Dream 2024 Free Agency Targets for Every NBA Team

The NBA offseason has already begun for 27 teams, all of whom should be hard at work at crafting their free-agent wish list.

Every team should begin with their dream targets while keeping their spending ability in mind. Some squads like the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons could have enough cap space to offer a max contract, while others like the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets project to be over the second apron and will only be able to offer minimum-salary contracts.

We’re only counting outside free agents here to spice things up, even though a few teams’ main priority will be to retain their own players.

While keeping potential spending power in mind, these are the dream free-agent targets for all 30 teams.

The Atlanta Hawks are projected to have modest spending power this summer. They’ll be armed with either the $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5.2 million taxpayer MLE, and they’ll have a lot of roster questions to answer either way.

Regardless of whether the Hawks decide to keep Trae Young, they need to get better defensively. They ranked 27th in defensive rating and weren’t a particularly good three-point shooting team, either (36.4 percent, 17th overall).

Getting a veteran three-and-D wing like Royce O’Neale would be a realistic dream, especially since he’d be taking a pay cut from his $9.5 million salary from 2023-24.

The 30-year-old O’Neale had a plus-13.8 on/off differential with the Phoenix Suns (98th percentile, via Cleaning the Glass). The Suns were 6.5 points per 100 possessions better on defense with O’Neale on the floor. Add in the 37.0 percent that he shot from three last season, and he’d be an ideal free-agent addition for Atlanta.

The Boston Celtics should welcome any and all useful veterans who will agree to come chase a championship on a minimum deal.

Beasley could likely receive more elsewhere after averaging 11.3 points while shooting 41.3 percent from three with the Milwaukee Bucks last season. However, he played on a vet-minimum deal last year, so he might be willing to do so again for another contender.

Talking Beasley into switching teams would not only help the Celtics, but it would hurt one of their major competitors in the East. After hitting 42.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes for Milwaukee, Beasley should get even more wide-open looks playing for a loaded Celtics team that could use him as its new sixth man.

Veterans like Kyle Anderson, Gordon Hayward, Eric Gordon and Luke Kennard should all be considered as well.

The Brooklyn Nets’ primary objective in free agency should be to re-sign starting center Nic Claxton. Beyond that, they should be looking to beef up their point guard rotation.

The Nets have a vast number of wings, yet they have only Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons as their main ball-handlers. Simmons has averaged only 19 total games over the past three seasons because of back issues, while Schröder is on an expiring deal.

Signing Jones to a multi-year contract would bring some stability to the position. The 28-year-old is coming off the best season of his career as a starter with the Washington Wizards, averaging 12.0 points, 7.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 41.4 percent from three.

Jones has long been one of the league’s most turnover-averse point guards. He totaled only 66 turnovers (including 55 bad passes) in 66 games last season.

With the $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to use, Brooklyn should see if a three-year, $40 million-ish deal and guaranteed starting job is enough to get Jones to sign.

The Charlotte Hornets can create nearly $34 million in cap space this summer, which they should use to acquire additional scoring help around LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

Immanuel Quickley is a restricted free agent, so the Hornets might have to throw a max offer his way for the Toronto Raptors not to match. The two sides could agree on a sign-and-trade, including some draft compensation from Charlotte.

Quickley could start at shooting guard between Ball and Miller, but he’s also capable of running point guard on a full-time basis if Ball can’t stay healthy moving forward. Following his trade to the Raptors last season, Quickley averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds and only 1.8 turnovers while shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range in 38 games.

Charlotte should be looking to spend to fill out the roster around its young stars in hopes of a quick return to the playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls reportedly want to keep DeMar DeRozan, although committing more than $80 million to him and Zach LaVine next season doesn’t seem like a recipe for success. Even if the Bulls run it back (again), they’ll need some additional help to make the playoffs.

Tobias Harris would be a nice veteran pickup regardless of whether DeRozan returns. The 31-year-old averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, but his tenure in Philly appears likely to end this summer.

A core of Coby White, LaVine, DeRozan, Harris and Nikola Vučević features plenty of scoring and would be better equipped to make a playoff run.

On his new contract, Harris isn’t likely to earn anywhere close to the $39.3 million he made this past season. He could be in play for Chicago with the $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were the worst three-point shooting team to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. They could use another floor-spacing guard or wing.

