Who are the best remaining NBA free agents? Westbrook, DeRozan among the choices

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With things slowed way down, I’ve been watching a bunch of movies. “The Odyssey” in 70MM IMAX absolutely rips. And I’ve rarely been a big Christopher Nolan guy. If you’re a fan of the “Jackass” movies or TV show, you’re going to love their last movie. And if you haven’t seen “Obsession” (it’s on Peacock now), then you’re missing one of the best thrillers ever. Happy offseason!

Best of the rest

Just because LeBron James finally decided where to go for Season 24 doesn’t mean free agency is over. In fact, there are still several significant or potentially significant players your favorite team can sign. At this point, most of these deals would have to be bargains, because cap space is pretty much all used up.

Only the Grizzlies ($5.2 million), Bulls ($1.9 million) and Nets ($1.4 million) are under the salary cap. Then 20 teams are over the salary cap, but not into the first or second aprons for the luxury tax thresholds. The Magic, Knicks, Timberwolves, Suns, Warriors and Thunder are currently over the first apron. And only the Nuggets are into the second apron at this time.

The Pistons will likely add significant money to their cap sheet when the Jalen Duren restricted free-agency situation gets sorted. However, they’re still $54 million under the first apron right now.

Also, the Cavaliers have $22.8 million of space before the first apron and are $35.5 million below the second apron, according to Spotrac’s apron page. However, they still have to re-sign James Harden.

So who are the interesting available free agents? We have 10 here for you, plus three key restricted free agents who still aren’t signed. Their ages as of the start of next season are in parentheses.

The names you know and love

• Harden (37): As mentioned above, he’s expected to sign with the Cavs, probably coming under the $35.5 million or so limit they have until they hit the second apron.
• Russell Westbrook (37): There doesn’t appear to be much of a market for Westbrook, and he might end up being a “break glass in case of emergency” signing at some point. He can still put up numbers. He isn’t a good defender, and he can’t shoot. There was some reported interest by the Wizards at some point, but nothing has materialized. Maybe a return to the Kings?
• DeMar DeRozan (37): We’ve seen reports of the Raptors and Pistons being interested in DeRozan. He can still score, pass and get to the free-throw line. You aren’t getting much more than that, but how much more do you need from a veteran on a bargain?
• Bradley Beal (33): Remember him? It’s been a while since we saw a truly effective Beal, but a team like the Heat could certainly use the potential of him being a rotation guard.

Help on the wings

• Bruce Brown (30): Brown should definitely look to join a team like Miami or Detroit, which need production on the perimeter. He’s not much of a shooter, but he’s still a good contributor.
• Jonathan Kuminga (24): There doesn’t appear to be much of a market for him around the NBA. Cleveland was rumored to be a possible destination at one point. He may need to take a minimum deal and try to prove he belongs in a rotation.
• Ochai Agbaji (26): Teams like Golden State, Miami, Detroit and anybody else trying to put itself in contender status should take a flier on Agbaji. He’s only had one good 3-point shooting year in his four seasons, but he can play in a rotation.

Veteran big men

• Jeff Green (40): Does Green want to play a 19th NBA season? He’s still a great veteran, and he’ll dunk on somebody at some point in the season.
• Nick Richards (28): The six-year veteran big man can rebound and score around the rim. He’s a decent free-throw shooter. You could do a lot worse for a backup big man.

Of course we’re going to mention Thanasis

• Thanasis Antetokoumpo (34): Bouncers have been obsessed with Thanasis for years. Of course, we assume he’ll end up in Miami, but there’s nothing concrete to go on.

Restricted free agents

• Duren (22), Peyton Watson (24) and Bennedict Mathurin (24): Yes, we’re still waiting on all three restricted free agents to find a new contract. At some point, you may have to call the bluff of the other teams and sign the qualifying offer.

The last 24

👑 Best outcome. LeBron joining the Warriors would have been a fun spectacle. But Marcus Thompson II writes that it’s best for NBA history that he didn’t go there.

👽 New kicks. Nike and Victor Wembanyama agreed to a new endorsement deal. And Wemby is getting his own signature shoe.

📉 Summer rankings. The Athletic’s David Aldridge is ranking the offseasons of every team. The Knicks and Warriors didn’t do great.

📈 Lynx up! Our new WNBA Power Rankings are out. Olivia Miles has the Lynx soaring. 

💂 A billi? NBA Europe’s London franchise could be worth a lot of money. Cricket investors offered up a billion dollars.

Stream the NBA on Fubo (try it for free!) and catch out-of-market games on League Pass

Nothing to see here?

