NBA Free Agency 2019: Top-20 Players on Market

NBA free agency begins on June 30. To set the stage, rankings are provided below of the best players available (including restricted free agents and players with a team or player option) ahead of this summer's hectic free agency period.

*Photos courtesy of HoopsHype.com

1. Kawhi Leonard

The 2019 Finals MVP is the best player in basketball.

2. Kevin Durant 

The two-time Finals MVP is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

3. Kemba Walker

Walker earned All-NBA Third Team honors after registering 25.6 points per contest.

4. Kyrie Irving

Irving had the best regular season of his career, but flatlined in the playoffs. He missed 14 or more shots in each of the Celtics' final four postseason contests—all losses.

5. Jimmy Butler

Butler, acquired midseason by the 76ers, elevated his play in the postseason, executing best with the ball in his hands as the point forward.

6. Khris Middleton 

A first-time All-Star in 2019, Middleton helped the Bucks win a league-high 60 games.

7. Klay Thompson

A torn ACL could sideline Thompson for the season, but the five-time All-Star will still likely receive a max contract offer from the Warriors.

8. D'Angelo Russell (Restricted)

   

Russell attained All-Star honors in 2019 and finished second in the voting for the Most Improved Player award, trailing only Toronto's Pascal Siakam.

9. Tobias Harris

Harris averaged career-highs in points (20.0), rebounds (7.9), assists (2.8) and field goal percentage (48.7%). He played in all 82 games between the Clippers and 76ers.

10. Al Horford

The 33-year-old was a critical cog in the Celtics' consecutive runs to the Conference Finals in 2017 and 2018, but like his teammates, underperformed in 2019. He made one All-Star appearance in three seasons in Boston, which is expected to lose the big man in free agency.

11. Nikola Vucevic

Vucevic had a phenomenal regular season—registering career-bests with 20.8 points and 12 rebounds per contest—but was a total no-show in Orlando's first-round playoff defeat (11.2 points per game, 36.2 percent shooting).
12. Malcolm Brogdon (Restricted)

The former Rookie of the Year and restricted free agent guard, Brogdon became the eighth player in league history to join the 50-40-90 club—shooting 50.5% from the field, 92.8% on free throws and 42.6% from 3-point land.
13. Kristaps Porzingis (Restricted)

The 7-foot-3 big man hasn't played since February 6, 2018, then as a member of the Knicks. Expect the former All-Star to remain with the Dallas Mavericks.
14. DeMarcus Cousins

A four-time All-Star, Cousins endured an injury-riddled 2018-19 campaign.
15. Bojan Bogdanovic

Bogdanovic averaged 18 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 42.5% on 3-pointers in a career season.
16. Marc Gasol (Player Option)

Gasol played an instrumental role in the Raptors' elusive championship. He can accept his player option for this season to earn roughly $25.6 million with Toronto.
*Update: Gasol exercised his player option to remain with the Raptors.
17. Paul Millsap (Team Option)

Millsap is the Nuggets' defensive anchor. When Millsap was on the floor, Denver had a 107.3 defensive rating, which would have ranked eighth in the league over the course of an entire season. When he sat, the defensive rating plummeted to 111.9, which would have ranked 22nd in the NBA. 
*Update: Denver exercised its team option on Millsap.
18. JJ Redick

Redick accumulated a career-best 18.1 points per game last season, despite being a part of a loaded 76ers starting-5 in which he was almost always the fifth option on offense.
19. Harrison Barnes

Barnes surprisingly declined a $25.1 million player option with the Kings for next season. Barnes, 27, is a strong-boded defender who can score when called upon.
20. Julius Randle

In his first season in New Orleans, Randle registered a career-high in scoring with 21.4 points per contest with a 55.5 effective field goal percentage. He did, however, account for the third-worst Defensive Real Plus-Minus among centers in the NBA.

Spurs Have 'Significant Interest' in Porzingis

The San Antonio Spurs have “significant interest” in New York Knicks center Kristaps Porzingis, according to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor. Porzingis, an All-Star in 2018, has yet to play this season as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered last February.

Porzingis averaged 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 48 games played last season before tearing his ACL. He shot a career-best 39.5 percent from three-point territory.

A restricted free agent this summer, Porzingis will likely command a max contract of four years—which would equate to $122.1 million. The Knicks can match any contract the Spurs, or any other team, proposes to the 23-year-old.

The Spurs are interested in Knicks restricted free agent Kristaps Porzingis. (AP) 

Clearing cap space for Porzingis will be a challenge for the Spurs. They would have to dispatch some of their higher-paid players—possibly trading either four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan or six-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge—and waiving Pau Gasol‘s partially-guaranteed contract of $16 million for next season. Rudy Gay’s contract ($10 million) also comes off the books this summer.

Because the Knicks can match any offer sheet an opposing team hands Porzingis, the 7-foot-3-inch Latvian big man will likely stay in New York unless a trade takes place.

The Knicks hold the third-worst record in the NBA with a 10-30 mark. There is no reason to bring back Porzingis this season, who is better off sitting out and returning to full health.

Knicks may Hold Porzingis out for Entire Season

The New York Knicks are not taking any chances with their franchise center Kristaps Porzingis. Knicks president Steve Mills says the team is open to sitting Porzingis—who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in February—for the entire 2018-19 season.

"Our goal is to not to do anything that jeopardizes KP’s future as being one of the foundational pieces of this team,” Mills said to The New York Post when asked if it makes sense for the Knicks to hold out Porzingis for the entire year, “He’s back. We’ll have some medical evaluations this week and we’ll start to develop what the right plan is for him to come back. But we’re not going to do anything to jeopardize the future of the franchise. We’re going to stay true to that."

There is no need for the Knicks to rush their lone All-Star back, especially in what will be another rebuilding year. The Knicks would ideally like to showcase Porzingis to the free agent class of 2019—which includes the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler, all of whom have been rumored (for whatever that’s worth nowadays) to be interested in playing for New York—but the big man’s health remains the top priority.

Kristaps Porzingis may miss the entire 2018-19 season/ (Jim McIsaac/Newsday)

Porzingis was an All-Star last season, averaging career-highs in points (22.7) and blocks (2.4) per contest. He also shot a career-best 39.5 percent from three-point territory in 48 games played. He was unable to play in the All-Star Game as he tore his ACL less than two weeks before the NBA’s All-Star weekend took place.

David Fizdale, named the team’s head coach in May, visited Porzingis in Latvia. The two are said to be on good terms as they look to turn around a franchise that has not reached the postseason since 2013. Even if Porzingis can’t contribute this season, he is expected to be the face of the team (even if the Knicks can lure a major free agent in the summer of 2019) for years to come.

Porzingis is eligible for a five-year, $157 million extension if he signs a deal before the start of the upcoming season. However, the Knicks are expected to wait until next summer to re-sign him, which would save the team cap space down the road.