Buddy Hield is a career 40.0 percent marksman from deep who could offer the Cavs some scoring and playmaking off the bench. He’s long been one of the NBA’s most durable players, and he played a career-high 84 games last season thanks to his midseason trade from the Indiana Pacers to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Both Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland missed 25 or more games this past season. Signing Hield would give the Cavs a spot starter who could fill in for either guard should they miss time next season.

Cleveland has the $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception at its disposal, but it can only spend $10.3 million of it before crossing into the luxury tax.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was one of best bargains of the 2023-24 season after signing a one-year, veteran-minimum deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Dallas Mavericks are limited in what they can spend as well, but they can at least offer Oubre a raise of up to $5.2 million using the taxpayer MLE.

The Mavs could use another scorer off the bench or even in the starting lineup if they trade Tim Hardaway Jr. or Derrick Jones Jr. signs elsewhere in free agency. Oubre isn’t a three-and-D wing by any means, but he did average 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in 62 games this past season and is a terrific athlete.

Dallas’ current playoff run should garner more interest from veterans who are in win-now mode. Unlike most ring-chasers, Oubre is still only 28 and should have plenty of good seasons left in him.

Finding the right role players at the right price will now become the challenge for Dallas. Oubre could be a strong fit with their taxpayer MLE.

The Denver Nuggets will always be looking for centers who can play spot minutes behind Nikola Jokić and not get blown off the floor. Andre Drummond and Jokić are completely different players, but Drummond might be the best that Denver can afford with only veteran-minimum contracts to offer.

Drummond’s rebounding remains elite. If he had played enough minutes to qualify, his rebound rate of 29.3 percent not only would have led the NBA, it would have topped Jusuf Nurkić by a whopping 6.5 percentage points. The gap between Drummond and Nurkić was roughly the same as Nurkić and Bobby Portis, who finished 25th on the league leaderboard.

After reaching the postseason only four times in his 12 NBA seasons and never making it out of the first round, Drummond should be hungry to win and play whatever role the Nuggets need him to.

Since the Nuggets are projected to be a second-apron team, they need to find the best players available for the vet minimum.

Little has gone right for the Detroit Pistons in recent seasons, although they’ve kept their books squeaky clean heading into free agency. Detroit can have as much as $68.5 million in cap space, enough to sign a max free agent and another quality starter.

Landing Pascal Siakam would benefit the Pistons in a number of ways.

First, this would be a devastating blow for the Indiana Pacers after they just gave up three first-round picks and Bruce Brown Jr. to acquire Siakam in a trade in January. Siakam was a key player in their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, so losing him for nothing in free agency would be a huge blow to the Pacers.

Getting a two-time All-Star and NBA champion like Siakam would be a major boost for a young Pistons team with uncertainty at power forward. If the Pacers hesitate to give Siakam a max deal, Detroit should swoop in.

The Golden State Warriors might as well re-sign Klay Thompson since they don’t have the cap space to sign anyone else as good. After that, they will only have the $5.2 million taxpayer MLE, which will take the top free agents off the board for them.

Kyle Anderson would be a tremendous get on the MLE, as the 30-year-old could fill a number of roles for a veteran Warriors team eager to return to the postseason.

The 6’9″ Anderson is able to play either forward position and can run point guard for stretches. He’s a strong passer and solid defender who could be a sixth man for Golden State.

With the Minnesota Timberwolves projected to be a second-apron team, they might not be willing to re-sign Anderson. The Warriors should see if their taxpayer MLE is enough to lure him away.

The Houston Rockets reportedly planned to meet with Bruce Brown last summer in free agency before he signed with the Indiana Pacers. The Toronto Raptors now hold a $23 million team option on Brown, so they might decline his deal to get more cap space instead.

The 27-year-old Brown still would make sense for a Rockets team that’s on the rise. He’d be a key piece off the bench in Houston after averaging 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals between the Pacers and Raptors this past season.

If Brown hits unrestricted free agency, he isn’t likely to get an annual salary of $20-plus million. The shine of his championship play with the Denver Nuggets has worn off, so Rockets’ $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE may be enough to sign the six-year veteran.

With plenty of guards and bigs now on the roster, Houston needs more wings who can defend, hit shots and play multiple positions. Brown checks all of these boxes.

We’re breaking our own rule by listing a free agent of the team he currently plays for, but there’s a caveat here. The Indiana Pacers’ summer revolves around re-signing Pascal Siakam, but the terms of the deal matter.

