Tax Payer MLE sized deal in the NBA Bucks. He�s not the most sexy FA target out there, and maybe he lasts until closer to his return date before signing, but he can help a team down the stretch and has fallen into a level of obscurity for now despite being an Aussie favourite.

 

Bruno Fernando

I can hear Jason already yelling, who? And maybe some others too. He�s not a household name even in 2k circles by any stretch but he�s a young big man, he has a rebounding and defensive skillset, and he just signed a cheap 4 year deal with 3 non-guaranteed years which makes him the perfect no risk, high reward type if his deal even begins to come into it�s own. Why not take a flier?

 

Dennis Schroder

Remember when Dennis was declining 4 year $90mil extensions? No, neither do I. He was a non-entity for Boston last year and he took until having a strong World Cup showing to even get a look at an NBA contract this year. However, he�s landed on minimum now, and with teams circling for a possible starting level PG with at least 6^th man spark potential, he�s now going back onto radars around the league.

 

Andre Iguodala

The man, the myth, the legend, is back. He took his sweet time to decide not to retire for the NBA warriors this year and he�s back in the fold now on minimum with 4 position eligibility and PG eligibility which will make some go grab him. He has no badges anymore, but can handle the rock and has stellar defensive ratings which will make him a useful stopper for a contender down the stretch.

 

PJ Tucker

Tucker did the dirty on NSL Milwaukee and signed elsewhere, for even more cash than he was previously �possibly� overpaid. Now you�re looking at a full MLE for 3 years to nab his services which at least is less than DFS, but might make him a tricky one. He�s got gas in the tank though and a winning culture, so the man without a rights hold is out there for the taking.

 

Thaddeus Young

Thad used to be a 2k staple with his speed and handles at the wing position. That�s dwindled over the years but the Bucks still wanted him to come back. Alas, he also did the dirty on them and moved to a greener pasture and now he�s going to take the better part of a full MLE to land somewhere. He still has some go about him though and will make a contender happy.

 

Bo Cruz

I don�t know about you, but that basketball documentary I watched the other day about an NBA scout going to find a potential unicorn in Spain really opened my eyes. If you haven�t seen it, you might just have missed that Bo Cruz is indeed in the FA pool after having been waived last year. How can someone have been so foolish as to waive this guy, after what I just witnessed of him as a player set to take the league by storm? You�d be mad not to take the sweet shooting Spanish big man who is also impossible to score on. And only on a minimum deal too. Go figure.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the read! It was fun finding these guys as I swept through the FA pool removing non-contract guys and adding contracts to the forgotten ones. Good luck in FA!