Last month, the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine published a paper by doctors and researchers affiliated with the University of California San Francisco who looked for correlations between various factors and the unusual increase in Achilles tears among NBA players.

Two seasons ago, the NBA saw seven different players tear their Achilles. Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton all did it in the NBA playoffs.

This research paper examined whether age, position, NBA role, density of schedule leading up to the injury, minutes load and other factors could be possible causes for the uptick in Achilles ruptures.  Here’s what it concluded:

“Significant workload spikes were found in the 10 to 15 games preceding Achilles ruptures for NBA players. Veteran players carried heavier cumulative workloads, whereas younger players ruptured tendons under lighter use.”

Interesting. None of this sounds terribly conclusive or heavily argued by the paper. But maybe there’s something between veteran players and heavier cumulative workloads. A lot was made about that in 2013 when Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon at the end of the season.  So naturally, the NBA decided to dispute what an obscure medical research paper sort of decided.

The NBA’s director of sports medicine told The Athletic the paper had “important methodological limitations” (maybe!) and that the NBA’s own research showed no relationship between the injuries and minutes played before the injury (also maybe!).

I don’t fully understand why the NBA feels a need to comment on a random medical study. It feels like Frank Drebin issuing a statement. The NBA has done its own research and extensive studies, hoping that even the use of AI can help detect patterns to figure out why this happens and why there was a spike in these injuries two years ago. As our Mike Vorkunov noted, the NBA also … hasn’t announced the results of said inquiry.

When I read Vork’s headline, I thought that this study must have been pretty damning. It isn’t. The league didn’t need to respond at all. Although maybe it will lead to the NBA releasing its own results. Unless that study is also waiting for the Clippers investigation to conclude.

Tradeback Tuesday

In 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers had a choice to make between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe. These two were deep in their intrasquad battle for who the top guy on the Lakers would and should be. With Shaq wanting a massive extension following three championships, three NBA Finals MVPs and four finals appearances with the Lakers, the franchise had to decide if it was comfortable committing that kind of money to the superstar center.

Shaq was a monster during his eight-year run with the Lakers, but his last five years brought all the hardware to Hollywood. During those final five seasons, he averaged 27.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 blocks while making 57.6 percent of his shots and averaging 11.1 free-throw attempts per game. Shaq had also missed 15 games in each of his final three seasons.

There were real concerns about him holding up physically at 31. And the 25-year-old Kobe wanted the franchise to be his. The Lakers decided the Shaq era needed to be over and sent him to Miami for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler, one first-round pick and one second-round pick.

That’s right. Shaq, even at 31, was only worth one first in a trade.

Shaq and the Heat’s path after the trade: 

• In 2004-05, Shaq averaged 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 blocks and a league-leading 60.1 percent from the field.
• He finished second to Steve Nash in MVP voting that season. Shaq received 58 first-place votes and 1,032 points. Nash received 65 first-place votes and 1,066 points.
• Miami went 59-23, finishing first in the Eastern Conference. But the Heat lost Game 7 of the East finals at home to Detroit.
• The next season, the Heat went 52-30, finishing second in the East. Shaq dropped to 20.0 points and 9.2 rebounds, missing 23 games. Miami won the 2006 title. Dwyane Wade was finals MVP.
• Shaq got traded to the Suns after 3 1/2 seasons for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

Kobe and the Lakers’ path after the trade: 

• In 2004-05, the Lakers went 34-48, as Kobe averaged 27.6 points, 6.0 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 43.3 percent from the field. L.A. missed the playoffs by 11 games.
• In 2005-06, Kobe led the Lakers to a 45-37 record and led the league in scoring with 35.4 points per game on 45 percent shooting. That season included his 81-point game.
• The Lakers lost in the first round to Phoenix in seven games.
• Grant was waived using the amnesty clause in 2005.
• Also in 2005, Butler was packaged with Chucky Atkins to Washington for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit.
• The one first-rounder the Lakers received ended up being the 26th pick in the 2006 draft. They took Jordan Farmar with it. Their second-round pick received was Renaldas Seibutis, whom L.A. took with the 50th pick in 2006.
• Odom played seven seasons with the Lakers, helping them win two titles in 2009 and 2010. He won the Sixth Man award in his last season with them, 2010-11.

This trade forced Kobe to show he could be the top guy on the team. It took some time and a Pau Gasol trade (using Kwame Brown in the trade package!) to get him and the Lakers back to a championship. And while lots of eras and trades are different and dependent on the market at the time, Shaq going for just one first-round pick, even at 31, still seems unreal.

The trade paid off for both teams — even if the Lakers took a circuitous route to get back to prominence. Both teams won titles. Eventually, Shaq cut a new song. Kobe finished with five rings.