Siakam is a two-time All-Star who’s averaged 20-plus points in each of the past five seasons. He also looked like the Toronto Raptors’ second-best player in the 2019 NBA Finals, helping to deliver their first championship in franchise history.

However, a five-year, $245 million contract for Siakam could age poorly, particularly as he enters his 30s. With Tyrese Haliburton out for Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Andrew Nembhard looked like the Pacers’ best player against the Boston Celtics, not Siakam.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Indiana is prepared to offer a max contract to Siakam. But the Pacers retaining him on anything less than a max (five years, $200 million, for example) would be a dream offseason signing.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ potential spending power is in flux for now, as Paul George, P.J. Tucker and Russell Westbrook all carry player options for next season. James Harden is set to become a free agent this offseason, too.

If the Clippers re-sign both George and Harden, they’ll likely go over the second apron and be limited to handing out veteran-minimum contracts in free agency. But if George walks, they could have access to the $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE.

With a lot of guards and wings already on the roster, the Clippers could look into some depth at center instead.

Jonas Valančiūnas and Ivica Zubac averaged a combined 49.9 minutes per game this past season, so staggering both wouldn’t result in a major dip in either one’s role. Valančiūnas also has some three-point shooting ability, which Zubac doesn’t offer with only one career made three.

This is quite a pipe dream, especially since DeMar DeRozan could make eight times as much money by returning to the Chicago Bulls next season.

Still, DeRozan himself hasn’t ruled out signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were his favorite team while he grew up in Compton, California.

For a player who’s made over a quarter-billion dollars in his NBA career (not counting endorsements), taking the Lakers’ $5.2 million taxpayer MLE and joining LeBron James (a potential free agent himself), Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and others on a Lakers team packed with talent may be appealing for DeRozan.

DeRozan might not be a perfect fit, but he is easily the most talented player whom the Lakers would have a chance at signing with their taxpayer MLE.

The Grizzlies ranked 25th in rebounding perentage this past season (48.8 percent) and could use some more muscle in the middle after shipping Steven Adams to the Houston Rockets ahead of the trade deadline this past February.

Precious Achiuwa had a strong run with the New York Knicks following his trade from the Toronto Raptors, including averages of 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 52.6 percent overall in his 18 starts.

Even the Grizzlies’ $5.2 million taxpayer MLE would be a slightly raise for Achiuwa after he earned roughly $4.4 million this past season. The chance to win the starting center job next to Jaren Jackson Jr. could help set him up for a bigger payday down the road, too.

Achiuwa could be a big part of a much-improved Memphis team next season. His rebounding and energy could help the Grizzlies return to the top of the West.

The Indiana Pacers will likely try retain Obi Toppin, who’s set to become a restricted free agent this summer. He played an important role off the bench for them, even after the Pascal Siakam trade.

Still, this roster is getting more expensive with Tyrese Haliburton’s max contract jumping up by $41 million in total value after he made an All-NBA team. Siakam is likely getting a $245 million max deal this summer, and Myles Turner will be a free agent next offseason. If the Pacers don’t feel like they can pay everyone, Toppin could become the odd man out.

The 26-year-old would be the perfect starting power forward for Miami between Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. He’s outstanding athlete who can finish lobs, and he shot a career-high 40.3 percent from three this year.

Toppin might not be keen on settling for a minimum-salary deal, although the chance at a starting job for this Heat team could help land him a bigger contract in 2025.

The Milwaukee Bucks were fortunate to sign Malik Beasley to a one-year, veteran-minimum deal last offseason. This summer, Milwaukee should aim to do the same with Alec Burks.

Burks has drilled 40.2 percent of his three-point attempts over the past four seasons. His 6’6″ frame gives him the ability to play and defend multiple positions, which is the kind of versatility that the Bucks need.

Milwaukee is poised to have one of the NBA’s most expensive rosters next season with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard making more than $97 million combined. Depth will continue to be an issue as the Bucks try to add ring-chasers on minimum-salary deals.

After making it past the first round of the playoffs only once in his 13 NBA seasons, Burks could be hungry enough for a deep run to take a pay cut in Milwaukee.

With Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert set to earn a combined $135.5 million next season against a projected $141 million salary cap, the Wolves will only be able to offer veteran-minimum contracts in free agency.

Derrick Jones Jr. is currently playing on a minimum deal with the Dallas Mavericks, but he’s earned himself a raise with his play this year.

Jones has been the Mavericks’ starting small forward for the majority of the season. He averaged a career-high 8.6 points per game while increasing his three-point accuracy for the fifth straight season (34.3 percent).

