Seven underrated NBA free agents — and where they could make the biggest impact

With the 2024 NBA draft out of the way, the start of NBA free agency is mere hours away. For weeks, front-office executives and fans have been thinking, planning, imagining what their teams could look like with some of the biggest stars in the game — Paul George, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan.

But in doing so, it’s often easy to overlook the less-famous players who might actually provide more value for teams seeking to upgrade their rosters. With that in mind, here are seven of the most underrated free agents this offseason, with teams that could benefit the most from signing them.

The 28-year-old is coming off a career year in which he was, by far, the most impactful guard in Washington’s rotation, having logged career bests in scoring, rebounding and assisting. But the boost in counting stats wasn’t merely due to him becoming a full-time starter. His efficiency — field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, effective field-goal rate — was also the best it has ever been.

The Wizards — yes, the 15-67 Wizards — performed 2.7 points better on offense per 100 possessions when Jones was on the court. And his decision making has always been elite, evidenced again by his dazzling 7.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio this past season; the best of any player who appeared in at least 50 games.

Best fits: Spurs, Magic, Pelicans

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Jones, 27, gambled last summer by opting out of his deal with the Chicago Bulls in the hopes of contributing to a contender. He then signed in Dallas, where he took a pay cut. The result: He was an versatile, integral role player on both ends for the Mavericks, who reached the NBA Finals.

Now, he’s set up to cash in on the gamble. Defensively, Dallas was two points better per 100 possessions with Jones Jr. on the floor than with him off. And while he isn’t a great jump-shooter, he still managed a career-best 34.3% from three this season and found other ways to get involved on offense, too, including being a consistent lob threat for star playmaker Luka Doncic.

Best fits: Mavs, Warriors, Jazz

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It goes without saying that Harris, who signed to stay in Philadelphia back in 2019 on a five-year, $188 million near-max deal, hasn’t quite lived up to that contract. His scoreless showing in the team’s season-ending Game 6 to the Knicks was emblematic, as many of the city’s fans had fashioned him as the overpaid face of the Sixers’ failures. Still, the soon-to-be 32-year-old projects as a productive, 15-point-per-game player who can be helpful to the right team.

For starters, he’s always available, having played in 671 of 719 games — 93% — of his team’s contests the past nine years. Only Nikola Jokic (675 games) and fellow free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (673) have appeared in more regular-season contests in that span.

And he’s still someone who can score in different ways; particularly with a boost in his usage rate, and an offense that’s more equitable than Philly’s. He’s shot 40% or better from the three-point corners in six of the past seven years, and among forwards, he ranked 11th in the league in fast-break points in 2023-24, having logged 207.

Best fits: Pistons, Jazz, Pelicans

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Even with the improvement he’s shown the past two seasons as a shooter, Dunn’s offense will never catch up with his defense. Still, his league-average-or-better perimeter shooting in each of the past two seasons — after having shot just under 30% for his first six years of his career — is notable, even if it is on a relatively low volume and usage rate.

But Dunn is one of the few guards in the league who is so good defensively that you potentially play him despite the shortcomings on offense. He deflected passes at the fourth-highest rate in the NBA on a per-minute basis among players who logged at least 60 games. And the Jazz were almost 2.5 points better per 100 possessions on defense when Dunn was on the court than when he was off. With this type of defensive output, combined with average shooting and offense, Dunn will be a worthwhile signing for teams in need of a point-of-attack stopper.

Best fits: Bucks, Wizards, Jazz

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Any team that needs a rugged interior presence — particularly on the glass — would be smart to sign Drummond, who’s led the league in offensive-rebounding percentage for each of the past two seasons among players who logged 60 appearances.

The 2023-24 campaign marked Drummond’s most efficient season, from a per-minute win-share perspective, in five years. The big man, who turns 31 in August, was excellent in rim protection, too, holding opposing shooters more than three percentage points beneath their averages around the basket, and had highly active hands on that end of the floor. Only Kelly Olynyk and Victor Wembanyama deflected more passes per minute among NBA centers.

Best fits: Grizzlies, Wizards, Pelicans

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The 27-year-old Highgsmith hasn’t gotten as much attention as Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson or Caleb Martin (who also could be a free agent in the coming days), but he might be the next solid developmental story to come out of Miami in recent years.

This year, in his first season averaging 20 minutes per game or more, Highsmith ranked third in the NBA in isolation defense (among players who appeared in 60 games), limiting opposing players to 0.70 points per 1-on-1 possession. Only Keegan Murray was better among wing defenders.

Yet it’s the growth in Highsmith’s offense that’s arguably most intriguing going forward. He’s seen annual increases in both his assist percentage and his three-point accuracy, and he had a very strong close to the 2023-24 campaign, shooting 53.5% overall and 44.4% from three after the All-Star break — a considerable boost from the 42.1% overall and 36.7% from three he shot prior to that.

Best fits: Heat, Warriors, Hawks

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Okoro, still just 23 years old, took a significant step forward this season within the Cavs’ offense, logging career-highs in three-pointers made and three-point percentage. He also shot a career-high 40% from the corners.

These are important improvements, considering Okoro is already a plus defender. The Cavaliers gave up just 105.6 points per 100 possessions with Okoro on the court — the best rate on the team — and were a whopping 6.3 points worse per 100 possessions whenever he was off the floor. He’s a restricted free agent, meaning Cleveland can opt to match whatever free-agent offer he gets from another team.

Best fits: Lakers, Cavs, Sixers