It’s easy to picture the 27-year-old taking Kyle Anderson’s spot as a key reserve, bringing defensive effort on a nightly basis while finishing off lobs from Mike Conley Jr. and Edwards. If he’s willing to play on a minimum-salary deal again, he’s the first player whom Minnesota should be calling.

It would be surprising to see Jonas Valančiūnas re-sign with the New Orleans Pelicans since his overall role, minutes and shot attempts have all fallen in each of the past three seasons. The Pels should instead pursue a new starting center, one that can rebound, defend, pass and excel around other stars without needing the ball in his hands.

Isaiah Hartenstein checks all of those boxes. The 26-year-old averaged 8.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks in his 49 starts with the New York Knicks.

New Orleans can offer a competitive salary using its $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE. A three-year deal would net Hartenstein more than $40 million, or nearly twice his career earnings to this point.

The Knicks should want to keep Hartenstein, but re-signing OG Anunoby will be their first priority, and his contract won’t be cheap. The Pels should at least try to land Hartenstein as their new franchise center.

The New York Knicks’ first priority this summer should be keeping the band together by re-signing OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein. Beyond that, they seem to have a type of player whom they prefer now.

De’Anthony Melton fits this new mold as a tough, defensive guard/wing who rarely turns the ball over. The 26-year-old averaged 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 36.0 percent from three with the Philadelphia 76ers, but the Sixers might not re-sign him if they’re able to land a star this offseason.

Melton would fit on the Knicks as a backup point/shooting guard behind Jalen Brunson, helping keep the regular-season workload low for the All-Star starter. The Knicks are projected to have the $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE, which may be enough to land Melton as an unrestricted free agent.

The championship window for this young Oklahoma City Thunder team is officially open, and this group now has some playoff experience to build off.

Jalen Williams was an inconsistent No. 2 scoring option next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the postseason. While he or Chet Holmgren could eventually be an All-Star-level second banana, signing Paul George as a free agent this summer would be a huge boost for the Thunder in the short term as they look to win now.

OKC can open up $37.9 million in cap space this offseason, and it could create even more by trading players like Ousmane Dieng or Kenrich Williams into another team’s cap space. George’s max salary is $49.35 million, which is the number that the Thunder would likely need to get to.

A lineup of Gilgeous-Alexander, George, Lu Dort, Williams and Holmgren would be a nightmare for opponents. It would also be a fun full-circle moment to see George return to Oklahoma City after he spent the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons there.

Malik Monk was enjoying the best season of his career with the Sacramento Kings before a sprained MCL ended his 2023-24 campaign. After averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game while hitting 35.0 percent of his threes off the bench, Monk deserves a nice raise and a starting job elsewhere.

The Orlando Magic are in great financial shape moving forward, as most of their core players are still on rookie-scale deals. They could create more than $66 million in cap space this offseason, which should be more than enough to add a dynamic guard like Monk to the mix.

A new starting backcourt of Jalen Suggs and Monk would feature a nice blend of offense and defense. Monk could give Orlando a scoring boost after it finished 22nd in offensive rating this past season.

The Kings can only give Monk a four-year, $78 million deal via his Early Bird rights. The Magic should come over the top of that and convince the 26-year-old to head to Orlando instead.

There are a number of reasons why the Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t pursue LeBron James.

Age and injuries (Joel Embiid) could sink this team. Depth would be a major issue with three players on max deals, assuming James and Tyrese Maxey each signed one this offseason. The new-look Sixers’ championship window wouldn’t be open all that long.

Still, given the chance to pair one of the NBA’s best players with of the greatest players in history and the Most Improved Player from last season, shouldn’t the Sixers at least try to make this happen?

Going from having to carry the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense every night to moving into a primary playmaker role while feeding Embiid and Maxey could add years to James’ career. There wouldn’t be a more talented Big Three in the NBA, either.

Sixers president Daryl Morey has to at least explore this possibility, however unlikely it may be.

With Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal set to earn more than $150 million combined, the Phoenix Suns are set to blow past the second apron in 2024-25. That means they’ll be limited to minimum-salary contracts in free agency.

Although Phoenix didn’t prioritize the point guard spot last year, new head coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t sound keen on repeating that approach this offseason. Phoenix ranked only 10th in offensive rating last year despite the presence of Durant, Booker and Beal.

Kyle Lowry, who turned 38 in late March, may be heading into the final year of his storied career. The six-time All-Star and 2018-19 NBA champion can still run an offense and hit open threes, even if he’s not a major scoring threat anymore.

The Suns bringing Lowry off the bench for 20-25 minutes per game would help everything run more smoothly while adding a hefty dose of veteran leadership to the locker room.

Rebuilding teams typically have cap space at their disposal. But by keeping veterans like Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon at the trade deadline and with Deandre Ayton on a max contract, the Portland Trail Blazers are projected to only have the $5.2 million taxpayer MLE.

As a result, Portland isn’t poised to be a major player in free agency like the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and other young teams.

Haywood Highsmith would be a realistic dream target following his strong season with the Miami Heat. Portland already has a logjam at guard, and it’ll get Robert Williams III back from knee surgery next year to beef up the center position. Highsmith would give the Blazers a 6’7″ wing who can play behind Grant and take over his spot if he gets traded at some point.

Highsmith shot 39.6 percent from three this past season, so he could help keep the floor open for Scoot Henderson and others to operate.

A year after flirting with the idea of signing Draymond Green, could the Sacramento Kings chase another member of the Golden State Warriors dynasty?

While Klay Thompson didn’t have the best audition in their play-in game, his history is enough for Sacramento to consider a serious pursuit. Putting him in the starting lineup alongside De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and either Kevin Huerter or Harrison Barnes would give the Kings more shooting and playoff experience heading into next season.

At the very least, Sacramento should be able to drive Thompson’s price up if the Warriors try to get cheap with him. The Kings are projected to have the $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE at their disposal.

Getting Thompson out of Golden State would be a win-win for the Kings, as they’d strengthen their own roster while dismantling one of their primary rivals in the West.

The San Antonio Spurs need a franchise point guard and figure to use either the No. 4 or No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft on one. However, it’s unclear whether that player will be able to run the team right away, so San Antonio should have a bridge plan in place.

Signing Tyus Jones to play with his brother, Tre, would make a lot of sense. The older Jones was a solid starter with the Washington Wizards this past season and would be an upgrade over his brother in the Spurs’ starting lineup.

San Antonio ranked 24th in turnover rate (14.8 percent) this past season. As the Wizards’ primary ball-handler, Jones had a turnover rate of only 8.8 percent, which was far below the Spurs’ mark as a team.

With up to $21.3 million in cap space, the Spurs could offer Jones more than the $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE. That might give them a leg up on most other suitors.

The Toronto Raptors’ plan to get younger around Scottie Barnes and add more shooting should continue this summer. Patrick Williams would be an intriguing target to pursue.

The 22-year-old hasn’t blossomed as expected during his four seasons with the Chicago Bulls, yet he has always been a talented three-point shooter. Williams has a career 41.0 percent mark from three across 213 regular-season games.

Since Williams is able to play and defend either forward position, putting him next to Barnes in the frontcourt would give Toronto a big, versatile combination years away from their respective primes.

Toronto would need to make Williams a sizable offer for Chicago not to match an offer sheet in restricted free agency, or the two sides could agree to a sign-and-trade.

The Utah Jazz have a lot of cap space and draft picks moving forward, so they could cause major chaos in free agency this summer.

If the New York Knicks don’t meet OG Anunoby’s salary demands, the Jazz should be ready and waiting to make an offer. The 26-year-old impacts winning on both ends, as the Knicks were a whopping 23.9 points per 100 possessions better with Anunoby on the floor (100th percentile), per Cleaning the Glass.

Putting Anunoby at forward next to Lauri Markanen would give Utah one of the best frontcourts in the NBA, especially if Walker Kessler continues to develop at center.

Since the Jazz are one of the few teams that can open up max cap space this summer, they shouldn’t be shy about chasing a star.

The Washington Wizards should aim to find their next franchise center this summer. If they don’t find one with the No. 2 overall pick, they should try to sign Nic Claxton in free agency.

With only the $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE to use, the Wizards would likely need to move money around to outbid the Brooklyn Nets for Claxton. However, since Claxton is an unrestricted free agent, he can choose his next team without having to worry about Brooklyn matching an offer sheet.

The 25-year-old center is an elite defender and strong rebounder who can clean up a lot of the mistakes that the young Wizards will continue to make on both ends. If Washington ends up trading Kyle Kuzma this summer, Claxton could receive a larger offensive role.

Finding a new center and point guard of the future are both important parts of the Wizards’ offseason. Claxton would fill one of these needs.